About Us
Board of Directors
- Jennifer Alvarez – President
- Lyle Forcum and Julie-Ann Forcum – co-Chairs
- Daniel Levine – Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
- John Harper III, M. D., – Medical Director
- Donna Wanser – Legal Director
- Carla Jones – Director of Media and Development
- Veronica Alcorta – Secretary
- Position available – Vice President
- Position available – Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
Stevie Rutherford - Disabled Traveler 411 Internet Radio Show Host
Advisory Council
Fairy Angel Mascots
Ambassador Board
- Angela Irick – Heels With Wheels
- Margalit Strum Francus
- Hank Falstad AIA – Access Technologies
- Angela Ruzick – Wendy on Wheels
Volunteers
Jennifer Alvarez – President
Jennifer Alvarez is the Communications & Business Development Director at CareVacations. Some of her primary responsibilities include: implementing and managing PR campaigns; establishing social media networking efforts; streamlining PR/communications marketing, and sales efforts; establishing corporate partnerships; identifying revenue opportunities for CareVacations within the accessible cruise industry; and creating, implementing & managing programs related to disability access, directed at CareVacations’ three main client groups, including cruise lines, cruise passengers, and travel agents.
Prior to joining CareVacations, Alvarez served for 12 years in a variety of roles at Holland America Line, a member of World’s Leading Cruise Lines and a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, allowing her to gain incredible insight in to various aspects of the cruise industry. During her latter six years, Alvarez served as the developer and Manager of Holland America’s Access & Compliance department, where she served as the authority on accessible product accommodations, oversaw the processing of requests for special needs/disability accommodations/services for all Holland America Line products, and established countless accessible cruising initiatives. Under Alvarez’ leadership, Holland America gained notoriety with its first acknowledgement as Porthole Cruise Magazine’s ‘Best Facilities for Physically Challenged Passengers’; for installing the industry’s first ship tender-lift system for people who use wheelchairs; for distributing the industry’s first marketing brochure and DVD which was aimed at the disability community; and by becoming an industry leader in accessible cruising policies and procedures.
In her current role, Alvarez, is an accessible cruise and travel expert who partners with a team of executives who work cooperatively to develop new ideas and services for the disability community; engage the travel industry in accessibility awareness; redefine accessible cruise accommodations; to meet the increasing requests of travellers with disabilities; develop strategic alliances; and manage community relations.
Lyle Forcum
co-Chair & Founder
What Lyle brings to the foundation is unique and will help position it to grow quickly to help as many as possible in the years to come. He served our country in various ways through the Marine Corp. including but certainly not limited to: Assistant Chief of Staff, G-1, in the 1st Marine Logistics Group; Executive Officer, Security Battalion at MCB Camp Pendleton; Commanding Officer, Support Detachment, MAG – 13; and by being honored with the position of Lt. Colonel, the title to which he still holds today in his retirement from the Marine Corp. His liaison services to Grant Angel Wishes and Travel Foundation will especially help to utilize our efforts in granting wishes to injured military service people and the many military families who have young children who are disabled.
Lyle has a wealth of knowledge that he brings to the foundation from his career life which includes security management, anti-terrorism force, naval security managers training, military justice training, humanitarian response training, and a BS in Business from the University of Arizona. He is currently the Executive Director of Building Operations & Loss Prevention for Panda Restaurant Group Inc. He also volunteers through the Panda Group’s community events as yet another way to pay it forward with joy.
He has enjoyed his many volunteer positions as well including being a Boy Scout leader, Big Brother mentor, and soccer coach to youth. He loves animals, children, and is an upstanding family man. Lyle is dedicated to his family and enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter as well as playing basketball and working out with his son. Riding motorbikes has been a long time passion as well.
He is married to the visionary of Grant Angel Wishes and Travel Foundation, Julie Ann, and together they have raised two teenagers along with fostering children that have run into hardships. They have impacted numerous people for good in life and continue to press on in that mission together.
