Members of the year

Michael Zeineddine is Owner and Accountant of MZ SERVICES, a tax preparation service representing people with state and nonprofit organization tax related issues. He started the company in 2008. Michael runs the daily operations of payroll, bookkeeping, estate taxes, and tax return preparation and specializes in a broad range of tax strategies for businesses. He was acknowledged by the IRS in Pasadena for his specialized offers in compromise for business related tax issues. He has a Bachelors degree in Pre Law and Political Science from the University of Utah and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce of Pasadena and supporter of St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Michael is passionate about helping people and believes his business reflects this passion. He speaks English, Arabic, and some Spanish.

Thomas L. Duft is the Executive Vice President of Operations for WD Semi LLC, a full service equipment services company, specializing in the redeployment of used semiconductor equipment. Thomas has over 30 years in the semiconductor industry specializing in semiconductor equipment, operations, engineering, manufacturing, service, and marketing. Thomas attributes his success to his passion for the industry and being a team player. In the next 4 to 5 years Thomas is anticipating retirement and spending time being actively involved in his community. One of the milestones in his career includes being an important contributor in the turn around of several start-up businesses. His international experience includes working in multi-site operations for facilities in Europe, Singapore, and Japan. Thomas received his Bachelor of Science from the Electrical Engineering University of Massachusetts Lowell. In his free time he enjoys refurbishing classic cars, wood working, and astronomy.

Mr. Mark Rogers has over 30 years experience in the engineering and biomedical industry. Currently he oversees development of orthopedic implants and reconstruction for people and animals. A member of research gate.net and has U.S. patent 7072244 as well as publishing several articles. An early curiosity in math has led to Mark’s current career and his continued quest to become a subject matter expert. Hard work and persistence has been the keys to his success. In addition to being a top notch engineer, Mr. Rogers is also a Captain in the United States Coast Guard. He also participates in ocean treasure hunts and collect glass insulation's. Mark also volunteers and is an active member with the ECKANKAR Church - (RELIGION OF THE LIGHT AND SOUND OF GOD).

Jim O'Shaunessy is the founder, chairman, and CEO of O'Shaughnessy Asset Management, LLC headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. He is considered one of America's leading financial experts and a pioneer in quantitative equity analysis. He has made numerous expert appearances on CNBC, CNN, FoxNews and Report on Business Canada. Jim has written four acclaimed books on investing; 1994: Invest Like the Best; 1997: What Works on Wall Street; 1997: How to Retire Rich; 2006: Predicting the Markets of Tomorrow. Prior to running O'Shaughnessy Asset Management, Jim worked at Bear Stearns Asset Management as a Senior Managing Director and the executive director of Systematic Equity. He created Netfolio in 1999, a company that offered individual investors the ability to build their own diversified portfolio over the internet. In 1997 he launched RBC O'Shaughnessy mutual funds at Royal Bank of Canada for Canadian investors. Jim is passionate about his relationship with Lincoln Center in NYC, and he hopes to continue to expand his philanthropic efforts. He is excited to join Bristol and network with other executives and professionals.

Ian Dantzer is Managing Partner and Chair of Lerners LLP. Having been in this position for over seven years, but has 28 years of experience with the firm and 33 years of experience as an attorney. His goal is to get back into litigation, build a commercial litigation practice, and to take on more high-end clients. What inspires Ian to practice law, is the challenging work that is involved. Not one to back away from a challenge, he attributes success to his diligence in efforts to serve his clients and the firm. He received his JD/LLB in Law from Western University in1980 and his HBA in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1977. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, most recently, “Best Lawyers In Canada,” (2015) and Corporate & Commercial Litigation "Lawyer of the Year" for 2015 in the London/Windsor Region.

Devon Ayres is Principal Hydrogeologist and President of the Water Resources Associates, Inc. With extensive experience, Devon provides training for developers and corporate professionals in industry. Throughout the past ten years with this business, he has built many rewarding relationships that have added to his success. His goal is to expand the business in the next few years. In 1994, Devon graduated from California Lutheran University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Geology. His specializations include water resources development, production, distribution, system design, and construction Management.

