Keith Boyd, MD is currently a pediatrician and internist at Rush University Children's Hospital, as well as Assistant Dean of Rush Medical College in Chicago. Long before medical school, he developed an appreciation for the healing power of the arts. More recently, while working as a residential mental health counselor for chronically-ill patients, the value of art in the therapeutic process was reinforced by one patient in particular who was wholly unable to express herself in words, but was remarkably articulate through her drawings.   As a pediatric "hospitalist" caring for children at Rush Children's Hospital, his work involves children and families coping with the stress of severe illness. "I witness the miraculous resilience of kids and I see, first hand, the importance of the work of the many others involved in the care of our pediatric patients. The artists and the staff of Snow City Arts are an invaluable part of the healing process. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the unique work of SCA as a physician and a Board member." close window

		George Filley has more than 20 years of domestic and international sales, business development and product management experience in the internet, wireless and navigational market place. Currently, Mr. Filley has responsibility for the Internet / Wireless Business Unit at NAVTEQ, developing new market opportunities and managing relationships with corporations the like of Microsoft, Verizon, AOL, Yahoo!, Google, AAA and more.   Mr. Filley joined the NAVTEQ in October 2000 after fifteen years with Motorola. Most recently, he was Director of Core Technology Partnerships at Motorola where he represented Motorola on wireless and Internet strategic initiatives. Mr. Filley holds an MBA from DePaul University's Graduate School of Business and a BA from North Park University. close window

		Robyn Hart is the director of Child life Services at Rush University Medical Center, where she has served for the past twenty years. She co-authored a book, Therapeutic Play Activities for Hospitalized Children, which was named a Book-of-the-Year by two different nursing organizations. In addition to serving on the board of the Snow City Arts Foundation, she is also a board member of the Starlight Foundation Midwest Chapter and Open Heart Magic.   As a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University, Ms. Hart received her BA in Early Childhood/Child Life and her Master's degree in Education from the Eriksson Institute. close window

		Bill Loumpouridis serves as President and CEO for EDL Consulting, a leading eCommerce and Systems Integration firm serving a rich client base that includes manufacturing, media, and high tech clients. Mr. Loumpouridis is a serial entrepreneur and methodology wonk with several thriving start-up professional services organizations to his credit. He founded EDL in July 2001 as a response to the .com implosion, and built a firm based on Excellence in Delivery Leadership (EDL) lacking in many misguided .com projects.   Prior to EDL, Mr. Loumpouridis served as Vice President of CRM at iXL, as well as four years at PricewaterhouseCoopers building a regional CRM practice. He was also the founder of Strategic Technology Resources (STR), an early adopter of object-oriented programming in the early 1990's.   Some of Bill's most memorable accomplishments date back to his executive management role at Lante Corporation, one of the first firms to define a consulting practice around what were known as "microcomputers" during the heady 1980's.   Mr. Loumpouridis graduated in 1983 from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor's degree in computer science and mathematics. close window

		Tanya Brown Merriman is the Associate Director of Teacher Programs at the Art Institute of Chicago and a Visiting Instructor with the Art Education Department at the School of the Art institute of Chicago. Before working at the Art Institute of Chicago, she was the founding Lead Teacher/ Education Director at the Multicultural Arts High School, a Chicago Public School that integrates multicultural art into all of its subject areas. She has taught and administrated in both the public and parochial schools, and has also taught at every grade level.   She has a Masters in the Arts of Teaching from Columbia College and is anticipating her Doctorate in Education from DePaul University this year. She lives in Chicago with her husband Troy and her daughter, Tia Magnolia. close window

		Kate Neisser is a child psychologist and President of Snow City Arts' Board of Directors. Introduced to Snow City Arts nearly ten years ago, Kate immediately embraced the organization's mission. Hospitalized children are not just a composite of their presenting symptoms. They are creative potential ready to be actualized through the astute guidance of these working artists. Snow City Arts elicits, educates, and encourages imaginings that fly out of the window of the bleak hospital room and into the kaleidoscopic artistic realm.   Educationally oriented by nature, she read constantly to learn about the internal lives of others. Under the tutelage of her twin nine-year-old sons, she is learning about the Cubs, Native Americans, X-Treme sports, and how to explain rap lyrics without getting too extreme. She has learned how to coax Tuscan flavor out of a roaster ("though so far, my efforts taste like chicken") and, having just hiked her first 14,000 footer, she looks forward to learning to do so without crippling her quads. close window

		Peter G. Schmitz is the President of Astyx, Inc. Astyx is a Germany based high ­tech company that designs and manufactures sensors for applications in the automation and automotive industry as well as wireless communication systems. His current role in the organization is to build the North American business for this start-up company. Prior to his position at Astyx, Mr. Schmitz was a partner at Deutsche Venture Capital, a venture capital firm investing in high-tech and biotech companies in Germany and the United States. Earlier in his career, Mr. Schmitz held positions at Siemens Business Services both in the USA and Germany working on special projects in finance, and at Commerzbank where he covered capital markets clients in Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.   Mr. Schmitz holds a diploma in finance and international management from University of Mannheim in Germany, and Master of Business Administration from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Business. He enjoys travel, tennis, golf, and skiing. Mr. Schmitz and his wife Bronwyn Poole live in Chicago. close window

		Jason Star was first introduced to Snow City Arts Foundation while he was attending college for Visual Communications. His passion for the arts and devotion for the youth were combined with his talents in the form of teaching. Jason's preliminary objective, while collaborating with other local artists, was to provide a new environment outside the physical understanding of the "hospital world" with tools such as paint brushes, video cameras and computers. As much as it was desired to become the teacher, the role of a student was often played learning how each child thinks, live and love.   Now, as a professional graphic designer, Jason aspires to create inventive visual solutions by influencing the advancement of design with a balance of imagery and type. He recently worked as an Art Director and Designer for a creative communications firm developing branding programs, print advertising campaigns and a broad array of communications and marketing collateral materials. Jason is also involved with the Holocaust Remembrance Committee and Jobs For Youth/Chicago. close window

		Tom Trenta is the Managing Director of Egg Strategy Chicago, a Boulder, Colorado based brand strategy, innovation and communication firm. A former ad agency guy, Tom was formerly VP, Strategic Planning Director at Foote Cone & Belding and Leo Burnett, with previous experience at J. Walter Thompson. Tom also has spent time teaching at The Portfolio School.   In his free time Tom still plays soccer, the beautiful game. At home with the two kids, he and his wife have spent the past year restoring an Arts & Crafts bungalo in suburban Chicago. He swears he's almost done. close window

		The Board of Snow City Arts is dedicated to help guide our strategic, organizational, and financial growth. It is comprised of Individuals whose dedication and continued support has positioned Snow City to gain national recognition as one of the 15 best youth arts programs in the nation.
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