 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Board Of Directors
Most people go through life as if they were living out the movie Ground Hog Day. One day at a time, same thing every day, never breaking the cycle. Then there are those people who wake up every day with a mission to live out their dreams and to inspire others to connect with their potential. Wally Amos is one of those – a man with a mission.
Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Wally Amos lived a childhood that was not always stable and trouble free. But as a child he had an innate spirit and gift to view the world with optimism. The most loving person in his life was Della Bryant, his aunt in New York City. At the early age of twelve, young Wally moved to New York to live with his aunt who assumed a parental role. She was also the first person to bake him chocolate chip cookies. Although the home was of modest means, it was abundant in the meaningful qualities that give a child principles, “a can-do” attitude.
Wally Amos began his early professional career in the stock room at Saks Fifth Avenue. He worked hard but was consistently underpaid. He asked for raises but was denied. Not having another job in place, but believing he was worth more Amos left the stock room ready for the next thing. That turned out to be the entertainment industry.
Just like at Saks, he started at the bottom. This time it was the mailroom at the William Morris Talent Agency. And just like before, Amos worked hard. At William Morris it paid off. Wally Amos rose from mailroom clerk to agent – the first African-American agent. He prided himself on his ability to find the next new thing. He was the first to book many of the top performers of that era including The Supremes, Simon & Garfunkel and Marvin Gaye.
When he felt he’d gone as far as he could with William Morris he formed his own theatrical management agency. Packing up his young family he moved to the west coast. There were ups and downs but Amos always stuck to his principles: work hard, be positive, and don’t look back.
It was during this time that Wally learned to unwind on weekends by taking up a new hobby – baking chocolate chip cookies. Baking relaxed him and made him reminisce about his Aunt Della’s cookies. Weekend after weekend, Wally would toy with the recipe and bring in plates of baked goods to work, often delivering them to his clients. Rumor has it that Amos coaxed many administrative assistants to set up meetings with hard to get to executives with bountiful plates of his “famous cookies.”
Over the years the entertainment industry began to wear on Amos. Show biz personalities weren’t always the easiest people to deal with. It was time for a change.
In 1975, long before there were “food personalities” like Emeril Lagasse, Paul Newman and Nigella Lawsohn, Amos came up with the idea that he could sell his cookies as an entertainment personality – a gourmet chocolate chip cookie. Borrowing $25,000 from friends, Amos opened the first freestanding store that sold only cookies: The Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie store. It became the next big thing. Soon the entrepreneur became a national personality renowned not only for his cookies but for his ebullient and outgoing persona as well. It wasn’t long before Wally Amos expanded his business to other locations. To top it all off, Bloomingdale’s, America’s favorite department store began selling the cookies as its newest “must have” item. Famous Amos cookies became the “jet set cookie.” A new industry was born.
In 1984, a series of events led the company to change hands. It is now owned by the Kellogg Company. Amos eventually returned to baked goods through other successful businesses including Uncle Wally’s Muffin Company and Aunt Della’s Cookies, named after the woman who first introduced him to chocolate chip cookies.
Asserting that being famous only meant that lots of people knew who he was; Wally Amos always wanted to use his wide recognition as a means to draw attention to an important cause. That cause became literacy. Wally has dedicated his efforts to Literacy Volunteers of America where he served as the National Spokesperson from 1979 to 2002. As a literary advocate, Wally uses his well-known name to support educational causes and serves on the Boards of the National Center for Family Literacy, Read to Me International, and Communities in Schools, in addition to many others.
He is the recipient of many honors and awards including the President’s Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, the Horatio Alger Award, and the National Literacy Honors Award. He has been inducted into the Babson College Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs.
Wally Amos is well known on the motivational speaker circuit and is the author of eight books: The Famous Amos Story: The Face That Launched a Thousand Chips, The Power in You: Ten Secret Ingredients To Inner Strength, Man With No Name: Turn Lemons Into Lemonade, Watermelon Magic: Seeds of Wisdom, Slices of Life, and The Cookie Never Crumbles: Inspirational Recipes for Every Day Living, Be Positive, The Power of Self Esteem and Live an Inspiring Life.
