BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mr. Jacob S. Blass, Chapel Hill, NC
Jacob Blass is married to Lynn, an artist and psychotherapist and has one son, Zach (born 1993). He is the president of Ethical Advocate, a market leading company offering state of the art compliance programs including anonymous, confidential reporting systems, and which incorporates industry best practices to provide world-class solutions to support the management of organizational risk.
Prior to assuming the presidency of Ethical Advocate, he was the president/CEO of four complex healthcare companies. The companies he led have been consistently recognized for their product excellence, including national recognition for best in class.
Jacob has served on the Board of Directors of numerous organizations, was a founding member of a national think-tank and a Master Planning Committee member for the city of Boulder, Colorado. He has consulted for companies internationally on organizational effectiveness and leadership, and is considered a skilled facilitator in creating unique, structured processes that bring forth transformative outcomes for clients.
Michael Constantino, Raleigh, NC
Michael is an audit partner in the Raleigh office of Ernst & Young LLP. He has over twenty years of experience working with public and private companies including life sciences (biotechnology, medical device, contract research organizations and pharmaceuticals), industrial, non profit, manufacturing and entrepreneurial companies. Michael has extensive transactional experience assisting clients with initial public offerings, debt offerings, mergers and acquisition transactions, and private equity offerings. He has worked with several clients in implementing Sarbanes-Oxley section 404 (internal control) requirements. Additionally, Michael serves several clients with significant international operations, as well as subsidiary companies of global entities.
He is a member of the NC State University College of Management Board of Advisors and is a past chairman. He serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center; is a member of the Board of Directors and past treasurer of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development; is the past chairman and treasurer for Southeastern Bio; and is involved in various other civic and charitable endeavors in the community. Mike also serves as vice chairman of the Finance Committee for his church, Hayes Barton United Methodist. Mike holds a B.A. in both Accounting and Business Management from NC State University.
Reverend JoElaine Harris, Secretary, Raleigh, NC
Reverend Harris is a native of Oklahoma, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in English education from the University of Tulsa. She received her Master’s degree from Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, having taken the last quarter of her classes at Duke Divinity School.
For the six years prior to moving to Raleigh in 2003, she served a mega-church in Leawood, Kansas, first as the director of missions and then as pastor of caring ministries. As the director of missions, she created and directed the Russian-American Leadership Institute, a program designed to train Russian clergy and laity in church growth, evangelism and missions. She created and oversaw numerous national and international mission and outreach opportunities; lead disaster response and mission trips in the U.S. and abroad; developed intra-church relationships within the community; and trained people for missions and social justice work.
She currently serves as the pastor of missions for the Raleigh District of The United Methodist Church. In this position, she serves the 63 churches in the district through teaching workshops and seminars, preaching and presiding over worship services in the various churches, consulting with their mission committees, coordinating intra-church mission projects, and leading mission teams. Reverend Harris also serves as the chair of the North Carolina Conference Board of Missions, as the Raleigh District secretary of missions, and she sits on the boards of the Wake Interfaith Disaster Response Team and Stop Hunger Now. She is married to Rob Harris and together they have five children and seven grandchildren.
Reverend Steve Hickle, Chair, Raleigh, NC
Reverend Hickle is a native of Iowa, with a rich background in scouting, music, and local church life. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1972 in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology, and earned his M.Div. in 1975 from Garrett-Evangelical Seminary (Evanston, IL). Since then, he has served local churches across eastern North Carolina in four settings, including at Fairmont United Methodist Church since 1990. Reverend Hickle held a variety of leadership positions in archives & history, church & society, Raleigh Board of Missions, and the Mission House for Women. He is married to Peggy, who is the media coordinator at Wiley International Magnet School. They have one son, Jesse, a music therapist, who is married and living in San Diego. Reverend Hickle has addressed hunger issues with CROP (Church World Service) since 1981 and with Stop Hunger Now since 2000.
Mr. David Johnston, Cornelius, NC
David Johnston is a graduate of Kenyon College and Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington. Mr. Johnston is a lawyer and business executive, with over 25 years of experience in a wide range of business and legal matters, including mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, finance, corporate governance, government relations, and sports and entertainment. Mr. Johnston is the president of J4 Advisors, Inc., a closely held private equity and advisory company that he co-founded. He is also chief executive officer of Summit Sports and Entertainment Group, LLC and United Building Solutions, LLC.
Mr. Johnston has served on the Board of Directors of a number of public, private and non profit corporations, including Food Lion, Inc., Plexigen, Inc., The Charlotte World Affairs Council, The Childrens' Law Center, and The Society of International Business Fellows. He currently serves as the chairman of the Board of Concrete2Green, LLC. Mr. Johnston is also on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of The Charlotte Regional Sports Commission, and the Board of Directors of United Building Solutions, LLC; GreenStar Technologies, LLC; The North Carolina Mountain Federation and Stop Hunger Now, Inc.
In addition, Mr. Johnston is a member of the American Bar Association, Section of Business Law and its forum on The Entertainment and Sports Industries. He is also a member of the North Carolina State Bar and the North Carolina Bar Association’s Business Law and Sports and Entertainment Law Sections. He serves as a member of the Sports and Entertainment Law Section’s Council.