Anthony Range is a retired Senior Master Sergeant (SMSgt) from the U.S. Air Force working for L3 Communications. During his enlistment, Anthony obtained his AAS, BAS, and MAS from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. In addition, he received a FAA Certification, Airframe and Powerplant License, License 3577272. After 25 years of active duty, Anthony moved to the private sector to work for L3 Communications. In Production Control he schedules flights and maintenance on military air craft while upholding aerospace safety. Future goals include developing an Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) program to take airmen out of harms way when flying over highly dangerous areas Anthony grew up on several bases in the United states; his father was active military during his childhood. Living on base allowed him to understand military life and gave him the desire to pursue a career in military air craft safety and maintenance. Anthony was stationed in various parts of Europe and the Middle East throughout his career. Over the years in the U.S. Air Force, he would host and co-host events for the Maintenance Professional of the Year Award where he would interact with Generals such as Maintenance General Leo Marquez. Anthony also had the honor of working with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to develop air craft programs, policy, and maintenance schedules while stationed there. His favorite pastimes include reading autobiographies, restoring automobiles, sport shooting, and traveling. Anthony enjoys spending time with his family; he has two children and three grandchildren.

Frank Thornton has been Senior Vice President / Retail Market Executive at First Citizens Bank. After working in the banking profession for 28 years, Frank is now retired and looking to connect with fellow professionals to share his knowledge and experience. Having started at the bottom of the ladder, so to speak, he naturally progressed in the industry and held many executive roles in this profession; he attributes his success to hard work, dedication, and working long hours. Frank serves as Advisory Board President of the Ronald McDonald House, which provides food and other necessities for underprivileged families. He has been published in various media such as College of Business Stock Notes, Raleigh News, Observer, and more.

Philippe Joliot is an accomplished computer forensics expert with over 20 years of experience as a specialist in data recovery services and training. He has served as President of TRACIP for 21 years and is responsible for managing the direction of the company, overseeing the computer forensics, data recovery services, testing new tools, serving as an expert witness, coaching and training French law enforcement and corporations on best practices in computer forensics. Philippe received his Engineering degree from CESI Nancy, France, in 1986, as well as a university degree in Forensics from Faculté de Médécine Paris V in 2006. In 2007, he founded AFSIN (Association of Francophone Digital Forensics Specialists), a computer forensics association that assists with investigations for the government. Mr. Joliot served as President of the organization for 6 years and is a current administrator. Originally, he was drawn to this field a because the police department needed help with investigating in computer forensics, and a majority of his activity has been in that area since, including cyber criminality. Going forward, Mr. Joliot is keen to network and develop the company outside of France, specifically in Africa. He serves as Expert at the Court of Appeal of Nancy, and speaks both English and French. In his spare time, Philippe enjoys listening to music and traveling the world, and he especially enjoys North America.

Andy Etmanski is the Executive Vice President for Millennium EMS Solutions Ltd. Andy is a principal and senior mining lead and has over 25 years of experience as an environmental professional specializing in legislative/policy development, public consultation, reclamation, environmental assessment, project management and regulatory applications. Andy has applied his comprehensive knowledge of resources management to a variety of projects with the objective of sustainable development, protection, and reclamation. Andy has been involved directly in or in a leadership capacity, in land use planning, land reclamation, remediation assessments and reclamation certificate applications. His strength is in solving complex regulatory applications for resource sector clients. Andy has been a program manager, project manager, supervisor and participant in numerous multi-disciplinary projects including, environment impact assessments, environmental site assessments, pre-disturbance assessments, conservation and reclamation plans and certifications for oil and gas, mining, aggregate and plant-site projects. Andy's job is managing 175+ staff members and as well as the finances in the organization. He received his Bachelor of Science in Geography from Wilfrid Laurier University, and his MES in Resource Management from the University of Waterloo. The highlight of his career thus far has been contributing to the growth that his company has experienced. In the future Andy looks forward to millennium expanding geographically and diversifying.

Jeff M. Bridges is Regional Director of Woodmen Life where he is responsible for employee recruitment and training and management coordination. He began working for Woodmen Life 13 years ago and has held various positions since. From 2012 when taking on his current position, he has been guiding a team of salespeople and managers to their fullest potential. Jeff received a Bachelors degree in Finance and Banking in 2002 from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He realized his passion for the profession when enrolled in an investment class. Jeff is a Member of National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA.) For his excellence, he was awarded “Super Star Elite Status of the President's Cabinet”; he has been named “Rising Star” and has FICF Designation. Jeff is a devoted husband and proud father. In his free time, he enjoys buying, selling and restoring old cars.

