Staff & Board Directory

STAFF

BOB BASKIN
President

Bob was most recently Chief Executive Officer of Spotlight Analysis, LLC, where he led the development of products and services for political and non-profit markets, introducing innovative corporate techniques that better identify and move persuadable voters than traditional voter targeting models.

After 6 years as Chief of Staff for former Congressman Sam Gejdenson (CT -2), Bob held several key positions, including Minority Staff Director of the Committee on House Oversight (now House Administration), Associate Administrator for Field Operations at the U.S. Small Business Administration during the Clinton Administration, and Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, chaired by Senator John Kerry.

Bob was a senior officer at the prestigious international marketing and consulting firm, Yankelovich, where he initially started up the government/public policy division and, subsequently, headed strategic planning, marketing, product development, and operations for all syndicated research services.  He has also taught in inner city public schools and has been a public finance investment banker, a corporate marketing officer, and a small business owner.

Bob received his BA from Middlebury College and holds a MS from Trinity College (CT). He is originally from Middletown, CT, and now lives with his wife and son in Chevy Chase, MD.

MATTHEW ALBRACHT
Executive Vice President, Director of Programs and Communications

Matthew has worked with The Peace Alliance since its founding in 2004 in the roles of Managing Director, Executive Director and now Executive Vice President and Director of Programs and Communications. Prior to The Peace Alliance, Matthew worked as Managing Director of the Global Renaissance Alliance and on various campaigns to help create a more just and sustainable world. He is also the author of the book "Living Out Loud! Young Adults, Finding our Purpose, Shaping a Better World"

He has a B.A. in psychology from Sonoma State University in California, focusing on Ecopsychology.  He also has an M.A. in Humanities and Leadership with a focus on Culture, Ecology and Sustainable Community from New College of California.

MARIE MAINIL
Student Peace Alliance

Marie holds a B.A. in International Relations from Drake University in IA and a M.A. in Political Science from the New School for Social Research in NYC. While in New York, she was a Women in International Leadership Fellow at International House. Marie’s first job was counseling Middle-Eastern, South Asian, and American youth at Seeds of Peace International Camp. Since then, Marie has served as a Human Security Program Associate at the Stanley Foundation, a Communication Manager for the Program on International Policy Attitudes in DC, a Reporting Officer/Special Assistant to the Country Director at UNDP Burundi, and most recently as a Youth Fellow for President Obama’s 2012 campaign.

Marie is dedicated to empowering youth to be entrepreneurs of peace and sustainability, and has a solid record at doing so. She is absolutely thrilled to come on board with the Student Peace Alliance.

CASEY WEAVER
Associate

Casey recently joined the Peace Alliance Team has an associate. She has attended Michigan State University and is currently pursuing a B.A. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution with focuses in African and African American studies and Sociology from George Mason University.

Casey gained interest in the peace building field through her studies of East Africa and volunteer work with local community programs. She also coaches lacrosse at a Title 1 (low funded) high school in Northern Virginia. Casey has most recently worked in arranging the third annual Ben and Jerry’s Peace Day event on Capitol Hill and is currently working with the Student Peace Alliance campaign.

DIAMOND SHARP
Program Associate

Diamond is a Chicago native and holds a B.A. in Peace & Justice Studies and Africana Studies from Wellesley College in Massachusetts. While at Wellesley, Diamond worked in various capacities to promote multicultural competency and inclusion. Most recently, Diamond has worked as the Communications Intern for the Enough Project at the Center for American Progress.

ASHLEIGH MADDOX
Program Associate

Ashleigh holds a B.A. in International Relations from Western Michigan University. While an undergraduate, Ashleigh was a marketing intern for Covenant House Michigan and an advocacy intern for the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce. Ashleigh has worked in low-income areas of Detroit through tutoring youth and young adults. She recently worked as an intern for the African American vote department on President Obama’s re-election campaign.

Board of Directors

JUDY KIMMEL
Chair

Judy has spent her life working in the areas of education, marketing and sales, personal growth, and transformative project management. Her career encompasses the fields of elementary education, retail and franchise management, and nonprofit administration.

