Education:

• Special Education Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• English Literature and Language (K-12)

Professional Background:

My professional life experience began as a District Reading Specialist for the Pomona Unified School District (California). In order to be in my class the student had to be in the tenth to twelfth grade and read below a third grade level. What became clear to me was that “self esteem” had to come before just focusing on reading skills. We worked on the value of one’s “word”, how to show respect through a handshake, and the willingness to speak the “truth” no matter the consequences. Reading became the easy part of their education.

After leaving the education field, I began working in real estate management, where the skill set focused on “challenge resolution” in an environment where concerns were delivered with strong emotions and careful analysis of legal documentation.

With the aforementioned background experiences, I felt prepared to join my family’s general contracting business. This presented a new challenge where my father explained the concept that life requires the ability to wear “different hats”. The rule was; “when we walk into the office, it’s business. When we walk out the office at the end of a day, it’s family”.

The business of a General Contractor exposed me to legal document analysis (governmental, historical, or developmental). My “world business” experience came from analyzing potential development proposals in the areas of project feasibility, construction budget analysis and potential finance facilitation.

Community/Civic Involvement:

• West Bloomfield Township Construction Appeals Board
• Martin Luther King Community Advisory Board
• Construction Association of Michigan

What qualifications and experiences prepare you for this role?

As a thirty (30) year member of Optimist International (OI), I have had the privilege to learn from my involvement at the Local, District, and International levels. The lessons all pointed to one clear fact; optimism is literally “a piece of” who I am. My involvement, both professionally and as a Certified International Trainer representing OI, has enabled me to combine my experiences and see the complete picture of how optimism affects various cultures around the world. My perspective on “club fitness” where I developed the metrics for evaluating the health of a club is still in use by our Leadership Academy today. As a member of the International Programs and Activities Committee, I was charged with the responsibility of implementing the Internet Safety Program under the direction of Past International President Mark Shriver. Subsequently, I chaired the International JOI Committee. Our efforts helped produce sixty-six (66) new clubs in a single year. My personal focus then fell on building the first successful Optimist Clubs on the continents of Africa and Nepal. Due to those efforts I was asked to chair the first International Development Committee which brought significant growth to our organization. All of these are unique qualifications for a position on our Board. I believe understanding the “culture” first, whether in our own backyard or around the world, is important to our success. A focus on our members, teaching them how to utilize the tenants of the Optimist Creed to better their everyday experiences, will propel us to future growth. I would suggest that we try to limit the word “problem”, that projects the image of “right vs wrong”, and substitute “challenge” as we seek “solutions” without negative judgement. Perhaps the best advice I ever received was from my father and grandfather who started Schiller Construction back in 1945. They said that “everything I do educationally, professionally, and in life will carry the “Schiller” name. Our name is built on Honesty, Integrity, and Quality. Be proud of who you are.” I follow and practice that lesson every day.

What are your top priorities?

• Review our past programs and efforts with a critical eye and analyze what has produced positive results
• Rebuild our focus to align with the challenges of the 21st Century in the areas of club definition, club composition, and community recognition
• Recognize financial growth based on a concrete identifier/program that encourages strategic partnerships to produce a secondary source of income

How will you support and strengthen local Clubs, Districts and the Optimist International Organization?

As we “rebuild” our focus on the 21st Century my communications with our OI Vice Presidents, Governors, Club Presidents, and OI Staff will seek their input to potential solutions to the challenges being discussed at all levels of our organization.

Why should members vote for you?

For hundreds of years archeologists have uncovered the amazing artifacts of past civilizations. The one “find” that has eluded them is the discovery of an “upside down” pyramid, promoted as a visual to our clubs. We need to be a business with continuity and consistency through proactive leadership, not reactive. A formal business plan that organizes all our efforts is required to increase the potential for future success. We have all made a positive difference in our community in one way or another. What is stopping us from having that effect on the world?

Final Statement to Members:

Our mission statement is the most powerful statement being made by any other service volunteer organization. As I have applied the first seven words, “By Providing Hope and a Positive Vision,,,”, there is one word that sums up all our 108 years of efforts. That word is “HOPE”. It elevates us to another level of importance to a struggling and conflicted world. When we combine “Faith” with “Optimism” the end result is “Success”. We are too important to the world to not seek solutions to our challenges.