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Mr. Suntrapak serves as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at Children’s Valley Hospital. Before joining children’s Valley Hospital in 1995 Mr. Suntrapak worked for two national health care companies in the areas of contracting, market analysis and business development. Todd currently serves on the Regents Advisory Council of the California Association of Health Care Leaders, is past Sierra Pacific President of the American College of Healthcare Executives, is past Director of the American Red Cross in central California, and is a past Director of Exceptional Parents Unlimited.

Since 1980, Riley Walter has practiced reorganization, insolvency and bankruptcy law in Central California, from Bakersfield to Sacramento. During this time he has represented debtors and trustees in well over three thousand cases under Chapters 11, 12, 7 and 9.  He has served as a Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 Trustee, receiver, attorney for receivers and as a mediator.  He has represented committees of creditors and individual creditors. He has also served as an expert witness.Walter’s primary area of practice is insolvency law, specifically Chapter 11, where he has been lead counsel on numerous major cases. However, he also engages in consensual restructurings, workouts, liquidations, receiverships, assignments for benefit of creditors and other insolvency and restructuring matters.His specialization is large scale agricultural and agribusiness cases such as creameries, processors, wineries, feed mills, farms, ranches and dairies, but he has also represented cities, hospitals, developers, energy companies and virtually all types of manufacturing, service, retail and related businesses.Among the significant representations are Riverbend International (international food processor), Nahama & Weigant Energy (oil and gas), California Bean Growers Association (processor), Chowchilla Hospital District (Chapter 9), CP-Meilland, Inc. (rose grower), Powerburst, Inc. (sports beverage company), Waterman Industries, Inc. (irrigation valves and gates); Property Development Group, LLC (large real estate development); Central Valley Processing, Inc. (Growers’ Committee) and South Valley Tomato Growers, Dwight Mebane, Sierra Kings Health Care District (Chapter 9), and numerous large dairies.In addition to his insolvency practice, Walter also represents numerous companies on business matters, largely involving agricultural issues, such as statutory liens, PACA, contracts and etc.  He also has an active emerging business practice where he uses his insolvency experience to avoid pitfalls common to start up businesses.Prior to admission to the bar, Walter was a tenured associate professor of agricultural business management at Cal Poly-Pomona and also taught at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo and Fresno State University.  He has also taught agricultural law at San Joaquin College of Law. He recently taught an entrepreneurship course at Fresno State University in the School of Business

Caren was born in Beatrice, Nebraska where she attended Nebraska Wesleyan College. Through hard work, determination, and a positive attitude, Caren has worked her way through the auto mobile industry and is now the General Manager of Fresno’s Lexus Dealership. Besides being a member of the East Fresno Rotary Club, Caren also sits on the Children’s Hospital Foundation Board, Fresno State Athletics Foundation Board, as well as the Greater Fresno Chamber of Commerce Board. Caren is an avid golfer, horse woman, and lover of all animals. And when she is not in the dealership, at a board meeting, or out on the golf course, Caren is spending time with her husband, Bill, children, and grandchildren. “My personal and business philosophy is simple. Be humble. Treat others as you would like to be treated and always do the right thing.”---Caren Myers

Claude Laval is chairman of the Board of Directors for CVBI. As Fresno water technology industry leader, Laval has led the Claude Laval Corp. into a range of industrial, commercial and agricultural markets from its Fresno-based headquarters. CVBI`s Water and Energy Technology (WET) Incubator program is named to honor Laval. He is also chairman of California State University, Fresno’s International Center for Water Technology -- CVBI`s partner in the WET Incubator -- and was honored for his years of dedication to the issues of economic development and job creation for the Central Valley. Laval has served as president of the International Irrigation Association and director of the Fresno Economic Development Corporation. He was also a founder of the Fresno Business Council. Laval was honored in 1997 with the Central California Excellence in Business Hall of Fame Award and in 1998 received the Leon S. Peters Award. Additionally, he was recognized in 1984 as the U.S. Commerce Department`s Export Executive of the Year. Born in Fresno, Laval is a graduate of Fresno High School and Stanford University.

Paul J. Bauer has extensive experience consulting and representing employers in all forms of employment litigation, including wrongful termination, sexual harassment, wage and hour violations, and many forms of discrimination. Mr. Bauer has a proven track record of leading cases toward dismissal at the early stages of litigation, as well as effectively negotiating settlements in a variety of forums. His strong advocacy skills translate into positive outcomes for clients. As part of his practice, Mr. Bauer frequently advises employers on legal compliance and litigation prevention measures. He trains employers on human resources and business practices to minimize employee issues in the workplace. Mr. Bauer also serves as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association Consumer Account Panel. Prior to returning to his hometown of Fresno where he has served clients the past three years on employment matters, Mr. Bauer worked for a national law firm defending private and public employers against lawsuits, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Fair Employment and Housing Act, and wage and hour claims before state and federal courts. He also served as a policy consultant to former California State Senator Charles S. Poochigian (R-Fresno). Mr. Bauer is committed to serving the Central Valley community. He was appointed to serve as a board member for the Fresno Regional Workforce Investment Board and the Fresno County Blue Ribbon Business Committee. Mr. Bauer is also a board member for the Valley Crime Stoppers and an advisory committee member to the Bullard High School Law Magnet program. Mr. Bauer attended both Bullard High School in Fresno and California State University of Fresno. He now spends his precious free time with his wife and children, and by playing the occasional round of golf.

Dr. John Boogaert specializes in corporate leadership, crisis management and strategic planning as a principal in the firm of Boogaert & Noll. He has developed the popular No Feet in Concrete(c) seminar for corporate executives and leadership teams, a leadership process that has been successfully implemented in organizations around the country. After receiving an undergraduate degree in Psychology at San Jose State, John Boogaert taught Film Theory and Aesthetics at Claremont, where he earned his Doctorate in 1972. During that time he also served as an Artist in Residence at University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Boogaert directed his first documentary film in 1978 on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Dr. Boogaert is a recognized keynote speaker, utilizing his inspirational ideas and insights for corporate meetings and conferences throughout the country. He has been quoted in USA Today and many other daily newspapers. His book No Feet In Concrete: Leadership In An Entrepreneurial World received excellent reviews, including being designated one of the Top 10 Business Books of 2001 (number 5) by The CEO Refresher, received a 5 star rating from the Midwest Book Review, and has received strong rankings on Amazon.com since its release. For thirty years, Dr. John Boogaert was a principal and the president of a California-based marketing and consulting firm. Dr. Boogaert, an avid explorer of the Central Sierra Nevada, is also an instrument-rated pilot. E-mail John Boogaert at john@boogaertnoll.com