Members of the year

Dr. Prof. Maria Guadalupe Villarreal-Guevara is a Professor at the Tecnológico de Monterrey. She has been a lead researcher in la Cátedra de Investigación on "Economic integration and social development on the northern border," addressing the inequality of education in the region. She focuses on some of the richest areas in Mexico that have some of the poorest educational opportunities and lack of infrastructure for the people. She has been a Professor on the Monterrey Campus since 1990 and her most notable accomplishments include working with experts from Mexico and the United States on the topic of Public Policy in the book called Poverty Alleviation Strategies in North America, edited by Harvard University Press. Dr. Villarreal-Guevara worked in collaboration with the late Carlos Muñoz Izquierdo and authored a chapter of the book about compensatory programs in Mexico. She also has been one of a few selected members of the National Research System in Mexico and is continuing her work on the Educational Council. She holds the unique and prestigious Title of PI - Lead Investigator in several research projects on inequality in education in Mexico sponsored by CONACYT (National Council of Research and Technology.) She has participated in more than 7 research projects and has more than 10 publications in different media forms. Dr. Villarreal-Guevara is a dedicated to the integrity of educational research and she promotes the betterment of all peoples and the necessity of equality of education and opportunity.

Jim Hanselman is Client Engagement Manager at Amitech Solutions, a leading global information management and business analytics consulting firm focused on several industry verticals which include healthcare, retail, pharmaceutical/chemical, agriculture, and manufacturing. The company helps their clients manage and extract actionable insights from their data assets. Among his other duties, Jim is responsible for business development, data analytics and business intelligence, most specifically in the health care vertical whether it's related to insurance companies or health care providers. Jim was inspired to enter this profession as it represented an intellectual challenge for him. He thinks the key to his success has been his balance between "humble tenacity." In the next 4-5 years, he'd like to see the company triple in size. His most important reason to become a member with BWW is for networking purposes. He is most proud of his work on a very large project and engagement from a top-50 ranked Fortune 500 company whose name he'll leave unmentioned. Jim speaks and lectures frequently at THINK IT where he also facilitates monthly meetings.

Stanley Jack Jackson, is a well accomplished individual, is the Security Chief Project Manager at King County. At King County, more than 2 million residents are provided with excellence and equity in the essential services provided here. Stanley manages security programs for the entire premises. His expertise here allows him to implement emergency plans as well as prepare contingency plans for civil disturbances. Stanley's Association “American Society Industrial Security”, is the leading organization for Security Professionals worldwide. It is dedicated to increasing the effectiveness and productivity of Security Professionals by developing educational programs. Stanley has been involved in this industry for the past 19 years and therefore holds extensive proficiency in his field. Stanley Jack was also a Criminal Justice Adjunct Professor in which he instructed undergraduate classes in criminal justice and law, corrections and police administration. Stanley was inspired into his profession from his enthusiasm in military fields and law enforcement. His drive and determination has played a key role in his success. Stanley's willingness to achieve greatness has been portrayed throughout his entire career. He hopes to further consume lucrative consulting career paths in the future.

Jason has worked in the financial industry of many businesses for over 20 years. He is currently CFO for the nation's largest network of real estate and auctioneer professionals in the United States, where he specializes in all types of properties. Jason is very proud of having helped successfully raise $30 million in new capital. On a personal level, he enjoys coaching a youth soccer team, as well as donating to Camp for Kids.

Carol Hogg is the Managing Director of Hogg Translation, which offers a full range of professional skills combined with appropriate creativity to provide high-quality translations to suit specific requirements. With over 30 years of experience in interpretation and translation, Carol's vast expertise also includes being an internationally sought-after speaker and lecturer. She has been invited to speak at conferences throughout Europe and was recently invited to go to Mozambique to do an analysis at the university. Carol is currently a lecturer for Legal and Business English at the University of Applied Sciences in Osnabrueck. She has taught at several schools and institutions for both adults and children. Carol attributes her extraordinary success to her passion for other cultures and foreign languages and having a strong connection to legal and foreign affairs.

