Dr. Godwin O. Onyema, MD

Education:

Dennis Memorial Grammar School - Onitsha, Nigeria

Government College - Umuahia, Nigeria

MD, University of Ibadan Medical School - Ibadan, Nigeria 

Professional experience:

The GEANCO Foundation, Co-founder, Chairman of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer - Chicago, IL

Obstetrics and Gynecology Internship - Cook County Hospital - Chicago, IL

Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency, Cook County Hospital - Chicago, IL

Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Jackson Park Hospital - Chicago, IL, 1986-1990

Director, Women's Center Jackson Park Hospital - Chicago, IL, 1986-1990

Active Staff Mount Sinai Hospital - Chicago, IL, 1990 to present

Professional membership:

Nigerian Medical Council

Chicago Medical Society

Illinois Medical Society

American Medical Association

Fellow of American College of Obstetricians/Gynecologists

Fellow of International College of Surgeons

Areas of expertise:

Decades of experience in medical and healthcare practice, operations and administration.  Facilitated a medical mission by team of Rush University Hospital orthopedic specialists to the National Orthopedic Hospital in Enugu, Nigeria in August 2005.

Afam C. Onyema

Education:

BA Psychology cum laude, Harvard University

JD, Stanford Law School

Professional experience:

The GEANCO Foundation, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer

Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Summer Intern - Los Angeles, CA (2006 Kirkland & Ellis Minority Fellowship recipient)

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, Summer Intern - Los Angeles, CA

Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP, Marketing Intern - Chicago, IL

Hill & Knowlton Public Relations, Assistant Account Executive - Chicago, IL

Areas of expertise:

Management, Marketing, public relations, legal issues, strategic planning, event planning, writing

Michael L. Green

Education:

BA Economics, Harvard University

Professional experience:

The GEANCO Foundation, Treasurer - Chicago, IL

Vice President of Sales, John R. Green Company - Covington, KY

Biotech Partnership with Dr. Fred Shapiro at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical

Center and Harvard Medical School - Boston, MA

Sovereign Bank Associate, Middle Market Banking - Worcester, MA

FleetBoston Financial Analyst Program, Healthcare and Institutions Specialty Banking Group - Boston, MA

Areas of expertise:

Jason L. Bernd

Education:

BS Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia

MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business

Professional experience:
Novant Health - Presbyterian Healthcare, Vice President, Cardiovascular Services - Charlotte, NC

McKinsey & Company, Business Analyst - New York, NY

New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Operations Analyst - New York, NY

Intermountain Health Care, Corporate Office Intern - Salt Lake City, UT

Areas of expertise:

Business development, mergers and acquisitions

Strategic planning, 6-sigma operational improvement, hospital operations

Dr. Josef Blankstein, MD

Josef Blankstein M.D. has trained in the United States and abroad in obstetrics, gynecology, infertility, and In Vitro Fertilization. He is chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mt. Sinai Medical Center and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Chicago Medical School. Additionally, he directs and coordinates the Mt. Sinai residency program in obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Blankstein has an extensive background in obstetrics and gynecology. His medical education began at Tel Aviv University School of Medicine. Additional academic positions include the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Dr. Blankstein shares his expertise with aspiring physicians while teaching at various medical schools including Tel Aviv University, Chicago Medical and Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Blankstein has published over 100 articles in medical journals, textbooks and medical publications.

Awards

Dr. Blankstein has received dozens of awards, presented hundreds of medical lectures and has published over 100 scientific articles. Additionally, he has authored multiple textbook chapters, manuscripts and is extensively published in medical literature. Dr. Blankstein is a member of the Fellowship of American College of OB/GYN.

Dr. J. Christopher Daniel, MD, MBA, FAAFP

Education:

AB cum laude, Princeton University

MD, Jefferson Medical College

Graduate certificate in the Business of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University

MBA, Yale University (as a charter member of the Leadership in Health Care Program)

Professional experience:

Dr. Daniel's career as a physician in the U.S. Navy has included assignments in the Philippines, Sicily, Indonesia, California, Maryland, Connecticut and Florida. From 2006 until 2009 he led the Navy's global enterprise of medical research laboratories located in Egypt, Ghana, Peru, Indonesia, Cambodia and throughout the United States. He is now the first Naval Officer to serve as the Deputy Commander of a similar but larger Army command, employing 6000 military and civilian personnel, who work with numerous international, interagency, academic and industry partners to manage and execute medical research, development and acquisition for the Department of Defense and the US, and to field, distribute and maintain medical products, supplies and equipment for the US Army.

