MWV SCORE - Counselor Profiles

Donald E. Bossi (Don), Vice-Chair
Don is currently the Principal of his sole-proprietorship bank-oriented consulting firm, Strategic Resources. He is the co-founder of Centerpoint Bank which opened in May 1990 in Bedford, NH. He was the Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and member of the Board of Directors. At Indian Head Banks in Nashua, NH he was the Director of Corporate Planning and Marketing and at one time President of the Indian Head Data Services Company. In Rhode Island he was a Senior Management Consultant for the then Ernst & Ernst, an Assistant Vice President at Industrial National Bank (now part of Bank of America) and a Senior Banking Sales Representative for IBM. He was nominated by Ernst & Young as Entrepreneur of the Year for his work at Centerpoint Bank. Don is Certified Data Processor (CDP) and was an Instructor at the College of Life-Long Learning, the Bank Administrative Institute, Johnson & Wales Institute, IBM and Ernst & Ernst.

John Bruni
Retired, Office of the Chairman and Senior Vice President of sales and marketing for NEC Technologies. 37 years in computer industry, strengths in sales, marketing and business process.

Ronald Cornila (Ron)
Retired Human Resources professional with 35 years of experience in the High Technology, Data Communications and Pharmaceutical industries. His strengths are in employee relations, training & development, recruiting, compensation & benefits, union negotiations, outplacement and career counseling.

Myles Crowe
Big-five consulting experience with Price Waterhouse-Coopers as well as corporate planning and technology management. Myles is well versed in financial planning, and non-profit issues, and recently opened Foundry Financial in Jackson.

John Cuddy (Jac)

Richard Ficke, Chair
Retired career Air Force officer whose last assignments included faculty at the Naval War College and that of Deputy Base Commander in Germany. Recently retired as V.P. and Director of Business Development after 18 years employment for a small business defense contractor. Oversaw proposal preparation, forged strategic business alliances and implemented product diversification. Particular expertise with proposal writing and Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program.

Linda Fox-Phillips
Linda Fox Phillips served as a regional director for a behavioral health center for twenty years, growing the agency from 14 to 104 staff members. She delighted in program development and mentoring middle managers. She is currently teaching for the College for Lifelong Learning and the University of Southern Maine and consults to community agencies and businesses.

Jim Hastings
Jim is a retired Chief Financial Officer most recently with Chick Packaging, Inc. (a multi-national, privately held industrial packaging company) and prior to that he was Vice President and Treasurer of Essex County Gas Company (a publicly held, state regulated, local gas distribution utility). Before working in industry, Jim was a Certified Public Accountant with local public accounting firms. Jim has worked extensively with small businesses in areas of accounting, budgeting, tax and finance.

Christopher Kanzler
Recently retired as owner and operator of the Cranmore Inn.. Previous hospitality positions include that of business manager, convention manager, food and board director and managing director of various restaurants, lodges and hotels both in the United States and overseas. Expertise includes accounting, bookkeeping, business plans, buying/selling businesses, and restaurant operations.

Aaron Kesmetis
Since 2003 Aaron, along with his wife MaryAnn, has owned and operated Aaron Hats and GetaHatOn.com. Since starting Aaron Hats, Aaron has become versed in all aspects of operating a brick and mortar specialty retail store along with operating an e-commerce web site. Previous to starting Aaron Hats he spent nine years as a Global Call Center Manager at Nortel Networks' Technical Response Center and IT Support Manager for Tyco. In the little free time Aaron has he enjoys hunting and mountain biking in the Mount Washington Valley.

Michael Kline (Mike)
Recognized as "Entrepreneur of the Year" in May 2005, Michael is co-owner of Soyfire Candle, Salvatore Michaels Framed Art Superstore and the gallery at The Met in N. Conway. He is a former restaurant owner, and serves as an instructor and chapter chair for SCORE and serves on the Events Committee for the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce. Past experience includes President of Uniglobe Travel Northeast States, and Director of Training and Development for Uniglobe Travel Northeast and Florida Regions. As a regional franchiser for a global organization, he was responsible for franchise sales, mergers and acquisitions, training and support, supplier relations, and contract negotiations. Mike is eager to share practical business development assistance with local small businesses.

