Members of the year

Abdulrahman Khansaheb is the Director of Khansaheb Civil Engineering, a family owned business established in 1935--now the longest standing contractor in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) specializing in construction, roads and infrastructure, interiors, architecture, structural metal, building and property services, facilities management, and waste water management. Abdulrahman is responsible for providing oversight of the daily operations, business strategy and development of the company. Abdulrahman has a Master of Science degree in Project and Enterprise Management from the University College of London; he earned his Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng) in Civil Engineering from American University of Beirut. A member of the American Society of Engineers (ASE) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE,) Abdulrahman attributes his success to his family's legacy in the business, but also to his own drive to succeed and passion for the profession. Abdulrahman's professional goals include continued education and driving continual growth for the business. In his free time, he enjoys sailing, diving, and reading.

Graeme Olley, an entrepreneur with over 33 years of experience in the defense and space industry, founded SKDUK Associates Ltd alongside another partner in 2013. He is the managing director and founder of the company. SKDUK is a security and defense consulting company specializing in analyzing training requirements designing bespoke programmes and educating people to help meet the challenges in the government and defense, industry. They provide training programs internationally across the defense and security sector. They also provide training analysis services to the wider commercial sector and are currently engaged in a major project in Dubai and Kurdistan. Graeme was featured in The Junk Magazine from 1989-1991 and at times can be seen guiding tours for The National Trust. His professional inspiration came from his father and over the years, he intends to grow his business to present more interventions world-wide. He looks forward to the Who's Who platform and broadening his network of professionals internationally. When not working, Graeme enjoys hill walking, reading, music, traveling, playing rugby and cricket. I have an Honours Degree from Leeds and 2 masters from Kings College London and Cranfield respectively.

Eric J. Ivko serves as the Vice President of Finance at Retail Inkjet Solutions, Inc. and is responsible for all accounting, finance, human resources and legal functions at the firm. Retail Inkjet Solutions is a leading Inkjet cartridge refilling manufacturer, and distributor. Their patented InkCenter kiosks are at more than 630 locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Western Europe; their retail partners include Costco, Fry’s Electronics, Best Buy, Auchan and university campus bookstores. They offer low-cost, high-quality, simple and environmental friendly solutions to managing ink cartridges. Prior to his role as Vice President, Eric served as a CFO and Controller at Retail Inkjet Solutions, Inc. and has 25 years of accounting experience. A highlight in his career is completing a $6 million IPO. Eric received his MBA in Financial Management and his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from National University. He is affiliated with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Kairos International. His favorite activities when not working are playing golf and traveling.

Michael W. Langston is a religious leader with over 25 years of exceptional experience in leading developing. Michael's diplomatic mentoring skills in conflict resolution, crises management and vast knowledge have been successfully proven throughout the world. Michael's multi-national diverse and renewed relationships have led to restructuring organizations while delivering effective verbal, written communication skills & pastoral support. Michael's ability in leadership ministry has provided guidance to faculty, students and staff of military & academic institutions. Michael is a proven results oriented leader who consistently achieves all identified institutional objectives. His educational leadership, visionary thinking, spiritual direction, and community outreach have led him to continued growth all have played a key role in his success. Overall, Michael cares about people and looks forward to what the future has in store and will continue to make a difference in the world.

Gloria A. Crutchfield has been in academia for over 35 years and retired as an Area Director from the School District of Palm Beach County, Florida in 2013. Gloria was responsible for: consulting/coaching administrators; conducting pedagogical reviews; and developing and implementing comprehensive action plans for Alternative Education/DJJ schools and Charter schools. She was also responsible for conducting pedagogical reviews and for providing district-level support services to a school in intervene status, and worked directly with a team from The Florida Department of Education to successfully raise the school academically. Dr. Crutchfield was district director of the Superintendent’s Task Force Initiatives and worked directly with principals, administrators, and stakeholders to strategically plan, through consensus, to reduce suspension rates and to increase graduation rates of African American and Latino males. Dr. Crutchfield has participated on numerous panels, most notably the 54th Annual Fall Conference of the Great City Schools in Tampa, Florida. There, she participated as a panelist on African American Male Achievement. She was an invitee for the Florida Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys; a quarterly meeting addressing the issues confronting Black men and boys at the local, state, and national levels. Gloria launched the K-24 Continuum Academic Partners, LLC in June 2015. The mission of this educational management organization is to share expertise, research-based best practices, and to collaborate with other educators, i.e., school district personnel on, but not limited to, leadership development, organizational development, program development, teacher development/evaluation while building effective life-long learning communities in underperforming schools on a national/international level.

