Leadership

Rob has held the position of Chief Executive Officer for Gift of Life International since February 2008. He graduated from Hobart College in 1984 with a BS in Political Science. Directly out of college Rob went to work for United States Senator Alphonse D’Amato (R-New York) from 1984 to 1986. He worked for Browning Ferris Industries (BFI) from January1987 until 1999, where he held the position of Vice President. From 1999 to 2007 Rob managed his own political consulting business. As Chief Executive Officer of Gift of Life International, he has focused on the creation of sustainable pediatric cardiac surgery programs in developing countries. Presently he is working to develop programs in Bolivia, Panama, The Philippines, Romania, Jamaica and The Dominican Republic. Rob resides in Germantown, New York.

Robbie Donno was born in Manhasset, NY.  He is a graduate of La Salle Military Academy in Oakdale, Long Island and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa.  He met his wife, Barbara, at Duquesne and they were married in 1969.  Barbara has been the Mayor of the Village of Plandome Manor, in Manhasset for the past 13 years.  They have two children, Jacqueline and Matthew and two grandchildren, Emma and James.

He joined Manhasset Rotary in 1971 and became its President in 1975.  That was the year that changed his life.  There was a plea for help from the Rotary Club of Kampala, Uganda on behalf of 5-year old Grace Agwaru who was suffering from a congenital heart defect.  Grace was brought to St. Francis Hospital where she received her lifesaving surgery and the Gift of Life Program had its start.

In 2003, Gift of Life International was formed and Robbie was elected its first Chairman.  Over 37,000 children from 80 countries have received corrective heart surgery through Gift of Life chapters throughout the world.  His leadership in the Gift of Life was noted in the book, “Leadership by Example – The Ten Key Principles of All Great Leaders” written by Dr. Sanjiv Chopra and published in May 2012.  Gift of Life received prominent recognition in the book “Lady in Red” by Sheila Tate, referring to Mrs. Nancy Reagan’s involvement with 2 Korean children and the Gift of Life as her greatest diplomatic achievement.

Reflecting on Rotary and the Gift of Life, Donno says; “I have been a part of Gift of Life for 45 years and have seen the heart-felt involvement of thousands of people around the world.  Rotary is the platform that has allowed us to make a difference.  This experience has confirmed my belief that I am always surrounded by good people, unsung heroes who improve the lives of people that they don’t know, for no other reason than their need.  I am blessed to be in their company.”

Robbie was a principal of Donno Company, Inc, from 1970 to 1997.  He was Vice President of Eastern Waste of New York from 1997-1999 and is now a principal at Lemcor, Inc. of Newark, NJ.  He has been a leader in the solid waste industry for 50 years.  He has received many awards for his leadership in the industry and for his philanthropic endeavors.

Lou is a second-generation pharmacist, and owned his own pharmacy in New York for 22 years. He worked as the supervising pharmacist for CVS for over 20 years, and is currently semi-retired. Lou is a current member of the Sarasota Southside Rotary Club, the Chairman Emeritus of the Gift of Life of Florida Board of Directors, the District 6960 Secretary, and President of Gift of Life International. Lou co-founded Gift of Life of Florida, Inc. in 1994, and was one of original founders of Gift of Life International in 2003. He has been married to his wife Carol. They have two children and two grandchildren.

Fredlee Ann holds professional licenses in Clinical Social Work (New York and New Jersey), Marital and Family Psychotherapy (New Jersey), and School Psychology (New York). She has a private practice in Family Therapy in New York City. Fredlee has been a member of the Rotary Club of New York since 2007, and is honored to have served as a Director of Gift of Life International from 2011 through 2018 when she became Vice President.  She previously served on GOL Metro New York Board, and the Chairman’s Council of Gift of Life International. Since 2010, with healthcare professionals at Children’s Hospital Bloom in El Salvador, she has helped to develop a Humanized Care Program – patient and family centered care for children and their families, and teaching crisis intervention procedures and best practices in empathic care for the medical staff. Additionally, she has implemented the first-ever Humanized Care curriculum for the Professors of Adult and Pediatric Nursing at the University of El Salvador.

