Debra Berlyn

Debra R. Berlyn is president of Consumer Policy Solutions, a firm centered on addressing the interests of consumers and the marketplace, and executive director of Project GOAL – the Project to Get Older Adults Online. Berlyn has over 20 years of experience working on technology policy issues. She leads Project GOAL activities that include creating programs to explore the benefits and challenges of technology adoption by the older community, and developing resource materials for aging organizations. A longtime advocate for consumers and seniors, Berlyn also served as a senior legislative representative for AARP.

Jack Deeds

A CPA with 30 years of experience with more than 10 years in financial management, senior management and supervisory responsibilities, Mr. Deeds oversees staff of 40 finance professionals in 28 offices and 18 countries. He has traveled internationally to support field offices and programs, and is responsible for the financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting of the global entity that includes operational and project-related budgeting, monitoring and analytics. He developed the organization’s finance policies and procedures as well as the systems and cost controls to safeguard assets to provide effective accountability. As the Treasurer of SFCG’s Board of Directors, he is responsible for banking relationships, cash management, wire transfers, multi-currency, lines of credit, and investments in 18 countries. Mr. Deeds has a thorough understanding of automated financial software (ERP) systems, including various application modules such as finance, payroll, inventory distribution, multi-currency, multi-language, and web site portal, and proven web-based skills including MSSQL, .NET applications like Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS), and web sites for document management and collaboration. He manages the Finance staff, working with human resources to ensure legal guidelines are met. Mr. Deeds acts as the principal staff liaison to the Board’s Finance and Audit Committee and facilitates the relationship with the external auditors and legal counsel. Mr. Deeds is a fellow of the Greater Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants, and in 2008, was awarded their CFO Innovator of the Year Award.

Paul DelPonte

Paul DelPonte's career spans politics, nonprofit organizations, and private consulting.  He is currently Executive Director of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the 3 million member senior organization.

Paul has successfully launched and led three successful private communications and public affairs consulting firms, where he pioneered several innovations in social marketing, earning him numerous awards, including the public relations industry's top honor of PR Campaign of the Year which brought about changes in USDA food labeling rules.

He was instrumental in the founding of the Alliance for Aging Research,
where he served as the organization's first director of communications
and legislative affairs. He was director of public relations at the
Food, Research and Action Center.

Prior to working in the nonprofit field, he was a political strategist,
including serving as Assistant Press Secretary for former California
Senator Alan Cranston's presidential campaign.

Jose-Pablo Fernandez

Jose-Pablo Fernandez is the Founder and Executive Director of CCA Alliance, Inc. – a nonprofit organization that empowers Hispanic parents to become full partners in their children’s educational attainment. From August 2000 to February 2007 he served as President and Executive Director of the Mexican Institute of Greater Houston. Among his many honors, in 2007 he was selected as a Fellow for Civic Ventures and was among the top 15 awardees for the Second Annual Purpose Prize that recognizes people in the second half of life. In 2005 he received the Manhattan Institute’s Social Entrepreneurship Award– that honors non-profit leaders who have found innovative, private solutions for America’s most pressing social problems. In 2004 he was elected to the Ashoka Fellowship, a global association of leading social entrepreneurs for realistically addressing the needs of new immigrants to improve their lives through education. Fernandez sits on several boards, among them the Greater Houston Community Foundation and the Houston Symphony.

Charlene Francis

Charlene Francis retired over 25 years ago from a position of System Management Analyst for the government. To use the leisure time that comes initially with retirement she decided to learn to play the organ. If it weren't for her son who kept trying to talk her into buying a computer she probably would have become an accomplished organ player. Her son finally succeeded and Francis tried to enroll in a computer class at the SeniorNet Learning Center in Oklahoma City. The person conducting registration at the time saw Francis' background as systems analyst and convinced her to become an instructor. Francis eventually became the coordinator of the Oklahoma City Learning Center, a position which she still holds.

Alfred Moyé

Alfred Moyé is a business-higher education consultant. Until September 2000, he was the Director of University Affairs at the Hewlett-Packard Company. He was previously Manager of Engineering Education and Performance Technology at Hewlett-Packard. Prior to joining HP in 1984, Moyé was national educational sales manager and director of the Atari Institute for Education Research. He was also vice president for academic affairs at Roosevelt University, Chicago; and vice chancellor for student affairs and associate professor of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. During the Carter Administration, Moyé served as deputy assistant secretary for higher and continuing education. In 1999 he received the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) Third Millennium Medal for outstanding contributions to his field. He currently serves as a member of NSF’s Advisory Committee for Education and Human Resources; and Boards of Trustees at three universities. Moyé received his B.S. degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College and his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, both in chemistry. He is also the recipient of five honorary doctorates.