Victor Zaldivar serves as Branch Lead at Intelligent Software Solutions (ISS) beginning in November 2012. ISS is a company that focuses on data visualization, event analysis, pattern detection, mission planning and mobile software using net-centric and enterprise architectures. Zaldivar specializes in project management and the integration of tools into government agencies. Zaldivar served in the military reaching the rank of Sergeant First Class. He holds a certificate of project management from the University of Phoenix as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Management with a focus on Business Administration and Management. In March 2014, Zaldivar was inducted into the Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society, Lambda Sigma Chapter University of Phoenix. In Victor's free time, he enjoys weightlifting, running and biking.

Kathryn is a managing partner for Diemer, Whitman & Cardosi Attorneys At Law. As a law professional Kathryn focuses on Bankruptcy Law, Litigation, Appeals, and Business/Commercial law. Kathryn has Tried many jury and bench trials, and has successfully handled appeals before the Bankruptcy. As an expert in the field Kathryn has participated in numerous public speaking engagements lending her knowledge on topics like Continuing Education, pursuing inter house council, and what business law professionals need to know about bankruptcy litigations. During her studies Kathryn actually did not plan to be a lawyer, however after being advised by a mentor and professor Kathryn decided to peruse law practice which evolved into a passion. Kathryn functions on a strong belief that law is about the people, and by prioritizing them she has been able to save businesses from bankruptcy. In the future Kathryn will continue growing Diemer, Whitman & Cardosi, LLP even further across the area. In her free time Kathryn is an avid supporter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and enjoys participating with her Ice Hockey league. As a speaker of English, French, and Italian Kathryn is looking to connect with other Business and Law professionals. Further information on the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society can be found in the link below: https://www.lls.org/

David J. O'Brien, is a Partner and CMO at EY ( Ernst and Young) in New York City. With thirty years of experience at EY, David's rise to partner has been one of steady and consistent contribution. Charged with advancing the core competencies at EY through several thousand global team members; David's philosophy is one of advancing the nexus of Strategy, Communication and Brand. Incorporating a true sense of purpose into every level of the EY brand, this well proven philosophy David has employed, to collectively engage his global team to the next level of achievement, has proven to be a path well worth taking toward the road to success. David also has a very strong commitment to "Pay it Forward.” Through his various efforts in the areas of economic empowerment, poverty alleviation and children just to name a few. It is crystal clear that David embraces a sense of service in all aspects of his life. In his spare time, David enjoys spending time with his family!

Mr. Timo Karkola is the Director of Ami foundation and Pricipal of Amiedu owned by the foundation for the last 15 years. Amiedu is Finland’s leading vocational adult education center, serving the educational and training needs of some 21,000 adults every year. The training programes and competence development services of Amiedu provide a wide range of opportunities for enhancing the skills of individuals, work teams and organizations. Almost 4,000 adult students are involved in our various training activities on a daily basis. Our services include over 90 vocational qualifications, nearly 40 certification programes, various short courses and cutting-edge seminars – all under one roof. All services feature innovative content and a range of learning methods. We also administer course logistics and provide advice on financing solutions. Adult education in Finland seeks to support lifelong learning, improve social coherence and equality, and enhance the knowledge base and skills of adults. Amiedu commits a policy of individual guidance and planned learning that enables adults to benefit from previously acquired competencies and to study in a flexible way while working. Amiedu training programmes are conducted in the Finnish language. Mr. Timo Karkola is the vice president of the board of AMKE. AMKE is the guardian of interests and the service organization for vocational education and training providers in Finland. Our principal function is working life-based development of vocational education and training together with our members. AMKE’s 84 members represent a wide range of VET providers, from different vocational colleges to specialized institutions and providers of continuing vocational training. Our members train over 300 000 Finns, that is to say over 90% of the country’s vocational students. In addition, our members train over 100,000 professionals in collaboration with companies. AMKE’s members employ 26 000 people. Before current positions withing vocational education and training industry, Mr. Timo Karkola was employed 16 years with Kesko Ltd, the leading wholesale and retailcorporation in Finland. His positions varied from the position of human resource specialist to manager of business development for the international division and further to the director of marketing operation for the foodstuffs division of Kesko.

Rich Buchheim is the senior vice president and chief product officer for SilkRoad Technology, Inc. Rich received his bachelor's of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Vermont. He played football for the university and graduated with honors. Rich has overall responsibility for Product Development, Product Management, IT, and SaaS Operations at SilkRoad Technology, a leading supplier of end-to-end Talent Management Solutions for small to mid-size businesses and organizations. Rich is a recognized industry expert with over four decades of experience creating product strategies, managing product development, and bringing products to market in enterprise content management, compliance, collaboration, and a range of other business applications. Rich is a serial entrepreneur who led three successful start-ups, has consulted for a number of Fortune 100 companies, and has also held key executive and leadership positions at Oracle, OpenText, Intergraph, and General Electric. At Oracle, Rich was the driving force behind the company becoming a leader in content management and was widely known there as "The Godfather of Content Management."