Cathy Nealon
Cathy moved to the valley in 1999. Prior to her move she spent 22 years as a Vice President and Executive Sales Director for Citibank. Over her 22 years of service she has gained a broad range of business experience with a strong focus on strategizing, planning and process in areas of sales and relationship management. Cathy now owns Amazing Possibilities Life Coaching where she helps her clients maximize their potential.

Anthony Ruddy
Anthony is an independent consultant in product design and assembly automation with ALM Automation, LLC. With a BSIE from the University of Rhode Island, he has developed products and equipment in a variety of industries, including electronic components, food packaging, oil/gas industry, and consumer products. Anthony left engineering management positions to become self-employed in 1999. His personal interests include his family, skiing, golf, and sports car racing.

Robert Ruppel (Rob)
Rob has been in the financial and human resources industry for 30 years, consulting to businesses. He recently retired from the international management consulting firm Towers Perrin, where he was a Principal. His professional training was as an actuary but his experience was very broad including finance, sales and marketing, recruiting, operational management and learning and development. Rob is a graduate in Mathematics from University of Waterloo and a Fellow of both the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. He is also a certified ski instructor and a licensed real estate salesperson. You are welcome to check out Rob's web site at www.RobRuppel.com.

William Sayles (Bill)
Started and managed several companies. Experience in: business start ups, sales and marketing, management of small to medium sized companies, consulting to small to medium sized companies, also real estate sales, investment, and development.

Lee Strimbeck
Lee is a retired attorney living in Franconia NH. He has worked as an intellectual property law attorney for Esso Research & Engineering, engaging patent solicitation and licensing, and as a partner in a Boston law firm. He was instrumental in the start up of Chomerics, Inc., a company manufacturing electrically conductive plastics, and served as its first president. He moved to New Hampshire in 1970 and in engaged in the general practice of law besides continuing with his intellectual property law work. In 1986 he moved his practice to Littleton NH and specialized in bankruptcy law. He and his wife owned and operated a bed & breakfast for 20 years in Easton NH. He served as a selectman in Easton for 3 years.

Art Tucker
Possesses forty years in building construction with particular expertise as a housing rehabilitation specialist. He has owned and operated a home-building and remodeling business; served as a building inspector and zoning enforcement officer at the town level; oversaw federally and state funded low/moderate income housing development projects at the city level and has administered various neighborhood housing services programs.

Linda Tucker
Master's Degree in Public Administration with expertise in accounting, bookkeeping, budgeting, project management, computer systems and personnel management. She has served as a grants and contracts administrator, assistant controller and financial information systems manager, medical/surgical information systems coordinator and analyst and software project manager.

David Urey, Treasurer
Dave is a former Patent Examiner for the Patent Office and was involved in patent law and licensing activities for over 40 years. When he retired in 1992, he was the senior patent and licensing attorney for U.S. Steel in Pittsburgh. He was the President of the Licensing Executives Society in 1990-91 and has served as the President of the Patent Law Association of Pittsburgh. He also owns and manages several commercial real estate sites in the Valley and elsewhere. He and his wife, Donna, own and operate White Birch Books in North Conway Village.

D.D. Warren
Retired Senior Account Executive responsible for all state and local government business in MA and NH for Compaq computers. 30 years in the computer industry.

Robert Zakon
Robert heads up a high-tech consulting practice based here in the Valley covering all areas of Internet and Web technologies. Prior to moving to the Valley from Northern Virginia in 2001, Robert founded and served as CTO of an Internet software portal/ASP. Other past experiences include managing R&D teams in a wide array of advanced and emerging technologies, and providing technology and policy guidance to the US government and its allies. For more information about his background, Robert encourages you to visit his personal Web site at www.Zakon.org.