PRI Staff:

Robert Harris, CEO
BS - Physics (College of William & Mary)
MS - Physics (College of William & Mary)
Ph.D. - Physics [Elementary Particle Physics] (College of William & Mary)

I am a physicist by education and an entrepreneur by leaning and experience. My curiosity draws me to understand the big issues that have the potential for huge impact on society. That is why I fell in love with physics early in my career and why I fell in love with new paradigms later on. Both change the way people fundamentally view reality and their existence in it. Fresh ideas crafted and honed until they shine have always given me the greatest pleasure. Some call this strategic planning. I value perceptive thinking, lucid writing and direct communication, but I have learned to value diplomacy and patience as well, in order to unleash the potential that big new ideas contain. I am highly adaptive and open to ideas and knowledge that I can learn from others. Conceptual work is fun; Detail work is work. Good clients and consultants are rare. Both should be cherished for life.

Nancy Gillis, President
BA - Government & Politics and English Literature (George Mason University)
MA - Communication, Culture & Technology (Georgetown University)
MA - International Political Economy and Development (Fordham University)

Having lived in Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States and worked in Latin America, the UK and Eastern Europe, I have a deep appreciation for how government policy affects people's lives. I believe in the inherent ability of communications, both process and technology, to improve quality of life for people. My fascination with communications technology is such that I find wireless spectrum to be titillating dinner conversation. I value the ability of smart and committed people to collaborate and resolve any challenge. A student of Complexity Science, I manage people with an adaptive approach, clear communication, and a sense of humor. I am a bookworm with an insatiable taste for science fiction and sincerely believe that the genre affords new insights into the social and ethical challenges created by our rapid technological revolution. I am extremely ethical and pursue business opportunities with a "win-win" approach.

Bibi Baloyra, Project Manager
BA - Art History, Minor in Sociology (University of Miami)
MA - International Political Economy and Development (Fordham University)

I study the history of art because I am fascinated by fine art's historical ability to communicate a story or reinforce religious teaching with subtle (or sometimes explicit) references to the artist or patron that unlock volumes of social, cultural and political context. I possess a fanatical attention to detail, inherently for its informational value and what can be done with it. I am a first generation American of Latin American origin and was raised in a university town in North Carolina in the 1970s where residual effects of segregation made a lasting imprint on my values in my formative years. I am passionate about creating change that can deliver greater social and economic equity and enlisting the leadership of deep pockets and influence to realize that change. I believe a sharp wit coupled with a keen eye can make any achievement process enjoyable in a rapidly changing world.

Nina Kantcheva, Project Manager
BA - Business Administration, Minor in Spanish Language and Literature (College of Mount Saint Vincent)
M.A. - International Affairs (New School University)

I am passionately interested in the role of knowledge in poverty alleviation. I instinctively put people and ideas together and feel genuine satisfaction when I have facilitated the linking of entity to opportunity. Having lived in Soviet-controlled Bulgaria until immigrating to the United States in 1992, I am particularly committed to opening knowledge channels to communities and networks to meet their social and economic needs. My background has made me adept at working in high pressure environments where time and resources are scarce. I value innovation, open communication, creative thinking and perseverance in myself and my peers. I am a conscientious, upbeat person that is eager to learn and facilitate learning that can make a difference in people's lives. Adept at languages, I speak five and possess exceptional cross-cultural sensitivity and interpersonal communication skills.

Christopher Johnson, Creative
Maryland Institute College of Art - graduate courses in Multimedia
B.F.A. - Graphic Design (Old Dominion University)

I am an experienced designer who appreciates the beauty found in clean lines and whitespace. Being successful in my line of work means having strong communications skills and the ability to work effectively, especially as part of a distributed team, with a wide range of people. I excel at directing and implementing complex design projects and am known for setting realistic deadlines and maintaining project accountability. While I like to work independently, I frequently receive design guidance from my young daughter, regardless of whether I have asked for it. Even though I understand the importance of design, I always remember that content is the driver.

