Joel Franco tells compelling stories with an elegant voice, a crisp Italian sensibility and beautiful pictures. Franco’s experience, vision and intensity bring leadership, heart, and an eye for detail to his films. His understanding of the human condition and his passion for authenticity combine to create artistic, highly commercial works that draw the audience in and make them feel. Franco’s genuine desire to protect the integrity of each story and to bring out the best in the actors and crew have made him a trusted source for getting the job done. Colleagues trust his refreshing character and understand that he is a man of commitment and does what he says he will do, when he says he will do it.



Joel Franco was born in Italy and came to the United States in his late teens where he quickly immersed himself in American culture and film. According to Franco, “I have always admired American films. The American school of acting has a long history of producing great actors and I wanted to be a part of the world of film–a place where captivating stories are unveiled. The creation of film plays into my strengths: I love that magic is the result of the creative process. There must be passion to nurture the momentum of the story. And one must have intense focus to get the job done.” 



Influenced by American filmmaker Sidney Lumet for his vigorous storytelling and Italian director Robert Rossellini for his social realism, Franco is dedicated to staying true to the story in a fast paced, realistic and refined style. 



In 2006, Franco partnered with Solidaris LLC to found Chesapeake Films, LLC. Chesapeake Films has option agreements to produce several feature films and plans to produce two features per year in-house and to collaborate with established film companies for additional opportunities.



Joel Franco is a graduate of University of Maryland/Baltimore, a graduate of the USC-Universal Producing and Directing Program, and holds an M.F.A. in film production from the School of Film and Television at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

joelfranco@youthsports-themovie.com

ANSEL VANHORN

On Saturday, June 25th the VanHorn family traveled to Real del Mar, Mexico (just north of Puerto Vallarta) for a peaceful beach vacation with their daughters and close friends and their families.

On Sunday, the guys enjoyed a round of golf and afterward headed to the beach to boogie board & play in the surf with the kids. Ansel was boogie boarding when a wave came down on him, causing him to crash head first into the sand.

Ansel didn’t realize exactly what had happened at first until he tried to turn himself over as he was face down in the water. Right then he realized he couldn’t move in order to turn right side up to breathe. He felt at that point the best thing to do was take one more deep breath. He thought to himself, this is where it ends. And a feeling that’s hard to describe followed. Peace. Quietness. Serenity. Nothing else but that.

Thankfully the guys noticed something wasn’t right with Ansel. They saw him floating in the ocean. He had drowned. The adults were able to pull him out of the water. They immediately began CPR and never stopped working and by the grace of God were able to revive him. But they didn’t know what else lied ahead.

Ansel was transported via ambulance to a nearby hospital in Mexico where doctors proceeded to intubate him and continue to pull the fluid from his lungs. He was conscious and it’s where they discovered he couldn’t feel anything from his neck down. A spinal specialist was called in and they began running numerous tests.

It was determined although nothing was severed , Ansel needed surgery to relieve the pressure on his spine. Late Sunday night the surgeon removed his C4 and took some bone from his hip to replace his C4 vertebrae. And they placed a plate to hold it in place attaching that with screws into his C3 and C5. Ansel came out of surgery early Monday morning.

Many people worked diligently with doctors in Mexico to coordinate with neurosurgeons at St. Joseph Hospital in Phoenix and arranging for a medivac back to Arizona.

On Tuesday evening, Ansel and Sheryl landed in Arizona and were transported directly to St. Joseph/Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. Praise God! Doctors at BNI confirmed a successful surgery in Mexico! Ansel spent 2 solid weeks in ICU at BNI and then moved to inpatient rehab there after. Mid September he returned home and the work has continued towards his healing.

He works everyday with a team of outpatient therapists, his incredible and devoted wife and family and large support system of friends.

His full independence is near, new milestones are hit everyday and he’s been named THE MIRACLE MAN because everyone has seen the grace of God and His power.

Faith, family, friends and grit. It’s the ingredients that is what brings new hope and progress to Ansel’s healing journey everyday. And he’s unstoppable! His goal is to regain full independence and return to work late summer as the Head of Acquisitions at the Laughton Team.

JUDE JOHNSTONE

Born in Bar Harbor, Maine, Jude Johnstone began writing songs at about age 8. At 18, she was “discovered” by Bruce Springsteen’s saxophonist, Clarence Clemons. After spending some time in New York and New Jersey under his wing, in 1979, she moved to Los Angeles, where her songs quickly became sought after by other artists.

