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Management and Advisors
WILLIAM MILLER
Founder, Senior Advisor and Site Editor – Age 65
Upon completion of formal education at DePaul University in Chicago, majoring in business administration, Mr. Miller attended The New York Institute of Finance in New York City.
From 1974-1982 he was a Registered Representative with Hornblower, Weeks, Hemphill Noyes. Areas of expertise included sophisticated hedging and arbitrage techniques, and advanced options trading. Also during this period Mr. Miller taught Securities and Investments, Advanced Investment Strategies, Portfolio Management, and Corporate Finance at Prairie State College, Governors State University, and Triton College. He also served as Chairman of Board of Directors for the prestigious Tolentine Seminary and Retreat.
In 1982 Mr. Miller began work with Potomac Financial Equities, a Washington DC company specializing in the preparation of Registration Statements, Offering Memorandums, and other circulars used by corporate clients to raise capital through private offerings. Primary responsibilities included client coordination, the development of advanced financial structures (sometimes referred to as financial engineering), and providing investment strategies used in the management of the firm’s client funds.
From 1985-2003 Mr. Miller was President and CEO of William Miller Associates. The company’s primary focus was to assist companies with the development of reorganization plans, capitalization strategies, marketing programs, and financial plans. In addition the company assisted organizations with new project development and the preparation of disclosure documents. Notable projects included First Funding Group and Seattle Technology Ventures, two venture capital funds specializing in technology investments; and Coliseum Pictures L.P., a Private Placement for the production of major motion pictures. In 1998 Mr. Miller was asked to be one of ten keynote speakers at the Annual Stadium Development Conference held in San Francisco. Attended by representatives of the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and various government and financial institutions, financial concepts were presented that enable professional sports stadiums to be built debt free without the need for taxes or municipal financing used by most major cities.
In 2003 Mr. Miller retired; however, in 2006 he came out of retirement to work part time as a project advisor and financial engineer for West River Holdings and Gary Clayton Entertainment, LLC, two loosely related companies involved in developing private projects centered on sports and entertainment.
Mr. Miller possesses significant background and expertise in corporate finance including the preparation of disclosure documents for equity offerings. In addition, he has developed specialized capitalization packages and formulas utilized for corporate financing, private project development, reorganization plans, and debt restructuring. Areas of primary expertise include (a) Restricted Securities, re-sales and exchanges, purchase coordination, liquidation and utilization strategies for acquisitions, mergers, and capitalization of Private Placements; (b) the preparation of feasibility reports, business plans, sales and marketing plans, and other documents used in conjunction with corporate presentation; and (c) securities and investments including portfolio and cash flow management, portfolio development, trading strategies, and various hedging techniques utilized by both individual and institution investors.
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CARL SPACONE
Co-founder, Consultant, Site Architect and Production Lead - Age 54
Mr. Spacone possesses broad functional experience as a real estate and financial consultant in the private sector in the fields of environmental management and corporate and commercial real estate development, with a specific expertise in site location research. In addition, Mr. Spacone possesses expertise in developing and structuring hybrid limited partnerships that enable companies to locate equity investment capital.
Mr. Spacone began his consulting career as a materials specialist with the engineering consulting firm of Novak-Dempsey and Associates and then later as a research assistant with the Louisiana Geological Survey. From 1982 through 1991, Mr. Spacone transitioned into environmental management and consulting in the petrochemical industry as an air quality specialist with CK Associates, LLC and Team, Inc.; as a cartographic consultant with Lee Wilson & Assoc., Inc.; and as a recycling operations manager with Oil Pure Systems Inc.
In 1990, Mr. Spacone took a hiatus from his work in the private sector and traveled to Moscow on a humanitarian cause to assist people most affected by the post-communist economy. Carl served in the former Soviet Union teaching English as a foreign language and facilitating, implementing and participating in various humanitarian aid projects.
In 1997 Mr. Spacone returned to the private sector and served as a corporate analyst and consultant with several major corporations including Sears Holdings (formerly Sears, Roebuck and Co.) and Jones Lang LaSalle. Mr. Spacone’s responsibilities included advising internal clients, directors and capital committees on investments in retail properties (at LaSalle this was the equivalent of 15% of the entire real estate investment portfolio in a given year); advising company research departments on the selection and implementation of geographic and business analytical technologies to monitor and analyze properties in all real estate categories; and working with companies, including PepsiCo, BP and U.S. Cellular Corporation, to improve reporting and process flow analysis through the use of business analytical software while lending project support to the implementation of several major company initiatives (U.S. Cellular).