Areas of expertise:

Dr. Daniel completed his residency in Family Medicine at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton (CA), a fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, and received additional training from the Navy in aviation medicine and tropical medicine.  During his fellowship, he achieved national recognition as an educator in preventive medicine services for adolescents and as a researcher in the assessment of concussions sustained by adolescent athletes. He also served as chairman of the Society for Adolescent Medicine's international section of adolescent health professionals in training.  

Dr. Daniel is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, and served as a member of American Family Physician's editorial advisory board from 2002 until 2007. He maintains board certification by the American Board of Family Medicine in both Family Medicine and Adolescent Medicine.

Dr. Emmanuel O. Egbogah, Ph.D, P.Eng.  

Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria for Petroleum Affairs

Education:

D.Sc Engineering (Honoris Causa), University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria (2006)

Ph.D Petroleum Reservoir Engineering, Imperial College of Science & Technology, University of London

DIC Petroleum Reservoir Engineering, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College of Science & Technology - London

M.Sc. Petroleum Engineering, University of Alberta - Edmonton, Canada

M.Sc. Applied Petroleum Geology - Friendship University, Moscow, USSR

Professional experience:

Dr. Emmanuel O. Egbogah has over 35 years of diversified geological and petroleum engineering experience in consulting, teaching, research & development, and project planning, implementation and management in Canada, USA, North Sea, Africa, Middle East and the Asia Pacific Region. He is an authority in the fields of petroleum policy and strategy, improved/enhanced oil recovery, field development planning and reservoir management.

Dr. Egbogah is founder and Executive Chairman of Emerald Energy Resources Limited, the Operator of continental shelf oil block OPL 229, Niger Delta, Nigeria. He is also Director of numerous local and international companies. Previously, he was Vice President, International Production for Niko Resources Limited, an international E & P company in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Dr. Egbogah served for eight years as Technical Advisor and Technology Custodian for PETRONAS, the national oil company of Malaysia, where he was responsible for long range strategic and investment diversification planning. He also served for five years as Enhanced Oil Recovery Advisor for the Libyan National Oil Corporation, Tripoli, where he was responsible for the national Reservoir Management program.

A former Petroleum Engineering Manager & EOR Specialist for Amerigo International in Calgary and Houston, Dr. Egbogah was previously Senior Vice President Engineering with Applied Geosciences and Technology (AGAT) Consultants Ltd, Calgary, Alberta, Canada where he directed the multi-million Dollar, multi-client study on Reservoir Sensitivity and Completion Procedures Project on behalf of 53 multinational and 10 independent oil companies, issuing 2200-page report of same to its subscribers.

Areas of expertise:

Dr. Egbogah has authored and/or co-authored 76 technical publications so far. A DISTINGUISHED MEMBER (1995) of the SPE, Dr. Egbogah was a Review Chairman for the Journal of Petroleum Technology, JPT, a 1993-99 Steering Committee Member of the Asia Pacific Oil & Gas Conference and a 1992-96 Steering Committee Member of the Forum Series in Asia Pacific, and Chairman of the 1995 SPE Forum Series on “Challenges in Gas Reservoir Management, member of the Diversity/Governance Task Force, SPE Speakers Bureau Speaker and member SPE Cedric Ferguson Gold Medal Committee. He served as Senior Editorial Advisor to the Journal of Petroleum Technology on Field Development Planning and reservoir management (1994-98).

Dr. Egbogah is a registered Professional Engineer of Alberta, Canada, and listed in the world’s Who’s Who in Science and Engineering. He is Life Patron of the African-Caribbean Network for Science & Technology, United Kingdom. Dr. Egbogah is the recipient of of SPE’s 1998 Asia Pacific Regional Service Award and the 1999 SPE Nigeria Council Millennium Award for his active and dedicated service to the Society of Petroleum Engineers in the 20th Century. He is currently the Society of Petroleum Engineers Regional Director for Africa; the highest policy making body for the 69,000 member international organization. At its 22nd Convocation March 11, 2006, the Senate of the University of Port Harcourt Nigeria, conferred on Dr. Egbogah the Degree of Doctor of Science in Engineering (D.Sc. Honoris Causa) in recognition of his outstanding contributions as a foremost intellectual to the development of the energy sector, both in Nigeria and other countries of the world.

