Mr. Adam Kafka President, Universal Links Inc. Adam Kafka, President of Universal Links Inc., has led the company to be a top player in the highly competitive industry of Branded Merchandise. By having the foresight to develop a custom software system and create a business model to maximize his employee s natural talents, his company has attained 9 coveted industry awards in the last 8 years. Ensuring that the objectives of companies such as Pfizer, Owens Corning, Sephora, Visa are met, Adam and his staff travel the world staying abreast of global and local trends. Adam graduated from the Ivey School of Business, a tier one Canadian business school, over 20 years ago and has worked in the marketing field ever since. Concurrently in the late 90 s with a long term focus, Adam also began his career in property ownership and management which he continues today. The proud father of an 11 year old daughter and 9 year old son, Adam raises his family in Toronto, Canada. Being born and raised there himself, he still enjoys being on the ice and playing hockey multiple times per week, summer included!
Mr. C. Steven Baker Retired, Federal Trade Commission C. Steven Baker recently retired as Director of the Federal Trade Commission's Midwest Region in Chicago, a position he has held since 1988. The Region covers the central United States, and the office does primarily consumer protection work for the Commission, concentrating on consumer fraud matters such as telemarketing and spamming. The office works extensively on Cross-border fraud, and Mr. Baker is one of the founders of the Toronto Strategic Partnership and Project JOLT, involving Jamaica-based fraud In June 2010 he received the Consumer Advocate of the Year award from the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators. Steve is also the 2010 recipient of the FTC Chairman s Award, the highest agency honor. He was the recipient of the Chicago Better Business Bureau s Torch Award in 2016. Steve Baker joined the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. in 1982 as a staff attorney in the Bureau of Consumer Protection, where he was engaged in Federal Court cases involving telemarketing fraud. He later served as an attorney advisor to Chairman James C. Miller III and Chairman Daniel Oliver. Prior to joining the FTC, Mr. Baker served as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge D. Brook Bartlett in Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Baker is a graduate of Missouri Valley College, and obtained his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1981, where he was a Note and Comment Editor for the Iowa Law Review. He is a member of the bar of the State of Iowa. Mr. Baker resides in Oak Park, Illinois
Mr. Cass Wheeler Board Chair BBB Wise Giving Alliance Cass Wheeler launched his consulting practice after a distinguished career with the American Heart Association, serving as its CEO from 1997 until 2008. Under his leadership, the association merged its 56 state and metropolitan affiliates into 8 regions and adopted a single corporate structure. During this same period, revenue grew from $400 million to $650 million. Several new initiatives were launched including the award winning Go Red for Women Campaign to raise awareness about heart disease in women, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation (with the William J. Clinton Foundation) to fight childhood obesity, Get With the Guidelines to improve hospital care and outcomes and the Power to End Stroke targeted to African Americans. The association also approved a far-reaching health-impact goal calling for a 25 percent reduction of coronary heart disease, stroke and risk by 2010. A business graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, Cass gained his grass roots experience with the American Cancer Society right out of college. He later was a stockbroker in Dallas with two New York Stock Exchange firms before joining the Texas Affiliate of the American Heart Association. Wheeler is a past board chair of the National Health Council. He served as a member of the board of directors of Independent Sector where he chaired both the Audit Committee and Ethics and Accountability Committee, as well as serving on the Executive Committee. He served as co-convener of the Panel on the Non Profit Sector, established at the request of the Senate Finance Committee to consider and recommend actions to strengthen governance, ethical conduct and effective practice of public charities and private foundations. Cass was appointed by President Clinton to serve on the Commission on Improving Economic Opportunity in Communities Dependent on Tobacco Production While Protecting Public Health. He also served on the boards of the National Human Services Assembly, Partnership for Prevention, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and Research!America. He served on the Advisory Committee for Public Health and chaired the Key Philanthropic Organizations Committeefor the American Society of Association Executives. Cass currently serves on the boards of the American Legacy Foundation, National Council on Aging, Better Business Bureau s Wise Giving Alliance, the Advisory Council of the University of California at San Francisco Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education. In January 2008, Cass was appointed to serve on the Advisory Committee to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by Secretary Leavitt of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Mr. Howard Winkler Board Chair BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust Recently retired from a career in ethics, human resources and communications, Howard Winkler now devotes himself to nonprofit board service, freelance writing and fly fishing. Howard retired as Project Manager in the Office of the General Counsel for Atlanta-based Southern Company, where he was responsible for developing ethics strategy, communications and training. In earlier roles he led organizations in Human Resources Strategy, Recruiting and Public Relations. Howard began his career in broadcasting. He holds a master s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University and a bachelor s degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia. He chairs the Better Business Bureau Institute in Arlington, VA, and serves on the advisory board of Kennesaw State University s Siegel Institute for Leadership, Ethics and Character, and the board of the Blue Ridge, Georgia, chapter of Trout Unlimited.
