Background

Generations on Line began its operations in July of 1999. Prior to starting the organization, founder Tobey Gordon Dichter spent 30 years as a communications and public affairs executive. Her work in the non-profit sector and personal appreciation of older people's experience, wisdom and warmth serve as the motivation and inspiration for Generations on Line. Ms. Dichter began a personal study of this area in 1996, and by 1999 recognized that the Internet was both a potential opportunity to multigenerational communications and a threat because Internet illiteracy could further marginalize elders from a fast-moving society. Through the help and support of people throughout the United States, Generations on Line got a fast start; launch occurred within a year of conception, following extensive development and a four-month multi-centered trial.

Organization

Tobey Gordon Dichter, founder and CEO, is the former Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs and Executive Committee Member at SmithKline Beecham Healthcare Services, a worldwide healthcare company. Tobey was a pioneer of industrial television news and founder of the national SmithKline Beecham Drug Testing Index used by industry, media and government. She has received numerous awards for her work in communications, including a regional Emmy, the Sarah Award from Women in Communications and the Gold Quill from the International Association of Business Communicators; her name appears in several volumes of Who's Who in American Women and Who's Who in the East. Ms. Dichter holds an undergraduate honors degree in journalism and a graduate degree in educational psychology from Temple University. She has served on the boards of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia School, Maternity Care Coalition, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and The 21st Century League, where she directed public relations for the highly successful Philadelphia immunization campaign.

Vasil J. Pappas, Jr. Chief Operating Officer, is the founder of Precision Media Works, a Bala Cynwyd, Pa.-based producer of print and electronic communications for the health care industry. He is a former vice president and general manager of United Press International's business news and financial information division, a Wall Street Journal reporter and the founding editor of the National Business Employment Weekly. He holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. from Princeton University. He is a board member of the Harvard Business School Alumni Association.

Lisa van der Laag, M.Ed., Director of Marketing, is responsible for national expansion of the nonprofit company, its peer-coaching programs, and market development.As director of the Ralston Wellness Center for Older Adults for the past ten years, Lisa created and managed wellness education programs for 30 community centers citywide, in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania Institute on Aging, and produced the first public Holistic Health educational seminar series, now held bi-annually with Penn Partners at University of Pennsylvania. She holds an undergraduate degree in English from University of Pennsylvania and a masters in Pyschoeducational Processes from Temple University.

Michael Pierce, M.Div., Director of Training and Service, has been in computer technology and training for 12 years, with a multigenerational focus. As the Director for Information Technology for the Association for Education of Young Children, a nonprofit youth agency, and a Pastor, Michael brings the unique combination of training and counseling, troubleshooting and communication to seniors. He holds a BS in Religion & Philosophy with a Minor in Computer Science and a Masters of Divinity.

Kathleen J. Burke, M.B.A., Administrator. Katie is the overseer of project deadlines and benchmarks, marketing support, client contact, and administrative manager. Her background is in market research, having worked most recently as a consultant with TNS Intersearch in Horsham, PA and prior to that with Chilton Research Services of Radnor, Pa, where she served as Marketing Research Project Director. Katie has proven track records in extensive community service and volunteer work. She holds both a B.S. in Business Administration and M.B.A. from Villanova University.

Advisors

H.E. Broadbent, Ph.D.,
Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Dowling College;
Former Director of Information Technology, The Free Library of Philadelphia

Humphrey Chen,
Partner Product manager, Microsoft Corporation
former Co-CEO Connexus Corporation

Anne Clark,
Teacher, The Philadelphia School
co-developer of GoL intergenerational section

Adrienne Dern
Emeritus
Deputy Director, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A)

*Mark S. Dichter
Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Practice of the international law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP.

*Graham H. Finney
Independent consultant to nonprofit organizations, foundation
Former COO, The Conservation Company, national consulting firm to nonprofit organization, foundations, governments
Chair, Advisory Committee, National Center for Adult Education

*Kathy Gosliner
Consultant and former Associate Director and Vice President of Development, Free Library of Philadelphia system of 55 branches.

Doug Gaston
Senior Vice President and General Council
Comcast Cable

Anne Hagele
Emeritus Executive Director
The Philadelphia Senior Center, third oldest and third largest senior center in the U.S.

*Michael Marcus
Principal, Community Service Resources.
Instructor, Illinois Institute of Technology School of Public Administration.
Former Sr. Program Officer Chicago Community Trust

Bruce Melgary
Executive Director
The Lenfest Foundation

Dale Mitchell
Senior Advisor
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
Independent Strategy Consultant to non-profits.
Immediate past Executive Director Delaware Valley Grantmakers

Frances Miller
Social gerontologist Director,
Stiffel Senior Center

Henry H. Perritt, Jr.
Dean and Professor of Law
Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology

Grahame Richards
Program Director
The Lenfest Foundation

Skip Schlenk
CEO, Lupus Foundation of Colorado
Former Director, AT&T Family Care Development Fund

Andrew Seibert
Chief Financial Officer
The Presbyterian Foundation for Philadelphia and NewCourtland, Inc. and President and C E O, Veritas Health Systems.

*Nancy Sokoloff
Entrepreneur and Author
Cathedral Village Retirement Home resident

Robert Stone
Principal
The Dilenschneider Group, a global public relations firm

Daniel Wilson
Director of Policy Development
The National Caucus and Center on Black Aged

Ann Wrixon
Executive Director,
Institute of Computer Technology
Former President and CEO, SeniorNet

*Also on Board of Directors

Generations on Line
Canadian Board of Advisors

Roy Heenan
Co-founder of the Canadian national law firm of Heenan Blaikie. Served as a member of the Consultative Committee on Justice to the Quebec Minister of Justice from 1976 to 1980. Board member of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Jeffrey Goodman
Author, lecturer and Partner in the law firm of Heenan Blaikie

Janice Day
Librarian Pincher Creek Municipal Library, Alberta

Michael O'Keeffe
CEO of Chester Village, a long term care home in downtown Toronto

Dorothy Boras
Teacher Canyon School, Alberta