Donald F. "Pat" Patierno

Pat joined MAG America's board in 2005. Pat has a diverse and expansive background that spans nearly 38 years of military and civilian service with the US Federal government. He spent 20 years at the State Department alone, serving in such diverse and prominent positions as Executive Director of the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Director of the Office of Humanitarian Demining, and Executive Director of the Bureau of Public Affairs. As Director of the Office of Humanitarian Demining, Pat managed $60 million worth of funding that enabled humanitarian mine action assistance to over 40 countries. Mr. Patierno served as the U.S. advocate for the Slovenian-based International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance.

Virgil Wiebe

Virgil has served on MAG America's board since 2001, and actively participates in efforts to curb the use of landmines and cluster bombs in armed conflicts. As a consultant to the Mennonite Central Committee, he has attended United Nations conferences on landmines and conventional weapons, and has addressed diplomats on international humanitarian law matters. Virgil has a strong background in refugee advocacy, including four years as Director of Immigration Services and Supervising Attorney for Interfaith Community Services in New York City.

Loddy E. Tolzmann

Loddy studied at the University of Minnesota (Carlson School of Management) and University of St. Thomas School of law, earning a Bachelor's degree in Business/Marketing and Juris Doctorate degree, respectively. Working in the field of immigration law, she has extensive and well-rounded experience serving the indigent in asylum, human rights, refugee resettlement, torture, human trafficking, gender-based violence, and deportation defense. She co-founded Twin Cities Boxing, an amateur boxing nonprofit program that serves at-risk youth in abstaining from gang violence, substance abuse, and juvenile delinquency. Through her childhood experiences, Ms. Tolzmann has made it her mission in life to do what she can to advocate and provide for those in need at various levels including locally, nationally, and abroad.

Gail G. Uilkema

Gail over 35 years, Gail worked in the education field; first as a teacher and principal and then as the Superintendent of two nationally recognized school districts. In 2002, she received the National Superintendent of the Year award from the American Association of School Administrators. In 2003, she retired from the Superintendency, but she continues her work in education as an international consultant. Upon retirement, she founded Lantern Projects, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals and communities around the world through projects in health, education, and the environment. She also is an active Rotarian and serves as a docent at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. She and her husband John have been involved in humanitarian mine action campaigns since 2006 when they took their first trip to Southeast Asia to view firsthand the devastation anti-personnel landmines can cause to a community. Dr. Uilkema joined the MAG America Board in early 2011.

Cito Vanegas

Cito is currently the Chief Financial Officer of the National Older Worker Career Center, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advances experienced worker opportunities throughout the United States.  He has over 21 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector, specializing in nonprofit finance, management, and accounting.  Cito is an emerging leader fellow at the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington.  He received a BS in Business Administration from the University of Mary Washington and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. He is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA.)  He is excited to join the Board in the role of Treasurer as well as participating in MAG’s lifesaving mission.

Laurence D. Alpert

Larry has over 30 years’ of senior financial and business experience within the Satellite, Telecom and Government Services industries. Mr. Alpert grew up in New York and earned his MBA in finance from NYU’s Stern School of Business.  While attending graduate school, he began working in telecommunications and finance at ITT Corp. in New York City. Career advancement opportunities drew him to the Washington, D.C. area where he continued working in finance and telecommunications at AT&T and Verizon predecessor companies. In his work at Intelsat (the largest fixed satellite communications providers in the world with its fleet of more than 50 geo-stationery satellites covering over 99% of the world’s populated regions) Larry headed financial planning and analysis and treasury activities and worked on communications projects for Intelsat customers in most regions of the world. He also served in senior financial positions with Intelsat’s government services group located in Bethesda, Maryland. Currently Larry works as a consultant to several Satellite and Telecommunications firms.

Melissa W. Jimison

Director of Development, International Campaign for Tibet

Melissa is Director of Development at the International Campaign for Tibet in Washington, DC, an advocacy organization whose mission is to promote human rights and democratic freedoms for the Tibetan people. In this role she secures funding for the organization’s core programs primarily through gifts from individuals around the world.  For the past ten years Melissa has helped advocacy, community development and educational organizations raise millions of dollars by strengthening relationships with donors and streamlining fundraising operations.  Her areas of expertise include special events, direct mail, major gifts and online fundraising. Melissa holds a BA in International Relations from Michigan State University and an MA in Human Rights from Columbia University.  Ms. Jimison joined the MAG America board in 2013.

Frederic C. Hof

Fred is currently a senior fellow with the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East. On March 28, 2012 President Obama conferred on Ambassador Hof the rank of ambassador in connection with his new duties as special advisor for transition in Syria. Fred was previously the special coordinator for regional affairs in the US Department of State’s Office of the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace. He joined the Department of State in April 2009 after serving as president and CEO of AALC, limited company, an international business consulting and project finance firm. A 1969 graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Fred began his professional career as an Army officer. He is a Vietnam veteran and served as a US Army Middle East foreign area officer. He served as US Army attaché in Beirut, Lebanon and later in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as Director for Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestinian Affairs. His awards include the Purple Heart, the Department of State Superior Honor Award, the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Medal and the Defense Superior Service Medal. He resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with his wife, Brenda.