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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Brad Baldwin, President
Mr. Baldwin, a native of Culpeper Virginia, has a Bachelor of Arts in
Cinema/Television (1997) from the University of Southern California in Los
Angeles. Much of Baldwin’s early life was spent traveling the United States (47
States) and nearby countries. However, it was Brad’s first trip to India in 1992
that proved to be a pivotal turning point. Seeking a better sense of the world
and more life experience, Brad moved to Northern India in 1998 and has been
living off and on in India throughout the period. From assisting in earthquake
rehabilitation efforts in 2001 to launching Vishvet (2003), a company dedicated
to promoting cultural exchange between India and the United States, Brad has
gained valuable insight into human nature and world events. A highlight of Mr.
Baldwin’s work includes EKTA (2002), a 90 minute theatrical and dance production
performed by teenagers from India’s underprivileged communities. EKTA toured
throughout the USA, and was featured on CNN, as well as Atlanta PBS. Mr.
Baldwin’s background in humanitarian service, creative and visual arts and
business provide a solid foundation for Taj Global Understanding.
Click for detailed biography of Brad Baldwin
Kavita Baldwin, Vice President
Mrs. Kavita Baldwin, a native of Mumbai (Bombay), India has a Bachelor of Commerce from Mumbai University & a Diploma in Fashion Designing. Kavita is fluent in Hindi, Marathi, and English. Mrs. Baldwin is involved in a variety of community service efforts, including designing traditional ethnic clothes and providing employment to both rural and poor women, teaching English to kids, and working to distribute food and aid to families in the remote Kutchh region of Gujarat State. In 2006, Kavita oversaw the 5 month renovation of a bungalow in southern Maharashtra State which currently serves as TGU’s India office as well as an accommodation hub for inbound volunteers. In 2007, Mrs. Baldwin assisted in the development and administration of TGU’s short term exchange programs which were launched in June & July 2007 and involved 30 students from Gujarat, Maharashtra, & Karnataka.
Jan Evans, Secretary – Treasurer
Mrs. Jan Evans brings a great deal of experience to Taj Global Understanding. A
native of Virginia, Mrs. Evans served as Manager for Culpeper Family Practice,
handling the day to day operations for the local health care provider. Jan has
always been an active member of the local Culpeper community; moreover, she
serves as the President of the Betty Newhouse Circle at Culpeper United
Methodist Church. Mrs. Evans volunteers her time for both the Humane Society and
Staff Parish Committee for the Culpeper United Methodist Church. Jan has been
instrumental in raising funds from the local community to support humanitarian
projects in India and visited India in 2004 for the first time. Mrs. Evans will
be working behind the scenes to perform various administrative duties for Taj
Global Understanding.
Ron Evans, Director
Mr. Evans brings insight and professional experience to Taj Global
Understanding. Born in Florida, Mr. Evans has spent most of his life in the
Virginia area, graduating from Strayer College in 1972 with a Bachelor of
Science in Accounting. Prior to becoming a Certified Public Accountant, Ron
served in the United States Marine Corps from 1963-1967. Mr. Evans has served a
number of positions, including President, Treasurer, & Director Optimist Club
(Purcellville, VA), Rotary Club Member and Volunteer (Purcellville, VA), Lions
Club Member and Volunteer (Culpeper, VA), as well as volunteering for the
Culpeper Humane Society and Culpeper United Methodist Church. Mr. Evans is also
a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants & the
Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Evans traveled to India in
2004 visiting both rural and slum communities and looks forward to helping Taj
Global Understanding to establish a presence in India through quality
humanitarian projects.
Mr. Brian van de Graaff, Director
Mr. Brian van de Graaff forecasts the weather for Good Morning Washington and
ABC7 News at Noon, both leading news programs in the Washington DC area. He also
provides morning weather forecasts for WTOP Radio. Brian has earned the American
Meteorological Society’s prestigious Seal of Approval for television
weather-casting. Brian’s on-air debut in Washington came on News Channel 8, the
sister station of ABC7/WJLA-TV. In the spring of 2003, Brian became a fill-in
forecaster at WABC-TV in New York City. Brian was born in Arlington, but grew up
in the rural Virginia communities of Culpeper and Madison. He is a graduate of
George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. An Eagle Scout, Brian has hiked and
backpacked throughout the U.S. from the Appalachian Trail in the East to the
Grand Canyon in the West and points in between, including the Isle Royal
National Park, a remote island in the heart of Lake Superior. Brian makes his
home with his wife, Kristen, in Fairfax, Virginia.