Bill retired from Swiss Reinsurance in 2006 after 36 years with the company in a variety of capacities from junior accountant in 1970 to manager of corporate risk insurance for the US operations at retirement.  Bill joined the Rotary Club of New York in 1988 and it was there that he first became involved with the Gift of Life program.  He coordinated the efforts of his club in hosting more than a dozen children at NYU Hospital for pediatric heart surgery.  In the late 1990’s, he was elected to the District 7230 Gift of Life Board.  Shortly thereafter, GOL District Chair, Dan Nalvan asked if he would serve as liaison to the founding GOL Board on Long Island and he served in that capacity for four years becoming more aware of the international scope of this great program.  Bill has been on his local GOL Board for almost 20 years and was the Chairman of Gift of Life Metro New York (Westchester/NYC) from 2014 to 2018.

In 2004, he assumed a larger role by joining the Board of Gift of Life International (GOLI).  In 2007, Bill became Vice Chairman and two years later became President serving four years in that role ending his term in June 2013.  He rejoined the Board of GOLI  in July 2016 and became the Secretary of the organization in 2018.

Bill is grateful for the opportunity to be a small part of the unprecedented growth of the Gift of Life program worldwide.

James’ career in the fine art world started as a young man as he was inspired by his family which was made up of artists and musicians. James graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a BFA. While exhibiting his work in both New York and Long Island, he was the Gallery Director for the Amber Palette which was located on Madison Avenue in Manhattan for 5 years. At the age of 26 he decided to open LaMantia Gallery in Northport where he has been for the past 28 years.

Over the years, he has been invited to sit on panel discussions at numerous art conventions around the country. He has had articles published, has been regularly quoted in trade magazines and was proud when the gallery was voted “The #1 Gallery in the Nation for Retail Excellence” by Décor Magazine in 2005.

While successful in business, James is also involved in many community projects and is most proud of being the Chair for the Gift of Life Long Island since September 2017. He has been on the board of directors for Gift of Life Long Island since 2007. James has also been President of the Northport Rotary Club, twice. In addition to his Rotary experience, James has sat on the board of SCOPE in Northport Village in the early 90’s, as well as sitting on the Architectural and Historical Review Board for Northport Village.
James is most passionate for the Gift of Life stemming from an incident from his childhood which has led him to a life of protecting and caring for those in need.

James is best known as someone who can energize a group. He is a high energy individual, communicative and thinks creatively. From running and promoting fundraisers, to climbing Mt. Marcy, the tallest peak in New York which raised over $11,000 for Gift of Life, James gets things done!

After obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Boston College, Kevin Bagnasco was employed by Ernst & Young and obtained his CPA in April of 1982. Since 1983, he has been a principal of Avanti Furniture, a fifty-year-old custom furniture manufacturer in Farmingdale, New York, providing services to many of the country’s prominent designers and architects. Kevin has been a member of the Farmingdale Rotary Club for thirty years, serving in all capacities within the Farmingdale Rotary Club, including twenty-five years of service on the Board. Within Rotary District 7250, he has been the District Treasurer for four years, and has also served as Treasurer of the District 7250 Foundation for seventeen years. Kevin resides in Kings Park, New York with his two college age children. Within his home community, Kevin has been involved in Boy Scouts, coached Little League and was the Treasurer for a local civic group.

Carl Campagna is in the wholesale food distribution business in New York. Carl is involved in a number of charitable and civic organizations in New York helping children. He is a board member for The Kings County Youth Organization, HeartShare and HeartShare Wellness which provide a wide range of services to children and adults with developmental disabilities, families in crisis, and people with HIV/AIDS. He is a member and past president of The Rotary Club of Verrazano Brooklyn, New York and a member of the Chairman’s Council of Gift of Life International.
Carl Campagna became involved with Gift of Life International in 2008 when a 10 year old boy from the Philippines had a heart operation at NYU Hospital in NYC and passed away, the surgery was sponsored by the Campagna Family in memory of their father who was a charter member of The Rotary Club of Verrazano. It was at that point when Carl decided to get involved with Gift of Life International making friends with the late Aldo Frustaci, Francesco DiMarco and the Gift of Life Family.
As a member of Gift of Life International Carl has seen first hand the work that goes into help saving a child in need of heart surgery whether home or abroad. Through Gift of Life International Carl has met many wonderful people whose goal is Healing little hearts around the world

Janet has been a Member of the Pleasantville Rotary Club in Westchester County, NY for 29 years. She has served as Club President and served on every committee in the club.