Reverend Dr. Reggie Ponder, Raleigh, NC
Reverend Dr. Ponder graduated from NCSU in 1958, earned his Master’s degree from Duke University in 1961, and his Doctorate from Emory University in 1977. He became an ordained United Methodist minister in 1959 and served numerous pastorates in eastern North Carolina. He has served the church as district superintendent in the New Bern and Raleigh districts. In addition, he served as the executive director (CEO) of the Southeastern Jurisdictional Administrative Council of The United Methodist Church. He then became president/CEO of the United Methodist Retirement Homes of the North Carolina Annual Conference. Shortly after retiring from this position, he was named as the 25th President of Louisburg College from which he retired in 2007. Dr. Ponder is currently serving as Pastor of the Rose Hill United Methodist Church in Rose Hill, NC. He and his wife Carrie have three children and four grandchildren. Dr. Ponder has served on numerous church and civic boards locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. He is committed to the Stop Hunger Now goal of “ending hunger during our lifetime.”
Mr. Tom Proctor, Treasurer, Raleigh, NC
Tom Proctor grew up in Kinston, NC and graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 1982 with a degree in Geology. Tom and his wife, Jo Ann, daughter, Sarah, and son, Aaron, have lived in Raleigh for over 20 years. Tom started Mid-Atlantic Associates, Inc. in 1993 with a partner and serves as its president. Mid-Atlantic provides environmental engineering and consulting services to industrial, municipal, and commercial interests. Their services include soil and groundwater assessment and remediation, air quality and storm water permitting, and asbestos sampling.
In addition to his involvement with Stop Hunger Now, Mr. Proctor serves as an elder at Grace Community Church where he has been an active member for more than five years. He also enjoys outdoor activities including hunting, fishing, and golfing.
Dr. Adam Saffer, Washington, DC
Dr. Saffer is a well recognized international business professional with a focus on strategic planning and cross border operations. He has lived and worked overseas in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East for over 20 years. Dr. Saffer is currently the president of Coffey Americas, the regional base of Coffey International Limited (http://www.coffey.com/). Coffey is a multi-specialist engineering and international development consulting firm providing services in both physical and social infrastructure. Prior to Coffey, he was the senior vice president of Management Systems International, an international development consulting practice which was purchased by Coffey in February 2007. Before that, he was the executive vice president of RTI International, a large non-profit focusing primarily on improving the human condition through scientific health research and development. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Pacific Western University. He resides in McLean, Virginia with his wife, Alison, and two sons, Jordan and Taylor. Personal interests include sailing, mountaineering, jazz guitar, and woodworking.
Dr. A. Hope Williams, Raleigh, NC
Dr. A. Hope Williams is president of North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, the statewide advocacy and public policy organization for the 36 independent, or private, colleges and universities in the state. As president, she is the chief executive officer for the 36 presidents who comprise NCICU’s Board of Directors and for the Independent College Fund of North Carolina, that raises corporate and foundation funds for student scholarships. She has been president of NCICU since 1992.
Dr. Williams serves on the Education Cabinet with the Governor, the presidents of the state university system, the Department of Community Colleges, and the State Board of Education and Department of Public Instruction to address issues affecting education in North Carolina. At the national level, Dr. Williams has served as chair of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities State Executives and as a member of the board of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
Dr. Williams received her undergraduate degree in French and History from Duke University, an MPA degree in Public Affairs from North Carolina State University and a doctorate in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received the Outstanding Service Award from the Rotary Club of Raleigh in 1997, was named the 1999 Distinguished Woman of North Carolina in Education, one of the top 25 Women in Business in 2001 by The Business Journal and a Woman Extraordinaire in 2005 by Business Leader Magazine. She has served as president of the North Carolina Adult Education Association and of the North Carolina Association of Institutional Researchers. She serves on the National Advisory Board of the Institute for Emerging Issues, College Foundation, Incorporated, Public School Forum of North Carolina, Communities in Schools of North Carolina, Capital City Club, Foundation for Independent Higher Education’s National Venture Fund Committee and the Chair of Advanced Energy Corporation. She and her husband, Tom Bersuder, are the parents of two sons, ages 23 and 20.
Ms. Rosemary Wyche, Raleigh, NC
Rosemary Wyche is the president and founder of the Protocol School in Raleigh, NC, which offers training and coaching in building a competitive advantage for leaders in business, nonprofits, education and government. She has a rich background in government, business and non profit work. Ms. Wyche has served as vice president of development for North Carolina Citizens for Business & Industry and in a marketing capacity for the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Ms. Wyche holds a degree in art history from Christopher Newport College in Newport News, VA.
Ms. Wyche serves on the Board of Trustees of Western Carolina University and is a foundation member of the NC Museum of Art. She has also been involved with the Board of Trustees of the NC Museum of Art, the Board of Directors of the NC Museum of History Associates and the Executive Committee of the Association of Membership & Marketing. Ms. Wyche has received numerous leadership awards including the 2004 Women in Business Award, and the 2002 Award of Merit for Highest Retention from the Association of Membership & Marketing Executives.