Judy has played strategic roles in Hawken Country Day School, as Head of Preschool Program; the est Foundation, as Administrative Manager; Supercuts Corporation, as franchisee and marketing consultant; the Beyond War Foundation, establishi ng and expanding their San Francisco region; Primo's Coffee Inc., as owner of 11 coffee retail locations; Kimmel and Company, as consultant to a variety of business and private clients.

She continues coaching in the private and public sectors and serving on a number of different nonprofit Boards. Judy is dedicated to activism and transformed relationships with family, community, and business.

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON
Emeritus Chair

Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed spiritual author and lecturer. Six of her ten published books have been New York Times Best Sellers. Four of these have been #1 New York Times Best Sellers. Marianne's books include Healing the Soul of America, A Return to Love, Everyday Grace, A Woman's Worth, Illuminata, The Gift of Change and others. Her newest book, The Law of Divine Compensation was published in November 2012 by Harper Collins.

She has been a popular guest on television programs such as Oprah, Larry King Live, Good Morning America and Charlie Rose.

In 1989, she founded Project Angel Food, a meals-on-wheels program that serves homebound people with AIDS in the Los Angeles area. Today, Project Angel Food serves over 1,000 people daily. Marianne is a founder of The Peace Alliance and founded and launched the campaign to establish a U.S. Department of Peace.

EMILY WIKMAN
Secretary

Emily has been serving on the Board of Directors since 2010. She has been “officially” active in the peacebuilding world when she stepped into the role of Office Manager of the California Headquarters for the Dennis Kucinich for President 2004 campaign. Emily grew up in a family that has worked in the peace building community for at least 3 generations and feels it is in her nature to live and work for greater peace, individually and collectively.

Emily has a B.A. in Psychology from UC Berkeley and has a private practice as a Certified Life Coach based in Northern California. As a coach, Emily works to help people cultivate greater inner peace, to live more authentically and powerfully in their own lives and become aware of the impact they are having, both positive and negative, on themselves and others. “If everyone in the world were committed to the goal of having a positive impact, we would have peace. I believe peace comes from practicing compassion and kindness, for myself and others.”

TERRY MASON
Treasurer

Terry actively joined The Peace Alliance in 2005 as District Team Lead, and then Southern California State Coordinator, becoming a member of the Board in 2009. Her passion for peace stems from a desire commonly felt by many -- to leave a better world for future generations. Growing up in activism, her parents were focused towards environmental and historical preservation goals, in addition to the arts. Terry views her activism for peace as all-encompassing, honoring those foundational areas and more, finding a place for that fundamental desire that is practical, concrete and productive.

Having enjoyed a few different careers, beginning as a performer touring with ANNIE, 42nd STREET and CATS, then co-owning a boutique relocation consulting firm in Chicago, she now works as a Manager at Accenture in the Services division managing software development. Working with her wonderful and creative husband, Paul Chepikian, Lupine Productions provides video production services for corporate, personal and entertainment purposes. Terry and Paul live in Encino, CA with their two dogs, Sully and Jenny

JAMIRA BURLEY

Jamira, 23, is the first of sixteen children to graduate high school and attend college.  Recent graduate of Temple University, with dual degrees in International Business and Legal Studies, Jamira is also the Executive Director for the City of Philadelphia Youth Commission.

Previously, Jamira worked as the Student Leadership Coordinator for the School District of Philadelphia and National Coordinator for the Peace Alliance; Student Peace Alliance.

As a young woman growing up in a city where the death by violence rates grew with her, Jamira is best known for her work around violence prevention and intervention. As a result of the murder of Jamira’s brother in 2005, she founded the Overbrook High Panther Peace Core.  The function of the Peace Core is to provide students with nonviolent alternatives to address conflict. Since the creation of the Peace Core, she has partnered with both local and national officials to develop evidence-based programming for youth violence.

Jamira’s passion for improving education, addressing youth issues and creating preventive methods for violence have led her to this journey of fighting for something bigger than herself.  Which is why in 2011, the Philadelphia Daily News recently ranked Jamira as one of top-ten up and coming Philadelphians.