Janet was introduced to GOL in 1995 when PDG Gilda Chirifisi introduced it to District 7230. She has attended every fundraiser that District 7230 has had for the program. Her club is a supporter of GOL and she continues to encourage other clubs to be involved in the program. She served on the Board of Directors of GOL Metro New York.

Janet has been the DRFC in District 7230 and has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to GOL through DDF and Global Grants. She has been raising money for GOL for a number of years through other districts and clubs. Janet has a number of contacts around the world that she reaches out to obtain funding for GOL.

Janet is currently the Assistant Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator for Zone 32.

Janet is a PDG 2000-01, Major Donor, Bequest Society Member, and a member of the Paul Harris Society. This year she is serving a second term as DG. The person who was to be DG had to resign the position and as the Vice Governor it came to me to serve out her term.

Janet has received the Rotary Service Above Self Award as well as RI Foundation Meritorious Service Award.

Suzanne Freaney, Past-President of Gift of Life International (GOLI), first became involved with Gift of Life New Jersey Inc. in 1998 and continues to serve on their Board of Trustees. She was introduced to GOLI in 2003, elected to the Board of Directors in 2007, became Secretary to their Board in 2010, and was elected to serve her first of two terms as President in 2013, completing her second term in 2017.
Suzanne and her husband, Ray, reside in Berkeley Hts., NJ. They have one daughter, Caitlin.
Suzanne is ARFF & Customs Administrator for DM AIRPORTS, LTD., operators of Morristown Municipal Airport, where she has been employed for the last eighteen years.

Carlos Mauricio Hernandez has been Executive Vice President of Business Operations with Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey since July 2010. He oversees Goodwill’s “industries,” including retail, temporary staffing, industrial contracts, and facilities operations. Mr. Hernandez’s division provides work for more than 1,600 employees and brings revenues of over $85 million to the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit human services corporation.

Mr. Hernandez joined the New York-New Jersey Goodwill in 1995 as Director of Retail Operations, later becoming Retail Operations Senior Vice President. In his 20-year tenure, he has helped lead the agency’s significant retail growth. The number of stores quadrupled from 10 to 40 and sales revenues shot up from $5 million to $54.5 million. Mr. Hernandez’ outstanding leadership has benefited more than the agency’s bottom line, since income from stores helps to support Goodwill programs. He also initiated a multitude of partnerships with local government agencies and nonprofit organizations to place 640 persons with disabilities annually to receive training or participate in enclaves in Goodwill stores. Partners include the New York City Department of Education, BOCES, ARC, AHRD and ACLD, to name a few.

Mr. Hernandez took time out from his work at New York-New Jersey Goodwill in 2005 to serve as Vice President of Retail Operations for Goodwill Industries of South Florida. In this senior leadership position, he helped develop the organization’s retail expansion strategy, actively participated in the merger of the Dade County and Broward County Goodwills and played an important role representing South Florida Goodwill in the handling of very complex insurance claims resulting from three major hurricanes. He continued as a consultant in these negotiations through 2006 after his return to New York-New Jersey Goodwill.

Mr. Hernandez originally came to the New York-New Jersey Goodwill from Goodwill Industries of Southern California, where he was production director from 1987 to 1995. He supervised nine departments and oversaw distribution and processing of donated goods to all Goodwill retail stores within the Los Angeles area.

Along with working for local Goodwills for almost 30 years, Mr. Hernandez has provided leadership for the Goodwill movement nationally and internationally and is a 2012 graduate of Goodwill Industries International’s Executive Development Program. GII recognized him in 2014 with the Edgar J. Helms Staff Award, presented to a Goodwill employee “who has exemplified the mission of Goodwill Industries and the founder’s values of unselfish service to people with disabilities or other disadvantaging conditions.”