Ravi Mahalingam, is a Senior Partner and General Council with Avasant LLC, based in Los Angeles, California. Ravi has been able to create the evolution of his career with a keen interest in the consultancy business on a global level. With the foresight and fortitude to launch a start up in the depths of the financial crisis of 2008 Ravi and his Partners have been able to make steady progress, focused toward international recognition. Having grown the firm from a mere seven employees to an ever growing sixty in the area of International Management Consulting; advising international clients in industries that range from Information Technology, Energy, Healthcare and Telecommunications to name a few, Ravi's role has expanded with his firms client base to include advising Fortune 500 companies, and providing solutions to the myriad of challenges which face these multinationals in this age of ever evolving technology. Ravi's willingness to learn and take absolutely, nothing for granted makes he and his firm invaluable assets for his current and future clients.

Michael T. Mateer has worked in the IT Management field for 20 years. Michael's current role is largely focused on Cloud Business development for MicroStrategy. Michael also manages deals with 70+ customers in regards to engineering and implementing technological business components. As Vice President of the Cloud Business Unit, Michael is also responsible for internal operations. Michael also periodically speaks at conferences in the IT industry.

Luis has been an active professional in the Power industry since 1998 while holding his current position as President of GAL Power Systems since 2014. He graduated from Laurentian University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mining and is a member for the Professional Engineering Association of Ontario, Canada. Luis worked in the Mining Industry for over 11 years before getting his start in the Power Generation business when family needed his help to work in the family business, L.M. Generating Power Inc. He fell in love with the industry and continued to help L.M. Generating Power grow while also starting his own company, L.M. Temperature Control Inc. With relentless determination and his ability to build the right team, a successful merger with GAL Power Systems was made possible; something he takes great pride in. He plans to grow the GAL business by doubling the company's revenue over the next few years which he hopes will get him to be seen as a leader in the industry. He hopes to build a network of other professionals in the field to help this goal become a reality. Even though he is no longer working in the mining industry he still enjoys attending seminars regarding the industry, as well as, reading up on articles related to mining. During his down time Luis enjoys reading, traveling, and sports such as hockey, swimming, and golf. He also takes his enjoyment of hockey and is involved with coaching local youth hockey teams. Luis also donates to various cancer research organizations, specifically ones relating to breast cancer. Luis and GAL Power more recently help Children through Variety of Ottawa and the Canadian Foundation for Children with Aids in Africa, an organization the helps children in need not only within Ontario, but also in places as far as parts of Africa.

Khaled Ben Musa is the Operations Manager for CNS International a diving company which works to offer saturation mixed gas and air Diving service, pipeline pigging/hydro testing, Pipeline trenching and ROV Services to the major Contractors all over the world. Throughout the day Khaled will work to oversee ongoing projects, ensure performance standards, and confirm that all procedures are executed in the safest and most efficient manor. Khaled has worked with numerous international companies such as BP, Shell, and Exon Mobile and through his 8 years with the company has been able to develop his expertise in the industry. Khaled always had an interest for the Oil and Gas industry which prompted him to obtaining his degree in Electrical Engineering from USC. As a result he has worked all over the world as an engineer in countries such as Indonesia and Italy. As an expert in the field Khaled has also provided consultation for companies on diving works, and remote operations. As a fluent speaker in French, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, and English Khaled credits his success to his cultural diversity and ability to work efficiently in locations around the world. In the future Khaled plans to own CNS International and help the company grow even further. Khaled is looking to connect with other professionals in the Oil and Energy industry and Alumni from the University of Southern California.

Who is Attorney John Messina? More importantly this is why you should know him! He elevated the bar when he was licensed to practice law by graduating first in his class at Gonzaga Law School. That set the stage for the next 45 years in wins and decisions as a practicing attorney first for himself and then joining a prestigious group, Lombino Martino Law Firm. Recognized as one of the finest trial lawyers by his peer group he has won the biggest personal injury verdict in the history of the state of Washington, a record that stood for a number of years. Listed in the prestigious Martindale Hubble register, the national legal publication that rates performance and ethics this is a man who clearly had a vision to not only define the law and win cases with ethics and integrity but more importantly had the respect of judges and juries with a no nonsense approach in defending his clients. He is a Washington Law and Politics “Super Lawyer” and has held the prestigious national certification of Civil Trial Specialist from the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, whose membership is limited to 500 trial lawyers nationally, Medical College of Trial Lawyers, CART Damage Attorneys Round Table. According to the Spokane Daily Chronicle, John placed first in the Washington State Summer Bar examination among a group that included graduates of many law schools in the country. John has won hundreds of cases involving negligence by government agencies, product manufacturers and contractors, and has represented many ordinary citizens injured by negligent driving and medical care. He brings passion and concern to every case and is committed to helping clients cope with the devastating injuries they have suffered. He is lawyer who has passion for his clients and one that understands the stress that a trial can bring on a family with needs. In addition to legal activities, John is active in the greater community. He has served on the committee of the Washington State Supreme Court that writes standardized trial jury instructions and has served on the boards of the Gonzaga Law School, the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association and the Washington Sons of Italy. He helped write changes to the Tacoma City Charter authoring provisions regarding election of the council by districts and term limits. At 75 years old, I am privileged and excited to work part-time and enjoy a partial retirement, now without worry. I have had many multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. Now, I want this new firm to reach those pinnacles in the field of personal injury cases. In the few years I have left to work as a lawyer, I want this firm, which practices in about every field of law, to have a strong personal injury trial section. When that is done, I just may move on to some other challenge. You know the old saying, “Old lawyers never die; they just lose their appeal.”

