Jim Hill was introduced to the HEART School in 2017 by fellow board member Fred Pesce while working together in the men’s group, The Dudes of Disruption. In 2018, Jim and the Dudes raised $35k to finance the construction of the school’s new library and in March of 2018 traveled to Haiti to help raise […]
Category Archives: Board of Directors
Although Tom Blon officially joined the Executive Board in March of 2020, before that time, he served the school in an unofficial capacity helping to facilitate the school’s sustainability goals by researching and eventually helping to build the school’s biodigester, which provides clean cooking fuel and compost for the school’s gardens. In addition, Tom taught […]
Although based in Cairo, Egypt, Dr. Zhenya Goma serves on the HEART Board as Secretary of the Buddy Committee, Volunteer Coordinator, and Foreign Language Education Consultant. In 2021, she was elected to HEART’s Board of Directors. Zhenya’s formal education focused on inter-cultural education and multi-media instruction, particularly using the internet for educational purposes. In addition to […]
Chris comes to HEART with a wealth of experience in a variety of settings: including being a teacher in the United States at all levels. She also taught junior high and high school in Dar es Salaam Tanzania for 2 years, taught African History for three years at Tubman University in Harper, Liberia and participated […]
HEART Board Member, Fred Pesce, was recently honored at the Kings of Long Island SCNG Event. The Long Island Press reports: “SCNG Events, a division of Long Island Press parent company Schneps Community News Group, honored some of the top businessmen from Suffolk and Nassau counties for the work they do in their professions and […]
Schadrac, or Shad was born in the town of Sibert, Haiti, quite close to the current location of the HEART school. His father worked tirelessly throughout Shad’s childhood in the United States to earn enough money to move his wife and children to New York because they feared for their lives during the political turmoil during the 1990’s. […]
Dr. George Garland is currently President of the Board of the Southern New York Division of the United Nations Association-USA. He is a board member of HEART in Haiti. Dr. Garland’s career with US-EPA spanned 34 years, culminating in a Distinguished Career Award. From 1988 to 1992, he was Chief Technical Advisor for Toxic Chemicals […]
John Katzenstein is the Treasurer of Heart. His professional background includes thirty years of corporate experience in management and staff positions in finance and education in various locations throughout the country; instructor positions in business and finance in three colleges; and at the present time, he manages the NYS Attorney General’s Westchester Regional Office Consumer […]
Carina traveled to Haiti on 3 service trips while the HEART school was being formed and lived in Haiti for two and a half years volunteering full time as Community Liaison for HEART. While there she began taking courses online towards her degree, the first one being Community Organizing which was helpful to the work […]
Corinne Warren served as the Secretary of the HEART Board. Her professional background was rooted in the mental health field, complemented by her roles in various organizations, including Key Club International in high school and the American Heart Association Club during her college years. She brought to the board a Bachelor’s degree in Community Health […]
Nicholaos “Coach Nick” Papadopoulos has been a dynamic growth catalyst and senior executive with over 20 years in successfully orchestrating organizational transformations, delivering exceptional customer and employee experiences, creating highly-engaged cultures and driving sustainable growth for organizations. He has been consistently recognized nationally for creative, effective and innovative use of leadership and organizational development programs and solutions. Nick […]
For the past 15 years, Fred Pesce has been a partner and Creative Director with Vertigo Media Group, a Marketing/Branding/Advertising firm, located on Long Island, New York. Fred, a proud Naval Veteran of Operation Desert Storm also offers over 20 years’ experience in the personal development field through his participation in leadership workshops and classes […]
Sandra Murray joined the Board of Directors of HEART in July 2014 to head up the fundraising efforts. Sandy is past president of the Midtown Atlanta Rotary Club and owned and operated a computer consulting and training company in Atlanta GA. Dick Martin was a dear friend, who led the way on getting the school […]
Max will be providing his bio.
Salomon is an attorney in the Labor & Employment Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s Atlanta office. His practice includes counseling and representing employers on a wide range of matters relating to employment law.
Maria Blon is the past President of the HEART Board and has been volunteering in Haiti with Shad St. Louis since July 2010 when she traveled down upon the request of her daughter Carina. Maria has a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics from Penn State University and a Masters in Education from George Washington University. Her career […]
Leading Emotional Dynamics expert, Erik Fisher, Ph.D., aka Dr. E…, has been changing the lives of children, teens and adults for two decades. As a psychologist, media consultant and author, his unique and creative approach to his work has earned him the respect and accolades of his clientele, his colleagues, and the media. As a […]
Joanne Lea is a former teacher, lecturer and tutor in Canada. She continues to assist HEART with teaching materials, analyses and translating.
Kathy comes from a nonprofit background where she gained experience in all areas of office management, development, member and volunteer care, special events. She has a BA in Art History/Women’s Studies from the University of Denver, Denver, Colorado. Volunteerism is in her veins and after being introduced to HEART through friends, followed by a trip […]
Kurtis was born into an Air Force family, moving every two years, but considers his current city, San Diego, as his home town. He has a BA in English from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale Illinois, and an MBA from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. He worked in Information Technology for thirty-four years as a […]
Barbara B. Rose has more than thirty years experience in management, strategic planning, feasibility studies, development, training, board development, facilitating, writing and fundraising. After eleven years in development at Georgia Tech and four years as Vice President of Development of Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital (now Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta), Rose established New Generation Partnerships, a […]
Renee Asofsky is a New York City native. She is a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Renee spent over two decades building her career in real estate in both in Boston and New York City and she is currently a Real Estate Broker for the Corcoran Group. Renee has been involved with H.E.A.R.T. […]
Donna King brings with her several years of experience working on volunteer boards from those focused on students with special needs to breakfast programs and co-operative housing initiatives. She began working in the developing world in 2007 as the Assistant Director of a foundation that provided public education, testing and counseling to people living with […]
Lynne is in love with the children of Haiti and will use whatever abilities she has to help them. She wants them to know the joy of independence and the self respect of owning their own futures by the choices they make and she believes education is the key. Her friendship with the Blon family, […]
I was first introduced to Haiti 5 weeks after the devastating 7.0 earthquake struck. As a nurse, and given the timing , my assignment was strictly medical. I was part of a critical mission called OMAT. It was at that time, however, that I realized if Haiti was ever going to climb out of poverty […]
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