Advisory Board

Richard K. Hansen is a partner in the law firm of Hansen Seto, LLP, a limited liability partnership of professional corporations. Since 1981, he has been engaged in the private practice of law, specializing in matters related to corporate law, emerging companies, general business law and licensing of intellectual property. For seven years prior to that time, Mr. Hansen was Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of a New York Stock Exchange listed Company and has practiced in the general area of business and corporate law, and the development of marketing and licensing programs, since 1971. Mr. Hansen is a member of State Bar of California (Business Law and Intellectual Property Sections); Los Angeles County Bar Association (Member, Business and Corporation Section); American Bar Association (Member, Section on Business Law) and the U.S. District Court, Central District of California. He serves on many Advisory Boards and has been listed in Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who in American Business and Standard & Poor's Register of Corporate Directors and Executives.

Eric Fullilove – CPA, is Vice President of Audit, Evaluation and Risk Management at World Vision International. He is a published, fiction author and a graduate of MIT.

Rafe Esquith is a 5th grade teacher at Hobat Elementary School and creator of the Hobart Shakespeareans. He is the only teacher to be awarded the president's National Medal of the Arts and has also received the Walt Disney American Teacher Award for National Teacher of the Year, Oprah's Use Your Life Award, and the Dalai Lama' Compassion in Action Award.

Jimmy Santiago Baca is a poet and author. He is the winner of the Pushcart Prize, the American Book Award, the International Hispanic Heritage Award and for his memoir A Place to Stand, the prestigious International Award. He is founder of Cedar Tree Inc., a nonprofit foundation that works to give people of all walks of like the opportunity to become educated and improve their lives. Jimmy has held the Wallace Stevens Chair at Yale and has appeared on National Public Radio, Good Morning America, National Discovery Channel, PBS Language of Life with Bill Moyers, and CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood.

Jeanette Pavani is a Consumer Watch Reporter, a part of CBS 5 Eyewitness News and host of "The Real Deal with Jeannette Pavini" which airs on CBS 5. For her work investigating won The Edward R. Murrow Award, the Associated Press Award, The National Headliner Award for Professional Journalism and an Emmy.

Pat Abrams has served as co-chair of the English Department at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles for the last seven years. She holds a masters degree in English from Trinity University in Washington, D.C. and has taught secondary English for over thirty years. A 1980 fellow of the California Writing Project at UCLA, Pat has participated for over fifteen years in the annual UCLA Young Writers' Retreat at Lake Arrowhead, a training ground for aspiring teen writers.

Board of Directors

Jose (Platao) Rocha is Vice President of Broadcast Operations and Productions at DIRECTV Latin America. Born in Brazil, he holds a BA in Journalism from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and an International Executive MBS fro a Vanderbilt University/University of Sao Paulo joint program. An avid reader himself, Platoa is the proud father of Daniela, one of our Get Lit Players.

Diane Luby Lane is the published author of Words of Women, a monologue book for women that is sold internationally and has had theatrical releases in both New York and Los Angeles. She has appeared in numerous films, television shows, and national commercials and her critically acclaimed one-woman show, Deep Sea Diving (AKA Born Feet First) tours high school and colleges across America. She is Founder and Executive Director of Get Lit - Words Ignite, a literacy program for teens.

Carol Muske-Dukes is the author of seven books of poems (the most recent, Sparrow, was a National Book Award finalist), four novels (most recent is Channeling Mark Twain) and two collections of essays, (including Married to the Icepick Killer: a Poet in Hollywood) and she is professor of English at the University of Southern California and founding director of the PhD program in Creative Writing & Literature. She was recently appointed Poet Laureate of California (her statewide project, the Magic Poetry Bus recently merged with Get Lit: Words Ignite) and she writes and reviews regularly for the NY Times and the LA Times (former poetry columnist). Awards include a Guggenheim, National Endowment for the Arts fellowship and others. Her website is www.carolmuskedukes.com.

Michael Zomber is a recognized authority of antique arms and armor as well as on the swords of the Japanese samurai. He has appeared as a guest historian on several episodes of the History Channel's Tales of the Gun series. His writing credits include seven screenplays and two fiction novels, Son of Kentucky and Sweet Betsy, both focused on Civil War times. His Steadfastly supports organizations whose missions embrace peace, such as UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International and Global Exchange as well as Angel Heart Farms. He holds bachelor's degrees in English Literature and Psychology, and master's degree in English Literature from UCLA. His website is www.michaelzomber.com

Natalie Geld is an actor in notable television series and commercials. She is founder of educational programs empowering the minds & spirits of our youth, including PEN in the Classroom - a cross-curricular writers-in-residence program in over 30 high schools in the LA Unified District and the Strong Point Program in the Bay area, both offering at risk kids innovative hands-on experience and a leg up into brighter, more successful futures. As an educator, she taught Effective Communication Seminars at the New Teachers Institute, which she also co-founded. As a former news producer, her segments and interviews appeared on worldwide news and entertainment networks. www.whyarewewhispering.com

Campbell Mcauley is one of the premiere hair stylists in the United States. His clients include Kate Winslet, Katherine Heigel, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Cameron Diaz. He is also founder and President of Ctonics, a premiere organic/holistic hair care line.

Heidi Nietert is responsible for creating teams to provide comprehensive wealth management advice to high net worth individuals and families, entrepreneurs, business owners, and foundations and endowments throughout the United States. Her professional experience with prestigious banking organizations includes mostly recently Vice President for Wells Fargo Private Bank/Beverly Hills. Prior to joining Wells Fargo Private Bank in Beverly Hills, Heidi served as a Director at Wilmington Trust. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and is actively involved in a variety of professional organizations including President-elect of the British American Business Council, International Circle of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council and Board member of Get Lit and the American Freedom Alliance. Her philanthropic efforts include serving as a board member of the Barlow Foundation.