Rudy Guerra is Partner and Engineering Director at Edica Ltda. and has been with the company in various roles for 24 years. Edica is a construction company in Costa Rica building hospitals, hotels, and residential and commercial buildings. Rudy is responsible for quality control and all areas of management. He also serves on the board of directors with the company. Guerra is associated with the American Society of Civil Engineers as well as the American Concrete Institute. He has been an invited speaker for seminars at the University of Costa Rica on construction costs and procurement. From a young age, Rudy learned about construction from his father, owner of a small construction company; Rudy always knew this was the profession for him too. His goal is to expand the company to Panama and Nicaragua.

Kevin Connors is Managing Partner of ConnorsO'Dell LLP, a law firm of 20 attorneys. With almost 30 years of experience in insurance defense work, workers' compensation, personal injury, subrogation claim, and commercial litigation, Kevin has a bibliography of over 30 articles published on personal injury and workers’ compensation litigation and has won numerous awards, including Best Attorneys of America, Super Lawyers. Kevin speaks at numerous national conferences about litigation issues, trial prep, and emerging trends in law. His goal is to grow his firm and acquire more clients. Kevin graduated from Villanova University School of Law with his Juris Doctor degree in Law, received his MFA from City University of New York-Brooklyn College in Creative Writing, and his BA in English from Saint Joseph's University. He is a Certified Workers' Compensation Specialist having received credentials from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers' Compensation.

Terry Schaefer is the President, CEO, & Founder at Easy Associates, Inc. where he coaches privately held companies & family operated businesses. Terry completed three Master’s Degrees in nine years. His areas of study include marketing, finance, and sociology Bachelor’s degrees from Babson College, as well as Master’s degrees in Substance Abuse and Addictions Counseling from Loyola, University of Maryland, Family Therapy, Human Development, and Systems Theory from the University of Maryland Baltimore, and Applied Behavioral Science, Organizational Development, and Fellow in Change of Management from Johns Hopkins University. Terry hopes to continue to share his extensive experience coaching families about passing a business from one generation to the next. In his free time he enjoys sailing, skiing, snowboarding, and travel. He is affiliated with the International Coach Federation and Center of Credentialing & Education. Terry is excited to expand his connections within the Bristol community by networking with other like-minded individuals.

