Members of the year

Heraclio has over 20 years experience in the pharmaceutical's industry, as well as having served in the military for 26 years. He is now retired from the military, having served 9 years active duty, 17 years as an army reservist, his highest rank attained is a Major, a Green Beret for over 8 years, and an ROTC graduate from the University of Notre Dame. He volunteer's at the Great Lakes Naval Base in Chicago where he helps veteran's transition into corporate life. Mico attribute's his success to his energy and commitment to excellence!

Wan Kim is global Chief Executive Officer for Smoothie King, an international smoothie brand. Wan was Smoothie King

Michelle Carter has more than eighteen years in the humanitarian and development field. Currently, she is the Managing Deputy Regional Director of Southern Africa/Country Director for South Africa for CARE International, a humanitarian organization providing disaster relief and fighting poverty around the world. Michelle is seasoned in women empowerment and poverty alleviation programming through her focus on program quality, program development, management and leadership. Michelle has worked in Haiti, Rwanda, a regional role covering East and Central Africa, Mozambique, Burundi, Lesotho and now South Africa. Throughout her career, she has been considered one of CARE’s top talents. She has received recognition by donors and others for excellent programming. She is fluent in French, Portuguese, German and Haitian Kreyol. After earning a BA in Psychology and International Relations from Smith College in 1993, Michelle completed Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS), focused on International Development and Sub-Saharan Africa from Georgetown University in 1996. At Georgetown and Smith College, she received fellowships, scholarships and awards. In addition, she was actively involved in on-campus and off campus activities around governance, diversity, community development, tutoring, etc. She remains an active alumna for both schools. Michelle speaks regularly in events on poverty and women’s issues. She has featured in interviews for various media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, IRIN, Emerge magazine, Career in International Affairs, in the book In her Shoes, which is dedicated to career option for young girls, amongst others. She is actively involved in ICAP and other professional organizations. Michelle is currently based in Johannesburg, South Africa where she appreciates spending time with her family. In between her busy work schedule, she enjoys reading, learning languages, travelling, dancing and diving in her spare time.

Cameron has been a securities litigator for over 30 years. He is currently opening a mediation practice in California. Cameron volunteers at many different places; volunteers as a lawyer at the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, as a coach and mentor for people living with mental illness and as a tennis instructor at the East Palo Alto Tennis & Tutoring Group. Cameron also teaches competence legal education classes to California lawyers. He attributes his success to putting his clients' interests first, and bringing a balanced humane approach to the practice of law.

Dr. Kevin Drumm strongly advocates for higher education and especially community colleges. He wants to help provide the best experience for students. Dr. Drumm didn't originally see himself as president of a community college, but rather in a student services position at a top university until he realized he could do the most good for students by working at a community college. With experience and persuasion from his supervisors and then graduate faculty, he took on the role of community college president, eventually landing within SUNY, the nation's largest and most diverse collection of public colleges. Dr. Drumm's continuous efforts to seek funds for his school have been very successful, landing the largest private gift in SUNY community college history of 11.3 million dollars, and one of the largest in community college history nationally. His college is also bucking the trend of community college enrollment declines with substantial growth in the 14-15 year in spite of a steadily declining local population. His strong will to engage in the politics, to raise funds, and to mentor the minds of the future are all just in a days work for Dr. Drumm. Before he retires he hopes to pass his knowledge on to other higher learning institutions, so no one willing is left without a quality higher education.

Currently Jorge Rosas is serving as the Global Director of Human Resources for Cinepolis, a company that has long been considered to be a major player in the entertainment industry. At the age of 29, he was recognized as the youngest partner at Baker and McKenzie. Most recently, he participated in a program held by Stanford University, entitled "Interpersonal Dynamics for High-Performance Executives." Jorge founded a society for UPenn alumni working and living in Mexico. The society is designed to promote business growth and connections within the community. He dedicates his success to his burgeoning network and flexibility to adapt and overcome challenges to transform them into positive results.

