About Us
Board of Trustees
Howard Behar
Starbucks Coffee Company
7646 SE 22nd Street
Mercer Island, WA 98040
hb@howardbehar.com
Howard Behar is the former president of Starbucks North America and Starbucks International. He joined Starbucks in 1989 as vice president of sales and operations, and grew the retail business from 28 stores to more than 400 by the time he was named president of Starbucks Coffee International in 1995. Under Behar's leadership, Starbucks opened its first location in Tokyo in 1996, then introduced the Starbucks brand across Asia and the United Kingdom. He retired as president of Starbucks North America in January 2003, but continues to serve in an advisory capacity and to coach leaders at all levels. He was a member of the Board of Directors from 1996 to 2008. He serves on several other boards, including Anna's Linens, The Gap Inc., Jewish Family Service of Seattle, and the Washington State Budget and Policy Center. Behar is the author of It's Not about the Coffee: Leadership Principles from a Life at Starbucks. He lives in Seattle with his wife, Lynn.
Linda Belton
U.S Department of Veterans Affair
Linda W. Belton was appointed Director of Organizational Health by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in 2008. She works nationally to promote and establish policies and programs geared to sustaining a healthy workplace. Prior to her current position, Ms. Belton was Director, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 11; Administrator of the Division of Care and Treatment Facilities in the Department of Health and Social Services for the State of Wisconsin; and vice-president of Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Ms. Belton received her R.N. in 1970 from the Jameson Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Pennsylvania; a B.S. in Psychology from the University of the State of New York in 1981; and an M.S. in Nursing Administration from Columbia Pacific University in 1983. In 1991, she completed the program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. During her career, Ms. Belton has received numerous honors and awards, including the 2005 Meritorious Presidential Rank Award; the 2001 Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award; the 1995 Distinguished Service Award from the American Society of Public Administration; the 1989 Women in Government Award; and the 1988 Excellence in Leadership Award. Ms. Belton is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and holds Certification in Nursing Administration, Advanced (CNAA).
Jeff Blade
Vera Bradley
14621 Egrets Court
Fort Wayne, IN 46814
Jblade@verabradley.com
Jeff Blade is currently Executive Vice President and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at Vera Bradley in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has been the Interim President, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and CFO of the Steak n Shake Company (SNS). At SNS, Jeff was focused on leading transformational change and participating in the development and implementation of the Company's strategic plan. Prior to joining Steak n Shake he was Vice President of Finance at Cott Beverages USA. He joined Cott in 1999 as part of the executive team that led a successful turnaround effort of this $1.0B+ publicly traded company. This included transformational change of the finance organization to develop a team capable of being business partners in driving the initiatives of the organization. Jeff also spent 11 years at Kraft Foods in a variety of finance assignments working across the value chain. He started his career at Price Waterhouse working in the Indianapolis and Chicago offices as a member of the audit practice. Jeff received a B.S. in Accounting from Butler University and an M.B.A. from Northwestern's Kellogg Graduate School of Management and is a Certified Public Accountant. He is active in Junior Achievement and serves on the Board of Visitors of the Butler University College of Business Administration, the Board of Directors of Alpha Kappa Psi, the professional business fraternity, and the Board of Directors of the Indianapolis Opera.
John C. Burkhardt
The National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good
University of Michigan
610 East University, Suite 2339
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1259
jcbforum@umich.edu
Dr. Burkhardt is a professor of higher education and the Director of the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good at the University of Michigan. From 1993-2000, John was program director for leadership and higher education at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, where he led several major initiatives focused on transformation and change in higher education and participated in a comprehensive effort to encourage leadership development among college students. John serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Leadership Studies. He was a senior fellow at the James McGregor Burns Academy for Leadership at the University of Maryland, a fellow of the Salzburg Seminar in American Studies (Austria) and a visiting scholar at the University of California-Los Angeles. He is past chairman of the board of the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital System and a trustee emeritus of the Eastern Michigan University Foundation. John has been honored as an exemplary alumnus of the University of Michigan School of Education, an Institute for Educational Leadership Fellow (1986) and a Kellogg National Fellow (1989-1992).
Sally Chew (Chew-Ong Gek Tee)
The Greenleaf Centre for Servant Leadership (Asia)
c/o 795 Upper Serangoon Road
Singapore 534667
sallychewper@gmail.com
Sally Chew (Chew-Ong Gek Tee) is Director of the International Relations & Industry Services Department at Temasek Polytechnic, a government-funded institution of higher education in Singapore. She is also responsible for the IP Management/Tech Transfer Office. She previously served as Deputy Director of the School of Business and Director of Strategic & Quality Development. Before joining Temasek, she was in private legal practice for 15 years. She is the National President of the Girls Brigade in Singapore, International Vice President of the Asia Girls Brigade, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Greenleaf Centre for Servant Leadership (Asia). She is a founding member of Beyond Imagination Pte Ltd, a social enterprise in Singapore; she is an Associate Lay Leader in her church; and she is the mother of six children.
