Ann Seabright, Chair
Robert Best, Secretary
James T. Roddy, Treasurer
Anna Halpine, Founder Ex-officio
Mary Halpine, Ex-officio
Maria del Consuelo Graefin Ballestrem
Oscar Beauttah
Dr. Paolo Carozza
Dr. Timothy Flanigan
Jean-Baptiste de Franssu
Jose Miguel Guevara
Dr. Habib Malik
Mary Moorman
Fr. Richard Ryscavages, S.J.
The Dowager Marchioness Lady Salisbury
Senator Francisco Tatad
Andreas Widmer
Mario J. Paredes 

Ann Seabright, Chair

A graduate of Wellesley College, Ann Seabright received an MBA from John Carroll University. She served first as a technical writer (1979-1981) and then as a member of the board (1981-1997) for a family-owned pharmaceutical company. She was instrumental in expanding the family board to include unaffiliated directors and in making the transition from entrepreneurial to professional style of management. Ann has also served as the Strategic Planning Co-Chair, Search Committee Chair, and Board President on the Board of Trustees for the Phillips-Osborne School in Painesville, Ohio. As Co-Chair of the Holden Arboretum Gourmet Delights Committee, Ann has helped coordinate the production of over one thousand jars of jam in approximately forty varieties. Ann is married to Tom Seabright, and is the mother of ten children. top of page

Bob Best is the founder and President of the Private Sector Initiatives Foundation, which supports education and training projects in over 10 countries, including the U.S., for underprivileged youth and women. Prior to his work in the nonprofit world, Bob Best held senior positions within both corporations and the U.S. Senate, where he was Chief Economist for the Senate Finance Committee and the Staff Director of subcommittees on International Trade, Capital Markets, Energy, Taxation and Debt Management. He has also represented many multinational corporations on trade and finance matters. Bob Best has lived in Washington D.C. for over 40 years and is a member of various clubs and associations in the U.S. top of page

James Roddy is a Chartered Accountant and has served as CFO, COO and CEO in various companies. His past positions have included the following: President/CEO and Director Ontario Bus Industires Inc, President/COO and Director Slater Industries Inc (Acquisition, Financial and Restructuring Advisor), President, COO and Director Campeau Corporation, Executive VP, COO and Director Peoples Jewellers Limited. He has also served as Director on the boards of many corporations, not-for-profits, health care and educational entities. James Roddy currently lives in Toronto with his wife Grace. top of page

Anna Halpine is the founder of the World Youth Alliance and was its President from 1999 to 2007. A native of Canada, she graduated cum laude in 1999 with a Bachelor of Music degree from Mount Allison University. In 1998, Anna moved to New York City to study piano at the Taubman Institute and voice at the Juilliard School of Music. From 1998 to 1999 she worked with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) at the UN, monitoring conference developments and participating in UN meetings and international conferences. In the summer of 1999, Anna was awarded a cultural ambassadorial scholarship from Rotary International to study German in Austria. From 1999 to 2000, she worked as a Parliamentary Assistant in the European Parliament.

Mary is a native of Canada and became a member of the World Youth Alliance a few hours after it was founded. She completed four internships for WYA in New York and Brussels while finishing her studies at the University of New Brunswick as a biology major, with a minor in psychology, graduating First Division. Mary enjoys all kinds of sports and played competitive ice hockey, ultimate frisbee and rugby, and a number of recreational sports while at university. Mary also volunteered in the pediatric ward of the city hospital. After graduation, Mary spent two months in Mexico City studying Spanish and teaching English. She has been President of WYA since March 2007. Mary remains focused on enabling youth worldwide to create projects and initiatives for lasting person-centered development in their local communities and at the global level. She has spoken at conferences on topics as diverse as Development, Culture, Dignity of the Person, Peace and Leadership, HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Technologies, among others throughout the USA, Canada, Mexico, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, DRC, the Philippines, Lebanon, Belgium and Romania. top of page