Susan Ursel has been the Senior Partner at Ursel Phillips Fellows Hopkinson LLP since January 2012. She has also held partner roles at law firms since 1994 and has practiced law since her call to the Bar in 1986. Highlights of her career include notable human rights work and her work in continuing the legacy of her law firm which has a history extending more than 40 years. Ursel Phillips Fellows Hopkinson LLP is the successor to Green & Chercover. The firm follows in the tradition of quality legal services established by respected labour lawyers Maurice Green and Barrie Chercover in their forty years of work for trade union and progressive communities. The firm in its present form continued in 2012. Susan is an experienced litigator currently specializing in labour and employment law. Her work includes both arbitration and appellate advocacy. She has also practiced at all court levels including the Supreme Court of Canada as well as labour boards, human rights and arbitration boards. Susan was inspired into this profession through her deep love and passion for social justice. She attributes her success to a deep commitment to what she does, and to her stamina, hard work, and education. As labour counsel, she now works primarily with public sector and broader public sector trade unions and associations. Her practice encompasses arbitrations, labour board matters, pay equity, human rights, judicial reviews and appellate litigation. As a labour, employment and human rights lawyer, Ms Ursel was co-counsel for the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) at the Supreme Court of Canada on the landmark Honda v Keays case which dealt with the intersection of human rights and employment law, as well as important issues on the structure of damage awards on termination of employment. As ground breaking counsel seeking progressive legal change for her clients, she has appeared in the Supreme Court of Canada on such precedent setting Charter cases as Egan and Nesbitt, the first Supreme Court decision to deal with the equality rights of gay men and lesbians; the Trinity Western case which dealt with the issues of LGBT rights and the appropriate training of teachers; and the Chamberlain case, which dealt with the educational rights of children in gay and lesbian families. More recently, Ms Ursel has represented members of the transsexual/transgender communities, helping to establish essential precedents in such human rights cases as Hogan (dealing with the full availability of public health care for the trans community) and XY v Ontario (dealing with the issue of gender identification on birth certificates). In addition, Ms. Ursel was also one of a team of lawyers who worked on the successful case of "Jane Doe" v. Metropolitan Toronto Police, a challenge to the police practices in Toronto regarding sexual assaults which has brought about systemic and long standing changes in the policing approaches to this form of crime against women. Her work in the human rights field stretches back more than two decades. She has acted as complainant's counsel in a number of important human rights cases in Ontario, including the Hamilton Gay Pride Day case, the Sims case which dealt with employment rights of gay men and lesbians, and the Thornton case which asserted the employment rights of persons with HIV/AIDS. In addition to a busy labour and human rights practice, Ms. Ursel is active in the area of pensions and benefits, providing advice and undertaking litigation with respect to pension and benefits issues. She was court appointed counsel to Air Canada union retirees in the 2004 Air Canada Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act proceedings, successfully working to preserve those retirees’ pensions and entitlements. She has also successfully engaged in class action litigation on behalf of pension plan members adversely affected by government reorganizations in the broader public sector. Ms Ursel is a frequent speaker, teacher and writer on human rights and Charter issues, as well as labour related issues such as pay equity, pensions, and labour rights. As a thought leader in these fields, her work also includes the development of educational seminars and presentations for clients and the profession with respect to such issues as intersectional discrimination, human rights and an aging workforce, mental health and employment rights, and working with diversity and diverse communities on important legal issues. Professional memberships include the Ontario Bar Association; the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers; and the Association of Human Rights Lawyers. Seeking to bring innovation to law and legal services, Ms Ursel has been the founding member or director of many significant initiatives in the profession and the community at large. These include: Founding member, Coalition for the Reform of the Ontario Human Rights Commission; Founding member, the Association of Human Rights Lawyers; Founding Director of the Foundation for Equal Families; Founding member of the Feminist Legal Analysis Committee; Founding member of the Gay and Lesbian Issues and Rights Committee of the Canadian Bar Association: Ontario, now the SOGIC of the Ontario Bar Association; and member of the initial Advisory Committee to the Toronto Board of Education’s (now TDSB) Triangle Program for LGBT students. She is also a past member of the Advisory Committee to the Employment Equity Commissioner, past director and president of the Emily Stowe Shelter for Women, and was the Lobby Chair of the Steering Committee for the Campaign for Equal Families during the historic fight for Bill 167 in Ontario in 1994. As part of her commitment to access to justice, Ms. Ursel was also a Founding Director and past member of the Executive of Pro Bono Law Ontario. She has been honoured for her contribution to pro bono legal culture by the Canadian Bar Association receiving the Young Lawyer's Pro Bono Service Award in 1998. She is also an inductee in the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives - Builders of Tolerance: Portraits from the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives - 2000. In 2011, Susan Ursel received the Canadian Bar Association's (CBA) 2011 Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conference (SOGIC) Hero Award. Ms. Ursel received the award in recognition of her contributions in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and two-spirited (LGBTT) communities in Canada. In addition, Susan has been published in online media and other outlets, and also volunteers and donates to many progressive causes. Susan Ursel received her LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1984. She received an award in civil litigation during the Bar Admission course and was called to the Bar in 1986. Prior to her law degree, Ms Ursel received her Bachelor of Arts with High Honours from the University of Toronto in 1979. In 2012, Ms Ursel was a member of the inaugural class of students successfully completing the Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation (http://gradsi.ca), established by the University of Waterloo in partnership with the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and in collaboration with the Schulich School of Business, York University. The Diploma is a program affiliated with SiG@Waterloo (Social Innovation Generation at Waterloo).

Sabyasachi Sengupta is EVP, Chief Credit Officer of Bluestem Group Inc. with over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Bluestem Brands, Inc., headquartered in suburban Minneapolis, is the parent to three fast-growing ecommerce retail brands: Fingerhut®, Gettington.com® and PayCheck Direct®. This company provides a unique mix of retail and payment options for a diverse range of customers with a wide range of financial needs. Originally from India, Sabyasachi earned his Master of Science degree in Engineering (Operations Research) from Columbia University and his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering- Indian Institute of Technology. His employment history includes major companies such as GE and American Express. He is affiliated with ARGUS Software, United Way and has lectured at Experian (Credit Bureau) Vision Conference on Best Business Practices and on Collection Strategies.

