Founded in  March 2010, Wings of Love International, Inc is a non-profit corporation serving individuals and families internationally. We are dedicated to helping those affected by abuse to live safe, self-sufficient lives. Our mission is to passionately empower, educate and inspire a pathway from abuse to emotional health, wholeness, and abundance. We have an international speakers’ bureau available in cities throughout the world to provide education and training.

 

Meet Our Founder
Denise O’Brien came up with the idea to start Wings of Love International 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Inc  in January 2010 after life-changing events in 2009 pressed the forefront of her life’s mission into her heart and soul. A single mother of three children, 18, 15, and 6, O’Brien is a busy mother and business owner living in Westchester, California. O’Brien, a former Ms. Santa Monica and Miss California International, has been a business owner in Westchester for over 23 years. She has also been a resident for 28 years and has worked with and on behalf of women for decades, earning many community service awards.  Since high school she has been involved with numerous community organizations, including the St. Vincent DePaul Society, Agnew’s State Mental Hospital, Girl Scouts of America, the Olympic Games, the American Legion, the Santa Monica Jaycees, Business and Professional Women, Loyola Marymount University Ignatians, and the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society. She has been a coach and support for the Special Olympics and also supports MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and SADD, Students Against Drunk Driving.
O’Brien’s experience working with battered women and their families goes back nearly 30 years.  During high school she worked full-time during the summers as a bookkeeper at WOMA, a battered woman’s crisis center in northern California, now called NEXT DOOR. Over the next six years she served as Outreach Specialist, Computer Technician, and Director of Publicity for WOMA.  More recently, Denise has served on boards for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the LMU Alumni Board, and many other service groups within her church and community.

O’Brien’s current focus is getting support, donations and funding for Wings of Love International 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Inc, whose mission is to passionately empower, educate and inspire a pathway from abuse to emotional health, wholeness, and abundance. “I wanted to create an organization that would allow people from every socio-economic class to have access to services that would help them when confronted with any type of abuse or domestic violence issue. So many families are hurting because of the struggling economy, which creates more stress and violence in homes,” stated O’Brien. “Wings of Love International 501(c)(3) nonprofit is a group of over 175 people who are committed to education about domestic violence prevention throughout the world. Our panel of speakers comes from various backgrounds. Each speaker is passionate about our mission and willing to take our message wherever people will listen.  Our training  topics are geared to help children, teens, and adults to address emotional issues within themselves that are a result of abuse or domestic violence in their lives.

“It is amazing to see how everyone in my path wants to support our mission. Our goal is to open five shelters this year throughout the United States. In my conversation with Secretary of State Debra Bowen, she has already offered to join us at the opening of our California shelters. We are blessed with incredible people joining our group every day,” smiled O’Brien. “It’s exciting to see the synergy that faith, enthusiasm and passion create. We are on our way to creating a life of abundance for everyone.”

 

Meet Our Board Of Directors

Denise O'Brien, CEO/Founder & Executive Director, Los Angeles, CA

Carrie Marcelletti, Vice President and Director of Children’s Services, El Segundo, CA

Alan K. Rubin, C.P.A., Treasurer, Los Angeles, CA

Connie Trageser, Secretary, Pleasanton, CA

Intz Walker, Director of Clinical Development, San Pablo, CA

Brian Benson, Executive Board of Directors, Roseville, CA

 

Carrie Marcelletti
Vice President and Director of Children’s Services

M.A. Counseling, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA;

M.A. Spiritual Counseling, University of Santa Monica, CA.

 

Qualifications

Carrie Marcelletti is the Vice President and Director of Children’s Services for Wings of Love, International, Inc. She is the author of The Circle of Compassion Leadership Club Leadership Club, our elementary school curriculum. This program is offered in several schools in the Los Angeles area. She is a dedicated and proud mom of two children, ages 16 and 18. Her children have always been the center of her life.

Carrie earned her Bachelor Degree and Master of Art in Counseling from Loyola Marymount University as well as a Masters Degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica.

She currently works in the Lennox School District, where she has been as an educator in grades K – 5 for over 20 years. She also served as an elementary school counselor in the “GANAS” Program. The mission was to promote personal growth, emotional wellbeing, positive social skills, academic competency, and positive connections to school such that the participants are motivated and empowered to succeed in life.

She has always been interested in inspiring Peace. She initiated Peace Week and the Peace Day Assembly at Jefferson Elementary School in the Lennox School District, where she teaches. The Peace Day Assembly is still celebrated after 9 years. She also keeps a Problem Solving Corner in her 5th grade classroom. Her students are taught how to resolve any interpersonal issues by communicating with each other respectfully.

Connie Trageser
Secretary

 

B. A. Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT

Sociology and Early Childhood Education

 

Qualifications

Connie Trageser lives in Pleasanton, CA with roots in New England.  She has lived in the Bay Area since graduating from college!  She is married to Ed Trageser and has one grown daughter.  She obtained a BA from Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, CT with a concentration in Sociology and Early Childhood Education.  Connie began working with children when her daughter was a toddler!  She became a Head Teacher for a non profit organization in Fremont, CA in the 1980’s!  This organization is dedicated to serving teen mothers and low income families in several counties.  Connie discovered a need for educating parents on various topics and so created a Health Fair with professionals to speak on these topics.  She worked closely with Child Psychologists referring at risk pre-school children for free counseling services too.  Her experience referring children for services gave her valuable insight working with young abuse victims. 