His most recent project is working with his wife Christine Harris-Amos who created Chip & Cookie, two dolls fashioned in the image of “boy and girl chocolate chip cookies.” As expected, the dolls are packed with personality and are accessorized with a clever storybook Wally Amos Presents Chip & Cookie: No More Chocolate Chips, a heart-warming tale chronicling the adventures of Chip and Cookie. For Amos it’s the next new thing.
Greg Dziuban
Greg Dziuban is Director of Employee and Community Services for Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation. Based at the corporate headquarters in Savannah, Ga., he is responsible for employee communications, employee programs, community relations and charitable contributions.
Before joining Gulfstream in March 1999, Greg worked for Bell Atlantic Corporation, which later became Verizon, in Arlington, Va. He first served as Director of Communications Technology, leading the telecommunication company's efforts to communicate to the public using new media, and later became Director of Intranet Programs.
Greg also spent more than 20 years in the Air Force -- managing public affairs programs in Illinois, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Colorado and the Azores. While working for Air Force ROTC, he was honored as the top recruiter in the nation. At the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, he was an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies.
After graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a bachelor's degree in international relations, Greg earned master's degrees in community leadership from Central Michigan University and in journalism from Northwestern University.
He serves on the board of advisors for Read It LOUD! Savannah.
Bill Halamandaris
Bill Halamandaris is Co-founder and President of The Heart of America Foundation®, which was
established in 1997 to teach the values at the heart of America and to help people, particularly
children, learn that they help themselves when they help others. Through his work at the Heart
of America Foundation ®, Bill has touched the lives and the hearts of thousands of children across
the country.
Bill is also the Co-founder of the Caring Institute and three other national non-profit organizations: the Foundation for Hospice and Homecare, the National Association for Home Care, and HealthRight. In addition, Mr. Halamandaris serves on the Board of Directors of America's Charities, a consortium of national charities, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Jane Goodall Institute.
Before devoting himself to the non-profit world, Mr. Halamandaris had a long and distinguished career in public service. Over the course of l5 years, he served as an Investigator, Chief Investigator, Director of Oversight and Counsel with the U.S. Senate and as Staff Director of the House Select Committee on Aging, Subcommittee on Health and Long-Term Care.
His newest book, The Heart of America: Ten Core Values That Make Our Country Great elicited this from Christopher Reeve, "As this book demonstrates, the greatness of America is a reflection of the greatness of our people. There is something each of us can do to make the world a better place." Mr. Halamandaris is also the co-editor of Caring Quotes: A Compendium of Caring Thought and the author of four other books: Care Gaps, Profiles in Caring, Profiles in Caring: Young Adults and Be The Light: A Blueprint for a Happy and Successful Life. He was a contributing editor to Caring People Magazine, a frequent columnist for Executive Excellence and Personal Excellence magazines and has written and produced two documentaries for PBS - Voices of the People (l994) and Suffer Not the Little Children (1987).
Mr. Halamandaris and his work have been featured on 60 Minutes, ABC 20/20, Good Morning America, NBC Today, CBS This Morning, NBC Newsday, CNBC, CNN, Sonya Live, Parade Magazine and USA TODAY and The Visionaries.
Sharon Darling
Sharon Darling is the president and founder of the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) located in
Louisville, Kentucky. NCFL, internationally recognized as the leader in the field of family literacy, is known
for creating innovative program models, developing effective advocacy strategies and providing research,
training and technical assistance to professionals working in the field of family literacy. Since its founding
in 1989, NCFL has been dedicated to placing family literacy - parents and children learning together - on
the agenda for social change.
