Through the Noise

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#150 Arlington County Board - Mary Hynes Mar 02, 2016

Show notes

Is your website running too slowly? Are you missing upgrades from your CMS? We check in with this common issue during our Problem of the Day. Don't leave your organization vulnerable to hacking. Today's guest is Mary Hynes who has been making waves and creating positive change in Arlington County during most of her 27 years there. Initially elected to the Arlington County School Board, Mary Hynes' story is a great example of recognizing a problem, thinking "someone should do something," realizing you are that someone and then committing fully to making the changes necessary. We catch up with her after she concludes a two-term, eight year tenure on the Arlington County Board, including time as the Board Chair. Learn some lessons in collaboration, communication, and getting things done from Mary Hynes.

Mary Hynes has been a civic activist and public servant for more than 30 years including 20 years as an elected official serving on both the Arlington County School Board and County Board. She has consistently and effectively led Arlington's efforts to strengthen its government by enhancing civic participation, improving government management, and increasing investment in Arlington's public physical infrastructure.

The Arlington County Board is composed of five at-large members that establish policies, and oversee governance, growth and development.

#149 Tricounty Technology Center - Lindel Fields Feb 29, 2016

Show notes

As the United States continuously frets about the constantly rising prices of college education, we speak to Lindel Fields who is taking a decidedly different approach. As Superintendent and CEO of the Tricounty Technology Center, Lindel Fields' life work is to provide educational and vocational opportunities for high school students and adults who are hoping to provide a better life for themselves or their family. The Tricounty Technology Center, based in Oklahoma, is excellent option for those who don't have the means or time to enroll in an expensive, four-year college and has a goal of graduating all their students debt-free. Ten months and $3,000 later, adults who had previously been trapped in minimum wage jobs are qualified for positions starting at $40,000 -- making the vast difference between a family stuck in the relentless cycle of poverty, and one that has some breathing room. Don't miss the chance to hear from our passionate guest today who has been part of the Center since he was a student at age 19.

Lindel Fields has been a Career Tech educator for 25 years. He leads one of Oklahoma's premier Technology Centers - Tri County is known throughout the country for innovation and student success.

Tri County is one of Oklahoma's 29 Technology Centers serving High School and Adult student in Northeast Oklahoma.

#148 WaterReuse Association - Melissa Meeker Feb 26, 2016

Show notes

"You could be drinking dinosaur pee," Melissa Meeker points out at the start of today's episode. Executive Director of both the WateReuse Association and WateReuse Research Foundation, Melissa Meeker has decades of experience working with water in the public and private sectors. One of the Association's main objectives -- and struggles -- is educating the public about the range of possibilities for reusing water and that there is no such thing as "new water." Water is necessary for everything and we need to use it more effectively.

Melissa is a seasoned water executive with more than 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, with a broad range of expertise that includes regulatory issues, policy development, and executive management. She previously served as executive director of the South Florida Water Management District and as deputy secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, with responsibility for overseeing statewide water and environmental restoration policy.

WateReuse is internationally-recognized as a thought-leader on alternative water supply development. It is the go-to organization for applied research, policy guidance and educational tools on water reuse as well as the principal influencer of public opinion, lawmakers and policymakers on policy and projects related to water reuse.

#147 Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad - Gamunu Wijetunge Feb 24, 2016

Show notes

The Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad has a special place in host Ernesto's heart -- he volunteered there for six years. Today's guest is his friend from that time -- Gamunu Wijetunge, President of the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad, who has been deeply involved in the Squad for 21 years. Despite having "volunteer" in the title, there's a common misconception about how the Rescue Squad works -- it's not funded by taxes, major donors, or foundations -- even Gamunu Wijetunge volunteers in his role as President. If you're looking for a new way to get involved in your community, you won't want to miss this episode.

Gamunu Wijetunge is President of the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad, Inc. (WVRS) based in Montgomery County, Maryland. He has volunteered with the WVRS since 1995, where he still serves as an active paramedic and firefighter.

The WVRS is a volunteer, not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to protect the public's health and safety by providing emergency services to any person in need who calls 9-1-1.

#146 American Society of Anesthesiologists - Paul Pomerantz Feb 22, 2016

Show notes

Today on Through the Noise we are joined by Paul Pomerantz, CEO of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Managing a large association with 53,000 members with different specialties presents a number of challenges but one problem facing the ASA is the need to educate the public about their work. A large percentage of the public isn't aware of the responsibilities of anesthesiologists and do not realize the scope to which an anesthesiologist is involved in keeping patients alive and well during surgical procedures. You can find them on their website or on Twitter with #PhysAnesWk16.

Paul Pomerantz has more than two decades of executive experience in the health care association sector. Prior to joining ASA in March 2013, Mr. Pomerantz served as the Executive Director of the Drug Information Association (DIA), an 18,000-member international nonprofit organization for the medical products industry.

Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an educational, research and scientific society with more than 52,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology. ASA is committed to ensuring that physician anesthesiologists evaluate and supervise the medical care of patients before, during, and after surgery to provide the highest quality and safest care that every patient deserves.

#145 Carpe DC Food Tours - Mary Collins Feb 19, 2016

Show notes

Mary Collins and Stefan Woehlke founded Carpe DC Food Tours as a way to communicate the history and culture of Washington, DC through food. Focusing on the dynamic neighborhoods of Shaw and U Street, the start-up gives tourists and locals a deeper understanding of the streets and people that have made Washington, DC such a creative and fascinating place, rich with arts and literature and often obscured by the federal government's prominent influence. We sit down with Mary Collins and Stefan Woehlke and delve into some of these stories and get some mouth-watering food descriptions that will make you want to sign up for a food tour in DC or wherever you call home.