She has been covered by Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Bette Midler, Johnny Cash, Stevie Nicks, Mary Black, Jennifer Warnes, Trisha Yearwood and more, including a #1 song for Yearwood’s debut album called “The Woman Before Me” which earned her a BMI award.

Her songs then appeared on 8 other Yearwood cds. She also penned the title track to Johnny Cash’s 1997 Grammy winning album “Unchained.”

Jude has released 8 cds of her own that run the gamut from Celtic, Gospel, Americana, to Jazz, Blues, and even Big Band. She has been featured on the CBS Early Show, and NPR Radio’s “Morning Edition.” Her songs have also been on several television shows including “Nurse Jackie”, “Army Wives” and “Lie To Me.”

Jude has opened shows for Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Richard Thompson, Shawn Colvin, Chris Hillman, 10,000 Maniacs, David Crosby and many others and toured Europe under her own name numerous times.

If Jude Johnstone is not yet a musical household name, she sure as hell should be.

Henry Carrigan, No Depression

Turning emotional pain into art is a tricky business. Sometimes I wonder if the end result is worth it. Jude Johnstone makes a good case that it is.

Rodney Crowell

Jude’s fertility, in regards to songwriting, is truly awe inspiring.

Bonnie Raitt

There are certain artists whose songs go so deep it’s like they’re heart surgeons…Jude Johnstone has been able to do all that, and more, for so many years, it’s almost like she has a patent on it.

Bill Bentley
The Morton Report

Jude Johnstone’s ability to fashion the stuff of life seasonedemotions into handsomely crafted, lyrically attractive song fare is as remarkable as it is reliable”

Duane Verh
Roots Music

…She’s patently a master at capturing the heart’s dark and desperate moments, just as she’s capable of encouraging belief in its resurrection.

Mike Davies, Roots and Branches/The Beat

Barbara B. Lang embraces organizational change. In fact, she not only embraces it, but like the true leader and innovator that she is, she utilizes it to develop, expand and sustain businesses. Barbara manages the overall brand of Lang Strategies, LLC and oversees each of its practice areas: Crisis Management, Business Development, Political Strategy Management, Executive Leadership and Business Tactical Planning, Assessment and Problem Solving.

Expertise Most recently, Barbara has served as president and CEO of the DC Chamber of Commerce for 12 years. In this role, she was responsible for the operations and overall strategic direction of the organization and advancing the Chamber’s interests through advocacy, education, information and business development. In her time at the Chamber, Barbara transformed the organization into the most powerful and respected business group in the region through her aggressive leadership on key public policy business issues. She also worked diligently on education (Pre-K-12) and workforce development issues and projects, as well as small business/entrepreneurial development initiatives.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Barbara was the Vice President of Corporate Services and Chief Procurement Officer for Fannie Mae, a publicly-traded corporation that provides financial products for low-, moderate-, and middle income Americans. In this position she managed all the company’s procurement, real estate and facility operations supporting 5,000 employees in 60 locations in the U.S. with a staff of 300 and a budget of $300M. She also had a long career with IBM where she served in several management positions in finance, administration and product forecasting.

Accomplishments

Barbara has received countless awards and accolades throughout her career, including:

• One of Washingtonian Magazine’s 150 Most Powerful People in the Washington region…twice
• Business Leader of the Year (DC Building Industry Association)
• Phenomenal Woman by the Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage
• Legacy in Business Award by the University of the District of Columbia
• Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Cardinal Bank
• Lifetime Achievement Award from Greater Leadership Washington
• Lifetime Legacy Award from Washington Business Journal

Even more importantly, she developed several initiatives that put the DC Chamber of Commerce on the leading edge of non-traditional programming and non-dues revenue generation. She also increased membership from 1,400 to more than 2,000 businesses in 2003, accomplishing a goal she set for her team and promoted in the media. Under Barbara’s leadership, the Chamber became the leading business organization in the area, and has truly distinguished itself as the “Voice of Business” in DC.

Credentials

Barbara earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Fla; has done graduate studies at Harvard; is a 1999 graduate of Fannie Mae’s Executive Development Program; and is a graduate of Leadership Washington, Class of 2001. She received a Doctor of Laws degree from Trinity University in May, 2007 and in 2013 was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by the University of the District of Columbia.

Barbara was appointed to the board of Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:PDM) beginning in 2015, and served on the board of Cardinal Financial Corporation until its sale to United Bancshares in 2017. In addition, she serves on the board of the Sibley Hospital Foundation and on the FONZ (Friends of the Zoo). Barbara is the former chair of the Workforce Investment Council and the former co-chair of the DC Business Coalition. In 2012, she was appointed by DC Mayor Vincent Gray to the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and recently completed her six-year term.

