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Roots Of Peace Board Members
Heidi Kühn, Founder and CEO, Roots of Peace, was deeply inspired in September 1997 to create an organization dedicated to the eradication of landmines worldwide. With a simple toast in the living room of her home that the world may go from “Mines to Vines”, a global initiative was launched from the heart of a mother of four children following the death of the late Princess Diana who catapulted the issue of landmines to the forefront of the international agenda. Turning "ideas into reality", Kühn sought the support of the Napa Valley vintners to replace the scourge of landmines with the nectar of grapes in war-torn countries. Seeking to transform "seeds of terror" into "seeds of hope", Kühn attracted the support of legendary vintners such as Robert Mondavi, Mike Grgich, Diane Disney Miller, and over 400 California vintners—replacing the scourge of landmines with the nectar of fresh grapes, raisins or a fine bottle of wine. She envisions the "grapevine" as a symbol of hope—reminding global citizens of the seeds we have in common rather than those which separate us. The planting of a grapevine is a time-honored symbol of hope as generational wisdom reminds us that regardless of the political ideologies of our mind, the color of our hand or the faith in our hearts—a seed will grow when nurtured and cultivated. The planting of a landmine only yields a lethal harvest for generations to come. Her vision to transform "swords into plowshares" is grounded by transforming toxic minefields into bountiful fields creating sustainable economic programs for future generations. Kühn's grounded vision has been recognized by the United Nations , the U.S. State Department, former Secretaries of State Madeline Albright and Colin Powell, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, President Stepan Mesic of Croatia, The First Lady of Angola Ana Paula dos Santos, The First Lady of the United States Laura Bush, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, former Vice President Al Gore, Robert Redford, Sir Ben Kingsley, and many other global dignitaries in support of her quest to "plant the roots of peace on earth." Heidi is a fifth generation descendent of a Marin County family, and remains true to her roots by respecting the value of the land. Her pioneer spirit inspires her to heal the wounds of war from the ground up! A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley in Political Economics of Industrial Societies, Heidi received the prestigious Cal Berkeley Alumni Award for Excellence and Achievement in 2002. At the Washington, D.C. Award Ceremony in June 2007, Heidi received the esteemed Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award/ National Jefferson Award for Public Service. Prior to Roots of Peace, Heidi was awarded a Gubernatorial Appointment to the California Council of the Humanities in 1996. Additionally, in the ten years since Roots of Peace was formed, Heidi has received many other awards and recognitions on both a local and international level for her vision and work creating a humanitarian organization with a mission to build "peace from the ground up." Awards include, the Skoll Social Entrepreneurship Award, the WANGO World Association of Non-Governmental Award for Peace & Security , The "Walk the Talk" Award from UN World Environment Day, The Rotary International "Service Above Self" Award, the Spirit of Marin Award and The Marin Women's Hall of Fame Award. Additionally, for her dedication and leadership on the "landmine issue," on April 30, 2007, aboard the Queen Mary 2 in New York City Harbor, Heidi Kühn accepted a formal Proclamation from the United Nations Environment Programme, officially recognizing that "Landmines are an environmental concern." Prior to her work on the landmine issue, Heidi owned her own television news organization, NewsLink International, reporting for CNN and other news organizations on the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and the Melting of the Ice Curtain between US/Soviet relations. Raising her children in Juneau, Alaska, she earned a reputation for bridging borders for peace—reporting for ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Nippon Television and other major media organizations. As a cancer survivor, she envisions the issue of landmines as a curable disease—removal.
Diane Baker studied acting in New York and Los Angeles with Charles Conrad, ballet with Nina Fonaroff, Estelle Harman and years later with Stella Adler. While under contract with Twentieth Century Fox, she was introduced to director George Stevens Sr., who cast her in The Diary of Anne Frank. Diane performed in films such as Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Best of Everything, 300 Spartans, The Wizard of Baghdad, Nine Hours to Rama, directed by Mark Robson, and on loan-out starred with Susan Hayward in Stolen Hours in England. At Universal, she starred in Mirage with Gregory Peck and Marnie for director Alfred Hitchcock. Diane has worked with Anthony Hopkins and director Jonathan Demme in Silence of the Lambs, and her television credits include The Blue and the Gray, Inherit the Wind, and most recently About Sarah, ER and CBS's Jackie, playing the role of Rose Kennedy. Diane's first effort as a producer came in the self-financed documentary, Ashiana, which dealt with the end of feudalism in India. Several other award-wining documentaries followed. With no office other than her briefcase, she produced the film Never Never Land in London, starring Petula Clark. This success opened the door for a future prodect, a mini-series based on Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Woman of Substance, which received and Emmy nomination for Best Miniseries. In addition to serving as Director of Acting at San Francisco Academy of Art, Diane personally instructs several acting courses and serves on various boards around the City.