Robert Hill is the CEO of Antenna Magic and has been successfully engineering mobile antennas for mobile devices and many other electronics for throughout his career. He has also held the Distinguished Engineer position with Apple as one of the lead engineers on creating the internal antenna for many Apple products. Apple credits Robert and his team of engineers for his work in inventing the patent for products that include the iphone, iphone 3G, iphone 3Gs and the iphone 4 and 4s respectively. After retiring from 8 successful years with Apple, Robert refocused on Antenna Magic and properly servicing clients locally, nationally and internationally. After high school Robert entered the military and was able to acquire a vast knowledge and hands on experience in engineering that would later help him succeed at his profession. Robert attended the San Jose State University and obtained his BSEE in Electrical Engineering and has been a guest speaker and lecturer at the AARL Conferences where his focal points are antenna design within the industry. Robert attributes his success to the people that believed in him and his fear of being his own support system coupled with his instinctual drive to succeed. He also feels that his studying of discipline has helped make him successful as well. In his free time Robert enjoys reading APS and is affiliated with a number of charitable organizations with his wife. He is also the lead singer of Doc Rock and the Disorderliness and enjoys singing and performing.

Dr Makanga is the Chief Executive Officer of the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) Association’s Executive Secretariat. He is a clinician-scientist born and raised in Uganda with 25 years of professional experience working on health and poverty-related diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. This includes 21 years of work experience on medical product development and clinical regulatory activities. He holds a Medical Degree from Makerere University, Uganda, and has been in various clinical and research positions before and after undertaking a Master’s Degree at the University of Liverpool, and then a PhD at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom. He is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Scotland. Before joining EDCTP he was first in clinical practice and academia, and later clinical research where he served as Head of Regulatory Clinical Trials Facility and Outpatient Clinic at the Kenya Medical Research Institute – Wellcome Trust Collaborative Centre, Kilifi, Kenya, under the auspices of the United Kingdom Universities of Liverpool and Oxford. Dr Makanga joined EDCTP in 2004, where he held various management positions. He was appointed as Director of South-South Cooperation and Head of EDCTP Africa Office in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2008. During his 12 years at EDCTP, Dr Makanga has built up significant experience in global health, research for health capacity development, quality assurance, project management and evaluation, health and research management as well as diplomacy and engagement with policy makers, health and regulatory authorities in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. Moreover, he has served in various scientific and policy advisory boards for international product development and philanthropic organisations along with pharmaceutical companies involved in developing medicinal products for poverty related and neglected diseases. He is very proud of being able to contribute to the advancement of research and development of a new generation of scientists in Africa and Europe, as well as contributing to development of new medicines, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics which are desperately needed in the fight against poverty related diseases affecting millions of lives in Africa. He aspires to contribute to advancement of research and innovation, especially through the new generation African scientists.

Joel Goldman is the first Managing Director of the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Since its inception, The ETF has provided over $14,000,000 in funding to organizations to help prevent the spread of AIDS and to provide direct care and assistance to those affected by the disease. As the Managing Director Joel's responsibilities include managing staff, increasing fundraising, implementing new programs and working with board directors. His unique experience also includes developing celebrity spokespeople for campaigns and having many contacts within the entertainment industry who are eager to assist with the cause. Joel has also served as the Director of Entertainment Industry Relations for Malaria No More, Head of Entertainment Industry Relations for Feeding America and the Entertainment Marketing Manager for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He has devoted his life's work to helping those in need and continues to do so on a worldwide basis.

John P. Ferris graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BS in Advertising as well as his Masters in Education in 1974. After a successful career in Western Slope of Colorado as a real estate developer, Ferris attended The University of Denver Strum College of Law where he received his JD in 1987. Since graduating, John has been focused on advocating on his client’s behalf and providing the best legal services to the injured people in the Colorado area. John Ferris is well known amongst his peers, clients and community for producing the kind of results he does through his attention to detail, hands on client attention and treating each and every person with dignity and respect. At the Ferris Law Firm, John specializes in Personal Injury, Civil Litigation and Negotiation. He is a member of the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations as well as being an Eagle Member of the Colorado Trial Lawyer Association. Since 2012 he has served as the Keynote Speaker for the yearly Medical/Legal Consulting Services where he coaches Physicians on how they can best work attorneys in their area to help patients ge the results they deserve from their attorney representation. John has also lead personal growth and leadership seminars for 14 years as a volunteer of Landmark Worldwide.

