Susan J. Ellis (United States)

Susan is president of Energize Inc.—a perfectly fitting descriptor for this dynamic and passionate volunteer leader. She founded the Philadelphia-based company in 1977 to help organizations create or strengthen their volunteer corps. Through training, consulting, and publication, Susan has assisted clients throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia.

Susan has dedicated her expertise to educating and assisting volunteer leaders in their posts through many publications and written works. She served for six years as editor-in-chief of The Journal of Volunteer Administration and is currently editor of the field’s first online journal, e-Volunteerism: The Electronic Journal of the Volunteer Community (which she launched with Steve McCurley in 2000). Her many books equip, encourage, and inspire volunteers the world over to be agents of change in their own communities.

But volunteerism is not merely Susan’s business. She is also an active volunteer in a variety of volunteer management associations and with Books Through Bars, an organization that sends reading/study materials to prisoners. You can find traces of Susan’s leadership across the world of volunteer leadership: She was a founding faculty member of the Institute for Advanced Volunteer Management in the United Kingdom, and she was also a faculty member at the first Australasian Retreat for Advanced Volunteer Management held in Canberra in 2005. Her impact in the field covers the globe.

For her commendable service and indelible impact on the field of volunteer leadership, Susan received the Association for Volunteer Administration’s 1989 Harriet Naylor Distinguished Member Service Award.

For more information about Susan, visit her Web site.

Nainoa Thompson (United States)

Nainoa has an adventurous and lively spirit that he commits to a variety of interests and causes, for which he has been recognized with numerous awards. His impressive involvement in secondary and university education has impacted many and feeds his presentations with interesting real-world applications.

Navigator and captain of the double-hulled canoe Höküle`a, Thompson has—for more than 25 years—inspired and led a revival of traditional arts associated with long-distance ocean voyaging in Hawai`i and throughout Polynesia. With his bachelor of arts in ocean science from the University of Hawai`i and expertise as a former U.S. merchant marine officer, Nainoa developed a system of wayfinding (noninstrument navigation), synthesizing traditional principles of ancient Pacific navigation and modern scientific knowledge. Nainoa is the first Hawaiian to practice the art of wayfinding on long distance ocean voyages since such voyaging ended in Hawai`i around the 14th century.

Nainoa has been a trustee of the Kamehameha Schools since January 2001 and served as chairman of the board in 2004. He is president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and leads the organization in developing multidisciplined, culturally relevant educational programs in partnership with other educational institutions, organizations, and agencies. He has also served the Bishop Museum as associate in research.

Currently, Thompson serves as special advisor to the president of the University of Hawai`i on Native Hawaiian affairs. He is regent emeritus of the University of Hawai`i Board of Regents, is on the Advisory Council of the Ocean Policy Institute, and is a member of the U.H. School of Social Work’s board of advisors. Thompson has been honored with many awards, including the Unsung Hero of Compassion awarded by the Dalai Lama for the Wisdom in Action Organization and the Na Po`okela Award from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Ramsay Taum (United States)

Ramsay is a recognized cultural specialist and sought-after keynote speaker, lecturer, trainer, and facilitator who works with Hawai`i’s development, travel, leisure, and retail industries integrating native Hawaiian cultural values and principles into the contemporary business setting. His background and experience in business, government, and community service makes him a valuable asset in public and private sectors, as well as for-profit and nonprofit businesses. Mentored and trained by respected Hawaiian elders, Ramsay is a practitioner and instructor of several Native Hawaiian practices including ho`oponopono, lomi haha, and Kaihewalulua. The APVLC is pleased to have Ramsay as one of our special guests, assisting us to honor Hawaiian Protocol.

Born and raised in Hawai`i, Ramsay graduated from Kamehameha Schools, attended the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, and earned his bachelor of science degree in public administration at the University of Southern California. Currently, Ramsay serves as the director of external relations and community partnerships at the University of Hawai`i at Manoa School of Travel Industry Management (TIM) and as the part-time director of O`ahu operations at the Makiki Hawai`i Nature Center. In addition, Ramsay is founder and president of the Hawai`i based Life Enhancement Institute (LEI) of the Pacific, coexecutive director of Sustain Hawai`i (a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable living and development in Hawai`i), and serves on numerous local and national boards, advisory groups, and councils.

