Board Of Directors

Lisa C. Orloff is a thought leader in disaster management specializing in spontaneous volunteer management, community engagement and emotional resiliency. Orloff has nearly two decades of experience in the field and in the classroom. She is the founder of World Cares Center, the not for profit, voluntary organization she spearheaded post September 11, 2001 and the President of Resiliency Advisors, a consulting firm. She has authored Managing Spontaneous Community Volunteers in Disasters used in the field and in the classroom. Orloff has developed curriculum for the Pratt University Graduate program Facilities and Construction Management and contributes to the John Jay College of Criminal Justice Fire Safety and Disaster Management Program.

Orloff has been called up by the Department of Defense, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health, multiple Offices of Emergency Management as well as grassroots groups as an advisor. Orloff is an executive trainer providing services to organizations including Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, the American Biological Safety Association, the Sri Lankan Department of Emergency Measures and Salud, Puerto Rico’s Department of Health. Orloff is the deployment lead responding to numerous disasters globally from the 9-11-2001 relief effort to the Haitian Earthquake, Hurricane Irene and Super Storm Sandy and Hurricanes Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. She is the recipient of the Mayor’s Voluntary Action Award for her relief work in and around Ground Zero and letters of commendation from the Department of Defense and the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, Hope Worldwide, The Martin Luther King Human Rights Lifetime Achievement Award from Power Chaplain State of New York and a citation from the Brooklyn Borough President for her commitment to the local residents and community. In her spare time Orloff is a Firefighter at the Eastport Fire Department.

David Fischer represents public and private companies in a diverse range of corporate and capital markets transactions. His broad experience includes public and private securities offerings, derivative securities transactions, corporate governance and public company compliance, mergers and acquisitions, technology transfer transactions, and licensing agreements. David also assists clients with research and development, cryptocurrency offerings, business and fund formations, executive employment agreements, and employee equity plans.

David’s clients have included companies on all major U.S. securities exchanges. He has also worked with private firms in a variety of business sectors, including SaaS, investment and investment advisory services, semiconductors, television broadcasting, retail, sports, commodities, management consulting, and insurance brokerage. In addition, he has represented a foreign government in its high-tech R&D and off-the-shelf defense procurements.

David also regularly gives pro bono advice to World Cares Center, which provides training and management of civilian volunteers in disaster remediation.

Tom Kivett has 25 years’ experience helping companies and organizations communicate to their key audiences.

He brings leadership and deep expertise in marketing communications, public relations,and branding with a heavy focus on the technology sector. A trusted media strategist, Kivett founded and leads a New York communications firm, was in senior roles at PR giant Weber Shandwick, onsite at Panasonic, and in-house at tech start-up Ovid Technologies.

Kivett is founder and president of Brightfluence, a communications consultancy that specializes in innovative earned media and content delivery solutions. Working across technology, consumer, and health, he has spearheaded groundbreaking communications programs for scores of companies including Sharp, Panasonic, Wolters Kluwer, Altec Lansing, Symphony Health, Monaeo, IFI CLAIMS and Altman Solon.

He also has been marketing advisor to non-profits including National Fishing & Boating Foundation, Gofishing.org, and World Cares Center.

Kivett lives in New York City with his wife and two sons.

Dean has over 30 years of experience in the public, private, industry advocacy and union sectors, with a focus on business development thru strengthening and maintaining stakeholder relations, in policy and legislative analysis, and in developing community outreach.

Throughout his career, he has assumed varied roles while working for New York State and New York City. His work with city and state offices has included positions with both the City and State Comptrollers, the New York City Deputy Mayor for Finance and Economic Development, the New York City Council, and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. His private career includes time with several global engineering firms. Through his career, Mr. Angelakos has built long-lasting, professional relationships with the building trades and within the construction and design industries.

He also has been active for decades in industry, civic, philanthropic and educational boards and task forces.

Dean is a graduate of Stuyvesant H.S. and Cornell University. He is married to Helen Angelakos, a Global Human Resource professional, and their son Stephen recently graduated from Vanderbilt University and is attending Veterinary school.