In 2005 Mr. Spacone joined the real estate consulting firm of Location Strategies, LLC, where he has specialized in the use of geographic information systems and business analytic software to provide real estate clients with decision support tools such as trade area analysis, tenant solicitation recommendations, acquisition analysis and market assessments for properties and metropolitan areas located throughout the United States.
Mr. Spacone is currently consulting West River Holdings. West River Holdings is a privately held organization in the process of developing the West River Stadium/Neighborhood Development Partnership, a $1 billion privately funded endeavor designed to raise capital for construction of a multi-use real estate project centered on sports, entertainment, and commercial real estate development. In addition Mr. Spacone is consulting LaSalle Risk Management in the development of the organization’s Investment Advisory Group.
Mr. Spacone holds a B.A. in geography from Louisiana State University, a RSA/UCLES certification in teaching English as a foreign language from St. Giles College of London, England (Royal Society of Arts/University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate) and has completed graduate-level work in international business at Roosevelt University in Illinois.
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SHARON BAYS
Co-founder, IT Specialist & Site Technology Lead - Age 38
Ms. Bays attended the University of Toledo where she majored in Electronics Engineering with a concentration on Computer Networking. She graduated in 1998 as a member of the Deans List with a 3.3 GPA. While at the university she also worked with Daniel James Insurance, Custom Comp, the University Of Toledo Department of Continuing Education and was also an assistant instructor and computer and electronics lab technician. During this time she upgraded workstations, installed various software applications, built ATX systems, installed operating systems, and provided documentation and quality control reports that were used in ensuring continuity and compatibility of all systems. Certifications include Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), and Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS), considered the standards of the information technology industry.
In 1998 she joined a major law firm headquartered in Toledo, Ohio. During her tenure she has been responsible for project management, administration of active directory and group policy, design and administration of mission-critical databases and applications, design and implementation of workstations and applications, and software auditing. Specialties include but are not limited to Altiris, database query, database report writing, Omega administration, MS office suites, Adobe Acrobat, photo and video production, support and troubleshooting workstations and software applications. In addition to her other duties she also travels to satellite offices where she is responsible for training and rotation of all computer systems every four years.
In addition to her current activities she has advised a number of private companies including William Miller Associates, a Seattle-based financial organization specializing in assisting project managers raise capital, West River Holding, a closely held corporation specializing in developing projects related to the sports and entertainment industry, and the Western Navajo Gateway Group, a group organized to develop a number of real estate projects on tribal land in northern Arizona. She is also currently assisting a newly formed organization, LaSalle Risk Management, a soon-to-be investment advisory company with locations in Illinois and Ohio. In addition to designing and administering their computer systems, she is in the process of developing the company's web presence.
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Advisory Board
JAMES BAILEY - Age 64
Principal, Chief Executive Officer, Director – West River Holdings
Jim Bailey has devoted most of his 42 year business career to negotiating and completing sports, real estate and other complex business transactions. For twenty-one of those years (from 1978 until 1999) he served as Executive Vice President of the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens National Football League franchises. In that capacity, he was responsible for all the business, financial and legal operations of those teams, including the relocation of the Cleveland Browns’ franchise to become the Baltimore Ravens in 1996.
As the chief business administrator of those organizations, Mr. Bailey directed a staff of more than 100, obtained and managed all financing for the teams, and negotiated player contracts. He was the team’s primary liaison for understanding and implementing the NFL Player Salary Cap when that system was implemented in 1994, and developed a thorough grasp of the Cap and its impact on team operations. He also was responsible for negotiating the leases of the teams’ stadiums and other facilities as well as all contracts pertaining to stadium and facility operations. As a result, Mr. Bailey developed and has maintained a comprehensive understanding of sports and sports facility economics and financing.
During Mr. Bailey’s tenure with the Browns/Ravens, he led the effort to develop a financial and political model to obtain a sorely needed new or renovated stadium for the Browns in Cleveland. When those efforts proved fruitless, he successfully led the relocation of the Browns from Cleveland to Baltimore, including negotiating the terms of the lease for a new stadium to be constructed in Baltimore and obtaining NFL approval. In Baltimore, he oversaw the design and managed the construction process for the new stadium and supervised the value engineering required for the completion of the stadium project on time and within its $220 million budget.