Jeff Mount is a highly accomplished financial services executive with over 20 years of experience serving as a Regional Vice President for various prestigious investment firms with an increased focus on wholesale distribution. Currently he serves as Regional Vice President for Advisors Capital Management covering the New England region, and he has worked in this role for the past 6 months. His key responsibilities include wholesale sales, B-to-B with financial advisors to moderate their investment processes, as well as providing coaching, investment development, and professional development and sales training for high net worth people. As a wholesaler, Mr. Mount prides himself on helping his business partners become more efficient and profitable, assisting them with organic revenue generation strategies, mergers and acquisitions of advisory practices, and the successful replication of family office practices. Jeff received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Ferris State University in 1990 and prior, a Business degree from Longwood University in 1986. Originally, he was an accomplished tennis pro, and a USPTA Certified Tennis Professional at private country clubs in Greenwich, Connecticut. Unfortunately, a terrible accident destroyed his knee, so he was initially recruited to sell investment services to other tennis pros, but discovered when he was recruited to the wholesale side, that he liked it a lot better. Jeff attributes his success in this field to a combination of a deep understanding of the sales process and his ability to do public speaking. In addition to his speaking engagements, he frequently publishes industry articles on LinkedIn. Going forward, Jeff is keen to network and to merge the professional development part of his job and the sales part into a more regional or national role. Indeed, he has received many accolades over the past decade and a half from the different companies where he worked. One highlight of his career is receiving the Innovator of the Year Award from Curian Capital in January 2013, which was a big deal to him. Essentially, he developed and implemented the Blueprint sales training program, which is reserved for qualified and experienced financial advisors who wish to build a book of business that is more efficient and profitable than the traditional brokerage model. In his spare time, Jeff enjoys golf, tennis, and travel. His big passion is fly fishing, and he travels around the country to do his fly fishing in great settings. Jeff supports Junior Achievement and also served as a board member for the Greater Bridgeport Junior Achievement from 2011 to 2013.

Anthony S. Plank is an accomplished global supply chain and business development executive with tremendous international experience including negotiations, manufacturing operations and financial management. He also excels in strategic planning, leadership, and is Six Sigma Certified. Mr. Plank has worked with several global companies and private equity investors including GE, Flextronics, Industrial Cooling Solutions, Daikin McQuay, Fusion Retail Brands, and more recently with Express Group Holdings. His diverse global experience has focused on continual process improvement, strategic alliances and maintaining alignment with the vision and mission of organizations. Indeed, Mr. Plank's thrives in multi-cultural environments, and is quite adept at multi-cultural communication, creative thought leadership, and inspiring both individuals and teams to maximize their potential and attain the highest level of success. Currently, Anthony is the Vice President of International Business and equity partner at Service Software. Prior, Anthony was VP of Global Supply Chain at Express Group Holdings, and served as VP/GM of Sourcing and Supply Chain at Fusion Retail Brands in Australia. When the opportunity to become an equity partner, he was glad to take it. Anthony's key functions in his current role include some fiduciary responsibilities, P&L, product development, global business development and strategic leadership. As his career has evolved, he has remained open to more entrepreneurial opportunities within his roles. Anthony Plank is a Certified Professional in Supply Management with the Institute of Supply Management, and is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt. He also received both Firefighting Grade A and Grade B certifications from Texas A&M University. Periodically, Mr. Plank has been asked to speak on the topic of global supply chain, and international commerce. Anthony received a Masters in International Business and Organizational Development from Colorado State University in 2012, and is part of the Golden Key International Honor Society. Earlier on in his career, Anthony was a pilot and owned a ski shop before meeting the president of a company who needed a Global Product Manager, so he got into international supply chain by chance, and then worked at GE and other companies. Mr. Plank attributes his success to always reinventing himself, and always being open to opportunities, including buying into this company. He took a chance on a business that started in 1993, was able to grow that business, and diversify into international markets. Going forward Anthony is keen to network, continue building relationships, and within 3 years ensure Service Software is a sustainable global company. Anthony enjoys the great game of business, and one highlight was working for private equity in Australia and repositioning Fusion Retail Brands into a profitable business yielding higher than expected returns for the shareholders. In his spare time, Anthony enjoys ice hockey, skiing, mountain biking, and travel. Anthony continues to be involved in numerous charity organizations, former YMCA board member, and a member of the 39th Australian Infantry Battalion.