“The significance of
volunteering became apparent to me at a very young age. Whether I was assisting
a fellow Boy Scout, participating in community service, or teaching younger
kids, it became clear to me that the benefits of community service reach far
beyond the Act itself and create the pillars for a well rounded individual.”
Mr. Jaideep Verma, Director
Mr. Jaideep Verma is currently the Director of Crosstream Consulting Pvt. Ltd.,
a Mumbai based firm. Through his business, Mr. Verma frequently travels to Asia,
Europe, and North America. Jaideep is a keen supporter of Taj Global
Understanding and plans to utilize his resources to actively promote education
development in rural India. Jaideep is also in the process of setting up a
vineyard in southern Maharashtra to develop high quality grape cultivation for
markets in the United States & Europe. Mr. Verma is an avid traveler and
photographer and will be making his home base in Bangalore, India along with his
wife Priya and son Arjun.
“Volunteering gives us the vision to see what really
drives us as a human race, in spite of our cultural differences and financial
imperatives, the same values drive us everywhere in the world, and an
understanding of these values, makes us what we are – humane.”
ADVISORY BOARD
Mrs. Julie Desai
Location: Ahmedabad, India
Profession: Lawyer, Social Activist
Education: M.Sc. (Masters of Science), L.L.B. (Bachelors of Law)
“Open young minds to the culture & diversity in the world around them. Learn
to respect life and to prepare the youth to live with compassion and harmony - because you can only be young once.”
Mrs. Bea Ramer
Location: Culpeper, Virginia USA
Profession: Retired RN, Culpeper Family Practice
Education: BS Nursing – Registered Nurse
“We are here for such a short time. It is my feeling that anything we can do for
our fellow man is the measure of our true worth.”
Mr. Shankar Howal
Location: Mumbai, India
Profession: Assistant Commissioner of Police, Retired
Education: BA Commerce, Police Academy
“Ancient Indian culture teaches us that our first responsibility is to the
community, second our family, and third to our self. A society starts to
degenerate when the order is reversed. The most beautiful things in the world
cannot be seen or even touched, but must be felt in the heart. TGU was born with
the objective to making a difference.”
Dr. Madhav Deo Saraswat
Location: Nashik, Maharashtra India
Profession: Principal, Orchid International School
Education: M.A English, Hindi, Sanskrit; Ph.D.; Taught 17 Years at the Doon
School, Member of Round Square since 1989
“If there is any way to bring about change in the society, it can be done only
through volunteers. Battle of freedom, be it freedom from hunger, ignorance,
hatred or any other kind, cannot be fought with the help of hired soldiers.
Service rendered by Volunteers is true devotion and unadulterated love for
humanity.”
Mr. Tom Earles
Location: Culpeper, Virginia USA
Profession: Retired Chemistry Teacher (35 Years), Culpeper County High School
Education: BS Chemistry, Masters in Education
“Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime, And departing
leave behind us footprints on the sands of time, “ Longfellow (A Psalm of Life)
Mr. Feroz Shaikh
Location: Mumbai, India
Profession: Manager – Membership, Bombay Management Association
Education: BS Bombay University, Master’s Marketing Management from Welingkar’s
Institute of Management, Mumbai
“Volunteering is one of the most basic responses of human beings for helping
another of God’s creations in distress and who better to epitomize it than all
the great souls who inhabited Mother Earth.”
Mr. Jesus Montes
Location: Los Angeles, California USA
Profession: Loan Officer, Global Mortgage Services
Education: BA Cinema/Television Production
“It is the duty of individuals to put forth an effort to solve or alleviate a
problem for betterment of society. Ultimately, such an effort benefits the human
race."
Mr. & Mrs. Jo & Wayne English
Location: Culpeper, Virginia USA
Profession: Directors, Clore-English Funeral Home
Education: BA Science
“The sole reason to volunteer is to give back to the human race.”
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