Consuelo Ballestrem has studied orthopedagogics and psychology at the Universities of Munich, Fribourg, and Eichstaett. She does psychotherapy as well as personal marriage and family counseling. She gives regular courses and seminars on problems of education and communication. She was married to our board member Karl Ballestrem who died in May 2007 and is mother of four children and grandmother. top of page

Mr. Beauttah joined the BBC in London in 1966 where he worked for seven years. On returning to Kenya, Oscar became Head of the English Service at the Voice of Kenya – Radio. He has a Higher Diploma from the School of Public Communications Syracuse University in Upstate New York. Mr. Beauttah was involved in the production of many productions radio and television programmes including news-reading and live commentaries. He has for many years anchored two popular Live Radio and Television current affairs Shows that went on air daily five days a week on the Voice of Kenya. He was a public relations manager, head of his own public relations consultancy firm, media advisor for several African organizations. In 1994, he founded Africa Broadcasting Network, an electronics media NGO for disseminating information on development. Mr. Beauttah was honored with the Silver Star of Kenya, a Presidential Meritorious Award for his service to the nation. top of page

Paolo Carozza is the Associate Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School. His courses include international law, human rights and jurisprudence, and comparative law. He is Director of the Notre DameCenter for Civil and Human Rights, and a fellow at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, and the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. He was elected a Commissioner of the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights for the term 2006 to 2010 and currently serves as its chairman. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he lectures frequently in Europe and the United States, and is widely published on the topic of international and human rights. Paolo Carozza lives in Indiana with his wife and four children. top of page

Dr. Timothy P. Flanigan is the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases of the Department of Medicine at BrownUniversity. At the Miriam Hospital Immunology Center he provides comprehensive HIV care and participates in clinical care and research at the Rhode Island Prison. Dr. Flanigan has been principal investigator on two prevention grants: CDC Project Start, to develop HIV and STD intervention for young men leaving prison, and the SAMHSA funded Project Shield to develop group HIV and STD intervention among substance abusing adolescents. He is the principal investigator of the Brown University NIH AIDS Clinical Trials Unit and a training grant from the National Institute of Drug Abuse on diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of HIV and other infectious consequences of substance abuse. He is an associate director of the Brown University Fogarty Program to train and mentor overseas investigators in the areas of HIV, AIDS and opportunistic infections. He is also principle investigator of an NIH R01 grant (DA013767-02) designed to study the effectiveness of once daily directly observed antiretroviral therapy (DOT) for the treatment of hard-to-reach populations. top of page

Jean-Baptiste de Franssu is Chief Executive Officer of INVESCO Europe. He joined INVESCO France as Managing Director in July 1990, moving to his current position when INVESCO Europe was founded in 1996. He is a member of the INVESCO Worldwide management committee. Before joining INVESCO, Jean-Baptiste was a Director of Groupe Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations in France, and prior to this a Financial Editor at INVESTIR magazine. Jean-Baptiste is a graduate of the ESC Group Business School in Rheims, France and holds a BA in European Business Administration from Middlesex University in the UK. He also holds a post-graduate degree in Actuarial Studies from Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris. In June 2007 he was elected Vice-President of the European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA).He holds a number of Board Memberships in various organisations and foundations. top of page

 

A native of Mexico Jose Miguel Guevara graduated from Universidad Autonoma de Puebla in 1960 with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree, and in 1982 he received a Business MBA through the D1-Program from Instituto Panamericano de Alta Direccion de Empresa (IPADE) which is connected to Harvard Business School. He has served as Vice President of COPARMEX, which is a union of business people interested in building a competitive and an open market in Mexico, while seeking a common good. He also served as the Vice President of The National Agricultural Council. Jose Guevara has held senior positions in diverse Parent Associations in Mexico as well. Since 1982 he has been the Vice President of the IPADE Exalumni Association. top of page

