Other Fellows I'll Be Traveling With

Ms. Julie Bryant
Managing Editor, Atlanta Business Chronicle
Ms. Julie Bryant is managing editor of Atlanta Business Chronicle. Prior to joining the Chronicle, Bryant
was a writer for Atlanta Journal-Constitution and a reporter for the Tulsa World, in Oklahoma. She
began her career in television before moving to newspaper, radio news reporting and stints as a radio
personality. Bryant is a member of the Leadership Atlanta class of 2007, serves on the board Healthy
Mother’s Healthy Babies of Georgia, and is chair of the Junior League of Atlanta’s Ron Clark Academy
volunteer placement. Julie moved to Atlanta in 1999.

Ms. Natalie English
Senior Vice President, Business and Education Advocacy, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce
Ms. Natalie English serves as Senior Vice President of Business & Education Advocacy for the Charlotte
Chamber of Commerce where she manages the Chamber’s efforts to affect policy relating to business
issues at all levels of government. She and her team of Chamber staff serve as the voice of business at the
city, county, state and federal government. Natalie received her B.A. in Communications from North
Carolina State University. She is an active volunteer and serves on many boards in the community.
Natalie and her three-year old son Rick live in the University Area of Charlotte.

Mr. Ricardo Estrada
Executive Director, Erie Neighborhood House
Mr. Ricardo Estrada serves as Executive Director of Erie Neighborhood House and has held this position
since 2003. He has worked to strengthen Chicago’s communities in a number of roles, as program
director, consultant, administrator and executive director for a multitude of organizations. In 2005 he
founded the Erie Elementary Charter School. Mr. Estrada is the recipient of a number of fellowships and
honors in his community; he holds an MBA from the University of Illinois and a master’s in policy and
administration from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. He resides
in Chicago with his beloved wife Beatriz and daughters Sofia and Daniela.

Mr. Eric Shintaro Hiraga
Debt Administrator, Department of Finance, City and County of Denver
Mr. Eric Hiraga is Debt Administrator for the City and County of Denver, Department of Finance. His
responsibilities include the issuance of municipal bonds, management of a $500 million debt portfolio,
and the oversight of Denver’s special district developments. Eric previously worked as an International
Trade Specialist for the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade during Mayor
Wellington E. Webb’s administration. He was responsible for activities related to foreign trade and
investment in Asia and the Pacific Rim. Eric also supervised the daily operations of the city’s
international trade office in Shanghai, China. Eric received his B.A. in International Relations and
Japanese from the University of Colorado, Boulder. In 1995, Eric received the Peace and Friendship
Fellowship from the Japanese Ministry of Education to study at Tsukuba University.

Ms. Kara Kelty
City Councilmember, Flagstaff City Council
Ms. Kara Kelty is currently an elected official in Flagstaff Arizona. Her responsibilities as
Councilmember include participation in: the appointment and supervision of the City Manager and City
Attorney, creation and adoption of a balanced budget of $280 million, appointment of citizens to Boards
and Commissions, and creation of strategic vision. She has extensive experience in public service and the
nonprofit sector. She began by serving in the Peace Corps in the Philippines and completed a second tour
in Guatemala in 1990. Since her arrival in Flagstaff in 1995 she has held a series of diverse positions such
as Bilingual Tester for the Flaggstaff Unified School District, Program Manager for Junior Achievement,
Director of Success by 6 for the United Way of Northern Arizona. Kara lives with her family (and the
occasional foreign exchange student) in Flagstaff.

Ms. Sondra Reis
Associate Director, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
Ms. Sondra Reis has worked for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) since 1997. MCN, which has
1,900 nonprofit organizations as its members, works to inform, promote, connect, and strengthen
individual nonprofits and the nonprofit sector through research, advocacy, professional development,
and network and leadership building opportunities. As associate director, Sondra supervises most of
MCN’s internal functions, including human resources and financial management, and provides oversight
for many external functions, including membership, publications, workshops and conferences, online
services, and communications and marketing. Previous to her current position, she was MCN’s
Membership Director. Sondra has also served the nonprofit sector through membership on various
boards and committees. She is currently a member of the board of directors for the Minnesota Real Estate
Foundation, treasurer of the board of LegalCORPS, and a 2006-2007 Humphrey Institute Policy Fellow.
Sondra has a master’s degree in nonprofit management from the Mandel Center for Nonprofit
Organizations at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Mr. Hugh Short
Vice-President of Consulting, Alaska Growth Capital
Mr. Hugh Short is Vice-President of Consulting for Alaska Growth Capital in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska
Growth Capital is a financial service firm that is wholly-owned subsidiary of the Arctic Slope Regional
Corporation, the largest of the Alaska Native regional corporations. Hugh is responsible for providing
financial, strategic, and organizational development consulting for various clients throughout Alaska.
Hugh has served as Mayor of Bethel from 2002 to 2004, the sixth largest community in Alaska. He is
currently the Treasurer of Pacific Northern Academy and a board member of the Alaska Manufacturing
Extension Partnership. Mr. Short has completed the coursework in M.S. in Organizational Development
from Pepperdine University and will graduate in May 2008.

Mr. Timothy Lee Tramble
Executive Director, Burten, Bell, Carr Development
Mr. Tim Tramble is Executive Director at Burten, Bell, Carr Development Inc., where he is responsible for
the over-all management of the agency’s staff and resources. He currently oversees the largest housing
development project in Cleveland since the 1940’s. He is a member of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County
Tax Incentive Review Council and serves as Board President of the Cleveland Neighborhood
Development Coalition. He also serves on the Advisory Board of Central State University College of Arts
and Science. Mr. Tramble holds an MPA from Cleveland State University.