REBUILDING UKRAINE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Alexander O. Rotov is the Chairman of GERZ HOLDING, a privately held Group of Companies. The company focus is construction and development within Eastern and Western Europe and specializes in energy-saving management, and alternative investments across Ukraine. In addition, Alexander was a member of European Economic Senate (EES), the Senator of EES from Ukraine from 2015 to 2020.
Job Titles:
- Executive Business Manager
While studying in the United States Alisa is volunteering at RUAI and helping the team get the REUNITE program started. When at home in Ukraine Alisa works at Gertz Construction Corporation in Kyiv. Where she is working towards becoming an expert in operational design and strategy development, with a particular focus on green development and sustainability practices.
Director of Communications for the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America is often referred to as the most visible face of the Ukrainian American community. With a history of appearances on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, PBS, NPR, and other outlets, he assists Ukraine and its worldwide diaspora in getting its message out. At the United Nations, he is the Chair of the UN Affairs Committee for the Ukrainian World Congress, where he attends weekly briefings and committee meetings on behalf of the international assembly of all Ukrainian public organizations in the worldwide Ukrainian diaspora of over 20 million people. Outside of politics, Andrij is a consultant on issues surrounding Ukraine, Russia, Eastern European culture and identity, Catholic and Orthodox religious practices, and leadership and activism in a global world. In New York City, he cantors' liturgical services at St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church, while maintaining an active schedule as a moderator and emcee at public events. Lastly, Mr. Dobriansky has been recognized in the United States as a "Master Artist of Ukrainian Arts," and has performed at venues such as Citi Field, the Prudential Center, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Mr. Bishop was a career foreign service officer with the US Department of State for twenty-two years. He was a political specialist focused on East-West issues from the height of the Cold War through its waning years and up to America's ultimate victory. He held senior positions in US Embassies in East Berlin and Warsaw, and in Washington, DC.
CDM Engineering Ukraine - Daniel Aspleaf is the Owner and Managing Director, and has a master's degree in chemistry from the University of Washington (USA) and has over 25 years of professional experience, 13 of them in Ukraine, Eastern Europe and the CIS countries. Combining a background in the physical sciences with international business development, Mr. Aspleaf is experienced in developing and managing complex, large-scale infrastructure projects in various sectors, including civil and industrial construction, water, wastewater and solid waste management, transportation and energy-related infrastructure. Mr. Aspleaf possesses a profound knowledge of the Ukrainian business environment, in particular related to infrastructure investments. This includes extensive experience with feasibility studies, procurement, tendering procedures, and project management particularly within the framework of FIDIC contract administration. Mr. Aspleaf has experience in the development and delivery of numerous seminars, trainings, workshops, and other capacity building and stakeholder engagement events over a range of topics, including to the state authorities. Link: CDM Engineering Ukraine
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Secretary
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor - Genocide Awareness
Michael Sawkiw is a former President of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), the leading representative organization of the Ukrainian American community. Since 1996, he has served as Director of the UCCA's Washington, DC bureau - the Ukrainian National Information Service, and remains in this post presently.
Prior to arriving in Washington, Michael served as a financial analyst at AIG Financial Projects, Inc. in Westport, CT. and as a financial operations analyst at the General Electric Co. in Schenectady, NY.
Michael has a BS in Mathematics from Union College in Schenectady, NY, as well as an MBA in Corporate Finance from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He served as a correspondent for The Union Sentinel, an independent college-run newspaper, and was featured a featured writer in the Union College Undergraduate Review.
Michael is also Chairman of the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Awareness and was instrumental in the establishment of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial in Washington, DC (unveiled in November 2015). He received a prestigious award His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church for his efforts in memorializing the victims of the Ukrainian Holodomor. In August 2017 and September 2021, Michael was awarded the Yaroslav the Wise state medal by Presidents Poroshenko and Zelensky for his advocacy work in Washington and the establishment of the Holodomor Memorial.
Michael is fluent in Ukrainian and has proficient knowledge of the Russian, Spanish, and German languages.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Treasurer
- Treasurer / Rebuilding Ukraine Assoc. Inc.