 

Connie left teaching eventually, but continued to work on fundraising.  She coordinated a fundraiser in 2008 with the Oakland A’s to benefit the Mary Kay Foundation.  This non profit foundation gives grants to shelters and related programs in the millions annually that support ending Domestic Violence.  She will assist WOLI in the future in securing funding from the Mary Kay foundation to expand our mission. 

 

Connie was asked to be on the Board of Directors the summer of 2010.  She feels a commitment to giving back to the Community because of her Educational background and personal interests!  Her original goal was to serve as a Social Worker, but instead has pursued fundraising to fulfill this passion.   By serving on the Board, Connie will be able to help expand the mission to serve abuse victims throughout the world.

 

Alan K. Rubin, C.P.A

Treasurer

*coming soon*

 

 

Intz Walker
Director of Clinical Development

Intz Walker has spent over 40 years in the educational systems of California and Oregon.  She has been a High School Librarian, Alternative Education Teacher, and High School Counselor helping students gain access to their dreams.  She did individual personal counseling for several years.  She has also participated in private business offering workshops for career exploration and “Dress for Success.”  Intz plans to provide input to the “Reinventing Yourself” program, the Wings of Love Educational Services and the Counseling Services Programs. Intz will also be instrumental in training and developing our development, writing grant proposals on behalf of WOLI and teaching others to do the same.

 

Including her experience providing guidance with the 1023 application status for Wings of Love International, Inc., Intz has planned, developed and filed for incorporation of 28 nonprofit organizations.  Many of these organizations were low-cost, sliding scale Counseling Centers that ustilized counseling interns to provide client services.  Intz also has vast experiences writing grants in education.  She is a successful woman who is a natural networker and connects people with others to support the dreams of both individuals.

 

Brian Benson
Executive Board of Directors

Having grown up in an abusive environment himself, Brian Benson is keenly interested in helping abused adults and children become free, strong, and independent from their abusers. 

 

Brian began a life of service as an Eagle Scout at age 15 and has a lifelong interest in helping others through Boy Scouts, Big Brothers, Children International, Habitat for Humanity, various animal rescue organizations, and Wings of Love International 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Inc. 

 

After a 27-year career as an engineer and program manager in the high tech industry, Brian became a full-time stock market trader and trainer.  In addition to his own trading, Brian provides individualized and group mentoring and live training to other traders through his business at www.optionstrainer.com .  His vision is to profoundly change others’ lives by teaching them how to successfully participate in the stock market.

 

Brian lives in Sacramento, CA, with his wife of 21 years, Marsha, and their three rescued Jack Russell Terriers. 

 

Meet our Advisory Board:
Adrianne Ryan, New York, NY
Ali De Prisco, Carlsbad, CA
Anne Rosen, Los Angeles, CA
Annette Jordan, Playa del Rey, CA
Clarisse Djukom, Galveston, TX, and Cameroon, Africa
Gail Merker, Corona, NY
Hattem Migma, San Francisco, CA
Josef Cannon, Marina del Rey, CA
Claire Hansen, Westchester, CA
Karen Albert, Los Angeles, CA
Kimberly Ponton, M.D., Los Angeles, CA
Larissa Traquair, Okinawa, Japan
Maribel Jimenez , Fountain Valley, CA
Marisa Joyner, San Diego, CA & Peru
Maureen Green, R.N., Los Angeles, CA
RJ Barros, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and Australia
Rosalie Maretsky, Columbia, MD
Sharon Law, Manhattan Beach, CA
Tina Rani, Los Angeles, CA

Maribel Jimenez
Advisory Board Member

Maribel Jimenez served as Vice President of the Executive Board of Directors for Wings of Love International 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Inc. from inception and during its early formation stages in 2010. She worked directly alongside our founder to make sure WOLI was on good footing, and she was one of the initial benefactors of WOLI.  Since stepping down from Vice President to spend more time with her children and pursue her work with her quickly growing company, Maribel has been in an Advisory Board position and does much needed networking and development for WOLI.

She is passionate about working with those who have been affected by abuse, especially children. She previously worked for a nonprofit that served youth both as a trainer and in management. Her goal is to work with youth to provide support and training to empower them to live  up to their true potential.

Jimenez also owns her own company, The Creative Solutions Consulting, LLC that works with Entrepreneurs, Coaches, and Consultants to create powerful marketing materials and strategies. She helps her clients and partners gain maximum profits and growth in their businesses using a clear and powerful message coupled with strategic marketing.

She was born in Baytown, Texas but moved shortly after to Arizona and then to California where she currently resides. She lives in Fountain Valley, CA with her husband, 3 children, and 2 dogs. Jimenez spends as much time as she can with her kids and supporting their interests and extra-curricular activities.

She’s learned to create balance as an entrepreneur, mother, wife and volunteer through incorporating meditation and time out for herself. In her free time she enjoys running, yoga and relaxing with a good book.