Peter A. DeLisle
The Posey Leadership Institute Austin College
900 North Grand Avenue
Sherman, Texas
pdelisle@austincollege.edu
Peter A. DeLisle is the Leslie B. Crane Chair of Leadership Studies and Director of The Posey Leadership Institute at Austin College. Professor DeLisle’s background in education includes award-winning teaching in commerce, education and engineering. He held the William B. Severns Chair in Human Behavior in the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois in Urbana and is a member of the executive education faculty at the University of Notre Dame. He was a Program Manager for the Center for Creative Leadership. DeLisle’s industry experience includes executive leadership for human resources at Hewlett-Packard Company and Convex Computer of Richardson. He has helped found three successful companies and acted as an advisor, consultant and teacher of leaders in more than two hundred companies and communities over the last 30 years. DeLisle served in the United States Army as a captain of field artillery and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. He was the distinguished military graduate of the University of Connecticut in 1971. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in human resource development leadership and Phi Kappa Phi from the College of Education at the University of Texas in Austin.
Larry Gluth
Habitat for Humanity International
270 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 1300
Atlanta, GA 30303-3114
lgluth@habitat.org
Larry Gluth is Senior Vice President of Habitat for Humanity, U.S. and Canada. Prior to this, he worked as an executive for Starbucks in Seattle. When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, Larry took a yearlong sabbatical from Starbucks and volunteered with HFHI’s Operation Home Delivery program. After a year, he returned to Starbucks but soon realized that his heart remained with the ministry of Habitat. With the support of his wife Gailynn, and son Connor, Larry joined Habitat full-time in January of 2007 to lead the operations of the U.S. and Canada area office. Implementing programs such as the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative and investing in a long-term strategy for Habitat ReStores has allowed Habitat for Humanity to serve more families in the United States in fiscal year 2011 than ever before. A graduate of the University of Utah, Larry has served on various committees and boards over the years, including the East King County affiliate as board chair for two years. He currently chairs the University of Utah’s National Advisory Council, and was a 2010 recipient of the University’s Distinguished Alumnus award. Larry also serves on the Atlanta Community Advisory board for the U.S. Army.
Royal A. Govain
McGill University
1430 Peel Street
Montreal Quebec H3A3T3
royal.govain@mcgill.ca
Mr. Govain has been a development professional for over 37 years, having worked both in higher education and in the nonprofit sector both in Canada and the United States. Currently he is a member of the senior advancement team at McGill University in Montréal where he is Managing Director, Volunteer Partnerships. He has worked in senior management positions at Cornell and Harvard and at United Way, Family Service America, and the NeuroScience Canada Foundation. He also served as Chief Executive in Canada of the international philanthropic management consulting firm Grenzebach, Glier & Associates (GG+A) and served educational, medical, and cultural clients in North America, South America, and Europe. Mr. Govain is a graduate of Princeton University.
Geneva Johnson
16745 Mary Cliff Court
Brookfield, WI 53005
gjohnson5695@wi.rr.com
Geneva Johnson is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Family Service America, Inc. and Families International, Inc. She earned a B.S. degree from Albright College, an M.S. in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University, and a Certificate in Executive Management from the Harvard Business School. She began her career in human services as a Program Director for the Houston YWCA. She served United Ways in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New York before joining the United Way of America in 1978 as a Senior Vice President responsible for strategic long-range planning and public policy. She served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Family Service America from 1983 to 1994, and as Executive Director of the Women’s Leadership Institute at Mount Mary College from 2001 to 2004. She currently serves as the Chair of the Advisory Board of the Institute.
Mrs. Johnson has received numerous recognitions and awards. In 1985, Savvy magazine named her one of the top 12 nonprofit executive women in America, and in 1990 Business Week magazine named her one of the top five best managers in the United States in the social services field. She has served on many boards, including the Peter F. Drucker Foundation and the National Center for Nonprofit Boards. Her current board memberships include The Social Enterprise Initiative at the Harvard Business School, Froedtert Hospital, Leader to Leader Institute, and Volunteers of America.
Dr. Mary J. Meehan
Alverno College
P.O. Box 343922
Milwaukee, WI 53234
mary.meehan@alverno.edu
Dr. Mary Meehan is president and honorary alumna of Alverno College. Prior to joining Alverno College, Meehan was the executive vice president for administration at Seton Hall University. She also has an extensive professional health care background having previously served as executive vice president and chief operating officer at St. Mary’s Hospital in NJ and as administrator and CEO of St. Vincent’s Hospital in Harrison, NY. Meehan is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, and is a licensed professional mental health counselor. Meehan earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate from Seton Hall University and also earned a graduate degree in health policy and management from New York Medical College. Meehan is very active in the Milwaukee community serving on the boards of Froedtert Health, Grand Avenue Club, Milwaukee Achiever Literacy Service, and chairing the Board of Sacred Heart School of Theology. On a state and national level, Meehan currently serves on the boards of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (Vice Chair), National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (Treasurer), NCAA (Chancellors/Presidents Advisory Group), Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (Vice President), Women’s College Coalition, Georgian Court University in New Jersey, and the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.
