| David Cohen | Richard Crow | Andrea Davis | Mona Diab | Malina Dravis-Tucker | John Dunn | Susan Gayle |
| Constance James | Arthur Kressner | David Levine | Thomas G. Maynard | Tonya Ozone | Gunther H. Schiff | Urs Michael Weber-Stecher |
David Cohen
is Program Manager for the Energy Upgrade California™ team in Los Angeles County for the Energy Coalition. David M Cohen joined the Energy Upgrade team after managing the outreach and marketing implementation for a number of energy-efficiency programs for NYSERDA, FirstEnergy, and NV Energy while employed by the consulting firm SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation). Recently transplanted from New York City, Mr. Cohen comes from a background in commercial real estate development, construction, LEED certification, entitlements, marketing implementation plan creation, and brand management of various aspects of real estate.
Mr. Cohen manages the implementation of the Homeowner and Building Industry Professionals marketing and outreach plan in Los Angeles County throughout the lifecycle of the Energy Upgrade program. The Energy Coalition is a non-profit 501(c) 3 corporation that was founded in the 1970’s. For more than thirty years, The Energy Coalition has pioneered innovative concepts within the energy sector, and forged partnerships between local governments, utilities, businesses, schools, community-based organizations, and other constituencies. The Energy Coalition is building upon the proven success of its programs and is implementing comprehensive and integrated approaches to address energy, resource management, greenhouse gas, and sustainable development issues within our partner cities.
Energy Upgrade California is a collaboration between the Public Utilities Commission, Energy Commission, utilities, local governments, and the private sector. It’s a one-stop resource for information on building energy improvement benefits, financing and incentives, finding a qualified contractor, workforce training, and home energy ratings. It coordinates federal, state, utility, and local government retrofit program outreach, incentives, and contractor and participant qualifications. For more information, visit www.energyupgradeCA.org/LACounty. David was the Treasurer of World Team Now.
The Late Richard Crow
Was Professor of Astronomy at UH Hilo since 1992, and Astronomer-in-Residence at the `Imiloa Center of Hawai`i since 2006. Richard was born in Canada. He obtained his Honors B.Sc. and M.Sc. in astronomy from the University of Western Ontario and his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 1984. Between 1977-79, he was the Resident Observer for the University of Toronto Southern Observatory at Las Campanas, Chile. He was the Canadian Resident Astronomer for the Canada-France-Hawai`i Telescope (CFHT) Corporation from 1984-87. At CFHT, he had scientific responsibility for the high-resolution spectrograph and supported guest observers. Since coming to UHH in 1987, his teaching responsibilities ranged from introductory physics and astronomy to senior-level astrophysics and quantum mechanics. Richard’s main research interests were in the areas of pulsating stars, stellar evolution, and spectroscopy. He also published a dozen scholarly articles in science education and criticism of pseudoscience. In 1991, Richard was selected as a Fujio Matsuda Fellow of the University of Hawai`i for his scholarly work. He was Chair of the UHH Physics and Astronomy Department from 1992-2002 and was Principal Investigator on the New Opportunities through Minority Initiatives in Space Science (NOMISS) grant funded by NASA (2001-2004), a program designed to encourage local and Hawaiian students from K-16 to enter careers in space science by integrating astronomy with Polynesian skylore, voyaging, and Hawaiian culture. He and Alice Kawakami won City Bank’s 2001 TIGR Award for astronomy outreach efforts, and in 2005, he and Pascale Pinner won Astro Day Excellence in Teaching Awards. Richard has given over 50 StarLab and other presentations in public and private schools in the last 5 years. He was a Local Team Co-Leader and Scientist with the Journey Through the Universe program for K-12 schools in the Hilo-Waiakea-Laupahoehoe Complex. He participated in formal voyaging canoe (the Wa`a Makali`i) training and was always actively involved in encouraging the building of bridges between Hawaiian cultural specialists and local Mauna Kea astronomers. Richard also regularly trained student observers using the UH 24-inch telescope atop Mauna Kea. In 2002, he completed a new revised version of the popular book Stars Over Hawai`i. Richard was very active in Rotary and was a past President of the Rotary Club of Hilo Bay. Richard played clarinet with the Hawai`i County Band for 20 years. He was a member of the UHH Chamber Singers, UHH Chorus, Kanilehua Chorale, and performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue as a solo pianist with the Hawai`i County Band.
