Speakers

Lisa Koop, associate director of legal services, directs NIJC's asylum project, handles federal litigation, and provides representation and supervision in deportation defense matters.  Lisa specializes in litigation, policy, and direct services advocacy on behalf of immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. Lisa heads NIJC’s Indiana office and is an adjunct professor at Notre Dame Law School. Lisa graduated magna cum laude from Indiana University McKinney School of Law in 2004.

Alfred Brothers Jr. was born and raised in Boston Massachusetts. He is a graduate of Boston Latin School, the oldest Public High School in the United States, and Boston University College of Engineering, graduating in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Upon graduation, he was then commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, and assigned to pilot training at Williams AFB, Arizona where he graduated in 1965. His Air Force career spanned 22 years as a bomber and fighter pilot, an engineering branch chief at the Air Force Foreign Technology Division (Technical Intelligence) and commander of an Air Force ROTC Detachment at Wright State University Dayton Ohio. He had two tours in Vietnam first flying B-52 Bombers and then flying a B-57G test aircraft in combat which lead to an assignment in the then new FB-111A fighter aircraft. He amassed 155 combat missions in those two tours and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, Multiple Air Metals, and Chief of Chaplain Awards.

During his Air Force career, he earned Masters Degrees in Public Administration and in Personnel Management. He graduated from the Air War College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.  All of those educational experiences served him well in both his military career and civilian career. After retiring from the USAF in 1986, Al joined the Magnavox Company now Raytheon as a project engineer in the Electronic Warfare Division, and was quickly promoted to program manager leading various research and development programs for our military services in Electronic Warfare, Space Electronic and Research, and Military Communications.  While at Raytheon he earned his PhD in Business Administartion. Al retired from Raytheon in 2011.

At Wright State University, as the AFROTC Commander he taught classes in Military History, Military Management and Military Leadership. As a civilian he was an adjunct Professor of Engineering at Indiana Institute of Technology lecturing in fluid mechanics and dynamics. He has published papers in the areas of Electronic Warfare and Communications and contributed to research studies on foreign military reconnaissance and communications spacecraft, and space power systems.
Al joined Rotary in 1987 after being asked by a fellow senior staff member at Magnavox.  He served as president of the Anthony Wayne Club in 2011-2012. He is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, Paul Harris Society member, and served as an Assistant Governor for the Berne, Bluffton, Columbia City and Decatur clubs.  Al and his wife, Sandi, attended the Rotary International Convention in New Orleans, Atlanta and Toronto. He has been an assistant sergeant at many of our Rotary 6540 District conventions and Great Lakes PETS Rotary training sessions in Michigan. He is also a graduate of the Rotary Leadership Training Institute. He served on the 2017-2018 Rotary District 6540 Foundation Dinner Committee and is the co-chair of the 2018-2019 Rotary District 6540 Foundation Dinner Committee.
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He has been very involved in his local community since leaving the Air Force. He serves currently on the Anthony Wayne Area Council Boy Scouts of America Board, Indiana United Methodist Church Conference Trustee Board as Chair, member and prior board chair of Science Central, a hands-on science center, and on the board of PBS-39 Public Television having served as board chair in 2008. Al received the Silver Antelope Award from the BSA, the second highest adult scouting award, and is an Eagle Scout. He has presented numerous lectures on genealogy, US military history, and black baseball history in Fort Wayne, and for the Quest Club of Fort Wayne presenting papers on  “The History of China”, “Who were the Melungeons of the US South?”,  “The Future of Fuel Cell Technology for Automobiles”, and “The Wit and Humor of Red Skelton”.

Dave joined the staff in October 2013, but has been a volunteer for many years.  He has a BA in Journalism from Indiana University, and an MS in Advertising from Syracuse University.  He brings experience from advertising, marketing and computer fields to the theatre.  He is responsible for fundraising, marketing, advertising and board development/liaison. Dave is an award winning actor and director, taking two productions in a row to the national American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) competitions.  More recently, he studied writing at the Second City Training Center in Chicago, and has established a comedy writing group here at ECT.  