Chris was still in high school when the family moved from White Plains to Glen Ellen, Chris finished his senior year in wine country and went on to earn a marketing degree from the University of San Francisco, spending summers, weekends and every spare minute working at the winery. After two years as a management consultant for the international accounting firm of Arthur Andersen & Co., he officially joined the Benziger Family Winery in 1988 as brand manager. Chris is now the national sales manager for the winery.
Dr. Noel Brown is the former Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, North American Regional office. Dr. Brown holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Seattle University, an M.A. in International Law and Organization from Georgetown University and Ph. D. in International Relations from Yale University. He also holds a diploma in International Law from The Hague Academy of International Law. He is a founding member of the Aspen Global Change Institute, the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, and Indigenous Development International. Dr. Brown currently serves as President of the Friends of the United Nations. He is a fellow of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences, Chairman of the International Institute for Peace through Tourism and Chairman of the Rene Dubos Center for Human Environments. Dr. Brown has been a Visiting Professor at both U.S. and foreign universities, teaching on the subject of International Law and Organization, Government and Politics, and Environmental Management. He was a distinguished lecturer at the University of Victoria, British Columbia and an associate of the Queen Elizabeth Trust for Young Australians. Dr. Brown was the 1996 Leo Bloc Professor at the University of Denver and is currently the Director of training at the International Oceans Institute, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Dr. Brown serves on the Board of Directors of the Climate Institute, the Earth Communications Office, the Rainforest Alliance, MUSE, Film & Television, the Center for Resource Management, Global Education Associates, Trust for the Americas, the International Leadership Development Institute, Roots of Peace, International Sea-keepers Society, the Timbuktu Heritage Institute and Jamaica National Parks Trust Fund. Dr. Brown has numerous awards acknowledging his service to the environment, including: the Lions Club Award, the Friends of the United Nations Award, the Gaia Award, and the Global Education Associates Award for Distinguished Service in Care of the Earth. Dr. Brown is a recipient of the 1998 World Academy of Arts and Science Award for Distinguished Public Service.
Jan A. Hartke is the Executive Director of EarthVoice, an affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. EarthVoice is active in over 100 countries, empowering local partners and implementing model projects to promote humane, sustainable development. Mr. Hartke has recently added to his responsibilities by directing the international anti-factory farms campaign. He has received numerous awards for his international work, including awards from the United Nations Environment Programme. He was appointed by President Clinton to the Board of Directors of the Enterprise for the Americas – the most significant international environmental Board consisting of Cabinet Members and leading NGOs. Mr. Hartke serves as a Director on numerous Boards of Directors dealing with the global environment and sustainable development.
Tor Kenward joined Wine World Inc.'s marketing department in 1977. Over the following two decades he remained a core member of the company's management team as Beringer Blass Wine Estates evolved into one of the world's premier wine companies. Since joining Beringer, Tor has also been the guiding force for Beringer's educational wine and food programs. In 1981, he initiated the first winery scholarship programs for national Culinary Schools. He also worked with culinary teacher and writer Madeline Kamman to create the School for American Chefs. Tor continues to serve on many boards with affiliations to wine and food. He has served on the National Board of the American Institute of Wine and Food, and chaired their National Annual Wine Auction for two years. He has served as a Trustee for Copia. For two years he co-chaired New York's California Wine Perspective, one of the early showcases for California wines on the East coast. Tor has also written and contributed to wine and food periodicals and books over the years. He lives with his wife, Susan Costner Kenward, and two children in St. Helena, Napa Valley.
Gary Kühn has worked in business development in the high technology sector for 23 years before joining Roots of Peace full-time in 2001. Gary started his career at IBM in San Francisco after graduating from University of California, Berkeley. Gary furthered his education in an executive program sponsored by IBM at Harvard University. After leaving IBM, Gary joined Adobe Systems in 1990 to help develop business opportunities for PostScript and Acrobat. Gary then moved on to Autodesk where he managed the development team for AutoCAD LT, one of the companies main products. Gary then pursued consulting for a number of international technology companies working to establish a market in the US. Gary has worked to support Roots of Peace since its' inception in 1997. He serves on the Board and manages the international demining and development programs. Gary continues to serve on a number of non-profit boards. He lives with his wife, Heidi, and their four children, Brooks, Tucker, Kyleigh and Christian.
Ann Larkins Laurence was born in Marin County, California. Raised in Kentfield and San Rafael and attended Marin Catholic High School and College of Marin. In 1972 she began working at the Bank of Marin and from 1973 to 1983 she served as the personal secretary to William P Murray, Jr. Founder and Chairman of the bank. In 1983, she went to First National Bank of Marin as the Administrative Officer. In 1985, she began her own management consulting firm offering office and administrative systems to small companies. In 1991, Ann expanded her services as a financial advisor by becoming a registered representative and worked in that capacity for ten years. Ann married Richard M. Laurence in 1989 and they reside in San Rafael, CA. Ann has two children, two stepchildren, and six grandchildren. Ann has volunteered actively for over thirty years and has served on numerous committees in various capacities. She has held long-term board and officer positions in several organizations, including: Marin Concert Association, San Rafael High School Scholarship Foundation, Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association, Marin Coalition, American Red Cross Bay Area, Rotary Club of San Rafael, Marin History Museum, and Roots of Peace.