While with the Browns/Ravens, Mr. Bailey was responsible for the procurement and management of all financing for the organization, including the structuring and procurement of $185 million of financing for the Ravens (then an NFL record) to comply with complex NFL debt limitation requirements. He also negotiated the terms, procured financing and obtained all governmental approvals for a state-of-the-art Training and Office Facility for the Browns in suburban Cleveland. That facility was financed by bonds making the first use of tax increment financing (“TIF”) in the state of Ohio.
After his tenure with the NFL teams, Mr. Bailey became the Chief Executive Officer of Manchester Resorts, a San Diego based resort and hotel developer and operator. In that capacity he directed operations of its flagship property, the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel in downtown San Diego, as well as the development of all new properties. Those efforts included obtaining a $230 million financing for the construction of a 750 room expansion tower to the Manchester Grand Hyatt, successfully ending a five year effort and several previous unsuccessful attempts to procure such financing. At the time that financing was the largest non-subsidized financing backed by a single asset in the United States during the previous five years. With Manchester, Mr. Bailey also led the efforts to obtain entitlements for a beachfront resort in Oceanside, California, and the completion of construction and opening of a lakefront resort in McCall, Idaho. In addition, Manchester Resorts owned and managed office buildings which fell under Mr. Bailey’s purview.
In 2001, Mr. Bailey left Manchester Resorts to return to the sports industry. He established a consulting practice serving clientele in the sports business, including both team owners and local authorities, primarily in connection with the construction and financing of new or renovated venues – stadiums, ballparks and arenas. Such consulting assignments typically involve an assessment of the financial and practical feasibility of the project and the governmental and political forces impacting the project, as well as cost and constructability evaluations, the means of financing the project, and the process through which the project may be achieved most effectively. Mr. Bailey undertook such consulting assignments both on his own behalf as well as in conjunction with Brailsford & Dunlavey (B&D), a partner of West River Holdings LLC in their newest efforts to fund a multi-million dollar series of neighborhood sports and entertainment venues.
Mr. Bailey’s continued long term affiliation with B&D includes acting as a project executive in which he led the negotiation and financing for a new ballpark in downtown Nashville, Tennessee for the Nashville Sounds (AAA affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers), including ancillary residential and commercial development to support the cost of the project. In addition, he served as project executive on a study for a University of Minnesota/Minnesota Vikings joint-use football stadium on the U of M campus in Minneapolis, He also worked on the team that developed a management review and business plan for the L.A. Memorial Coliseum for the University of Southern California, and to consider its combined operation with the University’s new basketball arena, the Galen Center. Mr. Bailey also led a feasibility study for a new hockey arena in suburban Seattle, Washington. Mr. Bailey also consulted with B&D in connection with the efforts by the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission to attract the Washington Nationals and B&D’s engagement to provide program management services for the design and construction of the new major league baseball park in Washington, D.C. And, he was the primary liaison for B&D with Mandalay Baseball Properties in its efforts to establish new Minor League baseball parks in various communities, including substantive involvement in Erie, Pennsylvania; Evansville, Illinois; Holyoke, Massachusetts; Tallahassee, Florida; and Wilmington, North Carolina.
Prior to embarking on his career in the NFL, Mr. Bailey practiced law in Cleveland, Ohio for seven years, where he specialized in real estate and complex business transactions. Among the projects he worked on was the acquisition and development of what had been the Union Terminal Train Station in downtown Cleveland, involving the reassembly of 33 acres of real estate that had been the subject of the first air rights division of real estate in the nation. Mr. Bailey was responsible for negotiating and documenting the acquisition, obtaining clear title, negotiating altered operating arrangements with the public rail transit systems, mediating a dispute between the railroad and the city over responsibility for deteriorated bridges and obtaining the approval of the Penn Central bankruptcy court.
Mr. Bailey began his association with the Cleveland Browns when he represented their stadium corporation in negotiating a lease with the City of Cleveland for old Cleveland Stadium, as well as Subleases with the Browns and the Cleveland Indians. He also handled the construction contracts for a massive stadium renovation program, as well as contracts for stadium services such as food and beverage concessions, parking operations, cleaning and janitorial services, etc. In addition, while with the law firm, Mr. Bailey managed the entitlement process to convert a 200 acre site in suburban Cleveland (originally acquired by the owner of the Cleveland Browns as an alternative stadium site) to a planned unit development for residential housing and oversaw the development of the housing project and compliance with state and municipal regulations and requirements. His success in handling these projects led to his joining the Cleveland Browns in 1978 on a full time basis.