Alexander Begbie is Chief Operations Officer at Standard Life PLC, a company that specializes in asset management and long-term savings. The firm helps their clients save and invest for their future, by offering them products and services that they need throughout their lives. Standard Group has around 6,500 people internationally and is listed on the London Stock Exchange with around 1.3 million individual shareholders across over 50 countries. The company is one of the top 500 companies worldwide by revenue. Alexander has been in his present role for 2 and a half years and at Standard Life for 5 years. He has been in the Human Resources field for over 25 years. As COO, he's responsible for HR issues in the company, IT matters, company secretarial communications and other duties. Alexander has always had an interest in Human Resources and he brings a degree of business and commercialism to the realm of HR, and that's something that's usually missing in this field. His banking background has enhanced his performance as a Human Resources leader. Alexander believes that the key to his success has been being prepared to put himself in very challenging situations at work, situations that other professionals wouldn't have put themselves into. An example of this is running the employee joint venture training program. In the next 4-5 years, he'd like to continue developing his experience in working with Asia and also continue working with the charity he supports "Career Ready" that help disadvantaged youth with employment opportunities. His interest in becoming a member in our registry is networking. He'd like to open up a broader network which will enable him to share his experiences with other BWW members. He considers as the highlight of his career that his contribution to Human Resources has been recognized in the United Kingdom. Another highlight is that he spent 6 years on the board of the Wharton Business School. Alexander also takes great pride in the work he's doing with the charity "Career Ready" a program that helps children from disadvantaged backgrounds prepare for the world of work. Alexander regularly speaks at conferences. Lately he's been especially active in Asia with his speaking engagements and a most recent one he's lectured at was the "Boao Economic Conference" in China.

Raul Mendez-Segura is the CEO of Guerra Family Office for three years. Guerra Family Office is a billion dollar family owned group with eleven different companies specializing in technology, information technology, real estate, and education. Raul holds responsibility of 4 different divisions as he manages organizations and recognizes the elevation of top management. As a well rounded individual, Raul was also a professor for one of the leading MBA programs in Mexico for twenty years. Raul strives to implement various different strategies to develop highly noted businesses. With hard work, and maintaining focus Raul plans on achieving more than fifty percent of equity in the next four to five years. His long term goals include personal growth with selling and buying top new businesses. Raul strives himself on his ability to learn quickly with high levels of intelligence in order to continue to assemble and supervise as acting CEO of Guerra Family Office.

Dr. Charles R. Mojock, fifth President of Lake-Sumter State College, has served in the position since July 1, 2002. He came to LSSC from Daytona Beach Community College where he was employed for 23 years, starting on the faculty and advancing to Senior Vice President for Planning and Institutional Advancement. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Mary’s Seminary and University (Baltimore, Maryland), a Master of Arts degree from Stetson University (Deland, FL) and a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Central Florida (Orlando). Dr. Mojock is heavily involved in the community and he received the Lake County Community Service Award for 2006-07. He has served on the Board of organizations such as the Metro Orlando Economic Development Council, Florida High Tech Corridor Council, United Way of Lake & Sumter Counties, LifeStream Behavioral Center, March of Dimes, Leadership Lake, Workforce Central Florida, Lake County Shared Services Network, Kids Central and South Lake Chamber, Boy Scouts, Golden Eagle Honoree and Lake County Chamber Alliance – Economic Advisory Committee. Dr. Mojock serves on the AFC (Association of Florida Colleges) Foundation Board of Directors. He also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of SACS Commission on Colleges. He is Past President of the Southern Association of Junior, Technical and Community Colleges (SAJTC) and he served as the Chair of the Florida College of Presidents for 2007-08. He enjoys sports, reading, and family activities. Dr. Mojock and his wife, Cathy, reside in Mount Dora. They have three sons; Christopher, and his wife, Suzi, and three granddaughters who reside in Georgia, where Chris is a professor at the University of Georgia in Athens; Matthew, who works and attends Florida State University part-time, and Jon, and his wife Theresa, and their son and daughter, who work in the Fitness Industry and reside in Colorado.

Bruce Perkins brings over 35 years’ experience across all areas of healthcare finance, delivery and process. Foundational to his leadership and guidance is an informed heuristic with a focus on efficiency, growth and maximizing profitability while at the same time prioritizing customer experience and care at all levels. As a healthcare-focused advisory and consultant, Bruce offers a deep background providing service and guidance to institutional investors and healthcare companies on a national level. He currently serves in a management, leadership, or advisory capacity under several corporate brands including MCCI Group Holdings, LLC, LHP Hospital Group, Amedisys Home Health & Hospice, Interpreta, and the Marwood Group in addition to serving as a managing member with Perkins, Smith and Associates based in Louisville, Kentucky.