In New York City, Mr. Hernandez is a trustee of the Better Business Bureau Foundation and a Board Member of Gift of Life International. He is active in ReuseNYC, which he worked with closely in responding to Hurricane Sandy. He is known for being a team player, dedicated to working closely with staff inside and outside his division, government agencies, and corporate and nonprofit partners to support persons with disabilities and other barriers to employment in their efforts to achieve self-sufficiency through work.

A graduate of Queens College, Mr. Hernandez majored in economics and minored in accounting there. He is a resident of Flushing, Queens.

Kathy was raised in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.  She began a career in banking in 1980 and after almost 20 years changed her career focus to Human Services.  She worked 10 years in the non-profit sector and while in that field she held the position of Executive Director for a non-profit agency in Moorestown, New Jersey that provided support to families that had lost loved ones due to a traumatic death.   She returned to her career roots in banking and currently is the Senior Vice President of Branch Administration and Business Development  for Liberty Bell Bank in Marlton, New Jersey. 

Kathy became a member of the Rotary Club of Moorestown in December 1988.  She has been actively involved in the club at many levels.  She was the President of her club during Rotary’s Centennial year, 2004-2005.  Kathy served as an Assistant Governor in District 7500 for three years and also held the position of District Secretary during 2007/2008.  She is a member of the Paul Harris Society, the Rotary Foundation Bequest Society and a Major Donor.  She served as District Governor for District 7500 in 2009/2010.  She was the District 7500 Foundation Chair 2013-2015 and completed her term in June as the Assistant Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator for Zone 32. She now will serve in the position of District Foundation Chair for the new District 7505.    Kathy serves as the Board Chair for the Rotary District 7500 Gift of Life Foundation that supports missions to provide corrective pediatric heart surgery for children in developing countries.  Kathy also serves as President of the Board for Contact of Burlington County which is the designated agency to provide Sexual Assault services to the residents of Burlington County.  She is also involved in her community serving on many Boards with many organizations.

Kathy resides in Swedesboro, New Jersey, with her husband Harry, who is a Hospice Administrator.  She has two grown children, Scott and Nicole.  She also has a beautiful granddaughter, Elise Marie that she truly enjoys.  Kathy’s hobbies include cooking and spending time on the beach at her home at the Delaware shore.

Career Experience:

In 1977 I began working within my family’s business. Candidly, I don’t remember when I became the president of the company. It was in the early 90’s. I presided over the business until 2012, when I merged my company with a friendly competitor.

Currently, I am the co-owner of Legacy Office Solutions LLC, based in Brooklyn NY. We provide all of the various types of products most businesses use within the work place. Since coming together, we have successfully acquired several businesses within our industry over the past eight years. Within our company, I hold the position of President & COO. My partner serves as CEO.

Board Experience:

In 2004, I was elected to the Board of Directors of Independent Stationers purchasing cooperative. Upon being elected to the board, I had learned that the group was going to announce to its shareholders, it’s first ever loss. It was significant and over the next year many members resigned for the organization, leaving the groups survivability in question.

At the end of my first year of service, I was asked to consider becoming Chairman of the Board of Directors, which I accepted. The chairman position had historically been a one-year term and then would transition to the Immediate Past Chair. Shortly after serving just a few months, the president of the cooperative had asked me as well as the rest of the directors, if they would consider allowing me to serve as the group’s first two-year chairman, which was unanimously agreed upon. I often jest that they had asked for a volunteer and I wasn’t paying close enough attention as the rest of the board quietly took one step back. Over the next several years, we successfully “righted the listing ship”.

I continued to serve on the board until 2011 with a three-year hiatus, before being asked to return and serve in 2014. From 2015 until June of 2019, I had served in an Executive Director capacity, as either secretary or vice chair (I turned down the chair twice).

From January of 2019 until June of 2019, I had served on a steering committee to facilitate the successful merger of three of my industries largest organizations. In July of 2019 I was elected as co-vice chair of the newly merged group (Independent Suppliers Group), with top line sales in excess of 800 million dollars.

