Board of Directors

Sean Clayton Porter is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and political consultant. He is a “favorite son” of his hometown Brooklyn, New York. Currently, he is the president of two not for profit organizations. His passion for giving back to the community that his family is from and keeping roots there are the main reasons.  The Porter Foundation is a 30 year old organization located in Brooklyn, New York. The foundation has awarded over half a million dollars in grants to graduating high school students for college. In addition, he is president and founder of The Urban Farming Foundation, Inc. aka T.U.F.F. a 501©3 not-for profit foundation dedicated to advancing food security, economic justice and environmental justice in urban communities.  

Mr. Porter was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Manhattan.  He is a graduate from Boston University. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. After graduating, he landed a position with the Governor’s Office of Minority & Women’s Business Development. While working with the Governor’s Office he naturally made lifetime friendships while working closely with both Former Governor Mario Cuomo Sr. and Former Governor George Pataki’s administrations. One of the many initiatives he worked on and is most proud of is the “Harlem Empowerment Zone”  The initiative that changed the face of Harlem.  Besides his work in government, Mr. Porter was the owner and operator of one of Brooklyn’s most successful and longest running nightclub/catering halls, “The Lab.”  

Over the years, he has participated in both political and environmental advocacy and has offered his services and expertise to many political campaigns, including the citywide campaign to improve New York City’s parks “Park’s 2001.”  His participation in the “Park’s 2001" improvement movement led to his interest in hydroponic farming and his volunteer work for Randy Cameron of Skyponics Farming. This relationship with Skyponics led him to start The Urban Farming Foundation.  Along with his work at The Urban Farming Foundation Mr. Porter is the owner of a real estate development company and a construction company. 

A native of Brooklyn, Roger L. Green was raised in a family with a long history of participation in the struggles to advance human rights and economic justice. He was educated in the New York City Public school system and graduated from Southern Illinois University, where he attained a triple major in Cultural Anthropology, International Affairs and Government. After a historic election that required him to win an unprecedented three primary runoffs, Roger Green was elected to the New York State Assembly in November 1980. He was a member of the State Assembly (57th D.) from 1981 to 2006. During his tenure in public office, he distinguished himself as an architect of laws, policies and institutions that defined his commitment to civil and human rights within New York State, the nation, and the world community. From 1986 to 1988, Green served his first tenure as Chair of the New York State Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus. In 2007, shortly after the end of Green’s term in the State Legislature, the Chancellor of the City University of New York and the President of Medgar Evers College, appointed him as a Distinguished Lecturer, teaching a course that explores the historical significance of the freedom amendments, 13th, 14th, 15th and 19th Amendments, and their influence on state and local government. Green is also the Director of the Dubois-Bunche Center on Public Policy, a think tank dedicated to advancing best practices in law, policy, and community covenants that advance social and economic justice for urban communities within the U.S. and throughout the African Diaspora.

Ralph H. Groce, III joined Everest Global Services as Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President in August 2016. He brings a forward-thinking vision, a drive to innovate, and a wealth of leadership experience resulting from his 20-year career in global investment banking and financial services, and is revolutionizing the way Everest does business through technology.

In his current role, Ralph is responsible for delivering industry-leading technology solutions across Everest, including Reinsurance, Insurance and Enterprise applications that support Everest’s strategy and deliver business outcomes. Ralph oversees a global team of 300, devising and executing world-class solutions to drive workforce enablement, client service, innovation, productivity, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the organization.

Ralph earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Boston University in Finance and Economics and completed an MBA at the McColl School of Business at Queens University in Charlotte. Over the course of his career, he has worked for organizations including Wells Fargo, Bankers Trust, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan Chase, MetLife, and Wachovia. Ralph has experience in a broad range of disciplines including commercial and investment bank operations, sales and marketing, and technology.

Adam founded Woodard & Curran’s Compliance Services line in 1997. Educated as an environmental lawyer and scientist, he has counseled a wide range of clients on complex EHS compliance, enforcement, and transaction related issues since 1990. Adam has earned a national reputation for executing large multi-media and media-specific EHS compliance audits and EMS conformance assessments and helping clients develop and implement facility, corporate, and global EHS programs and management systems, including short- and long-term EHS Department staffing. He has directed numerous large, complex, transaction related due-diligence projects.

With over 30 years of experience as a professional administrator to C Level executives, Joanne Rullan has an extensive background of efficiently developing, organizing, and managing systems and procedures for conducive and harmonious business interactions. She has worked as a senior level manager in multiple industries including private equity, insurance, law, music, & entertainment.  Her expertise in data management systems and project coordination has made her an invaluable asset throughout her career.  She has a stellar record for developing strategic partnerships that has allowed her to successfully create and strengthen connections with leaders within inner city communities to address problems of poverty, inequity, and community distress. As the CEO of Rule on Ventures she has collaborated with various community based organizations such as Destination Tomorrow, Bronx River Alliance, & The In Living Color Coalition creating much needed opportunities for positive change for some of the worlds most marginalized communities.