AMERICAN ADVISORY COUNCIL
This group is currently providing advisory council on an as-needed basis.
Janet Diamond - Work Force Development Consultant
Janet Diamond has been involved with Rising from its earliest stages.
Diamond has more than 28 years experience working with diverse groups and individuals in government, community and non-profit organizations. Her experience includes 19 years in the management of government and non-profit organizations, 15 years consulting for various community and government programs, 10 years of grassroots welfare-rights advocacy and two years in counseling and case management. These include the states of Massachusetts and Oregon and the City/County of San Francisco and the County of Santa Cruz. Janet has also started several non-profits.
Diamond has extensive expertise in the training arena, with a particular focus on working with low-income women. In addition, Diamond has designed, implemented and managed scores of programs, developed problem identification systems, written grants, developed and managed RFP processes, directed outreach campaigns, managed contracts, established short and long-term outcomes, developed and maintained partnerships, and evaluated programs.
Lynn Humphreys - Attorney at Law for Morrison & Foerster
Lynn Humphreys joined Morrison & Foerster as an associate in the San Francisco office in 1996. For the past several years, her practice has focused on intellectual property concerns, such as trademark clearance in the United States and abroad, prosecution of trademark applications, monitoring and enforcement of trademarks, opposition proceedings, domain name disputes, copyright registration and infringement litigation. She also regularly counsels clients regarding advertising and promotional matters. Her litigation experience includes commercial disputes, antitrust, false advertising, and trademark and copyright infringement claims.
Humphreys attended University of Virginia where she received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry, with honors, in 1989, and her law degree, including election to Order of the Coif, in 1993. Upon graduation, she became an associate at Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May in Oakland, Calif., concentrating on intellectual property litigation.
Mary Male – Training Director
Mary Male is a recently retired Professor of Special Education at SJSU, where she taught for twenty-three years. She has been active in providing leadership development in schools focusing on technology and brain-based learning nationally and internationally. She is a CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer, is active in the First Congregational Church (Habitat for Humanity, Women’s Jail Ministry, church council), and she is an Apple Distinguished Educator. Male is active in the Smith Scholastic Society at UCSC and the CME Society at SJSU, which provides support services to former foster youth who have dreams of a higher education. Male has a Ph.D. from USC, is the recipient of several prestigious awards including the Meritorious Teaching Awards at SJSU, and has been published in over 25 books and journal articles. She has consulted with over 100 schools districts nationally and internationally on teaching diverse learners and technology and presents regularly at conferences as an invited speaker.
Ricki Mazzullo – Executive Director of ACTION Council of Monterey County
Ricki Mazzullo has more than 25 years experience as an educator and director of non-profit women- and youth-serving agencies. As such, she has managed large-scale projects from planning to implementation to evaluation, particularly in youth development. During her six years at ACTON Council, Mazzullo has assumed the lead in assisting Monterey County in redesigning its child welfare system. She initiated and developed comprehensive girls’ programming, a project that will soon spin off as a new non-profit organization – Girls Incorporated of the Central Coast. Her work at the Council also involves assisting grass roots groups in managing their funds and developing their capacity to provide needed and innovative services to the community.
As director of a Girls Incorporated affiliate, Mazzullo worked with a skilled management team to inspire girls to self-empowerment, while advocating for social change. She is on the advisory council of Women’s Fund for Monterey County (a fund of Community Foundation for Monterey County, an organization that raises, manages and distributes charitable funds to worthy organizations) and a member of the San Benito County First 5 Commission.
Ernest Boffy-Ramirez – Economics Ph.D. Candidate, University of California Santa Barbara
Ernest Ramirez spent his childhood in both Mexico and the United States, developing an early passion for understanding peoples and cultures. His interests eventually led him to University of California at Davis where he studied economics and its impact on society. While at UC Davis, Ramirez worked on numerous academic, environmental sustainability, community and business development projects. He is currently beginning his Ph.D. at University of California at Santa Barbara where he hopes to continue his focus on equitable and just economic policy as a vehicle for positive change nationally and internationally.