Patrick Alesi is a Managing Director and the Americas Head of Business Resilience at the global financial services firm Nomura. Joining the firm in June 2010, Mr. Alesi and his team are responsible for business continuity planning, crisis management, disaster recovery, and third-party risk. Mr. Alesi previously worked for Lehman Brothers in the Business Continuity Management group, ultimately as global co-head of the function, holding the title of Senior Vice President. Immediately following the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, Mr. Alesi became a Director at Barclays Capital, where he served on the IT Transition team overseeing the delivery of data and IT services to former Lehman entities.

Mr. Alesi also worked at the New York Mercantile Exchange as its Director of Systems, Operations, and Database Administration; there, he helped get the exchange back on its feet after 9/11. He has a broad range of technology experience in systems analysis, voice, and data communications.

Mr. Alesi is the former Chairperson of the Contingency Planning Exchange (CPE) and serves on the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Business Continuity Committee, as well as the Institute of International Bankers (IIB) Information Security and Operational Resilience Committee.

Alison is an accomplished relationship builder and trusted advisor, specializing in helping organizations navigate operational resilience in today’s ever-changing landscape. With years of experience in client engagement and strategic planning, she excels at creating solutions that deliver real impact for her clients.

A dedicated advocate for community connection, Alison leads initiatives like senior lunches in Lewisboro, exemplifying her commitment to fostering care and support at the local level. Known for her generosity and ability to unite people, she maintains strong global friendships while inspiring those around her to bring positivity into the world.

Alison’s dedication to meaningful work and uplifting others reflects her passion for making a difference in every facet of her life.

Brian is a private client relationship advisor at Brown Advisory. He is responsible for managing relationships with high-net worth individuals and families for the New York office. Prior to joining the firm, Brian worked as an associate at Financial Asset Management Corporation.

With a strong background in AML and Compliance, Alexa began her professional journey at JPMorgan Chase and currently serves as a Senior Analyst for the Financial Investigative Unit at Apple Bank. Recently earning her CAMS certification, she brings both expertise and passion to the work she does. Outside of her career, she enjoys diving into books and exploring new arts and crafts projects. World Cares Center is the first nonprofit she’s joined, and we’re proud to have her energy and commitment as part of our mission to build safer, more resilient communities.

Member of NFL Players Association, Retired Players, and NFL Alumni Association. Thomas has extensive Construction Management experience from Project Design. Project Labor and Budget Management. He has organized and trained local workforce to use US imported equipment to perform highly technical substrate removal, remediation, moisture management, and floor surface replacement within strict laboratory conditions.

Shelli Sonstein co-hosts “The Jim Kerr Rock and Roll Morning  Show” on America’s most listened-to rock station, New York City’s Q104.3.  She is an inductee in the NYS Broadcasters Association Hall Of Fame , the winner of 3 Gracie awards , numerous best interview awards and this year celebrates her 47th anniversary on NYC radio and  the 47th anniversary of the day she first joined Jim Kerr in studio. Shelli has been on the radio for more than 50 years, starting at the age of 18 on WMMR in Philadelphia, where she was a well-known high school activist.

Her activism continues to this day. For the 20 year commemoration of 9/11 in 2021, Shelli created, produced and hosted the podcast/YouTube Channel “9/11 Stories”, with personal  testimonials from that day. It includes recollections from first responders, office workers, students, elected officials , pro athletes and celebrities.

For more than a decade, Shelli’s passion has been using her radio platform to highlight the 9/11 community and especially the first responders lost to 9/11 toxins since 2001. It has been her personal mission to interview victims and  families who have lost  loved ones, so the lost are remembered as people, not  numbers. In May 2019, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro swore in Shelli as an honorary FDNY Battalion chief, to honor her for her work on behalf of 9/11 ailing firefighters. Shelli says of all her awards, this is the most meaningful.

Shelli has made a vow to first responders: “As long as I have a mic, I’ve got your backs!”