WILLIAM SPEAR
Executive Director
William is Founder of Fortunate Blessings Foundation and an international lecturer, consultant, mentor, and writer on complementary healing arts, self-development, end-of-life care, vital design, Eastern philosophy, and somatic treatment of trauma. His articles in The Huffington Post touch upon some of these subjects. His work draws from more than four decades as an educator following in-depth training with Michio Kushi, the Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Center and Sogyal Rinpoche.
DANIEL REESE
Chief Financial Officer
Dan has a lifetime of successful work in the for profit and not-for-profit communities, most recently serving as the CFO and COO for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial fund. During his career in banking, he rose to Senior Vice President for Shawmut Bank. In Connecticut State Government he was featured twice in the Connecticut Section of the New York Times for securing funds while working for Governor Ella T Grasso. He also serves on the board for Slavery Today. Dan holds a Masters in Business from Columbia University and a BS in Political Science from Trinity College in Hartford. He is married with six children and eight grandchildren.
JONAH SPEAR
Program and Curriculum Director
Jonah has been an integral part of the Second Response team since its inception in 2004. He is a lead facilitator for trainings and is responsible for program direction and curriculum development. Jonah also served as a Counselor and Production Facilitator for Camp Grounded in locations across the U.S., and was Co Director of Young People’s Camp at Rowe Camp and Conference Center. Jonah has trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Center, the Moscow Art Theatre, and Boston University School of Fine Arts, and holds a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Jonah currently is pursuing a Master's Degree in Interdisciplinary Education and the Psychology of Belonging at NYU Gallatin.
KRIS TYLER
Special Projects Director
Kris is the head of Special Projects for Fortunate Blessings Foundation. She assists in the development, logistics and evaluations of the programs. Additionally, she works on marketing and communications for the team including management of the website, as well as supports program outreach and grant application efforts. Previously, Kris was the the Program Director of the Kushi Institute and a Data Analyst of the Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health at the University of California in Berkeley. Kris received her B.A. in Mathematics/Statistics from Smith College. Kris is also a California Certified Rape Crisis Counselor.
PALOMA CRIOLLO
Videographer and Social Media Coordinator
Paloma works at the intersections of sustainable development and digital marketing for social innovation. Her past experiences include community-based conservation management, indigenous rights advocacy, marketing, videography and photography, with extensive experience in over 20 countries and firsthand exposure to global issues, as well as a deep commitment to social justice. Paloma received her Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies at LIU Brooklyn.
Meet our Core Faculty and Facilitators on the Second Response website.