Dr. Kathryn L. Braun (United States)

Kathryn is professor of Public Health and Social Work and codirector of the National Resource Center for Native Hawaiian Elders at the University of Hawai`i. As vice president of the Active Aging Consortium in Asia Pacific (APAC)—a group of scholars from Japan, Korea, China, and Hawai`i—Kathryn advocates for expanded work and volunteer roles for older adults in the rapidly aging countries in Asia and the Pacific. In 2008, she is working as a Fulbright Senior Scholar with Kosin Universiity in Busan, Korea, to document the work on APAC and expand collaborations between APAC and Hawai`i. She also serves as research director for ‘Imi Hale Native Hawaiian Cancer Network. She has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles related to aging and community-based research.

Angela Burrows (Thailand)

Angela is an international educator and trainer who will present effective techniques and methods of Educare. Educare offers educators an effective and dynamic methodology for teaching that is now in 24 countries around the world. This approach creates a balanced and sensible method to both academic and human values in developing good citizens for our future. Angela is passionate about molding and shaping future generations to be caring, involved community members that take an active role in bettering society.

Martin J. Cowling (Australia)

Martin possesses 20 years of impressive leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, working with many organizations including UNICEF Australia, The Smith Family, Victorian Relief, AIDS Council of NSW, and AFS Intercultural Programs. He has been CEO of People First–Total Solutions since October 2003, from which he has gained practical experience and gleaned key ideas for the mobilization of both volunteers and paid staff. Martin has also conducted one of Australia’s largest and most impressive studies on volunteer management. An engaging and entertaining speaker, Martin provides training, facilitation, and consulting services in seven countries and is in demand by commercial, government, and nonprofits.

For more information about Martin, see his Web site.

Andy Fryar (Australia)

Andy is the founder and director of OzVPM (Australasian Volunteer Program Management), a company specializing in volunteerism. Some of Andy’s varied and notable achievements include serving as president of Volunteering Australia, convening the working party that later evolved into AAVA, and coauthoring Volunteer Management: An Essential Guide (2nd edition, 2003). Andy travels extensively, conducting volunteer management training around Australia, as well as in North America, Asia, and the UK, where he is also a faculty member with the Institute for Advanced Volunteer Management.

For more information about Andy, visit his Web site.

Donna assists nonprofit organizations gain funding through her extensive experience and expertise in researching and writing grants. With a doctorate from Vanderbilt University and 35 years of grant writing behind her, Donna owns and manages LEARN (Learning, Evaluation and Resources Network), a firm she launched in 2001. LEARN writes grants for organizations in education, medicine, law enforcement, juvenile justice, and community-based projects, among others. Many grants have incorporated the use of video conferencing equipment to enrich educational experiences in schools and also to provide expertise in the medical field for patients in remote areas. Recently, LEARN began laying the foundation for global assistance to agencies seeking funding for their projects—all from its home base in Austin, Texas—and has already enjoyed a high success rate in funded grants.

Linda Graff (Canada)

Linda is well known for her innovative thinking and large-picture vision, and she folds these traits into research, writing, consulting, and training projects. One of Canada’s foremost authorities on volunteerism, Linda uses a mix of humor and informality for a dynamic presentation style. Her speaking engagements take her throughout North America and the United Kingdom, and more recently into Europe, Asia, New Zealand, and Australia. Linda currently focuses her presentations on the “tough” areas of policy development, risk management, screening, and discipline and dismissal. Recently, Linda has launched the nationally acclaimed Canada Who Cares? initiative that challenges communities to attend to and support the radically shifting volunteer movement.

Dr. Donghee Han (Korea)

Donghee is director of the Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly (RISBLE) in Busan, Korea, a nongovernmental organization that advocates for older adults in Korea. Key RISBLE programs include the Cyber Navigator and Cyber Neighbor programs, dedicated to reducing the digital divide by training seniors in Internet skills and facilitating peer and intergenerational exchange. Another program engages seniors in “social drama” for community education about dementia, caregiving, and elder abuse. Donghee also teaches graduate students in Taegu Catholic and Kosin Universities. She is a vice president of the Active Aging Consortium in Asia Pacific and represents Korea on international committees to prevent elder abuse and promote active aging.

