Advisory Council
Lynn Crandall, MA
Director, IGM Art Gallery
Board member of: artAngels.org, SoCal Sister Cities International, member of L.A./Nagoya Sister Cities Association and Society for the Arts in Healthcare. State of California Master Teacher , she serves as Adviser to Garfield High School ’s Green Architecture Design and Global Studies Academies . Formerly, Director of the Riordan Leadership Development Program; member Los Angeles City Council on Aging; Tour Curator, The New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York and Editor of LWVLA The VOTER. BA, Northwestern University; MA, University of Notre Dame.
M. Elizabeth Fini
Senior Associate Dean for Research advancement at the USC Keck School of Medicine is a molecular cell biologist. Working to advance the medical school’s research mission, Dr. Fini supports the research enterprise through new programs for the recruitment and retention of faculty and their successful competition for research grants. Dr. Fini also serves as Director of the Institute for Genetic Medicine (IGM).
Les Hamasaki
Charter member
CEO of the International Green Technology Institute whose mission is to educate, train and empower the new generation of green leaders to create a sustainable future. He heads Project Green Haiti to assist in the recovery and reconstruction of earthquake devastated Haiti. Served as a Los Angeles Airport Commissioner under Mayor Tom Bradley and a Los Angeles City Planning Commissioner under Mayor Richard Riordan.
G. Blair Franks
Chair, Planning Committee
Served in U.S. Navy as member of Mobile Riverine Forces during the Vietnam War. Subsequently held senior management positions in the construction industry. CEO of “HNC Support International, Inc.” a head and neck cancer advocacy organization. President of the USC Head and Neck Cancer Support Program and serves as Executive Vice President of Epic Technology, a hardware/software management /infrastructure productivity systems company. His articles have been published in many trade journals and prose collections. He majored in Political Science and Philosophy in college.
Robert Salinas
Co-Chair, IT Committee
Co-Founder of URONIMO, a mobile delivery platform, is an Internet pioneer in the mobile advertising market. Previously, a lecturer and consultant to Electronic Arts/Origin, Sierra, Microsoft, and Sony, co-founded Interactive Creations Inc., developed the Internet-based game Warbirds, the first real-time massive multi-player online 3D video game that revolutionized Internet multi-player gaming. Key member of management team during his company’s merger with iMagic, he served as CEO, VP Marketing and Sales, VP Business Development and VP Imagic Online.
Amado C. Salinas II
Co-Chair, IT Committee
President for URONIMO, Mr. Salinas has over 20 years in Management Information Systems Development, IT-Management, Support and Sales for Fortune 500 Companies, DOD-VAMC. Special Projects include Aerospace Communications, Fighter Aircraft Avionics Support/Testing, Test Q&A for FAA “Level-A” Commercial Aircraft Safety requirements, FOUNDER/CEO of Unilat, Inc.; a High Speed Data ISP NOC with Imaging/Storage, Data Center and Systems Development and Support. Experienced realtor with focus on Commercial/Industrial Sales/Leasing/Development
Maryam Gueramian
Chair, Young Professionals Committee
B.A. from the University of California, San Diego in International Studies and Economics. She sees her role as assisting others to better cope with cultural and political difficulties existing in Iran through ensuring that this culture’s rich democratic tradition is better understood. Maryam is currently pursuing her MBA at California State University, Northridge and is active in the Angeles-Tehran Sister Cities organization.