Personal

Barbara and her late husband, Gerald B. Lang have one adult daughter, and have a 5 ½ year old granddaughter. She resides in Washington, DC.

My guest is Nora Herold who has been channeling, lecturing, and delivering healing work for over 30 years. In 1996 Nora established conscious contact with The Pleiadians and her spirit guides, which triggered an awakening of her abilities and gave her access to her own records. In 2007 she began receiving information sharing specific techniques and technologies to facilitate the integration of the fifth dimensional identity and the re-ascension process and that has become the foundation of her work. Nora offers private sessions, teaches, lectures, is a reiki master, has appeared on film, radio & tv, and has channeled for people all over the world. Nora lives in Ojai, CA with her partner Jonathan Wilk and their animal companions.

Information from Trimpa Group website: http://www.trimpagroup.com/

Ted Trimpa is the Principal and CEO of Trimpa Group LLC, a national political consulting and government relations firm that specializes in progressive public policy advocacy and political strategy.  With offices in Washington D.C. and Denver, Trimpa Group develops cutting-edge public policy strategies at the state and federal levels.  Trimpa also serves as a board member for numerous organizations, including the Democracy Alliance, ProgressNow, Third Way, Citizen Engagement Laboratory, and Tectonic Theater Project.

Trimpa is one of the country’s most sought-after advocates resulting from his deep understanding of the national and multi-state public policy, political, and nonprofit landscape.  Called “Colorado’s answer to Karl Rove” by The Atlantic, Trimpa is a nationally recognized Democratic strategist and operative.  He is considered a key architect of the political infrastructure that facilitated the Democratic Party’s resurgence in Colorado after decades of Republican dominance—a turnaround so dramatic National Review dubbed it the “Colorado miracle.” Campaigns & Elections recently named him one of the top five Democratic political players in the state. 

Read more on Ted Trimpa: http://www.trimpagroup.com/ted-trimpa/

Mark Pfoff

INFORMATION / BIOGRAPHY taken from: http://markpfoff.com/

Consultant

Mark Pfoff is owner of Rocky Mountain Computer Forensics which provides consulting for civil and criminal cases throughout the United States.  He has worked on projects from New York to Alaska. RMCF uses specialized software to examine computers, cell phones and cell phone records.

Mark is a court qualified expert in computer forensics, cell phone forensics, and cell phone technology. He is also an expert in police procedures and investigations; to include interviewing and interrogation techniques, proper digital evidence collection, and methods to obtain best digital evidence.

RMCF's mission statement:

"Provide forensic examinations of digital evidence using best practices; provide accurate and detailed reports of our findings; and provide expert courtroom testimony"

http://rmcomputerforensics.com/

Cattle Rancher

Mark has a herd of Black and Red Angus cattle in Eastern Colorado.  His cattle graze in open pastures during the summer and are fed a combination of hay and grain during the winter. His herd expands every spring with the addition of calves. Mark's herd has grown to over 50 with more calves on the way.

http://markpfoff.com/cattle-rancher/

School Board Member

Mark was the longest serving school board member for Lewis-Palmer School District 38 since term limits were enacted.  He was elected three times serving 12 years. He served twice as President and held every position during his tenure.  Lewis-Palmer is a high-achieving school district with one of the highest on-time graduation rates in the state of Colorado.

During his tenure the school district maintained a balanced budget, increased reserves, and was ranked as one of the top ten school districts in Colorado.

He completed his fourth and final term in December of 2019.

My passion for fashion and love of acting started at a young age. I would have my father alter my clothes the way I wanted them to be, and my cousin and I would play dress up and perform for our families. After college, corporate work and raising two incredibly gifted children, I finally took a leap into the entertainment world. With the help of fellow acting and modeling professionals, my career launched and included, print, commercial, film, tv, billboards and QVC live. A breast cancer diagnosis in September 2019 put my career on hold. After many surgeries, chemo and physical therapy, I reentered the newly defined Covid entertainment world. With persistence, I set up a home studio and learned to self-tape auditions. I also set up a home recording booth, learned to edit with audacity and added Voiceover Actor to my resume. I am back in full swing with agents in multiple states and audition on a daily basis. Please visit my professional website www.lisaminakowski.com and reach out with comments or suggestions. With a second chance at life, I am a true advocate for learning, improving myself and sharing with others.