Mary Collins and Stefan Woehlke started Carpe DC Food Tours after years of traveling the world, learning about communities through their food and heritage. When they're not touring or traveling, Stefan is working towards his phD in Archaeology at the University of Maryland, and Mary works for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Carpe DC Food Tours tells the stories of DC's iconic neighborhoods through food and they are the district's only one-for one food tour, which means for every ticket purchased they provide food for a day to someone in need through their partnership with Bread for the City.

#144 The Institute of Makers of Explosives - Debra S. Satkowiak Feb 18, 2016

Show notes

NPPD: Nonprofits get free google apps in the U.S. but the process is a bit more complicated for international nonprofits. If you need help signing up for these useful apps, contact Infamia, and they'll give you a hand, for free. Today we chat with Debra S. Satkowiak of The Institute of Makers of Explosives, an organization representing the commercial explosives industry, including mining, blasting, and construction. The members of IME do essential work most of us are unaware is happening but without which, our lives would be a lot more treacherous. They have been working for over a decade to ensure that explosives that are used commercially are safe for the public and that products in our every day lives are also safe. To find out more about this fascinating world, settle in for our conversation with Debra S. Satkowiak!

Debra Satkowiak became the President of IME on April 14, 2014. Prior to her position with the IME, Deb served 23 years with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Deb began her career with ATF as an inspector in Michigan in 1991, and a decade later transferred to ATF headquarters to develop advanced explosives training. She also served as an Area Supervisor and the Chief, Explosives Industry Programs Branch, as well as held responsibilities in ATF's Office of Public and Governmental Affairs. She acted as the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Director, and most recently served as the Chief, Firearms and Explosives Industry Division, responsible for developing policy, drafting regulations, and providing technical support on explosives to the Bureau, industry members, the public, and other Federal, State and local agencies.

The IME is the Safety and Security Institute of the commercial explosives industry. The Institute represents U.S. manufacturers of high explosives and other companies that distribute explosives or provide related products and services. An average of 3 million metric tons of explosives are consumed annually in the United States, of which IME member companies produce over 95 percent. They are essential to energy production, highway and building construction, and the manufacture of almost all metal and mineral products.

#143 Edge Tech Labs, LLC - Shaun Masavage Feb 11, 2016

Show notes

Today we sit down with Shaun Masavage, the CEO/Founder of Edge Tech Labs, a product development firm that recently launched their first product, DrinkMate, a personal, portable breathalyzer that works with your smartphone. Now available for Androids and iPhones, this compact tool has a great back story which we hear some of today. If you have a fantastic idea for a new tool, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Learn the ins and outs of working with manufacturers in China, why that approach might (or might not) work for you, and the inspiration behind the compact design which played such a crucial role in making this a feasible option for everyone looking to stay safe and legal.

Shaun Masavage is an engineer, entrepreneur and the inventor of DrinkMate, the world's smallest portable breathalyzer which plugs directly into your Android phone

#142 AHAA - Horacio Gavilin Feb 07, 2016

Show notes

Today's problem of the day is how to rectify a protected Twitter account with the need to reach a wide audience. And this ties right into our guest, Horacio Gavilán, Executive Director of AHAA, the largest national trade organization "representing the entire Hispanic marketing, communications and media industry." The word Hispanic was invented in 1972 by the U.S. Census Bureau to encompass 37 different nationalities and the population of those who would check that box in the Census is now 57 million in the United States. We learn the vast buying power of the Hispanic population in the U.S. which nearly every major industry has missed out on until recently.

Horacio Gavilan has more than 20 years of experience in association management. In addition to his role as president of Gavilan & Associates, he serves as executive director of AHAA: The Voice of Hispanic Advertising, a position he has held since 1999. In this capacity, he has lead the board to achieve a membership that encompasses 97% of the total billings into the Hispanic market.

#141 Grant Thornton - Robert Shea Feb 04, 2016

Show notes

We start today's episode by checking in with Mickey of Infamia for the Nonprofit Problem of the Day. Now that you have a Member Community, the challenge is to integrate it into your CRM so your users (and staff) have full functionality. Today is a bit of a departure as we sit down with Robert Shea of Grant Thornton, one of our rare guests from the private sector. In the Washington region though, even the private sector is deeply embedded in public for the public, as are most of our guests. As the fourth largest employer in Alexandria, VA, Grant Thorton is focused on employee engagement and works with local nonprofits like Act for Alexandria (whose President, John Porter) was previously a guest on Through the Noise) to provide creative and useful ways for employees to contribute their time and energy to making a difference in the community. We also touch on the sometimes confusing concepts of cost and indirect cost for nonprofits. Don't miss this episode to grab some insights from a different perspective.

Robert Shea is a principal and a member of our Global Public Sector practice. He is on the organizational improvement team and has conducted performance management engagements with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs, as well as the National Endowment for the Arts. He was most recently at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget as associate director for administration and government performance. Before joining OMB, Shea served as counsel to the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs.

Grant Thornton works with a broad range of publicly and privately held companies, government agencies, financial institutions, and civic and religious organizations. Core industries served include consumer and industrial products, financial services, not-for-profit, private equity, and technology.

Grant Thornton focuses on serving dynamic organizations that pursue growth holistically — whether through revenue improvement, leadership, mission fulfillment, or innovation.

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