Elisa Balestra, Business Associate
BA - English, Minors in Gender Studies and Politics (St. Joseph's University)

I was raised in a progressive New York suburban household by academics and taught a sense of responsibility to others, especially to society at large. I am proud of my Italian and Anglo-Irish family history and culinary traditions, and am considered the resident "foodie". Having worked in fundraising for more than eight years has honed my powers of persuasion and relationship building, essential skills for international business. I believe that we are all obliged to widen our horizons and recognize our responsibility to actively promote equality and opportunity. Having grown up in New York City, I remind myself to stop, sit, and listen - or wake up one day to realize life's most beautiful moments passed unnoticed.

PRI Senior Consultants:

Richard DeFuria, Senior Consultant, Energy and Environment
BME - Villanova University
MS - Management (New Jersey Institute of Technology)
Registered Professional Engineer

Andres Fortino, Senior Consultant, Outreach and Training
B.E.(E) - Electrical Engineering (City College of New York)
M.E.(E) - Electrical Engineering (City College of New York)
Ph.D - Electrical Engineering (City University of New York)

I love to create new things: artwork, academic programs, technology. I teach because I love to serve, I create because it is my life. An engineer by training, I solve problems. But contrary to many people, I don't avoid problems, I go looking for them. Whenever you find a tough thorny problem, there I am in the midst. I can't resist. My greatest influences have been Popper on the philosophy of science, Schumpeter on the economics of the creative destruction forces of innovation, Rogers on the diffusion of innovation, Argyris on what it means to be a professional and the process of self-examination, Chickering on the transformative power of education, J.B. Say on what it means to be an entrepreneur, and Francis Bacon on the power of technology to transform the world. I am continually adding new ideas and paradigms by learning from the classics as I discover them. It's a good thing that I'm a Dean, since I love to pass on what I learn to others.

Darryl McLeod, Senior Consultant, International Development and Financial Market Liberalization (special focus on Latin America)
B.Sc. - University of California, Berkeley
Ph.D. - University of California, Berkeley

Leslie Platt, Senior Consultant, Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals
BA - George Washington University
JD - New York University

I am a leader and a builder and have spent my life working with diverse professionals and groups in the areas of health sciences research and development, regulatory policy and compliance, operating risk management, intellectual property protection, technology transfer, commercialization and alliances. My legal, management, and consulting opportunities have been at senior levels in the federal government and private sector and I have counseled Cabinet officers, CEOs and senior managers to resolve many high profile, "major stakes" issues. Along with structuring deals and arranging financing; managing large organizations, projects and systems; and meeting management, legal and regulatory challenges, I make time to serve as a conference presenter and to publish my work internationally. Out of all of the things I do, I must admit that some of my most enjoyable moments come from teaching bioscience management at the graduate level.

Jim Russell, Director of Industry Sector Issues
B.S. - Electrical Engineering (University of Idaho)

I am the person people go to when they want a complex and difficult job done well, without creating a big disturbance, even though it involves complex technology, systems and people. My personal style is low-key, persistent, and thoughtful of others, not a style usually attributed to a person who has made their living solving challenging and complex problems in health care, transportation, national security, telecommunications, energy, and the environment. I'm a hands-on doer - as an executive, leader, and team member. I love the power of logical and systematic thinking; but I know that this power is impotent without listening to and honoring the genuine needs and concerns of the people who will ultimately use and benefit from it. I believe that one secret to my success has been that I accept people as they are, without judging them. Wouldn't mind if more people adopted this secret

J.P Singh, Senior Consultant, International Trade Policy and Trade Capacity Building
BA - Economics (St. Xavier's College, University of Bombay)
MA - Economics (University of Bombay)
MA - International Relations (University of Southern California)
Ph.D. - Political Economy and Public Policy (University of Southern California)