Ralph Wharton is the Clinical Professor Psychiatry and Co-Director of the Reiner Center of Behavioral Medicine. He is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry for Columbia University Medical Center and Columbia Psychiatry, where he has worked for almost 10 years. As Co-Director of the Reiner Center he conducts many lectures and does public speaking. He was inspired into psychiatry through his passion for helping people. He attributes his success to hard work and dedication, as well as a passion for what he does. Ralph is highly accomplished and published a Landmark Paper on Use of Lithium Carbonate in Sesquicentennial Issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. In the future he looks for continued growth in the same capacity in future years to come. Outside of work he enjoys playing music and the Lotos Literally Club. Landmark Paper on Use of Lithium Carbonate in Sesquicentennial Issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry

Mr. Lynford C. Martin established Constantine's Enterprise (his middle name) in 2015. Lynford had an illustrious career in,academia and healthcare, most currently as the Director of Admission of ECPI. There. Mr. Martin retrieved a letter of accommodation from the president, recognizing that Lynford increased the university enrollment by 33% in three years. He was a consultant on operation room policy and procedures at some of the most prestigious hospitals in the US, John Hopkins, NIH and Maryland Hospital. Lynford has been published in Health Journal Quarterly for a paper he wrote on operating rooms, reusable and disposable. Even though he is semi-retired from the academic arena, Lynford is very active in his local community. He is the pastor of his local church "Holy Temple Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of Apostolic Faith." Mr. Martin takes part in lecturing and coaching, and will be speaking in Jamaica and Toronto in April and May 2015. Lynford thoroughly enjoyed his years at New York University and often donates to the school. He even wrote a poem titled, "If This Isn't Love," describing his experience as a student. He has also authored poems including "Butterfly At Last" and "911," to name a few. Lynford enjoys with his wife (they share the same birthday and have been married for 45 years), 4 children and 7 grandchildren.

Ronald Masanobu Izumita, AFLA started landscaping and gaining knowledge of plants with his father when he was younger. Ronald started his own Landscape Architect business, P.O.D. in 1967. In the early 1980's, it became the largest in the United States. Ronald sold his portion of the business in the mid 80s and started Ima Design in 1986. He named his new company "Ima" because in Japanese it means between the past and the future and the company accounts for all of the accomplishments before Ima. Ronald graduated Harvard University with a Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture in 1966 and received his undergraduate degree from California Polytechnic State University. Ronald is a proud Fellow of the American Association of Landscape Architects and has been a Member of the Urban Land Institute since the 1970s. He loves all sports especially baseball, which he would play with his father, Duke, when he was younger. Ronald was published in an article for his part in the study of coastal resources in 1966.

Chuck Prentiss has juggled numerous hats throughout his illustrative career. Chuck sold life insurance for 30 years and was also a theatrical attorney for 7 years. He has also written for Monocle - Leisurely Quarterly, a satire magazine. Currently, Chuck has his own television series, entitled "Chuck Prentiss' Jewish Broadway", which is broadcast nationwide on JLTV (Jewish Life Television), every Sunday night at 10:00 PM and 1:00 AM Eastern Time.  JLTV is carried on DirectTV, Time Warner, Comcast and other major television networks.  He also presents his live shows at movie theaters, retirement communities, social organizations and other venues throughout South Florida.

Karl Hallen is the Owner of Farm, Forest, and Fiddlehead Consulting, a farm and forestry consulting service with environmental troubleshooting, agro-forestry, biomass and soil health focus. Karl's sawmill specializes in custom sawing and lumber upgrading services. He also sells and service multiple brands of wood, pellet, and biomass boiler systems, and related hydronic equipment and heating system troubleshooting. Karl is also currently working with the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, The Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management willow biomass research projects. Karl has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Sciences from Cornell University. He also holds certificates of study in Sustainable Business Management (UVM), and Engineering Product and Services Systems Design (e-Cornell.) He has been a member of the Farm Bureau for 40 years. Karl is also a Net Impact Life Member, NRA Life Member, and has 30 years of continuing education since Cornell with many certificates or training from, UVM, e-Cornell, NY DEC, USDA NRCS and others. Karl is a strong local community philanthropist and Entrepreneur.

Marsha Allen is presently working on the Haiti 10-Year Commission. Marsha has been invited to speak at Kingdom Economics about the principal of not creating systems to make people dependent, but to make people self-reliant. She has spoken to and about youth at risk. Marsha provides a facility for the underprivileged at Thanksgiving and Christmas so that they can celebrate by providing them with a dinner. She has appeared on the cover of Savvy Magazine. Marsha explains her success by stating, "Don't give up, give in or give out when the going gets tough!"

