Tucson Advisory Board

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Tucson Advisory Board

Global Chamber® Tucson Advisory Board consists of insightful business leaders expert on strategies to help companies grow globally. The board serves as a first step to improving accessibility and education for businesses looking to expand internationally through coordinated programs and services. Thank you to our advisory board for your service and support! 

Advisory Board Leaders

Alma V. Peralta 

International Trade Specialist at City of Tucson  

Alma Peralta is a dynamic leader in trade for Southern Arizona working in the area of international trade and economic development. She also led two projects sponsored by the U.S. Department of State: The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, an international entrepreneur program, and STEM Leadership Club for Girls, a binational program for young women interested in STEM careers. Prior work experience includes her role as Director of Operations and International Relations for the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce where she engaged with the private and public sectors on both sides of the border to promote international trade between Latin America and Arizona.

Alma has served the Southern Arizona community by leading efforts to build the next generation of leaders. She served as a facilitator of the Hispanic Leadership Institute in Tucson to promote the individual development of Hispanics, positioning them for increased participation in leadership roles across the region. Alma holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Arizona. She speaks four languages—English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian—which serves her well as she works to enhance the City’s strategy for international business development. She is also a graduate of the Greater Tucson Leadership and the Hispanic Leadership Institute. In 2019, she attended the Global Youth Leadership Forum in Spain, an international young leader meeting for the analysis of world challenges. Ms. Peralta has also been recognized by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber and the Arizona Daily Star as a “40 Under 40” honoree. 

Edward Geisel 

Founder/CEO at Prana Global Sales 

Eddie is a successful global business development and sales leader skilled at creating vision and direction, and building team commitment to achieve them. He empowers sales professionals to grow beyond their expectations and exceed their goals in business and in life. Eddie's key areas of expertise include: Leadership; Executive Coaching; Global Sales Strategy; Advanced Technology Sales; C-suite Relationship Cultivation and Networking; International Contract Negotiation; Talent Development; Cultural & Emotional Intelligence

Previously Eddie was Director of Global Sales at Modular Mining, and before that he was Global Manager of Sales and Development at HJ3 Composite Technologies. He has held employment and contract roles at Playa de San San Carlos, Pfizer and Bombardier. Eddie has an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a business degree (marketing) from University of Arizona.

Eduardo Gonzalez

President at 258 Consulting  

Eduardo González is President of 258 Consulting, helping companies do business between the US and Mexico. Previously he served as Deputy Trade Commissioner of ProMéxico in Phoenix. Mr. González holds a degree in Public Accounting from the Autonomous University of Baja California in Mexico, and holds several certifications in management and risk management. He also has an extensive resume in business promotion within major Mexican companies with international exposure. Additionally, he has vast experience representing the Mexican Government, as he previously served as commercial delegate for Bancomext in The Hague, Netherlands. Recently he served as State Director of the ProMexico office in the state of Baja California.

Gregg Kafka

Commercial Real Estate Broker & Advisor at Lee & Associates

Gregg Kafka, CCIM joined Lee & Associates in 2011. He specializes in the representation of both tenants and owners, specifically in the leasing and sales of office properties. Some of his clients include Tryperion Partners, City Office REIT, Cypress Office Properties, Oaktree Capital, Opus, Regent Properties, Bank 34, BerryDunn and Sequoia Consulting Group.

Gregg has an extensive background in construction management with an impressive list of lease negotiations and tenant build outs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management from Arizona State University. In 2015, Kafka earned his CCIM designation, and in 2017 served on the Board for CCIM Arizona Chapter. 

Jan Knight 

Bancroft Information Services 

Jan provides market research, analysis, and insight to entrepreneurs. She is adept at research-driven writing and can shape business plans, pitch decks, marketing strategies, and new business development. Bancroft offers a comprehensive suite of services ranging from competitive profiling to industry profiles to commercialization. She works primarily with a diverse client base composed of high tech start-ups, marketing strategists, business development advertising agencies, software firms, publishers, biotechnology companies, corporate trainers, and more.

John Bord 

Tucson Electric Power  

John Bord is a proven leader in marketing, customer experience and Border community development in the US and Mexico. John is responsible for Customer Experience and Strategy for Tucson Electric Power. He is responsible for analyzing and understanding the company’s residential and commercial customers through the application of data analytics and primary research initiatives. John provides voice of the customer insights to customer-facing business units and executives to enhance the effectiveness of marketing, new product development, and energy efficiency programs.

Lee Wong Medina  

Deputy Consul, Consulate of Mexico in Tucson 

Lee Wong Medina is a Mexican career diplomat, serving as Deputy Consul of Mexico in Tucson, Arizona. His previous assignment was as Deputy Consul, Consulate of Mexico in Kansas City.

Liz Pocock 

Startup Tucson  

As COO, Liz Pocock is responsible for strategic oversight and day-to-day operations for the Startup Tucson team. Liz believes in building strong programs focused around the needs of Tucson businesses and entrepreneurs to ensure that the organization grows and delivers on its mission to help Tucson strive. Previously the Supervising Research Attorney and Development Director at the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade, Liz has more than five years of experience in non-profit organizational management and has a record of successfully managing complex stakeholder, contract, and partner relationships in national and international contexts.

Michael Tucker 

Executive and Coach at Tucker Coaching and Consulting  

Michael Tucker is an executive and life coach, consultant, community builder, published author and international speaker. He is committed to the acceleration, advancement and conscious evolution of the global human family. As the founder of Tucker Coaching & Consulting, Michael coaches and consults with and for executives, organizations, entrepreneurs and families around the world.  He specializes in cultivating and refining the leadership, creative capacity and decision making abilities of Black and minority professionals in support of corporate and organizational diversity, inclusion, talent development and retention goals.