Joan McManus-Massey has 40 years of professional experience in the areas of finance and human resources for leading telecommunications company in the United States. She is currently working at Aon which empowers organizations and individuals to secure a better future through innovative talent, retirement and health solutions. So on a day to day Joan handles large and small companies , retirement plans, and companies merges and acquisitions. Prior to her current role Massey retired from AT&T with the same responsible and with the experience she gained , it actually became beneficial to her next job. Being interested and knowledgeable about the field and enjoying it is what Joan attributes her success too. Other then retiring in the future Joan would like to continue with skills-based volunteering (pro-bono consulting).

Evans has an extensive education, as he believes that you should never be satisfied with status quo and to never stop learning and keep moving forward. Evans adoration for helping and caring for people inspired him to get involved in the field of pharmacy. Evans, along with 25 other employees of the hospital, volunteer to travel to third world countries to offer free medical care to those in need. They have been doing this for 7 years and plan to continue in the future. They recently returned from Brazil and traveled down the Amazon River helping villages along the way. They have also traveled to Peru and Ecuador several times to volunteer there free services. Evans, in the future, plans to retire from the pharmacy field and do consulting work and more missionary work a few times a year. Evans and his wife volunteer at the soup kitchen at their church.

Armando G. Almaguer is currently the Executive Director, Process Technology at Fluor Corporation at La Porte, Texas. With over forty years in the oil construction business, Armando has gained a variety of skills that put him in the Executive Director seat today. For sixteen years he has been dealing with new business development, client relations, Project supervision both locally and globally and his work has been noted in the top twenty in the published book at the Flour Corporation. He received his Bachelors of Science in Chemical Engineering at the University of Houston and even since has been with the Flour Corporation. His persistence, consistency, communication and ability to put in two hundred percent when only a hundred is required has allowed him to climb the ladder and be one of the favorable to be in contact with, for his company. Two of his well known project were the Saudi Rental gas program, which took seven years to establish and the other was the Exonn Mobil Project in Russian involving oil reserves that were off shore and bringing them in land. Given the many years he has dedicated into working, he soon hopes to slow down and possibly teach back at the University of Houston. This way he feels that he can share his achievements and the skills he gained and pass it onto other aspiring students so they too can have a good future. Currently Armando is happy and enjoying life with his seven grandchildren, and seven children and enjoys playing softball, collecting leather bound books of all genres as well as listening to music on his down time. One of the things he recommends about being accomplished is having a love of learning and keeping an open mind to constantly improve in anything. He believes that his love of challenges and innovative technology has inspired him to pursue his current profession and it has always been his drive. Armando has done many lectures on Chemical Engineering at the University of Houston and also is on the Chair for the World fuel conference and speaks on clean fuel option, many of these lectures have been published and have great recognition and credibility. Lastly, Armando loves being part of charity organizations and always looks for ways to give back. Currently he donates and volunteers at his local church.

Andrew is a successful entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in the management consulting industry. He has his own company called Meant Projects established in 2009. His company provides consulting services, project management, and strategic policies to the healthcare industry for both the public and private sector. In addition, Andrew gives lecturers at Oxford University on architecture and design. Andrew has always been passionate about the healthcare industry from a young age. His highlight of his career was the development of a challenging project building a mental hospital in the UK. Andrew attributes his success to his passion for the industry. His goal for the future is to expand his portfolio career.

Suzanne Anker is the Chair of the Fine Arts Department at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Suzanne is also a well known visual artist and theorist working in a variety of mediums ranging from digital sculpture and installation to large-scale photography to plants grown by LED lights. Her work has been shown both nationally and internationally in museums and galleries including the Smithsonian Institute, Medizinhistorisches Museum der Charite in Berlin, Pera Museum in Istanbul and many others. Her books include The Extant Vamp (or the) Ire of It All, Visual Culture and Evolution, and she has been featured in Art and America, Seed Magazine, Nature Reviews Genetics, Art Journal, The New York Times, Art forum and Art in America. She has been a speaker at Harvard, Yale and the Royal Society in London, Cambridge University.