Habib Malik is the assistant professor of history and cultural studies at the LebaneseAmericanUniversity in Byblos, Lebanon. A graduate of the American University of Beirut, and Harvard University, he has lectured widely in the Middle East, Europe and the United States. He has been published in the International Herald Tribune, Religion and Democracy, the Harvard Salient among others. He is the author of two books; Receiving Soren Kierkegaard: The Early Impact and Transmission of His Thought, and Between Damascus and Jerusalem: Lebanon and Middle East Peace. He is the President of the Charles Malik Foundation. He is married and has three children. top of page

Mary Moorman graduated cum laude from Hillsdale College with Bachelor’s degrees in both Classics and Theology. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor cum laude with a focus in Religious Legal Systems at Boston University School of Law, and a Masters in Christian theology at Yale University. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Theology at Southern Methodist University. Mary has worked as a board member and consultant with the Principia Educational Foundation for primary education in developing nations, and the International Institute for Historical Mediation and Conciliation. top of page

Father Richard Ryscavage S.J., is a professor of sociology and international studies at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. He is founding director of the Fairfield University Center for Faith and Public Life. Father Ryscavage has served as national director of the Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, a non-governmental organization operating in fifty countries. He has also chaired the humanitarian section of Interaction, the largest coalition of American development and humanitarian agencies working internationally. For several years he was selected to represent American non-governmental organizations on official U.S. government delegations to the United Nations as well as on the UN Interagency Committee. Fr. Ryscavage has worked as a researcher at the Refugee Studies Centre of Oxford University. Before moving to Oxford, Fr. Ryscavage was executive director of migration and refugee services for the U.S. Catholic bishops where he ran the largest refugee resettlement agency in the U.S. with an annual budget of forty million dollars. In 2006 Fr. Ryscavage served as an official adviser to the delegation of the Holy See to the United Nations 61st General Assembly. A graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Fr. Ryscavage has received master’s degrees in political philosophy from Boston College and in international administration from the School for International Training. He has lived and worked in India, Central America, Europe and Africa. top of page

Lady Salisbury is the foremost historical gardener in the world. She serves as a Vice President of the Royal Horticultural Society, is a past Trustee of the Chelsea Physic Garden, and a member Honoris Causa of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners. She is the author of “The Gardens of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother”, “The Gardens at Hatfield”, and numerous articles on gardens, garden history and design worldwide. She designs gardens and landscapes professionally and is currently working on gardens in France, Ireland, America, Italy and England. Lady Salisbury has also designed the garden for the World Youth Alliance in New York. She studied at the Royal Drawing School in London. She is the founder and chairman of Choose Life. A mother of seven children, Lady Salisbury currently lives in London. top of page

Senator Francisco Tatad chairs the Citizens vs. Corruption task force in Manila and serves as Senior Political Advisor to the United Opposition. He was a two term senator from 1992 to 2001 and served as Senate Majority Leader. He has written for the International Herald Tribune, and the Asian Wall Street Journal, and is the former editor of Philippine Newsday. He is the author of over six books on politics and is an active voice and contributor to political and youth movements in the Philippines. He has addressed forums at the United Nations, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, Parliamentarians for Global Action and the World Congress of Families. He has spoken widely in Asia, the United States, Canada and Europe. He holds degrees in Philosophy and Letters, and has received honorary doctorates in law, humanities and public administration. He has attended special courses at Harvard Institute for International Development, Rand Graduate School, Warwick University and the Center for Research and Communications in Manila. Senator Tatad and his wife Fenny have seven children. top of page

Andreas Widmer is a business executive who has led international strategic consulting and high technology software firms including OTF Group Inc., Eprise Corp, Dragon Systems and FTP Software Inc. He is currently co-director of the S. E. VEN Fund, an organization that encourages solutions to poverty through research and enterprise. He has worked extensively in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. He is currently serving on the board of directors of OTF Group and several other firms and organizations. Andreas served as a Pontifical Swiss Guard from 1986 to 1988, protecting Pope John Paul II. He currently lives in Boston with his wife and son. top of page