Julie Ann Forcum
co-Chair (non-active), Visionary & Original Founder
Grant Angel Wishes and Travel Foundation Inc. was a vision of Julie Ann’s that was born into life in late 2006, early 2007. As the dream grew little by little in the beginning it soon turned into growth by leaps and bounds due to her dream to share her passion for helping people by granting wishes to those in need. This has become her mission in life. As she is quoted as saying for years, “My oath is to do everything I am able to do to help those who are disabled, have no shelter or food, or are in need of medical treatment – those facing events in life that are difficult to deal with alone and may find it hard to maintain hope. Some may have already lost hope, so the foundation will carry out my vision to help restore that hope by providing needs.”
All involved with the foundation feel that the love that Julie Ann exudes puts a smile on so many faces around her. As the Foundation Directors and volunteers continue to carry her mission into the foundation now and in the future they give people an opportunity to share in blessing many others. She always says “Together as citizens we can pay it forward in a profoundly simple way to make wishes come true for others less fortunate in our country. We will be creating a better future for everyone involved. My greatest love has always been working with the community and my philosophy is to pay it forward in life by impacting many lives, creating a circle of giving, and changing lives one day at a time. What a blessing… for us all to help others! I am proud to know that the foundation I dreamed of for so many years has a great group of caring individuals who agreed with the mission and continue to carry out my dreams especially since I was diagnosed and live now with my own debilitating disease that keeps me from being active like I used to be.”
Julie Ann’s Personal Story
Suffering from cancer and the disabling Menier’s Disease didn’t stop Julie Ann from sharing her dreams to help others, they only solidified her vision. It has become her greatest wish to mentor and give our children a promise of a better tomorrow by granting wishes, providing precious memories, and bringing joy to many lives. Much of her inspiration came from her upbringing in Australia where her mother and family raised her to be socially conscious, accepting of all humanity, and to do what is morally right in all situations.
She loves to travel and did so extensively when able – seeing the world and experiencing other cultures and countries. Early in life she was very involved with theater, acting and commercial voice over work for radio & television commercials. Prior to her moving to the United States, she also served others as a reservist in the Australian Army. She obtained a Bachelors of Business & Marketing Degree during her military service time. Her extensive experience in marketing, advertising, and event management has benefited greatly the many major corporate, civic, and business groups she has worked for over the last 25 years.
Julie Ann currently lives in Temecula, California with her husband Lyle, a retired Marine Lt. Colonel, and two adult children, Brittany and Nicolas. Together they have been a foster family to inspire even more children.
Dan Levine
Chief Financial Officer
Dan Levine is the – VP Tax, Panda Restaurant Group Dan’s business career has spanned more than 25 years. He has a Law Degree and Masters in Taxation, and has run the corporate tax departments at a variety of large companies in the greater Los Angeles area, with business interests ranging from automotive parts manufacturing to video game development to hospitality. Dan has also been an active member in the Los Angeles chapter of Tax Executives Institute for many years, serving in capacities as board member and officer, including President. Dan balances his career interests with his passion for the ocean, and has been scuba diving since 1974 and is a licensed scuba instructor. Giving back is of high importance to Dan, and he his a proud volunteer diver at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, where he has been volunteering for the past 10 years. Dan and his wife Leanne reside in foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in La Crescenta, California, and they are the proud parents of their blended family of three sons and two daughters, ranging in age from eight to twenty-four.
John Harper, MD
Medical Director
John comes to the foundation with a medical degree, a lot of personal experience, and a desire to serve others. His background in military medicine has prepared him to look at not only the medical aspect but the logistical aspect of planning to grant Wishes and all Travel requests.
He was born in Youngstown, Ohio and raised in western New York. He did not take the standard “straight through school” route to his degree and career. Instead, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps after high school and was stationed at Camp Pendleton in southern California. During his enlistment, he attained the rank of Sergeant before he was honorably discharged. After his enlistment, he earned a bachelor’s of science degree from the University of California, San Diego. He then earned his Medical Degree from Penn State University College of Medicine. He began his medical career in the U.S. Navy serving the active duty Marines of 1st Marine Division. He is currently the medical director and managing physician for US Health Works in Carlsbad California.
John is a devoted husband and father of five. He has a 24 year old son and is currently raising three boys ages 12, 7, 5, and a 2 year old girl with his wife. He enjoys nothing more than spending time with his children and they keep him quite busy. He has volunteered as a little league coach and tries to keep his children involved in sports year round. They enjoy many outdoor activities from the beaches to the mountains. He also enjoys classic cars and has two current restoration projects, a 1969 Mustang and a 1967 Firebird.