Professional membership:

Distinguished Member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, International

Petroleum Society of ClM (Canada)

American Society for Engineering Education

International Society for Rock Mechanics

New York Academy of Sciences

Co-Chairman, Steering Committee, SPE Forum Series in Asia Pacific on "Challenges in Gas Reservoir Management"

Program Committee member, SPE Asia Pacific Oil & Gas Conference (1993-1999), Member, SPE Cedric Ferguson Gold Medal Committee

Senior Editorial Advisor to the Journal of Petroleum Technology on Field Development Planning and Reservoir Management

Recipient of the Society of Petroleum Engineer's 1998 Asia Pacific Regional Service Award (Jakarta, Indonesia) in recognition of his continuing and outstanding commitment of personal effort and time for technology transfer throughout the Asia Pacific Region

1999 SPE Nigeria Council Millennium Award in recognition of his active and dedicated service to the Society of Petroleum Engineers in the 20th Century
 

Tyrone Fahner, JD

Education:

BA, The University of Michigan

Northwestern University School of Law, LLM

Ford Foundation Fellowship, 1969-1971

Wayne State University, JD

Professional experience:

Fahner served co-Chairman of Mayer Brown LLP from 1998 to 2001 and as Chairman from 2001 to 2007. He sat on the Management Committee of Mayer Brown from 1985 to 2007. Fahner's practice includes complex litigation, state and regulatory compliance matters, as well as advising audit committees and boards of directors. He has extensive jury trial experience in cases involving financial crimes, tax, securities, and regulatory matters, and he has handled both multi-district and class action litigation. Fahner was named "2002 Person of the Year" by Chicago Lawyer and has been named among both America's Leading Business Lawyers (Chambers USA) and the World's Leading Business Lawyers (Euromoney). He was recently appointed by President George W. Bush to the Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad.

Tyrone Fahner is a former Attorney General of Illinois, having served as the chief legal and law enforcement officer while prosecuting actions on behalf of the people and defending actions brought against the state, its constitutional officers, and its employees. In addition, he has served as Director of the Illinois Department of Law Enforcement and as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

Edward H. Halaburt

Education:

BS Finance, Northern Illinois University

Professional experience:

Development Analyst, Cushman & Wakefield

Credit Analyst, Earle M. Jorgensen Company

Research Analyst, Department of Labor

Areas of expertise:

Real estate (industrial and other), market research and presentation, finance and tax matters

Ebele Onyema

Education:

BA Political Economics, Georgetown University

MA Social Work, University of Chicago (in progress)

Professional experience:

Velocity Sports & Entertainment Inc. - Norwalk, CT

Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates - Marketing Consultant, Project Manager - New York, NY

Has worked on the production of galas, concerts and seminars on behalf of major organizations, including Georgetown University, MTV, The NFL, and O, The Oprah Magazine.

Areas of expertise:

Event planning and execution, marketing, public relations, human development

Gozie Onyema, JD

Education:

AB Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University

JD, University of Wisconsin Law School

Professional experience:

Associate, Fulbright & Jaworski LLP - Washington, DC

Legal Intern, Essex Newark Legal Services - Newark, NJ

Project Assistant, Sidley, Austin, Brown, & Wood LLP - Chicago, IL

Areas of expertise:

Education:

BA Communications (minor in History), Boston College


Professional experience:

Executive Assistant, Monterrey Security Consultants, Inc. - Chicago, IL

Freelance event coordinator

TRACS, Inc. sports marketing and event management firm, Intern

NASA Ames Research Center: education and technology, Intern

Susan's School of Dance: instructor, demonstrator, administrative assistant

Areas of expertise:

Has worked on the production of galas, large-scale sporting events, conventions, and charity events.

Event planning and management and public relations
 

Special Advisors:

Chess Stetson

GEANCO Foundation Technical Advisor and Symposium Coordinator

Education:

AB, Physics, Harvard University

MS, Neuroscience, University of Texas

Ph.D. candidate, Computation and Neural Systems, Caltech University

Professional experience:

Assistant Staff, MIT Lincoln Laboratory; Research Assistant, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

Areas of expertise:

Neurobiology, computer science, engineering, website design and graphic design