Andrea Davis
is Senior Vice President at NAI Horizon in Phoenix, Arizona, and a partner with Davis Landers brokerage team. She specializes in office sales and leasing in North Scottsdale as well as tenant representation throughout the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Throughout her brokerage career, Andrea has closed over 180 million dollars worth of transactions totaling over 1 million square feet.
For over 13 years, Andrea has worked closely with her clients understanding their overall business and personal objectives to provide comprehensive real estate solutions. Her development background gives her a valuable perspective in site selection, property comparison analysis, negotiations, and resourceful transactional follow-through. Andrea provides demographic evaluations, introductions to appropriate municipalities for potential incentives, and qualified vendors (architects, contractors, appraisers, inspectors, attorneys, movers…) with whom she enlists their services regularly.
Simply put by one client, “She got the job done efficiently allowing me to focus on my business while accomplishing my real estate objective.”
Davis‘s introduction into a commercial real estate career began with WAM Development Group when she assisted in development opportunities, initial site selection research, proforma analysis, and acquisition of assets. Andrea elevated her career when she was retained by Cavan Commercial and eventually Shea Development to sell owner/user office properties, representing both developers and buyers. She is uniquely diverse in all aspects of commercial development including office, industrial, and retail.
Prior to Andrea’s real estate career, she was and still is, an accomplished chef, having graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and has been highlighted in several New York newspapers and magazines. She also has worked in the entertainment industry with ten years of advanced acting, movement and voice training. Andrea’s diverse background naturally lends itself to excellent client representation and industry excellence.
Andrea’s achievements include receiving the Chairman’s Gold Circle Award in 2007. She is an active Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), a participating member of the North Scottsdale Chamber Of Commerce, and a Board Member for World Team NOW. Andrea was recognized locally when she received the Helen Brusinscki Scholarship Award. Davis currently lives in Scottsdale, AZ with her husband, Stuart, and their daughter Mikella.
Mona Diab
is a Research Scientist with the Center for Computational Learning Systems at Columbia University, NYC. In 2005, before joining Columbia, Mona completed her post-doc at Stanford University, with McArthur recipient Daniel Jurafsky. Mona earned a Ph.D. in Computational Linguistics from the University of Maryland College Park in 2003. She was affiliated with both the linguistics department and the University of Maryland Institute of Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS). In her current position, Mona works on issues related to Arabic language processing and semantic modeling in the computational processing of natural language. Mona was born in Cairo, Egypt, and spent the first 7 years of her life in Southampton, England. She graduated college in Egypt with two bachelor’s degrees, one in computer science and the other in Egyptology. Mona has always had a flair for philosophical and mystical problems. As a Muslim, she is constantly trying to balance the tenets of her faith with her scientific outlook on life in an attempt of achieving a higher level of consciousness and well-being. Mona is quite active on several committees on the status of women in science and education. She is a global advocate for equality and ethics in international policy. She has published numerous papers and is a keynote speaker in her field of computational linguistics, linguistics, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and education policies in developing countries. Mona is enchanted by different types of dance as an art form that conflates the spiritual with the physical. Her culture and family are valued; Mona is very close to her brother and mother and attributes many of her blessings to her personal hero, her late father.
Malina Dravis-Tucker
has a diverse professional background in service-related and business careers. With an M.A. in Developmental Psychology and an Educational Specialist Degree (Ed.S) in School Psychology, Deafness Specialization, she has served deaf and hearing-impaired communities in numerous states for 30 years, as a certified Sign Language interpreter, school psychologist, family therapist, program developer, manager in non-profit agencies, and grant writer. In the business sector, she has worked as a consultant, developing all aspects of business operations, from hiring and training personnel to daily protocols, account management, and systems design. She currently uses her expertise as a Sign Language interpreter and manages a steel distribution business. Malina has devoted the past twenty-five years of her life to her spiritual journey that has included yoga and meditation as well as becoming a Reiki Master and Spiritual healer/guide for others. She also volunteers as the Secretary for Main Street Pahoa Association, in Pahoa Hawaii, where she lives and raises her two special needs children with her husband. Malina enjoys dancing, swimming, painting, and hiking in her spare time. Malina was the Secretary of Team World Corps.
John Dunn
is the Technical Services Manager for Republic Indemnity, a Workers Compensation insurance company in Los Angeles, California. He has been in the IT (Information Technology) profession for over 18 years. Currently, he manages all of the mainframe, server, and networking projects for Republic Indemnity and is responsible for the business resumption plan for the company. He has also worked as an RPG programmer, telecommunications and network administrator, and OS400 system security officer. He is part of the original IT team that developed Team Web, of the World Team project. His degree is in Humanities. His specific studies were in race and gender issues and he has volunteered for several environmental and humanitarian organizations including the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), California Peace Action Committee, and Western Service Workers. He coaches Self Expression and Leadership, a Landmark Education program, that teaches people how to organize and run a project for a community. He is an avid white water kayaker, a white water rafting guide, backpacker, and snow skier, and has run multiple marathons. Family is “big” for John; he has 15 siblings.
