| Our Staff and Board of Directors |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Christian Relief Services Board of Directors is comprised of diverse volunteers that share a passion for the Christian Relief Services mission and vision.
Mr. O´Brien is founder of O´Brien Law LLC, a Washington, D.C. Law firm specializing in employment law and business immigration. He graduated in 1987 from Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America. He is a member of the Bar of the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia, the Court of Appeals of Maryland, and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. back to top A former Congressional Administrative Assistant and a retired Foreign Service Officer, Mr. Krizek served as the Director of White House Liaison with the State Department in 1961-1962 and as State Department Congressional Relations Director from 1962 to 1981. He was Advisor to the Assistant Secretaries of State for Consular Affairs for Humanitarian Affairs and for Refugees. In 1975, he was awarded a Presidential commendation for his coordination role with the Congress for the Indo-Chinese Refugee Act, which aided hundreds of thousands of people overseas. He was a member of the White House Conference on Alcohol and Drug Abuse and he also administered the 1961 National Conference on Bail and Criminal Justice for the Attorney General. Active in the Air Force Reserves, his latest military service included assignment to the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force as Acting Director of Legislative Liaison with the rank of Colonel. back to top
Katsi Cook is an Aboriginal Midwife, mother of six and grand-mother of ten. Since 1983, she has conducted award-winning environmental justice health research in her home community of Akwesasne, NY. She created the First Environment Collaborative of Running Strong for American Indian Youth. In her experience of over 25 years as a Mohawk midwife, women's health advocate and activist for environmental restoration in her Tribal community -- the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne - Katsi works at the intersections of reproductive justice and environmental justice. Katsi is a respected elder and educator in her community. She has written numerous published essays, articles for Indian Country Today, and she was a featured speaker at Live Earth at the NationalMuseum of the American Indian in Washington, DC in 2007. She was honored in 2005 where community leaders, including a generation of women who became mothers and social activists under her guidance, honored Katsi's leadership and extensive body of work. Katsi was a recipient of a 2004-2005 Indigenous Knowledge Cultural Researcher Award from the Indigenous Health Research Development Program at the University of Toronto. She has served as a Maternal and Child Health consultant for the Tribal Epidemiology Center at United South and Eastern Tribes (USET, Inc.), Nashville, Tenn., a consortium of 24 tribal communities in the southern and eastern region of the U.S. Katsi is researching and writing about environmental and reproductive justice issues in Native America. back to top
Mr. Richardson is President of Loriche Productions, a music and video production company. He served as Deputy Executive Assistant to the Assistant Commissioner for Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor for 17 years. He is also a board member of the Ward Five Community Development Corporation and President of the Ward Five Council on Education. Mr. Richardson is also Treasurer on the Board of Directors for Africare Inc. and a Board Member of the Spring Creek Foundation. back to top Emil Her Many Horses is a Curator at the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution. He was the Lead Curator of the Our Universes (including Yup´ik, Anishnabe, Lakota, Santa Clara Pueblo, Hupa, Q´echi´ Maya, Quechua and Mapuche communities). Emil is also an award-winning artist in contemporary beadwork and contemporary doll-making. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Augustana College. back to top Robert Joseph Hisel, Jr. is the founder and former chief executive officer of Preferred Systems Solutions, Inc. (PSS) as an Information Technology and engineering services firm specializing in the commercial marketplace. Mr. Hisel serves on several business councils and is active with several youth sports organizations, non-profit organizations and other philanthropic activities including: the National Defense Transportation Association, the Northern Virginia Technology Council, and the Vanguard Group. He has been a member of the Christian Relief Services Charities Board of Directors since June 2007. back to top Rev. Holliday is a Professional Interim Priest serving churches in transition. He has served 15 churches throughout Virginia including St. James, Warrenton; Cunningham Chapel Parish; St. Peter´s, Purcellville; St. Anne´s, Reston; Old Donation, Virginia Beach; St. Paul´s, Bailey´s Crossroads and St. Thomas, Richmond. He is also former Deputy Director of United Community Ministries, Mount Vernon, Virginia. back to top Ms. Kelso is the Grants Administrator for Rose Brooks Center, a domestic violence shelter in Kansas City, MO. and is the former Executive Director of Americans Helping Americans, Inc. She developed the Safe Places Residential Program which provides transitional housing and supportive services for homeless women & children that are victims of domestic violence. She holds a Housing Counseling Certification from George Mason University and a Masters in Social Work, Child and Family Welfare, from Virginia Commonwealth University. back to top Thomas M. O´Brien has been the CEO, President and Managing Director of TravelCenters of America LLC, a Fortune 500 Company, since 2007. Mr. O'Brien is also a Senior Vice President of Reit Management & Research LLC, an institutional manager of real estate, public real estate investment trusts, or REITs, and other public companies. Mr. O´Brien serves on the board of directors of VimetX Holding Corporation, a publicly traded internet communications firm as well as the National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO). Mr. O´Brien joined the Christian Relief Services Charities Board of Directors in 2008. back to top Mr. Stitely is a partner at Stitely & Karstetter, CPA. He graduated summa cum laude from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and received the Elijah Watt Sells certificate in recognition of his performance on the CPA Exam. Mr. Stitely serves small businesses and individuals in the areas of taxation, financial reporting and software support services. He is a certified accounting software consultant and trainer working primarily with Sage Software products. He formerly served as an officer for the Dulles Area Chamber of Commerce. back to top
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James J. O´Brien, Esq., Chairman
Reverend Charles T. Holliday
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