Robert Keeley's experience included positions in public accounting and corporate financial management in the 70's and 80's. In those roles he consulted with senior management in a variety of construction-related industries, including steel (rebar) manufacturers and various building product suppliers, including one company focused on export of steam management products through ARAMCO. Moving to a new career in the 90's, he held positions in sales management and consulting in the built environments industry. His experience includes consultative engagements with clients in corporate, healthcare, and higher education. He also holds certification as an instructor of a leading program focused on major project management with a primary focus on understanding the focus of the varied influencers involved in major projects. Now retired, he welcomes the opportunity to work with the RUAI board and management team to ensure that the organization achieves its stated near and long-term goals for Ukraine's recovery. He holds a BSBA degree from Babson College, acknowledged as the nation's leading educational institution with a focus on Entrepreneurship.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Representative
Robert Schmitz is a Representative to the United Nations Department of Global Communications with Pathways to Peace and has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council government body (ECOSOC). He is also the Founder and President of Think Greener, LLC, a global provider of educational content that fosters a sustainable and circular economy.
For 25+ years Mr. Schmitz has worked in the A&E industry practicing architecture and construction management with a specialty in sustainable design.
His passion is to help society and the built environment achieve a sustainable future. He has served as an advisor and board member to public and private organizations in New Jersey. He played an integral part in standing up two disaster- recovery programs located in New York and New Jersey.
Mr. Schmitz holds a Master of Architecture and a two-year Certificate in Sustainable Design from New Jersey Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Architecture from New York Institute of Technology.
Robert continues to be a leader in sustainability and the new economy. He believes that through education, new technologies, green jobs, local laws, increased public awareness, strengthened resiliency in communities, support from global governments and a level playing field we can achieve sustainability in the built environment.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Project Manager
Sergiy I. Borysov, Ph.D. - has a broad scope of professional experiences: he is an educator, a researcher, and an entrepreneur. Sergiy was born and raised in Ukraine, where he attained his first doctoral degree from the National University of Kyiv, 2000. In 2006 he was awarded his second doctoral degree from the University of South Florida. Currently he is an Associate Professor at Saint Leo University in Florida. Aside from his academic duties, Sergiy functioned as a CEO of LeoTeq LLC and as a Chief Scientific Officer of Seventis Pharmaceuticals Inc., both small start-up biotech companies.
Development of academic and cultural ties between the USA and Ukraine is a passion and a focal point of Sergiy's professional activities. Since 2006, Sergiy facilitated and organized a number of US-Ukrainian academic outreach programs, ranging from pre-school education to mediation of intercultural conflicts.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Founder - Executive Director / Rebuilding Ukraine Association Inc.
- Inc.'S Founder and President
President, Lang Development and Consulting Inc. - A seasoned executive with over thirty-five years of building and managing multi-million-dollar construction and materials companies and projects in domestic and international markets. Acknowledged for an ability to interface with foreign governments, comply with international regulations, create positive relations with clients, and be well received by executive leadership to develop, manage, and complete projects that return profit margins that meet or exceed projections. Extremely knowledgeable of customs and business practices in the USA, Middle East, and Central European countries. International Projects: developing and managing numerous surface mining operations, hot mix asphalt, ready mix and block facilities, along with construction and consulting services have been completed in the countries of: Ukraine, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Poland and Russia.
Job Titles:
- CEO of Polo Builders, INC
- Construction / Polo Builders Inc.
CEO of Polo Builders, INC., Val Stelmach was born in Rivne, Ukraine, and moved to the United States in his early teenage years. Val began his journey in construction shortly after joining the engineering program at the University of Illinois in Chicago. In 1998, Val decided to open his own construction firm, catering to both the commercial and residential markets. Val's work exceeds in quality, as he provides craftsmanship and design that stands the test of time.
Val has been raised all over the world, from Europe to the USA, and has a thorough understanding and knowledge of different backgrounds, leaving him well diverse. Val believes that building relationships is key in life. When you put in the right kind of effort, you will create an extraordinary and everlasting bond. Val's Ukrainian roots run deep, and he resonates with the people of Ukraine during this time of trial and tribulation. Val attempts to help Ukrainians in any way he can, and understands that his knowledge in the field of construction will play a vital role in rebuilding Ukraine.
Languages: Fluent in Ukrainian, English, and Russian