 

 

Ali De Prisco
Advisory Board Member

Alice “Ali” De Prisco is a visionary, a fine artist and an entrepreneur who believes in empowering people to live authentically so as to contribute to the well-being of all.

Born in New York, Ali attended Parsons School of Design and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Ali has over 20 years of experience working as an Art Director and Designer. She is the co-founder of Sunesis Gallery and she continues to create fine and commissioned art in many cities around the county. Ali also creates and facilitates events focused on community and team building through artistic expression.

 

Ali has extensive leadership and counseling training and she is a well-being and alternative health facilitator. Her heart and spirit are about healing people in many areas of life, including victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

 

In addition to being on the advisory board of Wings of Love International 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Ali is co-producing an international movie with founder Denise O’Brien. This movie will not only shed light on sexual abuse around the world, the future profits of the movie are earmarked to support Wings of Love International 501(c)(3) nonprofit and its mission.

Ali lives and works in New York City, Santa Fe, NM, and Southern California.

 

Claire Hansen
Advisory Board Member

Claire Hansen is currently the Development Associate for Pacific Asian Counseling Services (PACS) in Los Angeles, California and owner and Executive Chef of The Butter Queen Personal Chef Services. She is currently getting her Certificate of Culinary Arts degree from Glendale Community College where she will pursue her dream of obtaining a full time career in the lucrative food service industry.

Prior to working for PACS Claire was the Development Director at Junior Achievement of Orange County and worked in development and special events for well known non profit organizations around Los Angeles including United Way, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and The Music Center.

 

Claire is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University and lives in Westchester, California. When she is not working she is a volunteer Assistant Chef Instructor for Common Threads, a Chicago based nonprofit organization that teaching cooking classes to elementary school children in the Los Angeles area. She likes to use both her culinary talents and passion for fundraising to help the less fortunate in her community and around the world.

 

Dr. Adeleh Esfandiari
Advisory Board Member

Dr. Adeleh Esfandiari received her doctorate degree in Tropical Medicine from Liverpool University, School of Tropical Medicine, England, and completed her Post-Doctoral fellowship in molecular microbiology at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). As a Professor of Internal Medicine at UCLA school of Medicine, and Professor of the Department of Otolaryngology, Div. of International Health at King/Drew Medical Center, Dr. Esfandiari developed numerous training courses as curriculum and taught senior medical students at the School of Allied Health, and UCLA and King Drew Medical schools.

She also contributed to a myriad of domestic and international communities by conducting research projects on prevalent enteric infections among certain communities and training local agencies throughout the Middle East, Africa, and the United States. 

As the Director of Biological Research at King/Drew University, she oversaw the overall university research activities, and she achieved and maintained the institution biological research program accreditation. During her prestigious tenure of 14 years, she developed unique standard operating procedures and generated millions of dollars in revenues and federal funding.

 

Dr. Esfandiari’s research interests are focused on the kinetics of bacterial toxin insertion into the cell to determine how they cross the membrane barrier and become active protein synthesis inhibitors. The goal of her research was to design new toxins and immuno-toxins, and determine the most effective way to vaccinate against toxin producing pathogens, and to understand how tumor necrosis factor selectively kills tumor cells.  

 

Dr. Esfandiari is a member of the scientific review panel for the National Institute of Health (NIH). She has presented her research data at national and international meetings and has conducted several workshops on the transgenic and gene engineering techniques.

 

Dr. Esfandiari is a member of the Wings of Love International 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Inc. Advisory Board  and has travelled extensively around the world. She is assisting our founder, Denise O’Brien, in implementing our International Speakers’ Bureau in key locations internationally.

Gail Merker
Advisory Board Member

Gail Merker, a retired New York City public school teacher and assistant principal, currently resides in New York.  Since 1993 she has taught the rudiments of chess to countless students from kindergarteners to mature seniors,  in an effort to spur love, respect, and appreciation for what chess has to offer each of us.
Benjamin Franklin, an avid chess player himself, outlined the benefits of chess as a sport that builds upon, as well as fosters, good character.  His essay entitled , “The Morals of Chess,” is part of his autobiography which is required reading in every New York City high school.  Chess is the only board game that raises children’s reading and math scores on standardized tests. 

Gail is very passionate about chess and educating youth and teens through the tools of chess at Wings of Love International 501(c)(3) nonprofit.  Gail believes that all inter and intra personal relationships can be improved by noticing that what works on the chess board works great in real life as well. Yes, parents take note. Seniors learn to play and enjoy chess to prevent alzheimer’s and mitigate pesky senior moments.

Chess is now lucrative as well. Our own US Chess Champion, Bobby Fischer, who learned chess at age six, championed chess as a big money sport. He argued that a chess champion must be physically, mentally, and spiritually fit to weather the challenges and rigors of chess. Strenuous training far exceeding that expected of most athletes justifies million dollar earnings. Budding grand masters remember  that a kings’ ransom is just part of the spoils of a game of chess well played.
Gail is excited to be a member of the Wings of Love International Advisory Board.  She looks forward to serving Wings of Love International 501(c)(3) nonprofit’s worldwide mission one move at a time.