It is important to note that the organizations that I helped successfully merge, had long adversarial & hostile relations. We were able to overcome our differences and see that our unity was far more rewarding & valuable than our divisiveness. 

I look forward to contributing to the Gift of Life International by bringing some practical board experience, which, may in turn help to provide some additional perspective.  

Tarun Mehta currently serves as Managing Director and Group Head of Financial Services Investment Banking at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, a part of Trust Financial one of the largest banks in the US.  Tarun has been with SunTrust for 7 years.  Prior to SunTrust, Tarun was a Managing Director in Deutsche Bank’s Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group. Tarun joined Deutsche Bank from JP Morgan where he spent 10 years in the Bank’s Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group.

Tarun and his wife Nadine are based in New York and are founders of “Gift of Water”, a personal charity they started in 2010 to provide safe drinking water to poor villages in India (www.giftofwater-nt.org).

Tarun earned his Masters degree from Columbia University, New York.  He is also a Chartered Accountant.

Maurice immigrated to the USA with his wife and daughter from the UK in May 2010 and resides in SW Florida. During the last 28 years he was actively engaged in the UK as a Mason and was involved in many charitable events each year. He achieved Provincial status and was Master of his Lodge twice – in 2002 and 2005.

Maurice’s family have been main contributors to a Children’s Orphanage in Cambodia for over 16 years, working on the development of secure premises, installation of proper sanitation and clean water, and fitting out the facilities with furniture, work equipment, and school equipment for 86 children. On his many trips to Cambodia, they would always buy food and supplies and have it delivered to the orphanage. In 2008, Maurice was actually able to buy and donate farmland which the elder children could cultivate and grow their own food, helping to make them self-sufficient. Today that farm employs over 50 of the elder children. They grow a surplus of food and can sell some on the open market.

Maurice joined the Lemon Bay Sunrise Rotary Club in Englewood, FL in March 2014 and almost immediately was asked to be Chairman of International Services and also the Gift of Life Chairman for the club. Later that year he attended a Gift of Life Florida board meeting and was asked to join the board. Since July 2016, he has been Vice-President of GOL-FL, and on July 1, 2018, he will be President of GOL-FL. He is very proud to do so.

During the past two years, through my own company, I have manufactured and donated over 200 sets of doctor’s scrubs (with GOL-FL logo) and I am in the process of donating 21 sleep chairs for a parent to stay with their child in the hospital. These will go to Haiti and El Salvador hospitals.

To be asked to join the International board of GOL is an amazing honour and I will do my very best to help the future development of such a wonderful cause.

In 1986 shortly after they were married Arnie & Rose moved to Ronkonkoma and joined St. Joseph’s Parish where he is still active today as a Eucharistic Minister. He quickly got involved in the community joining the St. Regis Knights of Columbus that same year. In 1987 Arnie & Rose started their family and now have three wonderful children. Today, Arnie & Rose’s family is grown and is very much involved in Rotary. Rose joined rotary in 2011, is the STEP Chair, RFE Co- Chair and Club Secretary. His son Justin is a Past RC President and Rotaract Chair. His daughter Chelsea attended International RYLA in Canada and started the first Interact Club in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn. His daughter Taylor participated on a Short-Term Youth Exchange and attended International RYLA in Australia.

In 1983 Arnold founded his first company, Watermatic Irrigation, over the next decade he grew the company & changed the name to TLC Lawn Sprinklers. After building the company to one of Long Island’s largest Sprinkler Companies Arnold sold it to begin a new business. In 1993 Arnold purchased a Commercial Cleaning account and started a small office cleaning business with 3 part time employees. Over the next 20 years this company evolved into Ronkonkoma Experts, with its main office located in Ronkonkoma. He holds top restoration credentials and is considered to be a Master Restorer Fire, Smoke & Water Damage. The company employs 25 people and is recognized as one of the top restoration Contractors in the North Eastern United States.

