Fred Kipperman, Founder

Mr. Kipperman is a graduate of the University of Arizona Eller College of Business and Rogers College of Law and is an attorney licensed to practice law in Arizona and Texas.

Mr. Kipperman is currently working with the RAND Corporation's Institute for Civil Justice.  He has worked on capital campaigns and fund raising initiatives for the University of Arizona, New Jersey Medical School, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. He serves on the national board of directors of Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity and is affiliated with American Bar Association, National Conference on Planned Giving, Council on Advancement of Secondary Education, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Leave a Legacy and AIPAC. He remains hopeful that by encouraging volunteerism our shared future will be enhanced. 

Susan Puder, Executive Director

Ms. Puder, a graduate of Trenton State College, has extensive experience as a business analyst in the retail, insurance and financial services fields. She currently works as an educator. She was a Technology Specialist for the e-Business initiative at a major financial services corporation, and was a winner of the AXA Foundation Community Leadership Award.

Board of Directors

Lee Michlin, Chair

Karl Bream, Vice Chair

Mr. Bream has twenty years of experience in engineering, sales, and marketing primarily in the telecommunications industry. Presently, he is the Director of Strategic Marketing for Lucent Technologies. In that role, he develops Lucent's positioning and strategy and guides Lucent's investments in the telecommunication marketplace.

Mr. Bream has been a supporter of many community and educational charities, including Habitat for Humanity, the United Way, and is currently active in the Manville Youth Athletic League, a community group supporting the needs of the youth in Manville, NJ. Additionally, Mr. Bream serves on the Board of Directors and is the Allocation Committee Chairman for the Manville Education Foundation, an organization supporting innovative educators and inspirational students who actively support their community.

Mr. Bream holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from George Washington University and a MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University.

Gloria Zayas, Secretary/Treasurer

Ms. Zayas is employed at Verizon in New York as a Service Manager. She works in the Enterprise Solutions Group and deals with the largest of Verizon's customers. She has an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts/Humanities from Passaic Community College and a Bachelors Degree in Management from the State University of New York, Empire State College. She is planning to study at the graduate level and earn her MBA. Ms. Zayas is a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America, which is a volunteer group that Verizon sponsors. The Pioneers help communities throughout the country by giving Verizon employees opportunities to volunteer. She is also a member of the Hispanic Support Organization, which gives Hispanic employees opportunities to give back to the community through volunteering.

Aondowase Kennie Anum

Mr. Anum is a citizen of Nigeria. He holds the position of Strategic Project Manager on the Seroquel Managed Markets and Pricing Team at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, in Wilmington, Delaware. Before joining AstraZeneca, Kennie worked as a consultant at Datatel, Inc.

Kennie is a MBA graduate of Thunderbird, The Garvin School of International Management, in Glendale, Arizona. He also worked at Thunderbird and rose to the position of Associate Dean of Admissions from 1997-2004. He earned his bachelor's degree in Marketing from Western New Mexico University, Silver City, New Mexico and a diploma in Mechanical Engineering from the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi in Nigeria.

He is the founder and director of Youth Camps for All, Inc., a non-profit that organizes basketball camps for underprivileged children and the CEO of a growing company, Anum Enterprises International, LLC.

He has served on the advisory board of the Catholic Social Services and has volunteered with the Big Brother/Big Sister Program in Phoenix, Arizona. Mr. Anum a former collegiate athlete also has been a volunteer for the Fiesta Bowl organization and the Grand Canyon State Games. He is a highly decorated member - ATMG, of Toastmasters International, an international public speaking, communication and leadership training organization.

Marie Burrage

Marie Burrage has a B.A. in Cognitive Science and Hispanic Studies from Vassar College and is currently a doctoral candidate in the Combined Program in Education and Psychology at the University of Michigan. Prior to becoming a graduate student at U of M, she worked in the Harvard University Psychology Department as a research assistant.

Marie has volunteered in a wide range of contexts from helping to organize a Take Back the Night march to teaching ESL and GED courses in Poughkeepsie, NY. Currently, she serves on the steering committee of a mentoring program for undergraduate students in the University of Michigan Psychology Department.

David Eichler

David is the Founder of David and Sam PR, a Phoenix-based marketing and public relations studio that proudly supports Bosom Buddies (a local breast cancer survivor group), Big Brothers Big Sisters, Habitat For Humanity, Desert Foothills and Scottsdale Prevention Institute.

After receiving his B.A. from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, David matriculated through the training program at Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles, where he serviced clients including Martin Scorsese, Sydney Pollock and Barry Levinson. David spent more than a decade producing, writing and marketing numerous film and television projects for Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox and Disney.

Heading north to Silicon Valley, David became Brand Marketing Director for Docent, a public, e-learning software company servicing Fortune 500 clients. Seeking a lifestyle change, David and his wife Diane relocated to Phoenix. Shifting his focus to the non-profit and public sectors first, he set ticket sales records as the Director of Marketing & Communications with Ballet Arizona and subsequently he served as Communications Director for the Arizona Office of Tourism.

David has supported numerous other local non profit arts groups including The Phoenix Art Museum, The Phoenix Symphony and the Scottsdale Center for the Arts.

Carol Hickman

Carol Hickman has a BSBA and MBA from the University of Colorado. A Colorado native, she has spent more than 25 years working in the healthcare industry, beginning her career as a candy striper at a local hospital at the age of 14. She currently works for Great-West Healthcare in Denver on the Customer Experience team. Experience includes training and development, process and improvement, organizational development, and managed care.

Carol has continued to serve her community over the years, which has included participating in organizations or activities such as the National Ski Patrol, Denver Dumb Friends League, the Right 2 Read Program, and is currently very active in fundraising and supporting the breast cancer crusade.

Patricia R. Konover

Ms. Konover has held a variety of positions in public education for over 30 years in New Jersey and Florida, both in the classroom and in leadership roles. She currently is employed as Coordinator of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in the Special Education Department of Putnam County Schools in Florida. Ms. Konover holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and a Master of Education in Education of the Handicapped from Trenton State College, a Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from University of Florida, and is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Miami. During her career she has earned a number of local, state, and national awards in her field.

Ms. Konover has been an active member and supporter of a number of professional and community organizations. These include County Coordinator and State Board member of Special Olympics, Board Member of Mental Health Association, volunteer Counselor for Rape Crisis/Spouse Abuse Center, Board Member of Celebration Community Church, Past President of two chapters of Council for Exceptional Children, Phi Delta Kappa Education Fraternity, Council for Administrators of Special Education, Florida Association of School Administrators, Habitat for Humanity, and Scholarship Review Committee.