From Project S.A.V.E. to Kenya, with love.

Check out this fantastic group of hard-working volunteers, based in Chico, CA.

From Chico to Kenya with Love

Ronald Cassoni - Bio of the Week

My last post on Sergeant Larry Walls reminded me of another one of my favorite Bio Reviews, Ron Cassoni. A few of the many highlights from his bio follow. (Those are my words, not his. Like many super-accomplished people, I found Ron to be very unassuming and down-to-earth.) The first and last sentences are my favorites, and illustrate the numerous reasons I found him to be such a like-able guy.

About Ron Cassoni...

Favorite Business Motto: One good thing about working in the business world is that no one dies by the decisions we make.”

1975 - Commissioned as a Marine Officer, serving on Active Duty until 1986. Chosen to form the Marine Corps Anti-Terrorist Command in 1979 as a Captain. Served in a special operations role for most of my career, and in the Marine Corps Reserve until medically retired in 2008. Achieved rank of Lieutenant Colonel. I attribute my business tactics to the basic Marine Corps theme of initiating, adapting and overcoming all obstacles.

1992 – At Dell, grew revenue 127% and was the first company in history to go from $950M to over $2B in one year. Of this $2B, the Federal line generated in excess of $800M, $125M of which was generated in the last 2 weeks of the year! (Nothing the sales force likes better than a little year-end pressure!)

Acted in an advisory role to the incoming Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee on terrorist organizations and methods.

Board Member of the Austin Film Festival, and an Advisory Member of the Texas Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. I helped establish Chefs for AIDs Research, a series of private dinners across Austin that now generates over $1M during the two-evening dine in.

And finally...

I have two daughters who started a new school the same day. One started kindergarten and the other started college! I drove them both.

Sergeant Larry Walls - Bio of the Week

Most of my Bios of the Week are people I've met through the Bio Review process I offer on my website.

This week however, I wanted to feature a man I met only very briefly over the weekend when we sat next to each other on a plane from San Francisco to Chico, California. I was on my way home from a convention in Southern California. He was on his way home, for good, from Iraq. (Photo courtesy of KHSL TV, Chico, CA.)

It had been a long journey home. Someone said they hoped he hadn't lost his luggage along the way. "I don't care," he said, "I'm home."

Here's his story, and yes, I did cry when I saw him hug his wife and baby daughter.

Thanks for everything, Sergeant Walls, and welcome home.

Wayne T. Smith - Bio of the Week

Wayne T. Smith is the co-founder and C.O.O. of New Zealand-based Orca Technologies, where he oversees new product development and manufacture of underwater repellent devices. He is also founder and president of Scientific Divers Limited of New Zealand, a company that develops and produces underwater signaling devices for Scuba divers.

Smith is an inventor and engineer who holds a patent on the Buddycall®, Scientific Divers primary product (www.buddycall.org). He is also the lead researcher and designer of the Orca®, the new shark repellent device for Orca Technologies. In addition, he has worked for more than 35 years in the film industry designing, art directing and creating special effects for some of the industry’s biggest companies and senior directors.

Smith is also owner/manager of the Art Ranch Limited NZ, a company specializing in production design of T.V. commercials for the US and New Zealand markets.

Born and raised in Los Angeles California, Wayne is now based in Auckland New Zealand, a country he first visited in 1992 aboard his 40-foot sailboat while on a sailing adventure where he crossed the Pacific Ocean. Having fallen in love with New Zealand, and has lived there ever since.
An active Scuba diver who's been diving for more than 40 years, he’s also a fanatical fly fisherman who enjoys diving, fly fishing and mountain biking with his two sons.

To all the heroes at Project S.A.V.E.

Please watch the video below to learn more about Project S.A.V.E. (Salvage All Valuable Equipment), a Chico, California-based charity that donates medical, dental and other equipment and supplies to those in need around the world.

Janice Walker is SAVE's Project Director. Look for her in the photo where the container doors are being closed, the beginning of a long journey to Nairobi, Kenya. The American flag hangs in the back, and will be the first thing the grateful recipients see... a message of hope and love from their American friends.

Thanks to Janice and hundreds of willing and hard-working volunteers like her, 26 countries have received shipments of live-saving and life-giving supplies since 2004. Thousands of lives have been changed for the better, too often beyond words. Many local charities have benefited as well. I'm proud to be working with Project S.A.V.E. on a new website. I'll let you know when it's up and running.

All the best to a truly remarkable group of people.

Jill

Robert Allen - Bio of the Week

I truly enjoyed getting to know Robert Allen through my bio review process. It's immediately apparent that he is a hard-working and deservedly successful businessman, as well as a devoted family man.

Robert and his brother, Gary, have a new company, LUMA Resources, that is getting rave reviews in the renewable energy resources industry. (You can see one of their solar energy products in action on this YouTube video.) Congratulations, Robert, your dad would be very proud.

Here'a little bit more about Robert...

Robert Allen is an experienced businessman who co-owns LUMA Resources and Allen Brothers Inc. with his brother, Gary. Robert and Gary Allen have been business partners since 1986, when they inherited the roofing company their father, Don, started in 1950.

As a boy growing up Robert spent his summers working for his father and learning trade secrets from the expert. By the time Don Allen retired and turned the company over to his sons he had built his roofing company’s name reputation up to the highest quality standard for workmanship in his industry. Robert remembers many long, hard summer days working with his father, who was known to tear down a job that was just finished because it wasn’t quite right.

Robert said the first thing you’d see was the look on his face, then the words "Okay, boys now you can tear those shingles back off and put new ones back on and get them straight this time."

Robert has been married to Nicole Allen for 26 years. They have three grown children who are all currently attending college. Robert and Nicole have attended the same church their entire married lives, where Nicole works as the bookkeeper.

Robert has many hobbies outside of work and family, including playing tennis, fly fishing, scuba diving, upland bird hunting and gardening. He also takes pride in his talent for amateur photography.

Sean Haines - Bio of the Week

I reviewed this father's bio this week - a very special person, as you'll see. This photo of Sean and Matthew was taken shortly before Matthew passed away, and is understandably priceless to his father.

Sean Haines first became involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society while raising donations for the ‘Light the Night’ yearly fundraisers in honor of his son, Matthew, who was then battling Leukemia.

After Sean’s eight-year-old son, Matthew, pictured here, passed away from cancer in 2005, he created the Matthew David Haines Foundation which is dedicated to bringing hope and happiness to children with cancer. Since 2005, the MDHF has donated over $20,000 in toys and funding for the Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona, and Give Kids the World Village in Florida.

In 2006, Sean became a published author. The book “Matthew Haines – Gift from God: A life of Unconditional Love” details Matthew’s journey and the beautiful ‘life lessons’ he left us with. The book is available through Dorrance Publishing or Amazon.com.

Sean’s family includes wife Debbie, son Chris, and twins Michael and Jennie.