Mimi Robinson – Crafts Designer, Consultant and Cultural Worker
Mimi Robinson is an award-winning designer who is well known for mixing cultural past with present surroundings. She often works with non-profit groups such as Aid To Artisans to offer practical assistance to artisans worldwide. Working in partnership with the artisans, Robinson helps to foster artistic traditions, cultural vitality, improved livelihoods and community well-being. Through collaboration in product development, business skills and training, she provides sustainable economic and social benefits for craftspeople in an environmentally sensitive and culturally respectful manner. Items such as papier-mâché dishes produced in Haiti and pots crafted in Peru have been designed by Robinson and then marketed to high-end American and European retailers. She has created custom designs for the likes of The Phillips Collection, an industry leader in home décor, in addition to Crate n’ Barrel and Target.
Pilar M. Sansone – Attorney At Law for Morrison & Foerster
Pilar Sansone is an associate in the San Francisco office of Morrison & Foerster where she specializes in state and local tax controversies and represents clients throughout the United States at the audit, administrative and judicial level. Her practice focuses on franchise and income taxes, sales and use taxes, property taxes, gross receipts taxes, real estate transfer taxes, telecommunications taxes and employment taxes, among others. She has experience with constitutional issues, such as nexus, apportionment and discrimination against interstate commerce; complex statutory issues; unitary combination issues; issues arising from transactions involving intangible property; and transfer pricing and drop shipment issues. Sansone also advises clients about state and local tax planning opportunities, and the state and local tax consequences of various business transactions, such as mergers, acquisitions, asset dispositions and other transactions. Her clients include multinational and multi-state businesses, as well as individuals. She also advises non-profit organizations regarding various tax matters and assists new non-profits with incorporation and tax-exemption processes. Sansone joined the firm’s state and local tax group after receiving her juris doctorate from University of California at Berkeley in 2000. She also received a bachelor’s in business administration, cum laude, from University of San Diego in 1992 and a master’s in finance, with honors, from San Diego State University in 1994. Additionally, Sansone is a California certified public accountant and co-editor of Morrison & Foerster’s State and Local Tax Insights, vice chair of the taxation section of the San Francisco Bar Association’s Barristers Club and a member of the American Bar Association, California Bar Association and San Francisco Bar Association.
Judy Sulsona – Executive Vice President / C.O.O. - Community Foundation of Monterey County
Judy Sulsona is executive vice president and chief operating officer of Community Foundation of Monterey County. She had previously worked as an independent consultant for non-profit organizations, libraries and public agencies in the areas of program, technology and organizational development, and as a senior manager of a technology company in California. Sulsona was born in Puerto Rico and is fully bilingual and bicultural. She has a degree in political sciences from University of Puerto Rico and participated in a two-year graduate program in international relations at University of Mexico in Mexico City.
PARTY PLAN ADVISORY COUNCILS
These very special groups, which include a strong array of knowledgeable party-plan representatives and experts, as well as field representatives, advise specifically on the organization and management of businesses in the party-plan industry.
PARTY PLAN – EXECTUVIE ADVISORY COUNCIL
Jane Deuber – President of Direct Selling Women's Alliance
Jane Deuber is the President and cofounder of the Direct Selling Women’s Alliance, an Internet-based organization that provides education and resources to direct selling professionals in over 12 countries. After earning her Masters Degree in International Business, Deuber founded a Party Plan company that operated in 22 states and touted one of the highest of retention and sales averages in the direct selling industry, which she sold in 1998. Deuber is one the few who has worn all hats, from distributor to company owner and brings her unique understanding of each roll to all she does. As President of the DSWA, she is now living her dream of positively impacting the profession by educating and uplifting leaders, companies, and independent distributors who are members of her international organization.
Sandi Donaldson - President of Moriah Marketing Group
Sandi Donaldson
is an experienced and motivated professional who is committed to excellence. She has spent 30 years in the direct selling industry working at the corporate level with such companies as Avon Products, L’Arome International, Matol Botanical International, Homemade Gourmet, and more. Sandi was also a Director with Mary Kay Cosmetics in the early 70’s. Sandi’s positions have ranged from Exectuve Vice President of Sales and Marketing, U.S. and International, to CEO of a $300 million dollar nutritional company in Montreal, Canada. As the founder of Moriah Marketing Group, Sandi specialized in Launch Plans for new companies as well as marketing to women.