Susan Gayle
is an entrepreneur and artist. Much of her time and energy is devoted to sculpting. Her work has been exhibited in Monte Carlo, Ibiza, Chicago, Aspen, and sold all over the world. For more than twenty-five years Susan’s entrepreneurial business has imported lingerie from Italy into the top-end chains and department stores in Canada. Born in Montreal, Susan makes the world her home. She graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Once a model for German Vogue and a competitive downhill skier, Susan is still a competitive tennis player. Now she does these sports as well as sailing, golf, in-line, and roller skating, primarily for recreation. However, she still wins tennis tournaments. She enjoys adventuresome travel with her husband, reading on diverse topics, especially philosophy, and studying emergency medicine.
Constance James
is an Associate Professor of Management, who teaches Business Policy, Strategy, and Ethics in Seaver College at Pepperdine University in addition to teaching executive education at UCLA. She also teaches corporate and global strategy at National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC). She is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society and has won awards for teaching and service. Based on alumni nominations, she is listed in “Who’s Who Among American Teachers.”
She received her Ph.D. from UCLA, completing her major field examinations with distinction. Her dissertation, a BPS and ORSA/TIMS finalist, focused on industry versus corporate effects of competitive strategies and business unit effects of organizational learning. She received a fellowship and funding to complete her dissertation.
She has published and lectured on learning organizations both nationally and internationally. Her current research with leadership expert Noel Tichy at the University of Michigan’s Global Citizenship Institute focuses on learning and teaching organizations. She was recently invited to a symposium at the Academy of Management to present their field research on higher-order capabilities. She serves as Chairman of its Business Policy and Strategy Division’s Teaching Excellence Committee.
As a higher education administrator, she worked as director of planning and budgeting, bringing the first institutional budgeting and strategic planning systems to Pepperdine University. She was subsequently promoted to the position of Assistant to the President and Director of Planning. She has also worked for for-profit corporations, including IBM, Burroughs, and Bendix, in marketing, finance, and strategic planning. She is currently Finance Chairman of Team World Corps and a consultant to World Team.
She has two children, Catherine and Michael, and is married to Bernard James, her life-long partner. They are active members of the University Church of Christ. She also serves as an honorary member of the Malibu Rotary Club and assists with the Dorcas House ministry in Tijuana, Mexico.
Arthur Kressner
is currently the President of Grid Connections, LLC, a corporation helping to create intelligent systems to advance renewable generation, flexible transmission and distribution, and storage and end-use efficiency for electricity. He recently retired from the Consolidated Edison Company in New York City with over 40 years of diverse and varied experience, most recently Director of Research and Development. He managed annual spending of $15 to $20 million, which resulted in a portfolio of $100 to $150 million in direct and co-funded projects. The program developed and commercialized advanced technologies for electric energy operations for one of the world’s largest and complex electric power systems and created innovative solutions for customer services and customer energy efficiency in one of the world’s most challenging marketplaces.
He now serves as a consultant and advisor and participates in the strategic planning and business operations of several early-stage technology companies as well as working with major corporate clients. Mr. Kressner serves on the Boards of several not-for-profit and for-profit companies dedicated to achieving business and environmental objectives that are responsive to community and national goals and stewards of our resources.
Now that Artie is retired, he finds time to pursue interests in travel, music, reading, and zymurgy along with keeping up with his many interests in technology and his wife Millie.
David Levine
is a young professional and entrepreneur in the fields of finance and entertainment with a diverse background and experiences in a variety of environments. He received a joint JD/MBA degree at Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School. Just prior to Harvard, David worked for Colony Capital, a real estate private equity firm in Los Angeles that has invested over US$16 billion in over 6,000 assets through various corporate, portfolio, and complex property transactions. He began his career working with Lehman Brothers in their Global Mergers & Acquisitions Group in New York City and subsequently moved to the Los Angeles area where he worked on the development of the World Team Project including the development of Team World Corps, where he held the position of Treasurer. Originally from Houston, Texas, David graduated from Washington University in St. Louis summa cum laude with an A.B. in Philosophy and magna cum laude with a B.S.B.A. in Finance. David enjoys continental philosophy and strives to spend much of his free time skiing, reading, hiking, traveling, and mentoring underprivileged youth.
