AMCIPS

Board of Advisors

Advisor Ennio Vita-Finzi

Ennio Vita-Finzi has been a senior government Trade Commissioner in Europe, South America and the USA, managed four start-up companies in Canada and Mexico, and was involved in negotiating NAFTA as President of the Canadian Council for the Americas. He founded an international consulting company with clients on three continents and a successful Business Coaching firm, subsequently becoming an International Sales and Relationships Facilitator/Trainer and Keynote Speaker (see www.theinternationalspeaker.com). Ennio consults, coaches, mentors and also teaches International Trade and Business Communication at several universities and colleges in Montreal and Toronto. He draws his experience from careers in manufacturing, air transportation, banking and the services sector.

Born on a British ship en route to Australia, Ennio was educated in Argentina, England and Canada, is fluent in five languages and is a Certified International Trade Professional. He has lived and/or worked in 20 countries in Europe, the Americas and the Orient and his curiosity, broad range of interests and many adventures in different cultures lend Ennio’s wide-ranging programs insight, entertainment and relevance.

He is currently writing “The Nudger”, a book encouraging his readers to build on their strengths to succeed in life. In 2007, he wrote “The Opportunity Bus” describing his belief that life is similar to standing at a bus stop where new opportunities present themselves regularly, and in 2008, he wrote “Please tell me a story”, a children’s book.

Ennio’s international business and trade experience provides AMCIPS with guidance regarding public policy issues affected by diverse cultural customs, and is well grounded with a successful career in the sectors of government and private industry.

Advisor and Senior Fellow Gioietta Kuo, Ph.D.

Dr. Gioietta Kuo has been a research physicist working mostly on energy problems all of her working life. She has 40 years of research experience in Nuclear Physics, Plasma and Thermonuclear Physics, Astrophysics, Numerical Analysis, Computer Software, Automatic Code Generation and Large Scale Numerical Modeling of Plasmas.

Dr. Kuo has over 70 scientific publications in the world’s top journals such as Physical Review, Physical Review Letters, Physics of fluids, Journal of computational physics, as well as many reports and contributions to academic books.

Since 2006, Dr. Kuo has established herself as a regular writer on global environmental matters with over 100 articles, both in English in Washington think tanks like World Future Society, wfs.org and in Chinese – World Environment Magazine of the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, and People’s Daily.

Career Highlights:

  • MA in physics at Cambridge University, UK
  • PhD in nuclear physics, University of Birmingham, England, UK
  • Atlas Computer Fellow at St Hilda’s College, Oxford University, Oxford, England, UK
  • Research physicist at French Atomic Energy Commission in Paris France.
  • Research physicist at Institut Ruder Boskovic, Zagreb, Croatia. Holder of Ruder Boskovic Prize.
  • Research physicist at Culham Laboratory of UKAEA – United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, England, UK.
  • 12 years in scientific research at Princeton University. US
  • Siemens medical Systems, specialist in CT (Computer Tomography) image reconstruction algorithms.
  • Holder of 2 patents in CT (Computer Tomography) Image reconstruction
  • “China My Other Country” Memoir published Oct 2010
  • Senior Fellow, American Center For International Policy Studies, www.amcips.org

Recent publications include:

  • Megacrisis? Overpopulation is the problem
  • A dry future for our planet
  • Climate Change: The evidence and our options
  • Will natural gas replace oil?
  • Geothermal energy
  • Energy 2030 and conservation
  • Nuclear energy after Fukushima

Advisor Tina Patterson

As an Advisor to AMCIPS, Tina provides us with a strong background in international and humanitarian issues. Her experience as a professional mediator and arbitrator provides guidance and assistance with the AMCIPS refugee pro bono programs. Tina has over 15 years experience in information technology, software development and worldwide travel. She has held positions in product management, product development, and training. A native of Louisiana raised in Rhode Island, Tina received her B.A. in Hispanic Language & Linguistics from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. In 2001, she received a Graduate Certificate in Advanced Studies in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Tina has been a workshop panel presenter at American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section conferences. Tina also offers her time to the community- in July 2002 Tina was a facilitator in the America Speaks Listening to the City event held in New York City. In November 2003 Tina was a facilitator at Citizens Summit III in Washington, DC. In November 2004 she served as a judge in the American Bar Association’s Negotiation Competition for law school students. Tina is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, American Bar Association, and the Association for Conflict Resolution. In addition, Tina serves on the Association for Conflict Resolution Commercial Section’s Board of Leaders.

Tina is particularly interested in the issue of human trafficking and has attended the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women sessions in order to assist in developing solutions for the elimination of human trafficking. She is active in the Dallas international community and is President of the United Nations Association, Dallas Chapter as well as a member of the World Affairs Council, DFW Japan America Society, and the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations. Tina is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, French, and has a working knowledge of German, and Arabic. Tina is a graduate of Leadership Texas and Leadership America.

Advisor Stephen Hoffmann

As president of LS Consulting, LLC, Stephen Hofmann consulted for, and directly represented, over 23 countries and some of the largest and most diverse companies in the world. In addition, Hofmann moves countless products into the buying streams of major global retailers, as well as government and military procurement.

Hofmann created LS Consulting (LSC) in 1994, as a political consulting firm. Throughout the years, LSC transformed into a business consulting and government relations firm advising on the ramifications of the political world upon today’s business. From 1997 – 2001, Hofmann served as senior staff to two Members of Congress. This continued his government service following previous work in the U.S. Congress, as well as in the Texas Legislature, and with Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox. More recently, Hofmann served a term on the City Council in the Washington, DC, suburb of Cheverly, MD.

In 2002, Hofmann became Senior Advisor to the Washington, DC, firm of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg. In this capacity, he served as business strategist and government relations and trade expert for some of the largest retailers in the U.S. and some of the largest importers in the world. In addition, Hofmann advised senior governmental officials and business leaders in Norway, Egypt, Hong Kong, Turkey, Panama, and Singapore, among others. Further, Hofmann represented export, textile and apparel associations in Africa, Asia and Central America. Within the U.S., Hofmann represented local governments ranging from as large as Miami Dade County to as small as Rio Grande City, TX.

Hofmann left Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg in 2006, to move to Bentonville, AR. In diversifying LS Consulting, Hofmann expanded LSC’s work to include sustainability, waste stream opportunities, and direct sales of sustainable products. Government relations continue to grow with clients including the countries of Costa Rica, Uzbekistan, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic. Additionally, new opportunities emerged as society saw the need for sustainable business practices. LSC’s business consulting continues to grow, including diverse companies in the fields of footwear, trade, apparel, plastics, biomedical, to name a few.

Hofmann’s work on Capitol Hill in duty reduction legislation has lowered duties on numerous products through congressional action, resulting in millions of dollars in savings to clients. Some of the products include basketballs, canned artichokes, capers, oysters, circuit breakers, fabric, and children’s educational computers. In the previous Congress, Hofmann drafted and helped pass 43 bills benefitting clients. Further, Hofmann is a proven fundraiser securing over $2 billion in government funding.

In the private sector, LSC works with sustainability teams at several of the largest global companies regarding options for Styrofoam, plastic bags, pallets, electronics, CFL waste, and returned merchandise. In addition to the LSC Washington, D.C. office, Hofmann has established an office in Bentonville, Arkansas to facilitate solutions with senior retailer leadership and their vendor suppliers, both in the field and their corporate home offices.

Hofmann is the current president of an international association of sustainable plastic manufacturers and suppliers. Hofmann is a frequent speaker on sustainability and government relations.