WISDOM Good Works Board Announced
One of the greatest assets that a nonprofit can have is a strong and talented Board of Directors. In addition to providing oversight and transparency, they are the advocates of our mission and bring their expertise to the table to further our goals.
It’s a matter of having the right people at the right time, which is why we are pleased to introduce the three individuals who are joining Dr. Cheryl Dyer and myself to form WISDOM Good Works’ board – Bob Ramsey, Susan “Sam” Buchenau, and David Dilley.
Each brings a unique perspective to our purpose of restoring ecological balance in a safe, innovative, and humane way.
Bob Ramsey, President of Starwest Associates and the Ramsey Social Justice Foundation, is considered by many as one of the pioneers of the modern ambulance service. He found his passion early in life – when he was 13, he was mentioned in a Boy’s Life Magazine article for starting an “emergency bicycle response team” in his South Phoenix neighborhood.
Bob has been an active community and business leader for over 40 years, founding companies in a variety of fields, including ambulance services, medical supplies, air freight transportation, information technologies and management systems, real estate, and avionics.
Arizona State University’s Public Policy School for Executive Education named the Bob Ramsey Executive Education center after Mr. Ramsey, who is an ASU alumnus. The School provides innovative professional development programs and customized services that build the capacity of people and organizations that serve the public.
Mr. Ramsey and his wife, the Rev. Jenny Norton, are co-founders of the Ramsey Social Justice Foundation, which provides grants and financial assistance to underrepresented communities as well as in support of health care projects and to provide training for emergency service and healthcare workers.
From her early childhood experience as a Brownie, to her recent involvement with WISDOM Good Works, Susan “Sam” Collier Buchenau has spent a lifetime volunteering in organizations committed to making our world a better place in which to live.
Sam’s many years as a member of Soroptimist led her on an exciting international journey of leadership, including local, regional and international board positions, including President of Soroptimist International of the Americas, and a member of the Board of Soroptimist International. She currently serves as the coordinator of the Soroptimist International of the Americas Donor Relations Task Force, and is also a frequent speaker and workshop coordinator.
A resident of El Cajon, California, Sam serves as a community member of the CARE Advisory Board at Grossmont Community College, and the EOPS/CARE Advisory Board at Cuyamaca Community College. She has held a variety of governance positions within her faith community, including Moderator (Board Chair), and recently successfully concluded a consulting project at a wider denominational setting providing support, guidance, training and capacity building to essential volunteers.
After a career in a variety of positions of progressive responsibility in legal and investment adviser firms, culminating in being the Vice President of Asset Management for a real estate investment advisory firm, Sam now consults independently with former employers and clients. She also performs a variety of paralegal duties, working alongside her attorney husband Tom, who is an equally devoted and involved community volunteer. They share their home with furry feline companions Gracie and Phoebe.
David Dilley has a history in non-profit work dating back to 2008. One of David’s first projects was building
houses in Phoenix, Arizona, with the Ramsey Social Justice Foundation and Habitat for Humanity.
As a professional filmmaker, David has worked on projects including “Terminator: Dark Fate,” and seasons 3 and 4 of “Jack Ryan,” for Amazon. These projects were filmed primarily in Eastern Europe. During Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine in March of 2022, David helped organize a relief effort for displaced Ukrainian refuges. The relief effort focused on providing clothing, food and housing for the Ukrainian refuges when they arrived in Budapest,Hungary.
David was introduced to WISDOM Good Works by the Ramsey Social Justice Foundation. In January of 2023, David accompanied WISDOM to the Galapagos Islands for a fact-finding mission pertaining to decreases in crop yields caused by rat populations. This work focused on six farms on the Isabella Island. Since then, David has worked with WISDOM on the initiatives focusing on humanely decreasing rat populations in Flagstaff, Malibu and Boston.
We are tremendously excited to have these talented individuals, who have such diverse life experiences but a shared passion for our mission, joining the WISDOM Good Works Board of Directors.
For a better planet,
Loretta Mayer
Co-Founder
WISDOM Good Works