Frances Webb is a distinguished graduate of Columbia University School of the Arts. She is an accomplished author with a novel under her belt. Frances continues to electrify her audience with tales of passion and soul wrenching conflict. Her most recent story, "Innocence and Gold Dust" is a timeless story of power and revenge, alive with real history. This novel takes place in the latter half of the fourth century in the Roman Empire, a time and place not often frequented in fiction. Eutropius is an orphan who is castrated as a baby to increase his worth as a slave. And as a slave, he struggles with his lack of social and sexual power, which then turns into a lust for wealth and political power. Eutropius uses questionable methods to gain money and prestige. For more information on this and other stories written by Frances, please go to www.franceswebb.com.

Fairfield Goodale, MD, received his medical degree at Western Reserve University. He also attended Harvard Medical School and served in the Air Force prior to receiving his degree. Since that time, he has been a recognized professor, researcher, and Dean in pathology departments and medical colleges in universities across the country. He started his medical career with an internship at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge. He was granted several research fellowships including a research fellowship at U MASS Medical Center and assistant fellow at Harvard; a U.S. Public Health Research fellowship; in his year in London, studied with Sir George Pickering, with whom he studied at Oxford. Once back in the states, he returned to U MASS Medical Center, then joined the Dartmouth College pathology department. He completed that assignment and joined the Albany Medical School, then joined the Medical College of Virginia as professor and Chairman of the Department of Pathology. Later on, he joined Augusta Medical College as Dean and Medical Director, then as Dean at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine where he retired in 1986. In 1984 Fairfield wrote two self-published books: a memoir "The Absolute Truth, and Other Uncertainties", and "The Tentative Assassin", a mystery story. He is currently working on the sequel.  Since his retirement, he has been active as a writer, volunteer fireman, community leader, rancher, farmer, and computer student. He speaks some French and is currently updating his memoir. He is currently a resident of Massachusetts.

Kenn Gartner, Ph.D., has lived his dream of performing and conducting in over 70 countries. Dr. Gartner's accomplishments include concerts, special performances, directing choral groups, teaching piano and voice, and special teaching venues in China and other countries. He has earned the respect and admiration of students, artists, musicians, and members of the general music community for over 70 years. He started playing piano at the age of three. Dr. Gartner's professional recognition, awards, and honors are far too numerous to mention and should be explored further in his personal website, kenngartner.com. He was a music headliner in New York and internationally for many years, and now makes his home in California where he continues his teaching and performing. In addition to performing as pianist, soloist, and accompanist, he has performed opera and conducted many choral ensembles in the U.S. and abroad. As an educator, Dr. Gartner's various roles include music theater director, organist/choirmaster, music department chairman, professor, major group choral adjudicator, and visiting artist. One of his most significant accomplishments was leading the first New York City vocal chamber ensembles to perform at famed Lincoln Center. Since starting his own company, Dr. Gartner has evolved to produce diverse musical events for a broad audience. World traveled, he speaks English, French, German and some Japanese, Spanish, and Korean. He expects to continue his music and entrepreneurship activities for many years to come.

Thomas Pickens holds 35 years of extensive experience in the finance industry. Thomas has been with Fulcrum Capital LLC for 25 years polishing and building the firm to what it is today. His fully qualified team consists of senior professionals with extensive experience at Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Citicorp, and with  knowledge of legal, credit, and tax issues. After graduating from Brown University, Thomas worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency. He has been mentioned and quoted in several publications, ranging from the Wall Street Journal to several trade publications. Thomas attributes his success to maintaining close relationships with institutional debt and equity investors and understanding what is needed by both investors and corporate clients to close financing. Overall, he hopes to continue successfully serving clients and raising low cost capital needed to grow their businesses.

Richard J. Rapaport's career began teaching art in a loft in Manhattan, and was the first to teach training workshops for the division of handicapped students. The Secretary General of the UN has an art piece of Richard's titled "Fly in Peace," on display in his office. His work has also been displayed in the Turkish Society Governors Mansion. Richard designs and creates silk scarfs and ties for prominent professionals. While attending Club 21, Richard met a Yale Air Force Major who later hung his artwork in the Yale ROTC office. Richard recently held an exhibition in Ghana where students made art pieces representing their perception of what peace looks like. Richard's overall dream is to have the UN International School have young adults make artwork of their perception of peace then send it to NASA international space station to project an exhibition of international peace from universal youth.