The Late Thomas G. Maynard
was principal of Four Corners Planning and Design Group, a planning/consulting firm based in Durango, Colorado. Mr. Maynard was a member of the American Planning Association and its professional branch, the American Institute of Certified Planners. Mr. Maynard had 32 years of planning experience in the public and private sectors. Since entering the private sector in 1984, Mr. Maynard had served a variety of clients throughout the United States. Mr. Maynard’s expertise includes a variety of planning-related activities, including comprehensive plans for communities, land use and natural resources planning, environmental analysis, affordable housing studies, river corridor planning and regulations (including trails), parks and recreation planning, flood plain management, impact fee studies, facilities planning for the U.S. Forest Service, and extensive public facilitation experience. Prior to becoming a private consultant, Mr. Maynard was employed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). His duties included water resource, land use, and environmental planning for a major water supply study, including preparation of an environmental impact statement; facilitating community meetings pertaining to the National Flood Insurance Program; and coordination of disaster relief for Presidentially declared disasters. Mr. Maynard is also an accomplished jazz saxophonist, composer, and athlete.
Tonya Ozone
is a Marketing Consultant with 20 + years of experience. Having graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Marketing and Business Administration and then attending Law school, receiving her JD, Tonya found her voice in helping people create and implement their business ideas. Working with seniors and volunteering in the community is a passion for Tonya, who currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Kau Rural Health Association. Tonya lives in Pahoa, HI with her husband and their seven cats.
The Late Gunther H. Schiff
Gunther Schiff was a dedicated lawyer and philanthropist, whose skills and education were of inestimable worth to World Team Now.
Mr. Schiff had practiced law in the fields of entertainment law, copyright law, real estate law, and general transactional law since 1954 in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, California. He was a partner in a number of law firms including; Schiff, Hirsch, and Schreiber, and Finley, Kumble, Wagner et al. He then conducted a solo law practice.
In his entertainment practice, Mr. Schiff represented directors, producers, actors, writers, and studios. For a period of 15 years, he was a labor negotiator for the independent motion picture producers, and, later acted as General Counsel of the Directors Guild of America. His clientele included a number of American independent motion picture and television producers and production companies, an Australian production company, a German production company, a French producer, a Swedish wood products manufacturer, and diverse entertainment personalities from many nations.
Gunther Schiff was a member of the Southern California Mediation Association and of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution. He was on the Settlement Panel of the California Court of Appeal. He attended numerous training sessions at the Los Angeles Superior Court, Pepperdine University, the Southern California Mediation Association, and the Los Angeles Bar Association.
Mr. Schiff acted as a temporary judge in Los Angeles Small Claims, Landlord and Tenant, and Traffic Courts. He acted as mediator, arbitrator, and settlement officer, appointed by both trial and appellate courts.
Mr. Schiff continued his law practice, and his voluntary activities on behalf of the Superior Courts of Los Angeles County and the California Court of Appeals.
Urs Michael Weber-Stecher
is a partner with the law firm Wenger & Vieli (Email: u.weber@wengerlaw.ch; Website: www.wengerlaw.ch), based in Zurich Switzerland. He is mainly active in international arbitration, competition law, commercial law (especially contract law), dispute resolution, and licensing of intellectual property rights.
He is a teaching fellow of international arbitration (moot court) at the law school, the University of Zurich (since 2001), and competition law at the law school, University of Lucerne (since 2005). In 1989 he graduated from the University of Zurich, Law Faculty, and in 1995 he graduated from Tulane University, School of Law, with a Master of Laws (LL.M.). In 1997 he earned his doctorate at the University of Zurich, with a doctoral thesis on International Consumer Contracts (Jurisdiction, Enforcement, and Applicable Law). From 1995 to 1998 Urs worked for the Swiss Government Federal Office for Foreign Economic Affairs, as Head of Unit for International and European Economic and Business Law.
Urs is a member of several professional organizations such as; Zurich, Swiss and International Bar Associations (IBA Section on Business Law, Committee C on Antitrust and Trade Law and Committee D on Arbitration and ADR), Association Suisse de l’arbitrage (ASA); London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA); Deutsche Institution für Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit (DIS).
He has been on a spiritual journey since he met his wife Corinne Stecher in 1993. Although his days of being a sports trainer are gone, he passes on that love of sports to his two children. He still swims, jogs, and even runs a marathon every two years. He speaks English, German and French and is a student of meditation, yogic tradition, and mysticism of all major religions.
