James Wilson, Board Chairman
James Wilson is chairman of the Board of Directors of Riecken Foundation (doing business as Riecken Community Libraries). He is also chairman of two biomedical companies, Corcept Therapeutics and NuGEN Technologies. For three decades he has been a chief executive or director of biotechnology companies including Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Amira Medical, Syntex, Neurex, and LifeScan. Today he also serves as director of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and the Stepping Stone Foundation, and has been a director of the Insight Prison Project at San Quentin and of the American Diabetes Association Research Foundation.
“During the decade 2000-2010, Allen Andersson, an ex-Peace Corps volunteer, built more than 60 libraries in Honduras and Guatemala. Today they are known as Riecken Community Libraries; each one is an ongoing partnership with local volunteers. When Allen began inviting others to join his efforts, I contributed and joined Riecken’s Board of Directors. Visits to these efficient but modern (internet access) libraries reminded me that real change happens locally, and at a young age.”
Allen Andersson, Co-founder
Allen Andersson co-founded the Riecken Community Libraries (as the Riecken Foundation) in 2000 and served as its president until 2008. As a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1960s, he taught calculus at the National University in Honduras. For the next three decades, he started up software companies to create new technologies in desktop publishing, radiology, computational linguistics, and telecommunications. In 2003 he founded Paperboy Ventures to develop new ventures in biotechnology and clean energy.
“We asked ourselves, what travels cheapest over a hundred miles of bad road, then multiplies its value every time it is used? Information! The idea for Riecken libraries was born that day.”
Dan Bradbury
Dan Bradbury is a Life Sciences Executive with over 30 years of experience creating and implementing strategies that transform businesses, bring novel medicines to market and maximize shareholder value. He is the Managing Member of BioBrit, LLC, a Life Sciences Consulting and Investment Firm.
Dan is the former President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company based in San Diego, CA, focused on metabolic diseases. During his 18-year tenure at Amylin, the company launched three first-in-class medicines, including the first once-a-week therapy to treat diabetes and was listed on the Nasdaq 100. He served as Amylin’s Chief Executive Officer from March 2007 until its acquisition by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in August 2012. Before joining Amylin, Dan worked in marketing and sales roles for ten years at SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals. He serves on the board of directors of Corcept Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CORT), Geron Corporation (NASDAQ: GERN), Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), BioMed Realty (NYSE: BMR), Biocon Limited (NSE: BIOCON), Castle Biosciences, Inc. (Private), DiaVacs (Private), Microdermis, Inc. (Private) and Profil Institute for Clinical Research (Private). He also serves on the board of trustees of the Keck Graduate Institute, the Investor Growth Capital Advisory Board and the BioMed Ventures Advisory Committee.
Dan currently serves on the University of California San Diego’s Rady School of Management’s Advisory Council and the University of Miami’s Innovation Corporate Advisory Council. He received a Bachelor of Pharmacy from Nottingham University and a Diploma in Management Studies from Harrow and Ealing Colleges of Higher Education in the United Kingdom.
“I met Allen Andersson in 1999 through his investment in Amylin Pharmaceuticals and many years later I had the opportunity to visit the Riecken libraries in Guatemala and Honduras. It was truly amazing to witness first hand the powerful impact the libraries had on the communities they served. I am excited to be a member of the Board and I am committed to make an impact toward furthering the cause of an organization dedicated to empowering people through providing them with access to information and technology.”
Malcolm Butler
Malcolm Butler is Vice-President for International Programs at the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities in Washington, DC. He has served in the Department of State, the Office of Management and Budget and the National Security Council. As a Career Minister of the U.S. Agency for International Development, he was mission director in Bolivia, Peru, Lebanon and the Philippines; he guided reconstruction aid to Lebanon, famine relief in Ethiopia and U.S. Economic support for the Philippines’ return to democracy. Malcolm also created the Bureau for Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States and was a Program Director for Outward Bound. Later he was president of Partners for the Americas, Pax World Services and, in 2008 and 2009, of the Riecken Foundation.
“When a friend first introduced me to Allen and the Riecken concept several years ago, I was initially skeptical, but once I visited the libraries I realized how unique and resilient the concept was, and is, I was hooked. Since then that resilience, which draws on the strength of deep community roots, has kept the network alive through some difficult challenges. It’s exciting to see the program on the rebound.”
Elizabeth H. Davila
Liz Davila served as chairman and chief executive officer of VISX, Inc., the worldwide leader in laser vision correction technology, until its acquisition by Advanced Medical Optics in May 2005. Ms. Davila joined VISX as COO in 1995 and became Chairman and CEO in 2001. She served on the board of Advanced Medical Optics from June 2005 until its acquisition By Abbott Laboratories in 2009. Prior to joining VISX, Ms. Davila spent 18 years at Syntex Corporation, in senior management positions in its medical devices, medical diagnostics, and pharmaceutical divisions. Ms. Davila currently serves on the boards of Accuray, Inc., a medical device company, of NuGen Technologies, a privately held early stage company developing products for nucleic acid amplification and detection, and of Afaxys, a privately held strategic sourcing company dedicated to serving public health family planning. She is also a member of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Community Board. In addition to her MBA from Stanford in 1977, Ms. Davila holds a master’s of science degree in biochemistry from the University of Notre Dame.