John Hill, Executive Director, and Wayne Stubbs, President of the Board of Directors present an update on The Elkhart County Symphony Association

Real People. Real Music.
Music is an integral part of our community here in Elkhart. Our Symphony is a source of civic pride, a wellspring of imaginative experience, an opportunity for educational growth, and a destination for cross-generational entertainment. The Elkhart County Symphony Association strives to promote positive cultural experiences and instill civic pride in our community by encouraging artistic integrity, providing innovative opportunities, and developing excellent musical programming.

History of the Elkhart County Symphony Orchestra
In 1948, Zigmont “George” Gaska recognized the abundance of musical talent in the community as well as the tremendous support for great musical literature and founded the Elkhart County Symphony. Over the years, the Elkhart County Symphony Association has included a Symphonic Chorus, numerous ensembles, and an educational outreach arm with the Youth Honors Orchestra, and has been under the direction of 4 Music Directors: George Gaska, Michael Esselstrom, Don Sommerville, and from 2008 to 2011, Brian Groner. We have entertained with such notable soloists as Jack Benny, Sasha Korsantiya, The Boston Brass, Nicholas Roth, and Sandi Patty.

Like many arts organizations, the Symphony has felt the sting of the downturn in the economy, especially since the horrific events of September 11, 2001. For many it has been a struggle to survive, and in May 2005 the Elkhart County Symphony Association considered putting down their baton, forever.

But a group of dedicated volunteers formed S.O.S, Save Our Symphony, and with a new Board and hard work created a positive balance sheet, and offered a great musical concert season played by a semi-professional orchestra of area musicians. Our audience has increased and broken all previous records with a more than 48% increase over previous year with two concerts numbering more than 1000 attendees! Audiences continue to tell us how happy they are with the sound, and with the great programming. They want more!

Our season programs have included performances with the amazing Cirque de la Symphonie and talented artists such as Doug LaBrecht and Steve Lippia in two Sinatra tribute shows, as well as our recent Three Phantoms in Concert show with renowned Broadway stars Craig Schulman, Gary Mauer, and Ciara Sheehan.

The Center for Community Justice empowers Elkhart County by using Restorative Justice to heal the harm caused by crime, strengthen conflict resolution skills, and engage a stronger community. The Center for Community Justice is rooted in the principles of Restorative Justice, assisting Elkhart County through Restorative Mediation and Facilitation, Restorative Reentry work and Restorative Training.

The basic principles of Restorative Justice are:

• Wrong doing/misconduct is in reality a violation of people and interpersonal relationships.
• Violating relationships results in obligations to repair the harm created.
• These obligations need to be met in order for people to move forward in a healthy way.

Mission Statement
The Center for Community Justice is transforming communities of Elkhart County through Restorative Justice.

Our Vision
Vibrant communities – Safe, just, and engaged.

The Center for Community Justice serves Elkhart County by providing programs, based on the principles of Restorative Justice, which strengthen community safety, provide support and compensation for victims, aid in the restoration of offenders, and promote reconciliation among victims, offenders, and the community.

CCJ offers seven quality programs and one class all rooted in principles of restorative justice.   These include not only victim-offender reconciliation, but mediation in civil, criminal, family, divorce, landlord-tenant, and other matters; community service opportunities for offenders and victim impact panels to make the consequences of drunk driving “real” to offenders.  CCJ served 4,200 people last year and will continue to grow with your support.

Our programs give offenders the opportunity to take responsibility for their actions, and give the victims a voice in our criminal justice system.  CCJ originated with Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) in 1977 by an Elkhart County juvenile probation officer who discovered the program operating in Canada.  VORP quickly outgrew the resources of the probation department and joined a regional organization called Prisoners and Community Together (PACT) in 1979, and Elkhart County PACT was born.  Following this, Community Service Restitution Program (CSRP) began.