I am a professor at Georgetown University, focused on international trade policy and negotiations, and international development and cultural policies. I was a Visiting Scholar at the World Trade Organization in 2004 and therefore gained many of my frequent flier miles through trips to Geneva. A recent project was a trade capacity building study on Costa Rica and Belize as part of a group of studies titled "Managing the Challenges of WTO Participation" being published by the WTO and Cambridge University Press (December 2005). I am also the author of other works including, Leapfrogging Development: The Political Economy of Telecommunications Restructuring (SUNY, 1999) and co-editor (with James N. Rosenau) of Information Technologies and Global Politics: The Changing Scope of Power and Governance (SUNY, 2002). My current book project is titled Negotiating the Global Information Economy. Along with writing and teaching, I am also the In-coming Editor-in-Chief for Review of Policy Research and a political consultant for Voice of America's Hindi broadcasts. My students tease me about my rather regular appearance on Hindi radio and television shows. I was also a Visiting Fellow at the New America Foundation (2002-04) in Washington, DC.

Roger R. Stough, Senior Consultant, Entrepreneurship, Economic Development
BS - International Trade (Ohio State University)
MA - Economic Geography (University of South Carolina)
Ph.D. - Geography and Environmental Engineering (Johns Hopkins University)

I am the kind of person that people often refer to with, "if you want something done, give it to Roger." I am blessed to be doing the wide range of things I love to do: working nationally and internationally on economic policy development, writing books and scholarly articles based on knowledge generated by my research, and providing the hands-on delivery of this knowledge in training workshops within the U. S., countries in Eastern Europe, and India and China. My writing efforts include several hundred scholarly and professional publications, 16 books, and nearly 100 journal articles, including my most recent books: Entrepreneurship and Regional Economic Development, Cheltenham, England: Edward Elgar (2004) with H. de Groot and P. Nijkamp (eds.); Industrial Clusters and Inter-firm Networks, Cheltenham, England: Edward Elgar (2005) with C. Karlsson and B. Johansson; and Barriers to Sustainable Transport, London: Spon Press (2005) with P. Rietveld (eds.). When not writing or traveling on business, I work with a diverse range of organizations including being the President of the Technopolicy Network (based in South Holland, the Netherlands) and editor of the Annals of Regional Science, along with Borje Johansson and T.J. Kim. I am an optimist with a good sense of humor and work quickly and directly to satisfy my many interests. My colleagues tell me that my personal slogan should be, "Just say yes."

Shigeru Tsubakitani, Senior Consultant, Energy and Supply Chain Analysis
B.S. - Forest Products Engineering (Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan)
MBA - (University of Wyoming)
Ph.D. - Quantitative Analysis [Operations Research] (University of Cincinnati)

I enjoy using a systematic approach to solving large-scale, complex technical problems, such as making the process of electric power generation scheduling more efficient. I've found that the biggest challenge isn't the technical work, it is understanding what problem the client really wants to solve. After defining the problem, I work with a team to create applicable data models and algorithms. Software development follows after that. I'm a creative problem solver and am proud of developing personalized yet practical solutions for my clients. The problem solving process might sound simple, but when applied to the supply chain network for energy distribution of a major utility, my process led to the creation of complex software that is both deterministic and stochastic, and that is capable of optimizing the load on the network with the specific future demand for energy being essentially unknown. As energy becomes ever more precious to and expensive for society, my software solution becomes ever more important. I am very proud of this accomplishment and the contribution it can make for society.

Ken Zita, Senior Consultant, Telecommunications Expert
B.A. - Wesleyan University

As the president and founder of Network Dynamics Associates, I have over 20 years of telecom experience in nearly 40 countries worldwide. I spend my time advising leading major firms and navigate comfortably between government, corporate, technology and financial communities. My frequent flier miles have been gained working in numerous post-conflict and strategically sensitive geographies (Afghanistan, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan), as well as all of the economies of Central, South and East Asia. I led Network Dynamics' appointment to specify US disaster communications spending priorities on early warning and disaster management in the tsunami countries, and was the principal US telecom policy advisor to Afghanistan where I led reconstruction planning. I am on the Board of Governors of the Pacific Telecommunications Council and serve as the Conference Chairman for PTC'06.