Art Ringwald, partner in EQE Consulting, is responsible for strategic planning, marketing strategies, new business development, joint ventures and strategic alliances. He has a solid record of success leading rapidly growing businesses, turnarounds, and start-ups. He has broad-based expertise in operations, finance and business development, as well as exceptional experience in driving service and process improvements.

Mr. Ringwald spent over 30 years in the mortgage banking business where he developed a reputation as an innovative and results-driven leader. He achieved many "firsts" in this industry, including orchestrating the first major joint venture between a national real estate company, Coldwell Banker, and a major national mortgage company, Sears Mortgage. Mr. Ringwald also served as the President and CEO of Borrowers Choice, the first successful Computerized Loan Origination System. During his years at Bank America he led the company's mortgage division to become sixth in the nation from 21st, while improving profitability from break-even to over $500 million annually.

Mr. Ringwald holds a BS degree in Residential Building from Michigan State University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Detroit where he was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma scholastic honor society. He also served on a number of advisory boards including the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies National Advisory Board; the National Association of Homebuilders Housing Roundtable; the FNMA National Advisory Board; the General Electric Mortgage Insurance Company National Advisory Board; and the Central Piedmont Community College Presidential Advisory Board.

Alex Yanev, a partner in EQE Consulting, specializes in risk management in the private and public sectors.  He is an expert in applying experience data to assess natural hazards risks and manage them efficiently. Recent projects include risk assessments of large power systems or industrial facilities, detailed strategic risk-reduction programs for biotech and medical manufacturing companies, commercial and large residential risk assessments, and post-loss damage investigations for the insurance and reinsurance industry.  Alex’s most recent earthquake investigations include the M8.8 Chile earthquake of 2010, the M7.2 Baja California earthquake of 2010, and the M6.3 Christchurch New Zealand earthquake of Feb 2011. He previously worked in the construction industry as a project manager for a variety of private and public clients. He graduated from the University of Southern California in 2003.

Steven H. Kropp, Caballero del Orden (Knight of the Order) Antonio José de Irisarri, Guatemala

Steven H. Kropp, Advisory Board Member, is CEO and President of Comexxco, Inc. as well as Managing Director of the Tencate Nicolon Latin America Division. He is an experienced executive and entrepreneur in the industrial and consumer products industries, and has worked throughout North and South America, Mexico and Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, Egypt, Turkey and North Africa. Mr. Kropp focuses on developing new foreign markets, business turnarounds, and negotiation at high government levels.

Mr. Kropp is a Member of the Fundacion Ecuatoriana de Estados Maritimos in Ecuador (Overseer for the Galapagos), and the Comite Nacional de Alfabetizacion in Guatemala. He is also active in the Guatemala Trade and Investment Association; the Charlotte Regional Partnership; the World Affairs Council of Charlotte; and the Governor’s International Council in North Carolina, where he represents Guatemala in the North and South Carolina Consular District by promoting trade and tourism.

Mr. Kropp speaks English, Spanish, Italian and Catalan, and is conversant in French and Portuguese. He graduated from the Rocosa School of Textile Design and Engineering in 1969, and the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters from the University of Barcelona in 1966.

Dr. Gregory Baecher, Advisory Board Member and Senior Consultant, is a leading expert on risks of flooding, coastal protection, dam safety, geotechnical engineering, and the protection of civil infrastructure from malicious acts. He has more than 40 years of experience and has consulted widely including for the U.S. Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the World Bank, and major hydropower companies across North America and Europe.

Dr. Baecher served on the faculty of MIT as Professor of Civil Engineering for 15 years and on the faculty of the University of Maryland for 25. At Maryland he pioneered project risk management techniques and helped establish the program in Engineering Project Management, one of the leading programs of its kind in the world.

Dr. Baecher is Glenn L Martin Institute Professor of Engineering at the University of Maryland. He holds a BSCE from UC Berkeley and a PhD in civil engineering from MIT.  He has written five books on risk, safety, and the protection of civil infrastructure, and contributed to 200+ technical publications.  He received the USACE Commander's Award for Public Service for his work on risk analysis of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, the Panamanian National Award for Science and Technology Innovation for his work on Enterprise Risk Management for the Panama Canal, and is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering.

Michael A. Gallis, an Advisory Board Member and Senior Consultant, is widely considered one of the world’s leading urban strategic planners. Mr. Gallis has mobilized leaders across the globe to develop new ways of responding to the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. His firm, Michael Gallis & Associates, has developed a unique methodology to understand the form, structure, dynamics and relationships that are creating the future of the world, nations, states, metropolitan regions and transportation infrastructure. The firm works extensively with the public, private and institutional sectors to affect the development of many areas including infrastructure, economic development, urbanization patterns and institutional development within urban networks.

Among other projects, Mr. Gallis led the team to develop the US Chamber of Commerce’sInfrastructure Performance Index, and was a consultant to the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission for developing the "big picture" vision. Mr. Gallis has spoken at the Royal Academy in London, on sustainable infrastructure at the National Academy of Sciences, on the future of airports to the Airports Consultants Council, and on economic development to the Southern Economic Development Council, Economic Development Administration and the Department of Labor. He has also testified before the U.S. Senate on infrastructure issues.

Mr. Gallis graduated in 1969 from the University of Pennsylvania with a Masters of Architecture / Masters of City Planning. Prior, he earned a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley in 1967. His most recent service on Boards and Commissions includes the board of American Forests in Washington DC, the Governor’s Commission on a Competitive North Carolina, and the Advisory Board of the International Congress of the Atlantic Rim, and a U.S. Department of State board that provided technical assistance to Poland for major urban development.

Karen A. Kivelson, Advisory Board Member, is COO of Novacom, Inc., a U.S.-based commercial export company in the textile industry. Previously she was responsible for developing international markets and handling key accounts. Prior to Novacom, Ms. Kivelson served as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Schaeffer USA, the Americas unit of the German diversified industrial firm The Prym Group. She also served as COO of Texcom, Inc., developing the firm into an international sales and marketing organization providing specialized supplies to the global jeans and teabag industries.

Ms. Kivelson is a member of the Mint Museum of Art Board of Directors; Board Member and Co-Chair of Charlotte Concerts 2014 Gala; active in the World Affairs Council of Charlotte and the Latin American Coalition of Charlotte; and she volunteers in the Latin community. Ms. Kivelson graduated from Brandeis University and earned a Masters of Fine Arts at Rosary College, Villa Schifanioa in Florence, Italy in 1975. She speaks English, French, Italian and Spanish.