Being the son of a Deacon, the importance of faith and service were impressed upon him from a young age. Arnold has been a long time usher, and for the past 15 years a Eucharistic Minister. He was a soccer coach at St. Joseph’s CYO, he was also involved in Scouting for ten years spending for as the Chairman of St.Joseph’s Boy Scout Troop 272. He has been a member of the Ronkonkoma Chamber of Commerce 20 years and during his tenure as President he started the Ronkonkoma Street Fair.

In 2000 Arnie was invited to join the Ronkonkoma Rotary Club and he served as Governor for District 7260 (Suffolk County) 2010 -2011. Arnie and his wife Rose have taken multiple trips to India to administer polio vaccinations and oversee a grant that equipped a medical clinic. Arnie has also gone on 12 humanitarian missions to Haiti to provide much needed water wells, medical equipment, satellite communications and solar panels in 4 different villages.

After his son’s girlfriend, Andrea Giattino, was killed by a drunk driver while on her way home from a Rotary Event, Arnold and his family founded The Simple Hope Foundation to combat drunk driving & substance abuse deaths. Arnold & the Foundation work to make our roads safer by funding research, creating awareness and helping to “make drink driving matter”.

Arnie’s passion of giving back to the community, locally as well as internationally, with his whole heart, his time, his talent, his leadership and his family is an inspirational source to everyone!!

Professional and Business Affiliations
Vice President, JARTS Commercial Corp., 1989-1990
Vice President, Antracs International Corp., 1990-1992
Vice President, United Construction Co. Inc., 1995-98
President, Westchester Pawnshop Corp., 1997-current
President, A. Tambunting Pawnshop Corp., 2002- current
Director, Enterprise Capital Bank, 2007-current
Managing Director, Abba Insurance Agency Inc., 2008- current
President, Tiwala sa Padala Inc., 2009-current
President, FORDAYS Japan International, 2017-2018

Rotary Club Service
Member, Rotary Club of Makati West, 2001
Chairman, Most Outstanding Teacher Award, RY 2001-2002
Chairman, RCMW Christmas Bazaar 2003, RY 2003-2004
Chairman, RCMW Christmas Bazaar 2005, RY 2005-2006
President, Rotary Club of Makati West, RY 2006-07
Board Adviser, Rotary Club of Makati West, 2007-2019
Chairman, Foundation of Rotary Makati West, RY 2007-2008

Rotary Service as Club President
-Overlooked GOL heart surgeries to 52 children
-Supervised the Purchase, Importation and Distribution 1,280 wheelchairs all over Philippines
-Lead three Operation Smile Medical Missions providing harelip/cleft palate surgeries to 252 children
-Arranged and Implemented the Rotary GK Pinagsama Village provided 52 Homes to Indigent Families
-Launched five Water for Life Deep Wells which provided Water to thousands
– Lead the implementation of other club projects (Mass Wedding, Likhang Sining, Feeding Program,
Artificial Limbs and Rotaract projects)

Rotary Service in District 3830
-Membership Coordinator, RY 2007-08
-Vice Chairman, Literacy Committee, RY 2007-08
-Chairman, Gawad Kalinga Partnership, RY 2007-08
-Assistant Governor, RY 2008-09
-District Governor Special Representative (organizing the formation of RC Alabang Lampara), 2008-10
-District Secretary, RY 2010-11
-Deputy Chairman, DISCON 2011
-District Governor Special Representative (organizing the formation of RC Alabang Centrepoint), 2011-13
-Chairman, Membership Recruitment and Retention, RY 2011-12
-Chairman, Venue Committee, DISCON 2012
-Chairman, International Service, RY 2012-2013
-Vice Chairman, District Rotary Foundation Committee, RY 2013-14
-Coordinating Chairman, Service Projects, RY 2014-15
-Chairman, District Grants, RY 2015-17
-Chairman, Annual Giving Committee RY 2017- 2018
-Chairman, Major Donor Committee RY 2018- 2019

Rotary Service Beyond the Disrict
Trustee, Rotary Golf Fellowship Foundation of the Philippines, 2003-06
Trustee, Stepping Stone Foundation, 2003-05
Chairman, Housing Committee, Manila Zone Institute 2009
Chairman, Housing Committee, Manila Zone Institute 2015