Michael is a member of the International Coaching Federation, the Family Life Coaching Association and is a state advisor for the U.S Global Leadership Coalition. He currently serves on the Board of the Unified Progress International (UPI) Loan Fund, Arizona's only loan fund and economic development organization focused on black business communities in Arizona and around the world.  Michael is a United States Air Force veteran, has a bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina and a Master's degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. He enjoys playing sports, hiking, and learning. Michael currently lives in Tucson, Arizona with Ellen, his wife of 12 years.

Pat Watson 

Southern Arizona Council for International Visitors  

With a background in hospitality, Pat is in charge of building the international community through the International Visitors Leadership Program. It is administered by the U.S. Department of State annually brings to the United States approximately 5,000 foreign nationals from all over the world to meet and confer with their professional counterparts and to experience America firsthand. The visitors, who are selected by United States Foreign Service Officers overseas, are current or potential leaders in government, politics, the media, education, the arts, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), business and other fields.

Ricardo Platt

Vice President, Sales and Business Development at ED2 Corp

Ricardo Platt is responsible for Strategic Partnerships, Business Development, and Sales at ED2 Corp, an emerging engineering company based in Tucson that designs and develops a variety of products in and around the RF space; ED2 brings a unique combination of commercial, defense, and senior leadership to the productization process, with designs geared for high volume manufacturing, lowest cost, and best performance. ED2 has developed a significant IP portfolio around solutions for semiconductor, telecommunications, defense, aerospace and biomedical. 

Ricardo has a background leading both technical and non-technical teams in different industries, including RF electronics, real estate development and construction, agribusiness, and others, in both the southwest U.S. and Mexico. 

He earned his Master’s degree in International Management at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering at The University of Arizona.

Rodrigo Novoa 

Business Development Advisor at the Kozolchyk National Law Center; Partner at DNPV Abogados

He has focused his practice on corporate, real estate, international and customs law, advising national and foreign companies mainly in their commercial establishment in Chile and in multiple Latin American countries. He has also participated in institutional investment protection arbitration (ICSID) and in working groups of the United Nations Commission for International Trade Law.

Socio de DNPV Abogados (Santiago, Chile) y Business Development Advisor de Kozolchyk National Law Center (Tucson, AZ). Ha centrado su práctica en materias de derecho corporativo, inmobiliario, internacional y aduanero, asesorando a empresas nacionales y extranjeras principalmente en su establecimiento comercial en Chile y en múltiples países de Latinoamérica. También ha participado en arbitraje institucional de protección de inversiones (CIADI) y en Grupos de Trabajo de la Comisión de las Naciones Unidas para el Derecho Mercantil Internacional.

Shelly Glandon 

Blue Canoe Marketing

I do the “heavy lifting” my clients need to implement successful marketing programs and projects. My expertise is in organizing and executing marketing programs, projects, and events that help achieve my client’s operational and marketing goals. My work is focused on B2B clients with products, technology, or services that solve their customer's problems or give them a competitive advantage. I enjoy challenging work, helping clients align objectives, strategy, and tactics to achieve outstanding results.

Sonia Vohnout 

OppsSpot  

Sonia is owner of a consulting firm that assists its customers with the design and management of complex systems over their life cycles. She has more than 20 years of experience in systems engineering, software systems, quality systems management, business development/commercialization, start-ups, and program management. In the past she has worked for Physical Optics Corporation, Sentient, Ridgetop Group, Modular Mining, IBM, and AT&T Bell Laboratories. She is an expert modeler and has extensive expertise in prognostics and health management (PHM) systems and software development.

Steven Weaver

CEO Chair at Vistage International

Steven is an experienced CEO and Business Owner who chairs a Vistage CEO advisory group.  Private advisory groups made up of successful CEOs who want to help business leaders improve the performance and outcomes of their companies.

Susan Garber  

Garber Marketing & SME @ UA Innovation Center  

Susan is a Strategic Consultant to Executive Management for Business, Brand, Communications, & Marketing Strategy.  A Tucson native, she helps clients focus their strategic business planning & marketing, develop brand & positioning, optimize digital & online efforts, field & analyze market, product, & user research, and develop communications messaging & marketing programs. She has deep experience launching new businesses & products. Having worked with many entrepreneurs in a variety of fields, she is currently a Subject Matter Expert with the UA Center for Innovation. Previously Susan was Senior Vice President at Launch Media, an early digital start-up that created and marketed one of the industry’s first interactive content-based products (later sold to Yahoo!). Previously, she held senior management positions at influential advertising agencies in New York, San Francisco & Los Angeles. 

Valeria Macias 

Val-Ma Enterprises 

Located in Nogales, AZ, Val-Ma specializes in all modes of transportation to provide freight shipping solutions. Val-Ma Enterprises provides its customers with competitive pricing and superior logistics resources. Valeria’s company serves as a liaison between individuals or companies that need shipping services and an authorized motor carrier. Val-Ma Enterprises, LLC is bonded, and licensed from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). They are reliable carriers for Domestic Transportation, Special equipment, temperature-control, flat racks, open tops, and dry vans.

Whitney Lennon  

Partnered Innovation  

Whitney Lennon is a global innovation professional. As a systems thinker with deep experience in cross-cultural collaboration, she leads projects and problem solving from strategy to execution within cross-functional teams and across multiple organizations and industries. She's especially passionate about developing a culture of innovation that infuses solution-oriented approaches to all facets of business to crack open obstacles, demystify challenges, and empower teams to produce unprecedented results.

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