John Hirsh (Federated States of Micronesia)

John is the picture of a volunteer leader, committing himself to both organizational support and active volunteer work. Currently, there are several organizations benefiting from John’s involvement—he is the executive director of the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) Chapter of the American Red Cross, a member of the American National Red Cross Disaster Director Program, a member of Northern Mariana Islands VOAD, and the Long Term Recovery committee chairman of the NMI Emergency Food and Shelter Program. In addition, John serves as the immediate past-president of the NMI Ayuda Network (umbrella social services agency) and is also the representative for American Red Cross International Services at Federation partnership meetings in Brisbane and Vanuatu. He has helped coordinate relief assistance for past disasters in Yap and Chuuk states and provided disaster leadership for three weeks in Alabama for Hurricane Katrina.

Calvin W. Hsi (United States)

Calvin has provided humanitarian relief throughout the Eastern Hemisphere, with service stints across the United States as well as in Bolivia and Peru. His extensive field service provides an exciting and practical knowledge base for his workshops and presentations. As charity development department director at the Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation USA National Headquarters in San Dimas, California, Calvin helps the Foundation provide humanitarian aid, spiritual care, and medical services to families and communities, both locally and internationally. Founded in 1966, the Foundation has dedicated itself in the field of charitable services, medical services, education, and environmental protection, as well as the promotion of humanistic values and community volunteerism. Calvin currently serves as a Los Angeles County Mental Health Services Act stakeholder delegate to provide recommendations on new MHSA plans.

Dr. Haru Inouye (United States)

Haru is the executive director of Shinnyo-en Foundation and is also a member of the board of directors. His academic and professional backgrounds include multicultural and international education as well as intercultural management in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Haru also serves at the Shinnyo-en Head Temple in Burlingame, California. He enjoys gardening, in which he sees a parallel between human development and the gardening process; from planting seeds, nurturing them with water and fertilizer, and ensuring they get sufficient sunlight.

For the past nine years, Susan has served as the voluntary agency liaison (VAL) for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Region V. Susan’s major responsibility is providing FEMA with technical guidance and specialized expertise concerning the voluntary agency and faith-based aspects of emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. As FEMA’s project officer for the Aidmatrix National Donations Management Network, Susan oversees technology that enables donations management partners to better coordinate their assistance. In addition to her in-house work, Susan has also seen many field service stints around the globe, including the World Trade Center response, five major hurricanes, and two typhoons, as well as floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and wildfires.

Dr. Art-ong Jumsai Na Ayudhya (Thailand)

Art-ong is a world-renowned educator, scientist, and humanitarian, and he returns to Hawai`i from Thailand to talk about “Educare in Education,” an effective and dynamic methodology that is now in 24 countries around the world. Educare creates a balanced and sensible approach to both academic and human values in developing good citizens for our future. Art-ong is an honors graduate of Cambridge and Oxford, and while working at NASA, he designed and developed the first successful landing device which allowed the USA to land on Mars with Viking I and II.

Sue Kobar (New Zealand)

Sue is the coordinator of volunteer services for Nurse Maude–New Zealand and currently serves on the board of Volunteering Canterbury. With more than 20 years of volunteer program management experience, Sue is noted for her extensive work in cowriting and coordinating the inaugural Certificate in Volunteer Management–Hawai`i. In 2005, Sue received the Network of Volunteer Leaders–Hawai`i Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contributions in the field of volunteerism.

Ken Lee (United States)

Ken brings more than 40 years of professional social work experience with an extensive background in the field of disaster response, specializing in the areas of disaster case management, mental health, and cultural competence. Currently on faculty with the University of Hawai`i at Manoa, Ken is also a national Red Cross instructor, serving on more than 30 Red Cross deployments for natural disasters, aviation incidents, workplace fatalities, bio-events, and terrorist attacks. He has served as a Disaster Mental Health Volunteer for the American Red Cross Disaster Assistance Team, the Critical Response Team, and the International Response Team. In 1997 and 2002, Ken was honored with the Hawai`i Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) as the Social Worker of the Year; he has also received the NASW Knee-Whitman Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the American Red Cross Clara Barton Award.