Ms. Darling has been a teacher, administrator and educational entrepreneur, challenging the status quo and developing new methods of educating families. As a pioneer in education, Ms. Darling serves as an advisor on education issues to governors, policy makers, business leaders and foundations throughout the nation. In doing so, she provides them with advice and planning strategies for strengthening families through education and moving them toward literacy and self-sufficiency - key issues associated with breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty. Her work has been instrumental in shaping state and federal policies and laws that address critical societal issues such as welfare reform, education reform and the development of the skilled workforce of tomorrow.
Ms. Darling continues to receive recognition for her groundbreaking work and leadership in education. Her many awards and recognitions include: the National Humanities Medal awarded by the President and Mrs. Bush in April 2002; 2000 Razor Walker Award from the University of North Carolina for her contributions to the lives of children and youth; Woman of Distinction Award, Birmingham Southern University, 1999; Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism, Johns Hopkins University, 1998; Charles A. Dana Award for Pioneering Achievement in Education, 1996; and the Harold W. McGraw Award for Outstanding Educator, 1993. In addition, she is the recipient of the National Caring Award and was inducted into the Frederick Douglass Museum and Hall of Fame for Caring Americans on Capitol Hill. Ms. Darling has received several honorary doctorate degrees for her contributions to education and has been featured on the Arts & Entertainment television network's series, Biography.
Ms. Darling serves on the boards of numerous national and international organizations including: the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, National Coalition for Literacy, the National Fund for Excellence in American Indian Education and the Heart of America Foundation.
Ms. Darling has authored numerous publications and articles on intergenerational education and is a frequent keynote speaker to such diverse groups as the Business Week Fortune 500 Forum and the National Governor's Association.
Ted Sakai
For 26 years, Ted Sakai worked in a variety of executive positions in the Hawaii's corrections system. From 1998 to 2002, he served as a member of the Governor's cabinet as the Director of Public Safety. In that position, he provided leadership to the all state corrections and law enforcement entities. Ted's most recent assignment was as the Warden of the Wahiawa Correctional Facility, where he tightened security (no escapes for over two years) and expanded treatment programs for inmates.
Ted's professional accomplishments include the implementation of substance abuse and sex offender treatment programs for inmates; negotiation of contracts to house Hawaii prisoners in other states; development of accountability systems for managers; development of strategic plans for the department; coordination of a multi-agency approach for substance abuse treatment; implementing programs to minimize suicides by inmates; and developing policies and programs to reduce abuse of inmates by correctional staff.
As Warden at Wahiawa, Ted worked with community agencies such as the Good Beginnings Alliance and Read to Me International to implement innovative programs to help inmates develop parenting skills and bond with their children. He also helped to launch a program using restorative justice techniques to help inmates reunite with their families. He was recognized for his work in 2004 by the Hawaii state Legislature when he was named Advocate of the Year for Children and Youth. Ted recently "retired" from the system and serves as certified coach and as a consultant in leadership development. He serves the community as a member of the Interagency Council on Intermediate Sanctions, the Penal Code Review Committee, and as a member of the Boards of Directors of the Hawaiian Legacy Foundation, Hina Mauka, the Hawaii Friends for Civic and Law Related Education, Read to Me International, and the Read it LOUD! America Foundation. He actively participates in the American Correctional Association and the Association of State Correctional Administrators, and is a member of the Advisory Committee on Law and Justice for Hawaii Pacific University.
Dr. Jonathan Brown currently serves as President of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities. He has spent a career working with public policy and non-profit colleges. Prior to his current position he worked in the California legislature, the US Senate and House of Representatives and the White House. He was a congressionally appointed member of the National Commission on College Costs. He holds an AB (honors) from the University of the Pacific and a DPA from the University of Southern California. His dissertation on simplification of the California personal income tax was nominated for dissertation of the year in two fields. He has taught for USC since 1985 and has also done extensive consulting with a number of Mexican private universities. In 2006 he was named "A la amistad universal de todos los pueblos."
[ Home ] [ About Read It LOUD! ] [ Benefits Of Reading Aloud ] [ Reading Tips ] [ Partners] [ Contact Us ]
