JR Fry
Vice President, Best Buddies Challenge

JR Fry has 20 years of experience in fundraising, corporate sales and marketing. For more than 11 years, JR has contributed to the mission of Best Buddies. In the past, he has led numerous marketing and fundraising efforts as well as developed sponsors for our national events.

He currently leads a team that produces five-star, world-class signature Best Buddies events, the Best Buddies Challenges. These events have raised more than $40 million dollars over the past 10 years, and they provide a platform to showcase the limitless abilities of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The events are currently held at landmark locations in Massachusetts and California, with an additional event on the horizon for Washington, D.C. 

JR is a graduate of Centenary College.

Jen Miller
Vice President, Finance

Jen Miller has 12 years of accounting experience; eight of these years have been spent at Best Buddies.  She began her career at Best Buddies as an accounting clerk and now holds the position of Vice President, Finance. In this capacity,

Jen directs all of the financial functions of the organization in accordance with industry and regulatory standards. This role includes review of all internal controls and special projects in the financial and compliance areas of the organization.

Jen is part of the Citizens Program which pairs individuals with intellectual disabilities in one-to-one friendships with an individual in the corporate and civic community.

Jen is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Lisa Derx
Vice President, Government Relations

Lisa Derx was introduced to Best Buddies while working as an assistant to Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Founder of Special Olympics.  In April 1990, Best Buddies Chairman Anthony K. Shriver hired Lisa for what he said was a temporary, six-week job organizing the first Best Buddies Leadership Conference. 

Somewhere in the midst of writing the Best Buddies Colleges Handbook, coordinating travel for all attendees, organizing the agenda and soliciting food donations, Anthony offered and Lisa accepted a permanent position with Best Buddies.

In the ensuing years, Lisa’s career at Best Buddies has included stints as Special Events Director, Development Director and Executive Director. 

During her tenure, Best Buddies has grown from 33 chapters to more than 1,400 worldwide. Lisa has served in numerous leadership capacities, from creating volunteer policies, staff procedures, chapter-chartering materials, and training materials, to organizing several national events annually to securing needed funds from private foundations, the Federal government, state and local governments, individual donors and merchandise sales.

In 1998, Lisa left the Miami headquarters of Best Buddies to serve as Chief Development Officer for Who Cares Magazine, a publication for nonprofit leaders and as a consultant for In2Books, a reading pen pal program for at-risk elementary school students, in Washington, D.C.

Lisa returned to Best Buddies in 1999 to launch e-Buddies, an email friendship program that has served more than 15,000 children and adults, and she currently serves as Vice President for Government Relations, charged with seeking funding for Best Buddies programs at the Federal, state and local levels.

Lisa volunteers as a manager for qualitymall.org, an innovative website offering resources for persons with intellectual disabilities, and she serves on the Florida Mentoring Partnership’s Advocacy Council. Lisa is a founding member of the Virginia Tech English Department’s Distinguished Alumni Board, a past board member for the National Society of Fundraising Executives (Miami Chapter), a founding board member of the Best Buddies Virginia Advisory Board and former chairman of the Best Buddies Florida Advisory Board.

A graduate of Virginia Tech, Lisa holds a B.A. in English and Political Science. She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with her husband, Dan Miles.

Julie Torres
Vice President, Human Resources & Administration

Julie is responsible for directing all Human Resources efforts and manages all duties related to Administration for Best Buddies International. Julie has been with the organization for more than five years and works in the Headquarters office.

Julie gained most of her Human Resources experience from working in the hospitality industry, and Best Buddies is her first and only non-profit experience. Prior to her engagement with Best Buddies she worked in the Human Resources department for The Breakers in Palm Beach.
 

During the last five years Julie has concentrated in transitioning the Human Resources function from administrative to strategic. She started with the organization as the Human Resources Director reporting to the Vice President of Administration and became Best Buddies’ Vice President, Human Resources and Administration in 2007. For the first time in the history of the organization, the Human Resources function reported directly to Anthony K. Shriver, Founder & Chairman. 

Julie works strategically with Best Buddies leadership to ensure that Best Buddies is an excellent workplace. She holds a B.A. in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and resides in Miami.

Alexander Hernandez Dessauer
Vice President, International Programs & Special Projects

Serving as both a Board Member of Best Buddies International and the Vice President of its International Programs, Alex has continuously volunteered in advance of the Best Buddies mission since 1993.

A graduate of Duke University, Alex has contributed through various evolving positions within Best Buddies, engaging in such organizational divisions as media and communications; special projects; and most recently, during the course of the past six years, developing Best Buddies' programmatic presence around the globe.

In collaboration with the dedicated staff of the International Programs Department, Alex has facilitated the establishment of 44 accredited-country programs that represent Best Buddies throughout six continents. 

This global outreach, on behalf of persons with intellectual disabilities, has meaningfully supplemented the vibrant commitment that universally characterizes Best Buddies; mutually benefiting both the domestic and overseas programs with effective fellowship and cross-national educational experiences that reinforce the organization as a collective unit.

Among the foremost objectives of Best Buddies, by the conclusion of 2010, is the realization of its programmatic presence in 50 countries; which achievement Alex remains dedicated to advancing in support of the Best Buddies mission within the international arena.

Scott Tracy
Vice President, Special Events

Scott Tracy joined Best Buddies eleven years ago as the Office Manager, responsible for overseeing the accounts receivables and payables, providing administrative support to headquarters and all state offices and, at that time, was the acting Database/Network administrator.