Joseph M. Patrnchak
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Ave. /H18
Cleveland, OH 44195
patrncj@ccf.org
Joseph Patrnchak is the Chief Human Resources Officer of the Cleveland Clinic Health System. Prior to joining the Clinic, Joe served as Chief HR Officer and Senior Vice President for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Prior to joining Blue Cross Blue Shield, Joe served as Vice President of HR for Compaq Computer Corporation Global Customer Services Division and held a number of vice president positions at Digital Equipment Corporation. Joe holds an MS in Human Resources Management and Organizational Development from American University in Washington, DC, and a BA in Sociology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. He is also a graduate of the Northwestern University Kellogg School, Advanced Executive Program and a graduate of the Insead University, Fontainebleau France, International Management Program.
Richard R. Pieper, Sr.
PPC Partners, Inc.
5070 N. 35th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53209
richard.pieper@pieperpower.com
Richard Pieper has served for more than fifty years as a leader of PPC Partners, Inc., which owns a series of electrical service and construction firms. Richard joined Pieper Electric as President in 1960. At that time the family-owned business had eight employees and was doing $250,000 of business per year. Today, PPC Partners, Inc. employs 900-1,100 people, has sales in the low nine figures, and is one of the top electrical contracting firms in the United States. It is known for its management principles, and in particular, its pace-setting continuing education programs addressing all employee needs. Richard serves on the Boards of Character Education Partnership, Junior Achievement, Milwaukee County Boy Scouts of America, Learning for Life, Boys and Girls Clubs, Present Music, Florentine Opera, Electrical Contracting Council Foundation, Boelter Companies, Inc., and Elliot Companies, Inc. He has endowed chairs for professors of servant leadership at colleges and universities. He is also Past Greenleaf Center Board Chair.
Robert N. Thomas (Greenleaf Center Board Chair)
Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship
Georgia Institute of Technology
800 West Peachtree Street, NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
robert.thomas@ile.gatech.edu
Dr. Thomas earned his BA in Economics from LaGrange College, his MBA from the Executive MBA Program at Georgia State University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. His areas of specialization are corporate leadership and governance, ethics, entrepreneurship, and servant leadership.
Dr. Thomas joined Georgia Tech in January 2006 to develop a curriculum and create programming for the Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship, an interdisciplinary unit that enhances leadership and entrepreneurship for socially responsible and sustainable value creation. Dr. Thomas also is a senior academic professional in Georgia Tech's business school, the College of Management, where he teaches courses in leadership. In addition, he serves as executive director of the Georgia Servant Leadership Alliance, a non-profit organization that promotes the concept of servant leadership among Georgia's colleges and universities.
Prior to joining Georgia Tech, Dr. Thomas was a senior leadership fellow at North Georgia College and State University (NGCSU), and the director of LaGrange College's Servant Leadership Initiative, a five-year organizational development program designed to integrate the principles of servant leadership into the culture of the college and its local community. He currently is on the Board of the Bennett J. Sims Institute for Servant Leadership, and has served on the boards of the ArtReach Foundation, the Americorp Carelink Council, the Youth Leadership Troup, and the Southern Institute for Business and Professional Ethics.
Deidra Wager
DJW and Company
361 Highland Dr
Seattle, WA 98109
dwager@comcast.net
Deidra Wager, president and owner of DJW and Company, specializing in retail strategy and operations. She spent 13 years as a senior executive at Starbucks Coffee Company. She was executive vice president, Retail North America, during the high-growth years and spent four years in Tokyo, Japan as chief retail officer, Starbucks Coffee Japan. She currently serves on the board IFMR Rural Finance based in Chennai, India, whose mission is to ensure complete access to financial services for individuals and enterprises in rural India. She serves on the board of CARE USA, one of the world's largest humanitarian relief organizations dedicated to eliminating poverty, where she chairs the management committee and serves on the audit committee. She is a founder and a current board member of the Lacewing Foundation, dedicated to education and maternal health of girls and women. Wager is majority partner in an organic farm and bed and breakfast in Hood River, Oregon. She also serves on the board of trustees of Pacific Northwest Ballet. She is a member of the Women's Leadership Board, Harvard Kennedy School which supports the Women in Public Policy program. She earned a bachelor's in economics from the University of Minnesota and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
