SCORE - Mentors to America's Small Businesses - Announces New Board Members

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SCORE, the nation's largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors and a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors, as well as new officers for the 2025 fiscal year, as of Oct. 1.

"It is my pleasure to welcome the newest members of SCORE's Board of Directors, who join us in our mission to support America's small businesses through mentorship and education," said SCORE Board Chair Julie Poland. "In SCORE's 60 years of service, we have helped more than 17 million entrepreneurs start, grow and thrive – positively impacting local communities and the national economy. In the coming year, our Board looks forward to lending its expertise and leadership to ensure SCORE is poised to help future generations of small business owners overcome challenges on the road to success."

The Executive Committee:

Chair – Julie Poland, speaker, author and Coach Partner for ProActive Leadership Group.

Vice Chair – Julie Christiansen, CEO of Gordon Laboratories.

Secretary – Jayne Lerman, former executive vice president at Mastercard and former managing director at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

Treasurer – Dr. Judy Treviño, vice president of finance for the Texas Hospital Association.

New members of the Board of Directors:

Ray Vicks is a CPA with more than 40 years of experience in public accounting and senior corporate positions including as senior vice president and CFO for The HSC Health Care System and a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers.  He serves on numerous corporate boards, audit committees and as a certified SCORE mentor, lending his financial and strategic planning expertise to small business owners. Ray earned his B.S. in Accounting from Virginia Tech.

Sam Marfatia possesses a diverse background that includes experience in large multinational companies as well as startups. He is recognized for his innovative efforts to advance the food and beverage packaging sector during his tenure as Global Marketing Director for Sealed Air, where he steered growth strategy and was responsible for a $1.2 billion portfolio. He is also founder of Pack'n Fresh, a co-packing firm in Dallas, and Power Central, a provider of software utilities.  He earned his MBA from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University.

Returning members of the Board:

Rick Brimacomb, speaker, advisor, investor and founder of Brimacomb and Associates.

Ricardo Casas, former executive with the ExxonMobil Corporation.

Frank Klisanich, startup consultant and former executive with ConAgra and The Village Company.

Pat Loftus, investor and Investment Committee member with New World Angels.

John McCloskey, CEO of FAG Aerospace Inc. and Schaeffler Aerospace AG.

Nik Shah, partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Steve R. Smith, former executive with IBM.

To learn more about SCORE, request a mentor or volunteer to be one, visit SCORE.org.

About SCORE:

SCORE is the nation's largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, with 10,000 volunteers serving all 50 U.S. states and territories. Since its founding in 1964 as a resource partner for the U.S. Small Business Administration, SCORE has helped more than 17 million current and aspiring entrepreneurs start, grow or successfully exit a business through mentoring, resources and education. In 2023 alone, SCORE volunteers helped create 31,167 new small businesses and add 152,115 total jobs to the American economy. Visit SCORE at SCORE.org.  

Funded [in part] through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

CONTACT:
SCORE
202-968-6428
[email protected]

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SOURCE SCORE