Marie-Josée Bertrand is President of Groupe conseil Stratégis, a recently acquired consulting company (Strategis Consulting Group.) Marie-Josee has an extensive background working in HR for a variety of different industries, so acquiring her own consulting company was a logical step forward. She enjoys her work planning, expanding and providing jobs for freelance consultants. Her goal is to help companies with HR solutions from start to finish. With an MBA in Finance and a post MBA, she is bilingual and a public speaker for various organizations in Canada. Marie-Josée is affiliated with the HR Association of Quebec as well as the CRHA and volunteers with United Way. She is continually looking to make connections and build and strengthen relationships. It is her interpersonal and communication skills that have attributed much to her professional success.

Patrick I. Borgen is Chairman of Surgery at Maimonides Medical Center and founder and chief of Brooklyn Breast Cancer Research Program at Maimonides Medical Center—Brooklyn’s first cancer program. Patrick has served as the Chief Breast Surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center from 1993 to 2006, Founder and Director of William F. Beck Breast Cancer Research Lab at Rockefeller Research Lab of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Chief of Breast Cancer Surgery at Maimonides Medical Center from 2006 to 2008. He received his Bachelors degree from Tulane University in Biomedics/Medical Engineering in 1980 and his Medical Degree from Louisiana State University in 1984. He performed his general surgical residency at Ochsner Foundation Hospital from 1984 to 1989 and became Chief Resident from 1988-1989. Patrick received a fellowship in breast cancer research, breast cancer genetics at Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences - Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is a member of the American Medical Association (AMA,) American Surgical Association (ASA,) Society of Surgical Oncologists (SSO,) American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO,) and is on the editorial board of five breast cancer related journals. Has received many grants for research, published three textbooks on breast disease and has written articles, editorials, peer reviewed publications, and numerous chapters in books. He is a public speaker giving lectures throughout the year. Patrick has won awards for his achievements such as "Best Doctors in America" and "Best Doctors in New York. "

For the past 6 years, W. Scott Stephens was appointed by Austin Water Utility as Security Design Specialist. Mr. Stephens’ leadership is an asset within the City organization. He leads and is a key developer in the implementation of the security of Austin's water plants, pump stations and reservoirs. He coordinates with the engineering department on new construction. Mr. Stephens focuses solely on the development of physical security guidelines for water, wastewater, and stormwater facilities for public safety. Mr. Stephens’ role includes doing a thorough background check on all contractors that work for Austin Water Utility assuring the utmost safety. For over 100 years, Austin Water has been committed to providing safe, reliable, high-quality and affordable water services to our customers. Austin Water consistently ranks among the best in the country when it comes to water quality and facility safety. Prior to his role as Security Design Specialist, Mr. Stephens’ serviced as an Austin Police Officer for 28 years. He worked in many different capacities for the department. His specialty was crime prevention and training. He was instrumental in the community for developing crime recognition training for the banking and landlord sector. He wrote training programs utilizing his training background for community awareness. He won National recognition for his support of workplace violence prevention and traveled across the country raising awareness for safety and security in the workplace environment. Mr. Stephens has been a contributor to The American Waterworks Association publication as an expert in his field. Mr. Stephens graduated in 1976 from Southwest Texas State University with a "Bachelor of Science" in Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement Investigation and Interviewing.

Mr. Bryan D. Rathjen has over two decades of professional consulting, business development, practice leadership, client partnering, program management, business analysis, and issue resolution. Mr. Rathjen is the Director of Advisory Services at PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the most prestigious accounting firms in the world. His area of expertise is Architect/Project Management with a comprehensive expertise in the design and delivery of customized, innovative business automation systems in the Insurance and Financial Services industries. He oversees the implementation and operations for a growing team of over 1,000 dedicated partners. Mr. Rathjen received his Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management in 1985. In his spare time, he enjoys golf, jogging and Shotokan Karate. He donates to the Habitat for Humanity to help build homes and communities. He also volunteers in a Collaborative Garden that is located adjacent to the local Soup Kitchen.