The mentors of Virtual Enterprise spend countless hours working with our students to help them learn and achieve success. While assisting with competitions, daily tasks, and other projects, they continue to contribute to the class with their extensive knowledge of the business world, along with their admirable dedication and commitment.
William Demmin-Accounting Mentor
William Demmin attended Whittier College, University of Copenhagen (Denmark), and Thunderbird (graduate school for international management). He joined Bank of America as international trainee in San Francisco. Then successively posted to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Barbados, St. Kitts Nevis, Caracas Venezuela, and back to the Virgin Islands (St. Croix) during the first 12 years of his banking career. Bill did extensive travel in South and Central America as well as the Caribbean. The final posting with BofA was as VP and Country Manager responsible for four branches in St. Croix and Anguilla. Then Mr. Demmin returned to California as CFO, COO/CIO and/or President/CEO for a series of community banks that were required by bank regulators to make improvements in their executive management teams. The activities included managing bank acquisitions - buying and selling banks/branches, strategic planning, and developing policies and procedures. His final banking job before retirement was starting Commerce Bank of Temecula as President and CEO. Mr. Demmin has been retired for 11 years. He volunteers as an active mentor at Murrieta Valley High School for 2 Virtual Enterprise classes for over 7 years. Bill has judged many different written and oral competitions, and have attended trade shows and judged in Los Angeles, Bakersfield, and NYC. He also attended summer teacher training session for VEI and consulted with Intuit as they implemented QuickBooks Online for all VEI schools. He and his wife have been married 53 years and have six grandchildren.
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Peter Thorwath-Marketing and Sales Mentor
Peter Thorwarth has been mentoring MVHS's Marketing and Sales departments for five years and enjoys it tremendously. He also helps out with other VE departments, the business plan and various VE competition judging. After spending 40+ years in PA, he and his wife moved to Menifee in 2010 and then to Murrieta in 2015. While in PA, Peter created, owned and managed a nationwide "mystery shopping" business, providing information about customer service, prices and more to clients like AT&T Wireless, Shell, Mazda, Wendy's, Slim Fast and market research companies like Nielsen and NPD. That company, Better Marketing Associates, had over 140,000 mystery shopping contractors nationwide. He eventually sold the business and now volunteers, supports the arts, manages his rental homes, and writes songs which he records in his home studio.
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LouEllen Ficke-Public Relations Mentor
Lou Ellen is a long-time resident of the Temecula Valley and has been actively employed in community banking since 1973. She most recently served as EVP CFO for Lexicon Bank in Las Vegas, Nevada, successfully completing the opening of her 7th new community bank since 1978. Prior to Lexicon she opened and served 10 years with banks from place like Temecula Valley, all the way to Honolulu. She has additionally served as Vice President/Marketing Administrator in the banks where she has worked. Lou has also served on the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Loma Linda Big Hearts for Little Hearts, Temecula Valley Guild, Slow Food of Temecula Valley, Women’s Peer Connection Group and held several positions with the Rotary Club of Murrieta. While she currently serves as Chairperson for Loma Linda University Medical Center, Murrieta, Community Partnership Council as well as Chairperson for Murrieta-Wildomar Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month Program. Her volunteer participation has earned her Murrieta Rotarian of the Year 2015 and Murrieta Chamber of Commerce “Visionary” Award 2016. Ms. Ficke has volunteered to assist MVHS Virtual Enterprise program in judging competitions since its inception. Most recently she has participated in mentoring students and outreach to the community for other volunteers. In her own words, "I am so honored to be working with Joel and the other mentors on the VE program. Over the years the students continue to impress me with their commitment, dedication and brilliant ideas centered around virtual business opportunities. And this year even more impressed and amazed out their ability to continue the program in a very challenging environment. Thanks for allowing me to be inspired by each of the classes."
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Kelly Orchard-Public Relations/Marketing Mentor
Kelly Orchard is a professional speaker, author and trainer and Licensed Psychotherapist. In addition to more than 30 years in the business of broadcasting, she has a Master’s Degree in Psychology and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership. Kelly specializes in working with businesses and individuals in times of trouble, turmoil and transition, by creating a positive and profitable workplace. Kelly’s strategic coaching and leadership tools are a reliable, repeatable process that has been proven in the workplace. Kelly is a powerful story-teller – a craft she honed with her three decades in radio as part of family-owned operation, FCC Compliance consulting, and visiting hundreds of broadcast facilities. She is the author of 5 books, including her Prescriptive Memoir, Heart Lessons and her series of self-help books, Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day, for daily nourishment for wisdom, success and personal growth. Kelly expresses "working with the VE students has been a mutually beneficial collaboration. I found the students to be intelligent, creative and very coachable – something every business CEO is looking for. It has been an honor to mentor them, as they have equally given me the opportunity to share my knowledge and encouragement with an entirely new generation of leaders and entrepreneurs. Working with this group of leaders has given me a positive perspective on our future!”
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Daneen Ashworth- Human Resources Mentor
Daneen Ashworth is the founder of Compass HR, a local resource for small to medium businesses. Compass HR takes on the human resources functions for these businesses so they can focus on productivity and profitability in what they do. She has the following certifications: aPHR and SHRM-SCP. She received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce for 2017. Daneen believes in serving in her community. She is serving as the President and Legislative Director on the SCWC SHRM Board, is the First Vice Chair with the Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce, and is on the Board of Directors with SWLC. Recently, she has been asked to mentor high school students at Murrieta Valley High School in human resources through the Virtual Enterprise program. This experience is meaningful as she is able to impact students in real world knowledge and able to see the progress that these future leaders are making.
Joni Fulton-Human Resources Mentor
Joni Hower Fulton, MA, SPHR has been a mentor with Virtual Enterprises International and Murrieta Valley High School for 10 years. She has served as a judge both at Trade Shows and online. She has provided training seminars for students and teachers and focuses in her area of specialty Human Resources and Organizational Management. Joni is so passionate about the value of this VEI program and its impact on the future of the students who participate in it, that he dedicated her latest book, Fostering a High Performance Workforce, Tips for Successful Leadership to Joel Levin and Virtual Enterprises International. In her own words, Joni says, " This is the single best educational opportunity for students to become successful in any area of life, even if they don't aspire to become entrepreneurs. The students are surrounded by top performers in life as well as in school. As a mentor, I have been the recipient of the greatest reward, which is watching each student excel and grow into young adults who give me hope for the future of our country. I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to give back to your community by investing in the kids who will someday be in charge of running it!"
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Chad Cloes- D4D Mentor
Chad Cloes is a Software Engineer for Intuit (the makers of Quickbooks, Turbotax, and Mint). He has been in the technology industry for 20+ years and enjoy volunteering in the community. Intuit’s WCGB (We Care and Give Back) group provides a wonderful opportunity to do that through outreach programs like Virtual Enterprise. Chad has a wife and 3 kids who are all graduated from High School now. One of the highlights of his career has been working with the local high schools to do everything from install computers in their labs and teaching the D4D (Design for Delight) process to aspiring entrepreneurs through Virtual Enterprise.
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