Ms. Josephine Mills Executive Director, Government Affairs, Avon Products, Inc. Josephine has 30+ years of experience in public, corporate, and non-profit sectors, specializing in accounting, finance, government, and community relations efforts. During her many years at New Avon LLC (formerly Avon Products, Inc.), she became an expert in the direct selling business / industry. During these years, on two separate occasions, she became the proud recipient of the Avon Chairman s Award. As Executive Director - Government Affairs, Josephine oversees New Avon s government affairs function for North America, where she has been successful in protecting the company from onerous legislative / regulatory proposals and has also proactively drafted and worked to pass legislation in various states to protect the Avon business. Having provided financial support to various aspects of the Avon operations, including information services, distribution, sales and supply chain, Josephine was able to effectively leverage both her financial skills and Avon knowledge with her political background. Prior to joining Avon Products, Inc., Josephine served as Director of Budgets, City of Waterbury, CT where she was most noted by the local media as Deputy Mayor. She received the greater Waterbury area - Woman in Leadership Award for her many contributions. She also served as a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce / U.S. Industry Trade Advisory Committee (ITAC 5) from 2002 to 2010 and was nominated again for this position in 2016. Josephine is currently Assistant Treasurer of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA) and serves as a member of its Operating Group. Josephine is a member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary (USCGAUX) where she has served as Vice Commander and is a founding member of the U.S. Homeland Security department. She is a recipient of the U.S. Presidential Volunteer Gold Service Award. Josephine earned a BS in Accounting from Post University and an MBA in Finance from the University of New Haven (UNH), where she graduated with honors.
Mr. Ken Bonham Partner, Lucid Agency Ken Bonham is co-founder and Vice President of Lucid Agency, a leading digital marketing agency serving enterprise organizations across North America. Over the past 10 years, Lucid has developed award-winning interactive marketing and technology solutions for such clients as Best Western, Motorola, PetSmart, Arizona State University, The Better Business Bureau and over 250 incredible organizations. Originally hailing from Michigan, Ken moved to Arizona to attend Arizona State University and is proud to call himself a Sun Devil and Arizona sports fan. Ken is a passionate board member for the Arizona Coyotes Foundation, the Phoenix Suns 88 and the Better Business Bureau of Central, Northern and Western Arizona. In November you ll find Ken sporting a mustache and often a mustache suit on TV advocating for Movember (a national organization supporting testicular cancer awareness and research) in Phoenix as an official MoBro. Outside of Lucid and philanthropic endeavors, Ken is an avid traveler, outdoorsman and has yet to hang up his skates as a professional hockey referee.
Ms. Krenda Frushour Enfamil Associate Marketing Director, Mead Johnson Nutrition Krenda is the Enfamil Associate Marketing Director of Mead Johnson Nutrition, headquartered in Chicago, IL. Krenda had an early passion for business building through consumer understanding, innovation, and ethical business practice. She earned her BA from the University of Wisconsin and MBA from Indiana University. Krenda led brands at Procter & Gamble, Eli Lilly, and Sears. Her advertising won awards in Advertising Age, and an Effie. Krenda has traveled around the world including Europe, Asia, and Latin America to listen to consumers. Krenda wants to inspire others to lead, so she volunteers as the Network of Executive Women Digital Co-Chair and as a Girl Scout leader.