Tom Tully was born in Woburn, Massachusetts and graduated from Boston College School of Management in 1981 with a degree in Business and Computer Science. After working for several years in various software development companies, Tom joined EF Education, a Swedish company working in the fields of cultural exchange and language training. For 10 years, Tom traveled and worked for various EF subsidiaries as MIS Manager, traveling much of the world prior to, during, and after the dramatic changes in Europe during the late 80's and early 90's. Tom worked in setting up communication and application networks across various countries. Tom expanded his career by developing some of the first dynamic web applications in market for EF. (www.ef.com, www.eftours.com) In 1997 Tom joined Digitas Inc., a leading cross channel marketing agency in Boston as VP, Technology Director, moving to San Francisco in 1999 to open the Digitas technology capability. Tom worked with clients such as General Motors, Microsoft, Charles Schwab, William Sonoma, Kraft Foods, and Sony. In 2000, Tom and his Digitas colleagues created the first version of Roots of Peace's web site as a pro bono Digitas sponsored client. In 2006 Tom left Digitas, traveled Italy, and returned to head up the San Francisco technology department for Organic, Inc., working with clients such as Mitsubishi, FOX, Sprint, and Bank of America. In 2007, Organic sponsored the second iteration of Roots of Peace's web site in December of 2007. Tom currently lives in Larkspur, California and owns, with his business partners, The Marin Fencing Academy, advocating the sport of competitive fencing in North America. (www.marinfencing.com) while competing himself within USFA sponsored tournament across the US.
Mr. M. Ashraf Haidari is the Political Counselor, Acting Defense Attaché, and Spokesman of the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C. As a strong voice for Afghanistan, Mr. Haidari has tirelessly engaged in public diplomacy in order to maintain focus on and support for the stabilization and reconstruction of the country. He is a frequent speaker and lecturer on Afghanistan and regional security issues, having spoken at major universities and think tanks in North America and Europe. Mr. Haidari is also an accomplished writer and astute analyst of the Afghan and regional politics. His writings have appeared in such major international publications as The Washington Post, The New York Times & International Herald Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Times, The Washington Diplomat, The Baltimore Sun, The Korea Times, Asia Times, Middle East Times, EurasiaNet, Diplomatic Traffic, Diplomatic Courier, International Affairs Forum, The Culture & Conflict Review, The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute Analyst, and The Public Diplomacy Blog. Moreover, he frequents prominent TV and radio shows to discuss Afghan and regional affairs, and has interviewed with CNN, BBC World News, BBC Newsnight, BBC World Service, VOA News & Views, VOA Roundtable with You, VOA Ashna TV, CSPAN, Alhurra (Arab TV Networks), Bridges TV, National Public Radio, War News Radio, KCPW, KPCC 89.3., and many others. Mr. Haidari previously served the Embassy of Afghanistan as the First Secretary for Political, Security & Development Affairs, as well as Director of Government and Media Relations. He formerly worked as Federal Relations Specialist, Research Analyst, and Assistant Director of Development at Georgetown University. Mr. Haidari has extensive work experience with the United Nations, having held various positions of complex responsibility with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN World Food Program (UNWFP) in Afghanistan, Europe, and Central Asia. Mr. Haidari is educated in the United States, Switzerland, and Afghanistan. He holds a Master of Arts in Security Studies (International Security & Development) from the Georgetown University Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service; and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations from Wabash College. Mr. Haidari is the recipient of many academic and leadership awards, including The Pedro Arrupe, S.J., International Peace Scholarship, Georgetown University, Washington DC, 2003; The Fellowship in Foreign Service Award; Georgetown University, Washington DC, 2002; The International Merit Scholarship, Wabash College, Indiana, 1997; and The F. Michael Cassel Award; Wabash College Political Science Department, Indiana, 1999. Mr. Haidari shares a personal story that resonates with millions of other ordinary Afghans touched by decades of conflict. He experienced these hardships firsthand both under the Soviet occupation in 1980s and the Taliban rule in 1990s. Mr. Haidari self-taught English and began working from a very young age to support his family, who were internally displaced several times before fleeing Afghanistan into refuge abroad in the late 1990s. Mr. Haidari's dream of helping secure and rebuild Afghanistan came true in 2001, since when he has been doing just that—both through his official role and independent efforts. The life and achievements of Mr. Haidari have been publicly recognized and featured in the following publications: The Journal Review (December 2008), Indiana Daily Student (August 2007), The Washington Diplomat (January 2007), The Wabash Magazine (Fall 2005), The Georgetown University Office of Alumni & University Relations Newsletter (August 2002), The Wabash Magazine (Summer 2001), and The Bachelor (October 1998). Mr. Haidari is married and has a son. He speaks English, French, and Russian.
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