ANNE CRETER

Anne has been working to cultivate a culture of peace at various levels, from local to global, since she retired from the state of NJ in 2003 as a licensed social worker.   She had a 30 year career in welfare / protective services, plus a private counseling practice.  In these roles -- because violence was ever-present at the micro level -- she came to understand what Jane Addams meant that "working systemically at the macro level for peace is THE most fundamental social work."  This led her to the United Nations NGO community where she now represents Operation Peace Through Unity (www.peacethroughunity.info).  She co-chaired the "Culture of Peace" Working Group within the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns; and now serves on the newly formed United for Culture of Peace group at the UN (www.gmcop.org).   Anne has been UN Liaison to the Global Alliance for Ministries and Infrastructures of Peace and was NJ State Coordinator for the U.S. Department of Peace Campaign, as well as a District Team Leader.  She currently serves on Philadelphia Yearly (Quaker) Meeting's Peace Standing Committee and Peace Day Philly 2012 (www.peacedayphilly.org).

NICK GILLIE

Nick is a member of several peace intervention groups in Los Angeles including The Frontline Soldiers, Pathways To Your Future, The Cease Fire Committee of Southern California and Second Call.  He serves as a consultant to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), with specific duties to direct and produce public service videos and Industrial Training Films for their organization.

Nick a produced screenwriter of “Never Get Outta The Boat”, a film that chronicles the efforts of several young men as they trudge through early sobriety in a LA halfway house. The film premiered at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival and won awards at five other festivals.  Nick believes that unbridled and wild entertainment pieces can be a most effective means to present social justice and spiritual principles and he is developed several other products on subjects like SNCC, social justice courts and LA gang intervention.  He is originally from Chicago and holds a B.A. in Political Science from Northwestern.

HEART PHOENIX

Heart is the President of the Board of Directors of the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding, a non-profit whose mission is to provide and promote the best practices and principles of peacebuilding and global sustainability. This organization is guided by the life, inspiration and activism of her son, River.  Heart co-founded and served as President of The Peace Alliance from its founding until 2008.  She currently serves as Secretary of the Board of TPA and is a member of The Peace Alliance Educational Institute Board as well. 

For the past five years, Heart has been the Executive Director of The Florida School of Traditional Midwifery , one of ten accredited direct entry midwifery schools in the country. She continues to serve as Vice President of the Board.   As a mother, grandmother and vegan for almost 35 years, her commitment to nonviolence to earth and all sentient beings has been the center point of her life and activism.    She is an international facilitator of workshops focusing on communication skillbuilding, gender healing, youth empowerment, personal growth, breathwork and deep ecology.

PEACE ALLIANCE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE

HEART PHOENIX
Chair

KIM PERRONE
Secretary

Molly Rowan Leach

Molly is an international virtual dialogue host and PR/Outreach professional with a passion for peace, justice and individual and collective healing.

She hosts an international dialogue council focusing on Restorative justice practices and beyond, called “Restorative Justice on The Rise," partnering with The Peace Alliance. It is a live forum accessible worldwide with educational archives and free accessibility for individuals and communities hoping to access more information about RJ and implementing practices on the ground. She also hosted Justice Week during the Summer of Peace 2012, a powerful weave of individuals and organizations worldwide mobilizing around building a Culture of Peace. She has interviewed many individuals from diverse backgrounds, including Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Arun Gandhi, long-time colleague and former Amnesty Int’l Washington Director James O’Dea, Kay Pranis, Riane Eisler, Michelle Alexander, Sylvia Clute, Dominic Barter, and many others showing the way in transforming the justice system.

Molly also serves on the board of Full Circle Restorative Justice based in Salida, CO. She also has served on other non-profit Boards including NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) and Sustainable Futures of Boise, ID.

She resides in Colorado and is the proud mother of a 6 year old son and humbly works to contribute to her local Restorative practices circle.

DAN KAHN

LYNN McMULLEN

More Institute Board member information to be listed soon...

Advisory Board

Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury

Stephen Killelea

James O'Dea

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