Dr. Liane J. Louie-Badua (United States)

Liane is the Program Director of the Shinnyo-en Foundation for the past six years. Prior to joining the foundation, she was a psychologist, specializing in child, adolescent and family mental health issues. She has worked extensively in California and Hawai`i in mental heath and in nonprofit work. She has made contributions to books on women's substance abuse treatment, service and spirituality and women and surfing. She is the mother of a 2 and 1/2 year old son, Kai, and loves to surf and paddle outrigger canoe.

Dr. Takeo Ogawa (Japan)

Takeo is professor at the Graduate School of Health and Welfare at Yamaguchi Prefectural University and is professor emeritus with Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan. He is founder and president of the Active Aging Consortium in Asia Pacific, which advocates for expanded work and volunteer roles for older adults in the rapidly aging countries in Asia and the Pacific. He also is a trustee of the Asian Aging Business Center (AABC) in Fukuoka, Japan, which aims to improve quality of life and incubate business ideas for an aging society. He has conducted community-based active-aging research in Fukuoka, Yamaguchi, and Suu-Oshima, and is a well-known speaker on active aging issues throughout Asia.

Lisa Orloff (United States)

Lisa is founder and executive director of World Cares Center that is rooted in spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteerism during the September 11 relief efforts. This organization addresses the United States most valuable yet underutilized resources: everyday citizens. She is an established international speaker on spontaneous volunteer management, responder self-care, community preparedness initiatives, and building resiliency within disaster-affected communities. Lisa is a recipient of the Mayor’s Voluntary Action Award for her service during 9/11.

Nan Peterson (United States)

Nan is the Director of Service Learning at The Blake School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the 27 years she has been with The Blake School she has been a leader in areas of diversity and pluralism, philanthropy, and service learning. She leads The Six Billion Paths to Peace program at The Blake School and at Wayzata Community Church in Minneapolis. She has been an art educational consultant for The Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Director of Children's Education at The Minnetonka Art Center.

Crichton C. “Rob” Roberts (United States)

Rob provides lively insight from many years of volunteering and community involvement. A member of REACT since 1971—and the Honolulu REACT Team C-10 since 1978—Rob has served the past 18 years as president or vice president. After serving as the REACT International Life Member Chair (2002–2005), Rob was elected regional director of REACT International Region 6, which includes Alaska, Hawai`i, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, as well as Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. Other involvement includes American Red Cross Disaster Assistance Team, American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Honolulu Emergency Amateur Radio Club (the local Amateur Radio Emergency Service Affiliate), Hawai`i Joint Police Association (Life Member), and numerous other organizations associated with motorcycle safety and law enforcement.

Betty Stallings (United States)

Betty is a popular international trainer, keynote speaker, consultant, and author known for her vitality, inspiring message, engaging humor, practical presentations, and valuable resources. A lifelong volunteer, Betty founded and was the 14-year executive director of a Volunteer Center in the San Francisco Bay Area and is now serving her 16th year as president of Building Better Skills. She also teaches at universities; provides training for state, national, and international conferences; and consults with many nonprofits internationally—resulting in numerous awards for her dedication to volunteerism and philanthropy.

For more information about Betty, visit her Web site.

Shigeo Tatsuki (Japan)

Shigeo received his PhD in Toronto and then worked 15 years at the School of Sociology at Kwansei Gakuin Univeristy before moving to his current position at Doshisha University in Japan. As a professor in the Department of Sociology at Doshisha, Shigeo has been actively involved in volunteer leadership, contributing immeasurably to his community and country. After the 1995 Kobe Earthquake, Shigeo organized the Kwansei Gakuin Relief Volunteer Center. He was also a member of Hyogo Forum for Advocating Individual Recovery (Hyogo FAIR) from 1997 to 2005. And in May 2005, Shigeo was honored with the Governor’s Award for distinguished service during the 1995 Kobe Earthquake disaster recovery.

Maura Wolf (United States)

Maura is a Leadership Coach and Consultant. For the past 20 years Maura has been involved in founding and strengthening organizations through coaching and leadership training. She is author of two books, Light One Candle: Quotes for Hope and Action and Exploring Realities: Stories of Young Women Making Decisions and Finding Meaning. She is a Kripalu trained yoga instructor, a graduate of the MA in Leadership at Saint Mary’s College and a mother of one young son. She is currently serving as a Staff Consultant for the Shinnyo-en Foundation, a San Francisco based non-profit that promotes service as a key strategy to achieving global harmony.