Julia Reynes

Julie Reynes has over 10 years experience in non-profit leadership and over 15 years in the information technology field. Ms. Reynes is currently the President of the Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing co-payment assistance to help patient access life-saving medications.  Ms. Reynes was a vice president at the American Red Cross in the International Services area and she led the response to the $580 million tsunami disaster. She also served as chief of staff to the Red Cross Chief Operating Officer and led strategic information systems planning that recommended an enterprise resource planning system to support all Red Cross business functions. Ms. Reynes holds an MS from Boston University in Computer Information Systems and a BS from the University of Maryland in Business Management.

Paul Sladkus

Paul Sladkus worked at CBS and PBS for over 13 years. His background as Production/Studio Manager, Business Manager, Marketing Director and Producer helped to create Award winning TV Shows, including Carol Burnett, Network News and PBS's Nature and Brain Series to name a few. In 1985 Sladkus founded Milestone Broadcast Corporation (MBC) a multi-cultural and niche markets marketing/advertising/public relations organization. In 1998 Sladkus founded Good News Corporation a 501-C3 Corporation with a mission to find, receive, create and broadcast to the world, life-affirming, thought-provoking news, entertainment and events; content that is non-violent, non-sectarian, non-political. Good News has over 2,700 stories on http://www.goodnewsbroadcast.com/ with everyday people as well as celebrities all doing Good for the world.

Leslie M. Smith,
Board Chairman

Leslie Smith is a Marketing Executive for IBM Corporation. He has responsibility for marketing and sales within the constituent marketplace (American Indian, Asian, Black, Hispanic and women owned businesses). He has worked for IBM for 25 years. Formerly he was an Executive in Future Product Development at ROLM Corporation. He is a Vietnam veteran and served as a Washington, DC, police officer. Smith attended American University, majoring in Sociology. He currently serves on several boards.

Langley Spurlock

Langley Spurlock is Director of Park-Zoo Associates, a Washington, DC based consulting firm specializing in meeting facilitation, strategic planning, organizational structure and print and electronic communications. He has been on the board of directors of the Council of Environmental Professionals since 2000 and has served as its Corporate Secretary since 2001. Dr. Spurlock has a PhD in Organic Chemistry. He has been a chemistry faculty member at Brown University and Temple University, and has authored 39 publications to date. He has been awarded three U.S. patents. Dr. Spurlock also is an artist and a docent at the National Gallery of Art.

Lisa Washington

Lisa Washington came to DBIA in July 2004 as Vice President of Education and Conferences. Her primary responsibility was to ensure a timely, systematic, and coordinated effort by DBIA National to develop and deliver quality education and professional development opportunities to DBIA members and other industry professionals. In addition, she was tasked with implementing strategies to increase the value, recognition and use of the Designated Design-Build Professional™ designation.  Lisa was promoted to Chief Operating Office in November 2006 and to Executive Director in June 2009. Lisa devised and implemented DBIA’s “Nationl Education Tour” concept, increasing the demand for such education ten-fold in a three-year period.

Washington has more than 15 years of association management experience focused in the areas of educational program development and credentialing, (certification and accreditation), member/chapter relations and operations.  She has successfully managed a conference education program serving more than 5,000 attendees for a major aging services association, directed the activities of a national certification program, and managed the day-to-day operations of an accreditation body for retirement communities. In 2007, she earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential

Prior to joining DBIA in July, 2004, Washington served as vice president of member and chapter relations for the Independent Electrical Contractors association. In that capacity, she was accountable for membership services, recruitment, retention, and oversight of all programs and services designed to enhance the skills and abilities of members and chapter staff, including the development and delivery of all management education programs. She spent 10+ years in progressively responsible management positions at the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.

Washington has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management, and is currently completing her MBA at the University of Maryland.

Michele Warholic Wetherald

Michele Warholic Wetherald has a commitment to lifelong learning that has spanned a career of more than 15 years in non-profit management and higher education administration.  Currently she is Managing Director of Education, Examinations and Talent at the Certified Financial Planners Board of Standards, Inc., where she leads and manages several of the organization's key focus areas.  Prior to that, she served as executive director of AAUW - American Association of University Women, a 100,000 member, $12 million budget association.  Additionally, Warholic Wetherald has held leadership positions on several non-profit boards, including past national board president of the American Association of University Women's (AAUW) Board of Directors.

Special Advisors

Patricia Coryell

Patricia Coryell, a publishing consultant, is former Vice President, Executive Publisher of Houghton Mifflin Company's College Division.  Pat's career in editorial spanned academic and medical, nursing, and allied health disciplines.  Her career began at the Penn State Press after earning both bachelor's and master's degrees in English at the Pennsylvania State University.

Pat Riggs