Donna Wanswer
Legal Director
Donna Wanser has been with Panda Restaurant Group, Inc. (“Panda”) since 2000 and is the Vice President of Legal. In addition to assisting with legal counsel on transactional and employment and labor issues, she has been instrumental in bringing Panda’s legal services to a heightened level of proficiency. She currently has a team of 24 including six attorneys and has been an integral part of the Senior Management Team.
Donna brings legal, organizational and leadership skills as a board member of CPH. Donna is a graduate from the University of Maryland, holds an MBA in Banking and Finance from Dowling College and a Juris Doctorate from Touro Law School with a specialization in Real Estate. She is currently a Doctorate candidate in Organizational Leadership at Pepperdine University. Her dissertation research involves the study of the emotional intelligence of lawyer leaders and its correlation to effectively leading the new up-coming millennium.
She has been on the board of the Girl Scouts, USA, President of her home owner association and is currently on the board of the Grant Angel Wishes and Travel Foundation, Inc. She actively engages in helping charity organizations that benefit children and people in need and is passionate about the purpose of CPH. Donna’s hobbies include world travel and continuous learning [about people and culture].
Her hobbies include volunteering for non-profits assisting children’s needs, travel and learning [about people and culture].
Carla Jones
Director of Media & Chief Ambassador
Carla Jones is an experienced sales and marketing professional with over twenty years of experience. Jones has traveled the globe marketing and selling a variety of products and services from television networks to financial products. Currently, Carla is the Marketing and Advertising Manager for the Hemet/San Jacinto Valley Chamber of Commerce. She enjoys an opportunity to help promote growth and development in the San Jacinto Valley community. Carla holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing and communications from California State University Northridge, attended the Gradziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University and is currently pursuing a professional certification in Community and Economic Development from Penn State University.
Carla’s consistent guiding principles have always been fairness, honesty, and integrity. She has realized the most success in helping others to realize the best potential in them selves and in their professional pursuits. Her professional exploration has included a host of positions including Licensed Financial Investment Advisor, Media Buyer, Customer Service Manager, Regional Sales Manager, and Advertising Sales Manager and Events Coordinator. The industries she has worked in include Retail, Real Estate, Financial/Insurance, and Cable and Telecommunications.
Carla enjoys relaxing with her husband and two children. She enjoys the life she’s been blessed with, and you can often find her recording God’s handiwork through photography, on all facets including people, places, and the beautiful landscape that surrounds us. Her photographic hobby has evolved into a freelance profession. Carla enjoys traveling and meeting people. She believes strongly that we all have something to teach and to learn from each other. She frequently says what she enjoys most about traveling and experiencing different cultures is that underneath it all, we’re all the same, yet “Everyone has a unique story… what’s yours?”
Stevie Rutherford
Stevie is the on air host and creator of the Disabled Traveler 411 Internet Ratio show with Travel Angels Network, the marketing arm of the Grant Angel Wishes and Travel Foundation. (R)
She is the author of several books including the “Elder and Disabled Caregiving Trivia Guide: 1001 Tips and Resources, published in 2011. Stevie has produced several cable television shows with focus on personal growth and success and eldercare, these include; Dare to Dream, Walking Survivor and Bulls-eye. In addition, Stevie wrote, produced and hosted the long running cable television show Options in Elder Care. The highly successful show was praised by management, “as a true example of community service in the media.”
Following the success of the cable show she wrote, produced and directed the documentary, Options In Eldercare; Preparations Before Need. In addition, she co-produced and directed several public service announcements for the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness (GLAD).
Stevie has and continues to be the voiceover talent for television shows and products from cruise lines to carpets. Stevie hosted and produced the radio show Music for Movies and a weekly music segment for the Rainbow Network..
She is also, a national winner of coveted Guy A. Hanks and Marvin Miller Screenwriting competition underwritten by Dr.’s William and Camille Cosby and the University of Southern California (USC).
Advisory Council
Ambassador Board
Angela Irick – Heels With Wheels
At the age of 14 years old; an independent, rambunctious, athletic, teenager’s life was completely changed on March 7, 1996 in Houston Texas. Angela Irick was on her way to a choir concert at her school that evening when her, her sister and friend were involved in what was thought to be a “fender bender” until they noticed Angela gasping for air in the backseat.