After two years, Scott joined the Marketing and Special Events Departments, as the Coordinator for both, producing live and silent auctions, program books, event sponsorship solicitations, invitations, including logistics for all major national events and managing the database. After working in this capacity for three years, Scott eventually assumed the role of Special Events Manager and was later promoted to Director assuming all logistical production duties of the national events.

In 2005, Scott decided to take some time from Best Buddies to seek out new adventures with a well-known full-service event company based in Houston, Texas. While there Scott produced numerous large events in short amounts of time, from galas to concerts. He was the events producer for many clients such as the Austin Film Society, Texas Children’s Hospital, Fund for Teachers, Periwinkle Foundation and other non-profit organizations, individuals and corporations.

Scott realized his loyalties remained with Best Buddies, and he returned later that year as the Vice President, Special Events and continues to maintain the relationships he fostered in Texas. As Vice President, Special Events, Scott currently oversees eight to ten national events annually for Best Buddies International, from galas with auctions and all-out private concerts, including the post-ride celebrations and VIP events for the Best Buddies Challenges.  Scott is responsible for producing all aspects of an event, from its conception and design to execution of the details and post-event duties.

This year Scott is working closely with the Best Buddies Challenge department to spearhead the exciting launch of a new Best Buddies Challenge in D.C. for 2010  which is replacing the once-annual Best Buddies Ball after twenty years.  The Best Buddies Ball was ranked as one of the top ten events to attend in Washington, D.C. for several years and was nominated for an ISES Esprit Award - Best Event With A Legacy.

Currently, Scott’s largest gala is the Miami Gala, which has become one of the fastest growing and popular events in Miami, selling out every year. The Miami Gala has gone from 400 attendees in 2003 to 800 in 2008. Scott prides himself on completely overhauling the events since taking over in 2003, and his vision has enhanced the events a little more each year with the introduction of new ideas and vendors to all the Best Buddies events by giving them that unique “Five-Star” feel Best Buddies events have become known for today.

Scott attended Bradley University and Florida International University with a major in International Studies/Relations and a minor in French & Geography.

Scott is a registered member of the International Special Events Society (ISES). 

Brad Blank
Vice President, Sports Talent

Brad Blank is one of the few lawyers in the country who is devoted full-time, exclusively to the representation of professional football players. He attended college at Brown University from which he graduated magna cum laude with a double honors degree in Political Science and History. He was additionally recognized for excellence in academic pursuits by his election to Phi Beta Kappa.

Blank then graduated from the Columbia University School of Law, receiving a J.D. Degree. In addition to his concentration in sports and entertainment law, Brad focused on the subjects of labor, antitrust, and income taxation. Over the past twenty-five years, Brad Blank has negotiated over 1,000 professional football contracts. Brad's quick ascension up the sports industry ladder, at such a remarkably young age, earned him national recognition. Indeed, his story has been chronicled in publications such as Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, The Sporting News, and USA Today.

Many of his deals have clearly distinguished Brad as one of the leading football attorneys in America today. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar, the American Bar Association, is a certified Contract Advisor of the National Football League Players Association, and is a registered representative with the NCAA. Brad also serves on the National Board of Directors of Best Buddies International.  In addition, Brad is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Kidney Foundation and the Macular Degeneration Foundation.

A few years later, Tiffany started the Best Buddies Jobs program in Los Angeles and then led the California office as the first California State Director until 2000. She then moved back to Miami to work at Headquarters, overseeing a number of different projects.

She currently serves as the VP, State Operations & Programs, working with all of the state offices to ensure our mission is carried out successfully on the local level.

Mark Lewis
Vice President, Stragegic Development

Mark Lewis joined Best Buddies International as a consultant in September 2003 to develop rider recruitment sales and marketing. After achieving extraordinary results with the Best Buddies Challenge: Hyannis Port,

Mark was tapped by Anthony Shriver to move to California to launch the first Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle ride in the Fall of 2004. One year later a new marketing, sales, customer service and information technology  platform was fully operational resulting in both ride events completely selling out for the first time in their respective histories.

As of 2009, ride revenue has grown more than 400% from when Mark first joined Best Buddies. Today, he serves as Vice President of Strategic Development. In that role he focuses on launching new events and increasing the profitability of  the existing Best Buddies Challenges while developing new non-event and Cause–Related Marketing revenue streams.

Mark comes from a diverse employment background in working for sophisticated blue-chip companies such as Merrill Lynch International Private Bank and Trust and Public Financial Management, as well as in internet startup companies and as an independent consultant and small business owner.

With more than 12 years experience to leverage in corporate business development, ecommerce, investment banking, real-estate marketing, sales and investments, Mark will continue to support the mission and achieve the vision of Best Buddies International.

His responsibilities include securing celebrities to attend Best Buddies national events and maintaining relationships with long-term supporters. Another duty is to secure the musical entertainment for Best Buddies events. Over the past 20 years, Wylie has worn many hats and played many roles in the wonderful world of Best Buddies from overseeing the Best Buddies Fine Art Collection to booking Best Buddies Founder/Chairman on The Today Show.

Besides Best Buddies, Wylie interned at The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, served as First Assistant to Academy-Award Winning Actor Robert DeNiro, and placed third in the 2006 Biggest Loser television show. His Workouts with Wylie are a hallmark of the annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference and have been staged in four states around the nation. 

Working for Best Buddies is not just a job for Wylie – it has become part of his life. Wylie currently is paired with Chris Gay in the Best Buddies Citizens program. You can often find him raising money for Best Buddies with indoor cycling events that he holds to raise funds for the Best Buddies Challenges. This year, he and his team have raised more than $30,000.