Gerry Nehra - Nehra & Jensen
Gerry P. Nehra of Muskegon, Michigan, is an Attorney at Law, licensed in the states of Michigan, New York, Colorado, and the US Federal Courts. His 36 years of legal experience include 8 years on the IBM legal staff and 9 years as the Director of the Amway Corporation Legal Division. His private law practice was established in 1992 and exclusively services the legal needs of direct selling companies. Mr. Nehra is on retainer to both long term and start-up direct selling companies to protect their legal interests in his area of specialty. Mr Nehra is a Supplier Member of the U.S. Direct Selling Association and serves on its Government Affairs Committee and Lawyers Council. He is a support member of the Canadian Direct Selling Association, the Professional Association of Network Marketing and the Direct Selling Woman’s Alliance.
Terrel Tanstrum - President & Founder of ServiceQuest
A respected advisor to MLM and Party Plan companies, Terrel has impacted the lives of customer service reps, exectuvies and hundreds of thousands of field reps in more than 135 companies thorugh training, mentoring, designing and implementing retention best practices. Terre’s career in MLM began with Melaleuca, wehre he served for five years in charge of customer service operations during the company’s growth cycle from $6 million in annual sales to over $220 million. He then served as VP of operations for Quorum International, when the company grew from $4 million mohtly to $18 million per month. Since then, he has launched, advised and developed companies, with an intense focus on service and field retention. Terrel earned an accounting degree from BYU, a law degree from the University of Idaho, and an LL.M (Masters in Tax Law) from the University of Miami, Florida.
PARTY PLAN – FIELD ADVISORY COUNCIL
- Vicki Benetua – Pampered Chef Sales Representative
- Bridget O’Mally – Former PartyLite Sales Representative
- Kerry Manning – Former Southern Living Sales Representative
- Nancy Mulkey – Mary Kay Sales Representative
INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
The poorer you are the less voice you have. In today’s world, the richest countries make decisions on behalf of the poorest. In contrast, Rising ensures the poor have a voice by creating a special board of international advisors from the world’s poorest nations. From the very beginning, these advisors have been a part of the policy and procedure development of Rising International. As Rising expands, so will this important group.
- Nadia Hashimi – Cultural Advisor, Afghanistan
- Mandjou Kone – Cultural Advisor, Africa
- Maryann Tamang – Cultural Advisor, Nepal
COMMITTEES
Fundraising Committee - Mark Wise, Chairperson
This committee is responsible for raising non-grant donations.
Human Resources Committee - Alan Christenson, Chairperson
This committee is responsible for making recommendations for Board and Advisory Board membership, reviewing all in-house training, assisting in recruiting Rising Representatives and serving as mentors for low-income and teen Rising Representatives.
Product and Design Committee - Lynda Sisk, Chairperson
This committee is responsible for reviewing all inventory selections, establishing criteria for artisans, recommending pricing structure, working with graphic and copywriting professionals to design and write copy for catalogs, tags, product descriptions, artisan stories, and the website.
Monitoring & Evaluation (Currently Recruiting)
This committee is responsible for monitoring Rising’s ongoing projects and evaluating their long term impact. They will do this through a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods including baseline, formative and summative evaluations of artisan income and standards of living, children’s health and educational attainment, family property increases, and business capital improvement. A major task of this committee will be to work with a local in-country representative in each village where Rising purchases crafts in order to establish a living wage for that area. They will also interview and/or survey representatives, artisans, speakers and event attendees for satisfaction.
Cultural Committee (Currently Recruiting)
This committee is responsible for recruiting party speakers and other kinds of cultural talent, such as dancers and singers, from developing countries where Rising artisans work and live and compiling a list of available guest speakers for Rising Reps and party hosts. This committee may work with videographers to develop videos to use at parties and other Rising events. This committee is also charged with finding accommodations for artisans, speakers and performers when they are traveling on Rising’s behalf.