Beverly Teter is a Research associate at the University of Maryland, the university from which she received her PhD. She is also the current president of the American College of Nutrition a group dedicated to sound scientific study of human nutrition. Beverly has received two awards based on her dedication and vast knowledge of Science and Nutrition. The American College of Nutrition awarded her the "Master of American College of Nutrition" and the Weston A. Price Foundation rewarded her their 'Scientific Integrity Award'. She has published chapters in various books on subjects such as fruit and vegetable by products, the role of medium chain triglycerides in weight management, and alterations in milk fat percent and composition when subjects ingest trans-fatty acids. Beverly was inspired to study nutrition when she was researching the ingredients of the food she fed her children. After researching the fat content of a selection of foods for the USDA she saw that there was quite a bit of trans fatty acids in the diet coming from the partially hydrogenated fat used in manufacturing. This led to several experiments studying the harmful effects of trans fatty acids in the milk of three species - first mice, then cows, and finally humans. In each species the mothers which were fed trans fatty acids had lower milk fat than the controls without the trans fats. This effect lowers the energy and essential fatty acids the offspring need. When she is not in the lab, Beverly enjoys working with graduates students, teaching and demonstrating techniques in the analysis of fatty acids in the diets and tissues of the study animals. She attributes her success to hard work, good planning of studies, and feeling passionate about what is in the foods she feeds herself and family.

Holly Hammond Romer is an extremely accomplished business professional who started and ran her own business for 27 years before selling to a larger corporation who wanted to acquire her successful business in the same industry. After selling her marketing and advertising company, they wanted to keep Holly on as a managing Partner for all of the important contributions he has to offer and her visionary perspective as they moved forward under their umbrella. Holly is now responsible for business development and is in the business of purchasing media for the companies she represents. This consummate leader in the marketing and advertising field attributes her success to the fact that she executed perseverance and weathered various storms over her 27 years in business to sustain a successful business during changing times over the longevity of her career. She is in a position to help new generations in her industry and is willing to give opportunities to others who are just starting out and are eager to gain sound experience and a broad knowledge base in this industry. Holly is an accomplished singer and loves theatre and musical performances. In all that she does on a professional level and her remarkable business acumen, she also is a very loving and dotting grandmother for the very first time. This is a shining example that a professional woman can be highly successful and still have a family that ultimately provides the opportunity for her to be a grandmother to a lovely new born grandchild.

Mark A. Touby is a board certified workers' compensation attorney practicing at Touby, Chait & Sicking P.L. With over twenty years practicing law, Mark specializes in worker's compensation litigation. After graduating from the University of Miami with his JD in law, he immediately began practicing injury law within his own law office. He has always had a passion for practicing law, and has always found fulfillment in defending clients suffering from work related injuries. Mark is heavily involved in changing the landscape of worker's compensation and is a member of several different organizations that support that. He is the Vice President for Scholarship Fundraising with the Friends of 440 Scholarship. The scholarship raises funds for children of parents injured at work, to attend college. Mark is also a member of the Florida Workers Advocates, promoting fair and just treatment of people suffering from work related injuries. His passion is to further promote awareness to workers rights, and is constantly looking to reshape, and promote positive change. Mark's persistence to do what is right by the workers drives his continued success within his profession.

Jim Sneed is CEO of Affordable Furniture Manufacturing, Inc. Since taking over the company in 2004, Jim and his partners, Terry Austin, Dale Gray, and Jerry Cowsert, with over 120 years of combined experience, increased the company's revenue by $30 million during its first two years of operation. In 2007, Jim assumed responsibility as President and CEO and under his strong leadership; the company still continues significant growth and has expanded to Houlka, Mississippi with operations expanding over 600,000 square feet with over 300 dedicated employees. Affordable Furniture Ltd., is one of the largest privately held upholstered furniture manufacturers in the United States. Jim received his Bachelors of Science and Marketing from Mississippi State University and resides in Houlka, Mississippi where he enjoys Fishing and is an avid follower of collegiate sports.