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DAN KROMER – Age 51
Principal, Chief Financial Officer, Director – West River Holdings
Mr. Kromer has a diverse background, having owned and operated a number of small- to medium-sized businesses throughout the Midwest. Prior to 2004, Mr. Kromer founded a software marketing company that was taken over by a much larger organization, thereby allowing Mr. Kromer to retire. Since then he has devoted his energies to his private investment portfolio and various real estate holdings, including residential, commercial, and farm properties in Ohio and Florida.
In 2004, Mr. Kromer took over the reins of LaSalle, LLC, an Ohio-based advisory firm that focused on private project development and acquisitions. In 2007 he helped merge LaSalle with West River Holdings, LLC. Mr. Kromer has advised such diverse organizations as Brunswick Corporation, The All American Football League, Galloway Brothers Farm Cooperative, Eastern University, and Industrial Nut and Supply.
Mr. Kromer currently assists West River in coordinating corporate finance, securities and investments (including portfolio and cash flow management, portfolio development, trading strategies, and various hedging techniques utilized by both West River’s individual and institutional clients), and coordinating the preparation of disclosure documents such as feasibility reports, business plans, sales and marketing plans, limited partnership offerings, and other documents used in conjunction with raising private equity capital.
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GARY VERRILL – Age 53
CEO – Gary Clayton Entertainment, LLC
Gary Verrill has spent his 45-year professional career devoted to performing and designing artistic endeavors centered on music and multi media presentation.
In 1974 Mr. Verrill was the youngest director of the national touring troupe "Up With People" that utilized America’s youth in a musical traveling good will ambassadorship throughout the world. He was responsible to cast, rehearse and deliver this program in large performance arenas with 60 thousand seats, to smaller settings of less than 1000 attendees. Over his tenure, this 90 minute original show was directed by Mr. Verrill and performed live in front of more than a million people including 2 standing US presidents, and 7 other leaders of foreign countries, accomplishing 2200 shows in 14 months time including 2 super bowl halftimes for a television audience estimated in the multiple millions. For this work Gary was awarded the Who’s Who in American Youth when he was 17 years old.
Gary then completed a BFA of Fine Arts education in the prestigious Univ. of Miami Jazz program, in Coral Gables Fla., and Seattle’s, Cornish Institute for Composition. During this time, he also worked as a Music Director for many national artists including Englebert Humperdink, Spiral Staircase, The Steve Miller Band, and was a conductor and arranger for singer-songwriter Jerome Stucco who together were awarded Grand Champion winners of Americas first nationwide call-in talent competition. An early model of American Idol, this Program was aired on June 17, 1978 to live nationwide audience in prime time on ABC television and incorporated a live call –in vote system to determine its winner.
Later in 1978 Mr. Verrill began a 2 year touring schedule that included performances at the MGM grand in Las Vegas, Rainbow room and Radio city Music Hall in NYC and a week at the Hollywood Bowl, Kentucky Derby, Freedom Hall in Philadelphia, and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. as part of the 1978 centennial celebration. Mr. Verrill's responsibilities included assembling and rehearsing a 20-piece studio orchestra and then conducting this group in a live performance while also playing piano for the shows. This run also included multiple television appearances on Johnny Carson tonight show, and also included performances on the Mike Douglas and Merv Griffin daytime talk shows working with Doc Severson big band, and the Ray Brown orchestra.
After fulfilling his responsibilities as a music director to others, Gary began a career of artistic direction as a producer of worldwide evangelistic events via the Billy Graham Evangelistic Assoc. Gary served as crusade pianist- organist to Dr Billy Graham for the last 10 years of this ministry. While working in this role, Gary also recorded over 10 released projects under the BGEA label that brought the experience of this music to the masses. Performing in over 11 countries Mr. Verrill traveled with the Graham team to stadiums and arenas that millions came to in order to hear and witness these events in person. It was also thru this time that Gary again served in music director, arranger, and coordination roles and performed for 4 presidents which culminated in the 2002 NYC event that took place in Corona Park in front of a live audience of 240.000. Gary also composed, arranged and contributed to the soundtrack for several films for BGEA and composed and created the Billy Graham library experience soundtrack in Charlotte North Carolina.