Gift of Life Service
-Involved with RCMW GOL program (various capacity) 2005- current
-Deputy Chairman, Gift of Life Conference Manila, 2005
-Organized and Led GOL Mission to Iloilo (12 PDA cases in one day), November 2006
-Chairman, RUN FOR LIFE (a Fun Run for Gift of Life), 2009
-Involved in activating GOL in seven hospitals (MMC, AH, PGH, PHC, MDH, NCH, PCMC)
-Underwriting and Supervision to Five Matching Grants and Global Grants with approximate amount of –
$300,000 (including two active grants; GG1635055- Brotherhood Heart for Children’s Heart and
GG1860701- Providing Lifesaving Cardiac Treatment to Poor Filipino Children in Their
Country of Birth)

Rotary Recognitions
Rotarian of the Year (Rotary Club of Makati West), RY 2003-04
Most Outstanding President, RY 2006-07
Avenue of Service Citation 2015
District Rotary Foundation Service Citation 2014
Paul Harris Fellow (Major Donor)

Educational Attainment
Menlo College, Business Administration, 1990
Asian Institute of Management, Master in Entrepreneurship, 2001
Asian Institute of Management, Finance for Senior Executives, 2002

Personal Information
Spouse: Bambee Bartolome Tambunting
Children: Franco Gabriel (18), Antonia Mariana (14), Alesandro Javier (11) and Sofia Emiliana (9)
Sports Interests: Golf, Running (four-time marathon finisher), Tennis, Badminton, Scuba Diving

Harm Velvis is a pediatric cardiologist in Albany, NY and has been involved with local Gift of Life and Gift of Life International for 25 years including a dozen medical trips abroad.  He was born in the Netherlands.  He lives with his wife just outside Albany and their four adult children are spread out across the United States.  Because his daughter was born with Down syndrome, he has a special affinity for children with Down syndrome both locally and on GOLI trips abroad.  He started and was for many years president of the Down Syndrome Aim High Resource Center in Albany.  For him, medical trips abroad through GOLI are special because many children with congenital heart disease receive treatment they would otherwise not have received, and the trips are special too because of the cooperation and bonds formed between international and local teams of health care professionals and because of the privilege being exposed to rich cultures all around the world.  

Abe earned his Bachelor of Arts from University of Bridgeport, and his Juris Doctor from Duke University School of Law. He has worked as an attorney before the U.S. Supreme court and for the Connecticut and Federal Court systems, and by special appointment of the Chief Justice of Connecticut is a trier of civil cases as Attorney Trial Referee. He led the Polio Plus National Immunization (NID) Program in Ghana and Togo, participating in the immunization of over 5 million children. Abe has been an involved Rotarian since 1973, and served as the Rotary International Vice President from 1999-2000, as well as the Rotary International Director from 1998-2000. He has attended 19 Rotary International conventions and conferences around the world with his late wife Marilyn, who founded the Rotary Club of Bridgeport Sunshine. Abe founded Gift of Life Program in Penang, Malaysia, which has saved the lives of over 500 children. He is a Multiple Paul Harris Fellow, major donor and benefactor of the Rotary Foundation, and has won many awards for his service and accomplishments.

Dr. Rodrigo Soto, a Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, joined Gift of Life International in May 2019.  Dr. Soto has dedicated his skills and knowledge to help children with congenital heart disease in developing nations for 18 years.  He completed his medical school and general surgery training in Chile.  He then moved to Australia and France to learn pediatric cardiac surgery and returned to Australia in 2000 to work as staff at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.  In Australia, Dr. Soto joined the International Children’s Heart Foundation (ICHF) as a volunteer, transitioning to staff surgeon and then to CEO in 2014.

From 2004 to 2012, Dr. Soto established the pediatric cardiac surgery program and the ECMO program at Clinica Alemana in Santiago, Chile.  With the experience of setting up a pediatric cardiac program, more than a decade of volunteer work, and the work as CEO with ICHF, Dr. Soto made the decision to join Gift of Life International.

Dr. Rodrigo Soto is the Clinical Consultant for Gift of Life International and leads our training visits in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the Philippines.