Angela was dead on arrival when the paramedics reached her but they did not give up and revived her on the scene as they waited for Life Flight to fly her to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Her heartbeat stopped several times in route as well as when she arrived at the hospital. It was later determined and explained to her parents that Angela had sustained a C-1 C-2 spinal cord injury and that she was on a ventilator to keep her alive.
Despite her injuries, Angela Irick, overcame the stereotypical C-1 C-2 SCI prognosis by breathing on her own again, regaining movement, and sensation below the level of injury. She rediscovered her love for writing after her accident and became a writer for an online fashion magazine where she was later promoted to vice president. She then saw the need to help the fashion industry realize that women with disabilities were “normal” too by developing and creating her own fashion line, Heels with Wheels.
Somewhere in between, she was approached by her stepmom (a special education teacher), about writing children’s books for children with disabilities. Having experienced online college writing courses, she decided to take another course about writing for children’s books. One night she couldn’t sleep and writing was her outlet during those times, not knowing she was about to write three children’s books that night.
All three children’s books are to help mainstream disabled children into the community by acknowledging their disabilities but not limiting them from becoming a part of society. She believes that teaching children at an early age that it is okay to be different will help them as individuals in the future, disabled or not. Sampson to the Rescue, is the first book to be published.
Margalit Strum Francus
Founder, writer and editor
As a teenager, Margalit Sturm Francus was asked by a daily newspaper as to what her plans and intentions were for the future. Like many of us, she responded with typical adolescent enthusiasm, “I would love to be a doctor, a writer, an advocate for the needy, and possibly a politician.”
Born in Vienna, Austria to Romanian parents, Margalit was educated in London, Tel Aviv, and Bucharest. From a young age she benefited from exploring the European continent, learning to appreciate the different cultures while still in her schooling. She graduated high school at the age of sixteen, studied English literature, and continued to get a doctoral degree in dentistry. After graduation, she worked for several years as a dentist for special needs patients in the prestigious Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel.
Currently, Margalit is living in sunny Southern California with her husband of twenty years and her two teen sons, one of whom is on the autistic spectrum. Having been raised since infancy in a multicultural environment, she has exposed and educated her own children about the world through extensive travel over the last decade. In 2009, Margalit Francus established a nonprofit website, Autistic Globetrotting, to inspire and encourage autistic families to explore the world. Her articles have appeared in many media publications, including SATH ,Autisable and Blogher. By communicating with both the autistic and travel communities, she aims to raise autism awareness and facilitate the implementation of much needed accommodations for special needs travelers.
Hank Falstad AIA
Hank Falstad has combined his many years of experience as a former owner of an architectural firm (20 years) and a former owner of a construction firm (15 years) with his interest in the law to create Access Technologies Services, Inc. (ACCESS). A customer-centric individual, Mr. Falstad is committed to helping ACCESS build long-lasting and successful business relationships.
Prior to forming ACCESS, Mr. Falstad was the principal of the ADA Department within Stantec Consulting Inc., a leader in engineering and architectural technologies and services. He was selected to be the ADA Consultant to the 2001 and also the 2005 Presidential Inauguration Committees in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Falstad believes in always expanding his accessibility knowledge and attends numerous seminars and continuing education programs. He has been a featured speaker at numerous industry conferences and before a variety of professional associations, including International Code Council, National Association of ADA Coordinators, Nevada Governor’s ADA Accessibility Committee, World Gaming Conference, Nevada Construction Law Conference, American Society of Safety Engineers, American Institute of Architects, Southwest Rotary and more.
Mr. Falstad holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and physics from the University of Wisconsin and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Michigan. An active member of the American Institute of Architects, Mr. Falstad is an architect licensed in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois and he is also International Code Council (ICC) Certified as an Accessibility Inspector and Plans Examiner.
Angela Ruzicka – Wendy on Wheels
Angela Ruzicka received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri in St. Louis. Since graduating, she has worked for large communication companies including AT&T, Charter Communications and Verizon Wireless. Angela visits many schools to read and entertain students with Wendy on Wheels’ universal message of acceptance and enjoying life.