For over 25 years, Gary has performed, produced, and released 100’s of record industry product. Too many to name individually, Mr. Verrill has appeared on many of the labels that have etched the American musical tapestry over the last 4 decades.
At the same time, Gary created and managed over 20 original productions including: The Searcher 1989, The Dreamer 1992, Road 1994, Roar of Love featuring 2nd Chapter of acts 1996, Evening of Joy 2000, Miner Miracle 2001, Challenger 7 2002, Perfect Stranger 2003, Scribble 4.0 2004, Scribble 4.1 2005, Scribble 4.2 2009, and Christmas Delivered 2006,7,8,9.
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CHARLES KREIDER – Age 62
Retired
Charles Kreider is a board member of a number of non-profit institutions. In 1966, he graduated from the St. Joseph Hospital of Respiratory Therapy (Lancaster, PA) with honors and founded a department of Respiratory Therapy at Lancaster Osteopathic Hospital. In 1968, he was hired by St. Joseph Hospital as Technical Director of Respiratory Therapy as well as academic and clinical instructor for the School of Respiratory Therapy.
In 1969, Mr. Kreider co-founded Lancaster County Respirator Service, a company which provided respiratory therapy services to patients in the home. He sold his share of that business to the other partners approximately 20 years later. In 1971, he purchased Breathing Services, Inc., a company that sold, rented and serviced Respiratory Therapy equipment and supplies to hospitals and home care patients in Central Pennsylvania. That business grew over the years to include all of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. In 1992, he purchased M & P Medical (Orchard Park, NY), another company which sold respiratory care products in the upper state New York area.
In 1996, Mr. Kreider sold Breathing Services and M & P Medical and was retained as Vice President of Technology. The company was merged with 11 other similar companies all across the country to form Critical Care Concepts. It was Mr. Kreider’s responsibility to combine the data from all their computers onto one central computer network. By the end of 2001 his services were no longer needed and he retired.
While owning and managing his respiratory companies, Mr. Kreider acquired his Airline Transport Pilot license and multi-engine and instrument ratings. He used corporate airplanes in the course of business and after his retirement has flown Angel Flights using his airplane to assist those who cannot fly on commercial airliners due to severe medical conditions. Since his retirement he invested in a variety of business endeavors as a silent partner or banker but kept his time available for boards and committees of non-profit organizations.
Mr. Kreider currently serves on the Boards of the following organizations:
- Lancaster Bible College - Vice Chairman of the Board
- Grace College - Senior Board Member
- World Mission Associates - Chairman of the Board
- Missions Fest Lancaster - Chairman of the Board
- The Zadok Foundation - Senior Board Member
- Constitutional Restoration Institute - Secretary/Treasurer of the Board
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DR. ALAN SPACONE – Age 64
Chief Medical Officer – Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation
Dr. Spacone is Board Certified in Emergency Medicine. He completed his undergraduate education at Marquette University in 1968 and entered the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee in 1968, graduating with a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1972. In 1992, Dr. Spacone also earned a Masters of Business degree in the Executive Program at the University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business.
During his career, Dr. Spacone has been responsible for budgeting, personnel management, program development, quality assessment, process improvement, building design and renovation, and the development and implementation of information systems, policy, procedures and strategic planning. He has participated in the evaluation and selection of communications and information systems and has been active in the American College of Emergency Physicians as a member and chairman of the Finance Committee, Chairman of the Task Force on Procedural Terminology, a member of the National Health Finances Committee Task Force on the Policy Statement on Managed Care, an Oral Board Examiner for the American Board of Emergency Medicine, a faculty member and Assistant Professor at the Abraham Lincoln School of Medicine/University of Illinois Affiliated Hospitals, a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, a Council Representative and member of the Council Steering Committee for the Illinois College of Emergency Physicians, and a President and Treasurer of the Illinois College of Emergency Physicians. He also served on the Finance, Reimbursement, Economics, and Credentials Committees for the Illinois Combined Scientific Assembly.
Further, as a member of the Chicago Medical Society, Dr. Spacone served on the Chicago Hospital Council helping develop programs for various treatment policies which eventually were adopted as legislation. As a member of the Illinois Medical Society he worked on the Council of Affiliate Societies as a Representative for Emergency Medicine. Dr. Spacone is also the recipient of the Bill B. Smiley Meritorious Service Award from the Illinois College of Emergency Physicians and has lectured and taught residents, nurses, nurse practitioners and emergency medicine technicians at various hospitals throughout the country.
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