“The Riecken Community Libraries came to be because of the vision and generosity of a former Peace Corps volunteer, combined with the dedication of teams of leaders in small villages in Honduras and Guatemala. The result is 60+ libraries which are now community centers for local activities and a point of contact with the rest of the world through internet technology. My goal as a board member is to contribute to the ongoing success and expansion of Riecken’s work.”
Sam Featherstone
Sam Featherstone first learned about the Riecken Foundation while serving as a trusted Financial Advisor for Allen Andersson (the founder of Riecken) and Paperboy Ventures from 2002-2006. Sam spent the bulk of 2007 living in Honduras with his wife and three children, and learned even more about the important mission and powerful impact of the Foundation while there. Since then, Sam has spent time at Acadia Trust in Portland, Maine, Salesforce.com, Impermium and is now the Director of Sales at Netbase Solutions, in Mountain View, CA. Sam is a graduate of Northwestern University, a former officer in the U.S. Navy, and a graduate of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. More importantly, he is also a proud husband and father of three beautiful children and spends his spare time coaching Little League and soccer and restoring late 19th century homes.
“I first became aware of the Riecken Foundation when I served Allen Andersson, its Founder, when I was on Wall Street. I was immediately impressed with the powerful impact that they make on their communities, as well as Allen’s laser focus on results. The libraries have sponsored youth service groups, nutrition seminars, community radio programming, regional chess tournaments, early childhood development programs, adult literacy and agricultural cooperatives. Most importantly to me, they have awakened in their youth a hunger for knowledge and an excitement for their future. I am enormously proud serve as a Board member for this world-class organization.”
James Coyne King
In 2011-12, Mr. King was a candidate for the Democratic nomination to run for the U.S. Senate in 2012. The campaign was directed by the Jim King for Senate Campaign Committee. Mr. King’s candidacy reflected his continuing commitment to public policy issues, competition and tax reform.
Mr. King is President and co-founder of Murphy & King and is a member of the Corporate and Finance group.
Mr. King began his practice in 1973 as an Attorney in the Office of Chief Counsel at the IRS. From 1974 to 1978, he served as a Trial Attorney in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and as Administrative Assistant to the National Commission for the Review of Antitrust Laws and Procedures. In 1979-1980, he was Special Assistant to the U.S. Attorneys for the Districts of Colorado and Massachusetts and was honored by the Department with its Outstanding Achievement Award.
From 1980 to the present, Mr. King has participated in the firm’s practice development and growth in commercial litigation and corporate finance, expertise and in overall firm management. During the last thirty years, Mr. King has been recognized for his practice expertise by various groups and organizations, including the Federal Bar Association, the Boston Bar Association and First Circuit Judicial Conference.
In 2006, Mr. King was recognized as one of the top 100 lawyers in Massachusetts and in 2008, Georgetown University Law Center recognized Mr. King for his many years of service to the Georgetown Law Human Rights Institute.
“There are no problems, only solutions … ’tis never too late to seek a newer world.”
Richard Strock
Richard Strock graduated in economics and received an MBA from UCLA. After graduating he worked for seven years with a public company’s real estate subsidiaries in the community development business. Rich has been self-employed in a wide variety of real estate activities for the last 35 years. He has been active as an owner and manager of residential and commercial properties with a variety of entities. Rich continues to be an active investor in real estate debt as well as in privately held companies.
Rich’s community activities have included an industry board, educational and community foundations, city commissions and club Boards. He has coached, volunteered, mentored and taught. For the last 15 years Rich has taught English to day laborers at the Mountain View Day Worker Center; he spearheaded a community effort to acquire and build a successful community center for the day laborers, the first of its kind that was privately financed and operated.
Rich co-founded a successful community bank in Palo Alto, California in 2003 and served as a director until recently. He also served as a Board member of Coupons, Inc., an electronic couponing company in Mt. View, California from 2000 to December of 2012.
Rich joined Mi Pueblo, a Mexican supermarket chain, as a Board member in late 2012. It is a privately owned chain of 21 supermarkets that primarily caters to first and second generation immigrants from Mexico and Central America.
“My work in my community with many disadvantaged, brave men and women from Mexico and Central America has been incredibly satisfying. By accident of where they were born, many have not been graced with the opportunities we have had. More than once have I been awed by the extraordinary capabilities, achievements, and potential for further growth, given some directed resources and a minimal amount of guidance. This potential has led me to Riecken.
My wife and I attended a Rotary fund-raiser and listened to the Riecken story; one of the Board members asked me to join him on a visit last August. I visited their Guatemala offices, met their extraordinary staff, and visited the closest library. I was surprised by the remoteness; that libraries were really more popular community centers than libraries; that the libraries were partnerships with the municipalities; the books were largely outdated and irrelevant; and that their computers were off-line more than on-line.
I have grown to appreciate the unimaginable vision, commitment and task the founder undertook, creating explicit agreements with the communities. The network experienced severe financial distress in 2008 and 2009, leading to staff reductions and a need to broaden the financial base; an expanded board and strong executive staff successfully crafted a rescue effort and changed the financial model. The financial crisis subsided with broader support; and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation placed its confidence in the organization and committed to co-funding for several years. The recovery effort has led to new challenges to not only restore but improve its network. Pilot projects are being developed with the clear goal of expanding them to the entire network. It is understood that, if successful, the Riecken Library model is being carefully observed as a model for expansion through Central America and perhaps to other developing countries. I am very excited to be part of these efforts.”