SOS Children's Villages - USA, Inc. announced on September 26 the addition of a new Board of Directors member and the formation of a Global Advisory Board composed of seven industry leaders who are fully committed to SOS USA's mission. SOS USA is the U.S. headquarters of SOS Children's Villages International, the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting orphaned and abandoned children. The expanded Board of Directors and the new Global Advisory Board will be a catalytic force for this important work, which transforms the lives of millions of children and families each year, both in the U.S. and globally.
"1 in 8 U.S. children are abused or neglected. And worldwide, there are 220 million children at risk of growing up alone. They need our help," said Neil Ghosh, CEO of SOS USA. "We are excited and privileged to have the opportunity to work with these talented board members and advisors. These leaders bring tremendous understanding of the power of holistic interventions to change the lives of vulnerable children and youth. We look forward to their contributions."
New Board Member:
Emily Chang, Former SVP, Marketing Starbucks Seattle, WA
A strategic business leader with over 20 years' experience, Emily is a seasoned executive known for globalization, cross-cultural team leadership, change management, and innovative brand building. Prior to Starbucks, Emily was the Chief Commercial Officer for IHG, Greater China. Earlier, Emily built a high-performance marketing organization that established the face of Apple Retail in Asia Pacific. She has delivered two TEDx Talks, one of which is being expanded to book form, called The Spare Room.
The Advisory Board is currently composed of the following members:
Ann Veneman, Former Executive Director of UNICEF & Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Ann M. Veneman has had a distinguished career in public service, serving as the Executive Director of UNICEF from 2005 to 2010 and as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 2001 to 2005. Veneman's leadership and vision have been recognized both nationally and internationally. In 2009, she was named to the Forbes World's 100 Most Powerful Women list.
Michele Rollins, Chairman of Rollins Jamaica Ltd.
Michele Metrinko Rollins, Esq., is the Chairman of Rollins Jamaica Ltd., the holding company for Rose Hall Developments Ltd. The Rollins family has built a Holiday Inn, a Hilton, a Hyatt Ziva and a Hyatt Zilara and has changed the nature of tourism on Jamaica's North Coast. Rose Hall's main charity is SOS Children's Villages.
Mohamed Ousri, Founder and CEO of M.R.S Real Estate
Mohamed Ousri is a self-made, entrepreneurial businessman and philanthropist with a passion to make a difference in underprivileged communities around the world. The founder and CEO of M.R.S Real Estate, Ousri lives in Virginia with his wife and two children. He is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children through the Ousri Family Foundation, which has allowed him to travel the world and fulfill his childhood dream of making the world a better place.
Krishna Patel, Justice Initiative Director at Grace Farms Foundation
Krishna R. Patel is the President of Unchain.org which is intended to be a platform that will support transparency in global supply chains and promote technology solutions to identify slavery in corporate supply chains. She is also the Justice Initiative Director at Grace Farms Foundation, a private operating foundation in New Canaan, Connecticut, where she is an active strategist, combating human trafficking on the global, national and state levels.
Lance Reisman, Former Vice President of Danaher Corporation
Lance J. Reisman is a retired business executive with over 30 years of experience with Fortune 500, private and start-up companies. Since his retirement in May 2019, Reisman has joined KKR as an Advisor and is the Chairman of the Board of GeoStabilization International, a KKR company. He is also engaging in philanthropist initiatives such as SOS Children's Villages - USA.
Aaron Carmack, Chief Operating Officer of Roger's Electric
Aaron Carmack is a 30-year retail executive currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer at Roger's Electric, the largest self-performing electrical and lighting contractor in the U.S. He spent 14 years as a senior executive with Home Depot and served on the board of Habitat for Humanity East Bay. He and his wife adopted their daughter from Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Eric Nyquist, SVP, NASCAR
Eric Nyquist is the Chief Communications Officer for NASCAR. Prior to joining NASCAR, Nyquist served as Executive Vice President of Chicago White Sox Enterprises from 1999-2004. In this role, Nyquist managed strategic development initiatives and key league relationships across the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bulls and United Center organizations, reporting directly into owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Nyquist started his career in 1998 at the National Football League in New York, working in Roger Goodell's League Development department.
About SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children's Villages builds loving, stable families for orphaned, abandoned and other vulnerable children in 135 countries, including the United States. In addition to providing family-based care for kids who would otherwise grow up alone, SOS supports struggling families so children can stay with their parents and helps at-risk teens navigate the road to adulthood. Through family strengthening programs, long-term care for children, education and job skills training, and emergency relief efforts, SOS provides life-changing support to millions of children and families worldwide each year.
Media Contact:
Ellen Airozo
202-780-1034
eairozo@sos-usa.org