TAO – BOARD MEMBER BIOS (under 300 words) 2014
VICTOR CERVANTES (Board Chair)
Victor Cervantes is an Investment Banker and Broker for First London Securities Corporation. He is also an officer at the
privately held Double C Corporation as well as JAS-V Investments, Inc. With almost thirty years of experience, his
strengths include technologies and creation as well as general business management and development in both domestic
and international markets. Mr. Cervantes has worked for several multi-national corporations including: Texas Instruments,
Rockwell International, Northern Telecom, Motorola, Nortel and Unisys in various senior management capacities. His
roles have included technical and business management to sales, marketing and services delivery operations in North,
Central and South America. As Managing Director he led a multi-million dollar operation focusing in Mexico, Brazil and
the South American cone. He is also an active investor in several small private companies.
Mr. Cervantes is licensed as a General Securities Representative in securities products, including corporate securities,
municipal securities, municipal fund securities, options, direct participation programs, investment company products and
variable contracts. He has also been a speaker for the Telecommunications Industry Association, IEEE Conferences, and
Latin American Universities.
Vic is a continuous contributor at various local, state, and international charities and organizations. He was a member and
corporate contributor to the Arts and Music programs at both the Canadian and American Chambers of Commerce. He has
aided with equipment donation and technology exchange programs at UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de
Mexico) and ITESM (Instituto Technologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey).
LISA RICHARDSON VINCELLI (Vice President)
Lisa Richardson Vincelli is the owner, remodeling contractor, and designer at LRV Remodel and Design. In college, she
was discovered and drafted by the IMG Modeling Agency in NYC. The journey took her to Germany and Milan, Italy
where she worked as a model and in the showroom of the late Gianni Versace and harvested her love of travel and design.
Since creating her own business, Lisa continues to model, but her true passion is in the Interior Design and Remodeling
world where she uses her extensive experience with fashion, design, and travel to help people design, remodel, reconstruct
or update their homes. She also does investment property consulting and virtual global consulting (via Skype).
Lisa has a large heart for advocacy for human beings and animals. While in New York City, she was actively involved
with the ASPCA as well as the pet therapy program for Project Dorot NYC, an organization that works to enhance the
lives of the elderly. Additionally, Lisa served as trustee and chairperson for the preservation of the First United Methodist
Church building as well as the construction of a new parsonage, garden and playground. As a past president and current
board member of Hope’s Door Women’s Shelter, she has donated many years of service to their fundraising, event
planning, and speaking engagements.
DOUGLAS R. NICHOLS (Board Treasurer)
Douglas R. Nichols’ career in the financial industry spans over twenty-five years and includes experience as a CPA in tax,
audit, and accounting. In 1991, he founded First London Securities Corporation where he currently serves as President as
well as Senior Advisor to small public and private companies on all aspects of capital raises, development, and
implementation of business strategies. Prior to founding FLSC, he worked for Shearson, Lehman and Hutton, Smith
Barney, and Brokers Transaction Services.
Mr. Nichols has extensive experience as a direct investor in food, gaming, SAS, digital media, nano technology, real
estate and ranching companies and is a private equity fund principal. Doug was a Nasdaq, (OTC) Pink Sheet market
maker between 1992 and 2009. He served as Public Co. Chairman, Chair of Corp Governance (NYSE) and Personnel
committees (NYSE), Audit (NYSE) and Finance member (OTC). His FINRA registrations include: Registered Principal,
Registered Securities Principal, Registered Options Principal, Financial and Operations Principal, Municipal Securities
Principal, General Securities Representative, Equity Trader Limited Representative, Uniform Securities Agent State Law
Examination, and Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination.
TAO – BOARD MEMBER BIOS (under 300 words) 2014
Mr. Nichols’ philanthropic endeavors have been ongoing for quite some time. For eight years in the 1970s and 80s, he
served as board member and treasurer of the Florence Crittenton home for unwed mothers in Erie, Pennsylvania. Once in
Texas, he spent six years as the director of Friends of the Dallas Public Library. As well as being the current treasurer for
The Artist Outreach, Mr. Nichols has been a board member for the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority for fifteen years
and counting.
JOEL MCRAY (Secretary)
Joel McCray is the owner and co-founder of J & B Music Ministries where he is both a private and contract music
instructor and composer. He is also currently the worship pastor at High Point Baptist Church and has over thirty years of
experience performing and directing at various worship departments including two mega-church music ministries. He is a
contract instructor for Take Lesson (San Diego) and a contract composer for Alpha Major Music.
Mr. McCray produces and arranges music for various local, national, and international artists. Additionally, he has
produced seven personal, instrumental projects and recorded over forty projects for other local, regional, and international
artists. Joel currently travels with national jazz recording saxophonist, Joseph Vincelli, and his own band, Zamar. Over the
years he has performed with a number of acts including Kirk Franklin, Kirk Whalum, Boney James, and Fred Hammond.
Joel is an ordained minister, teacher, and trainer for Kingdom Impact Global Ministries providing live keyboard and vocal
performances for a number of local performing artists at regional and national events. His passion as an instructor lies in
inspiring students to find their own creative path through their music.
STEPHEN COLLETTE (Board Director)
Stephen Collette is the Owner and Vice President of Operations for Golden Beverages, Inc. Prior to starting Golden
Beverages in 2001, Mr. Collette was Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of the very successful Golden Pickle
Company, Inc. He also became the Chairman of the Board for Pickle Packers International, Inc. (a Worldwide Trade
Association) and is listed in numerous national Who’s Who publications. Among his many accomplishments at the
Golden Pickle Company, Mr. Collette acquired the real estate, designed, and constructed a $1,900,000 state of the art food
processing facility, distribution warehouse center, and tank yard suited to the pickled vegetable industry.
Stephen is no stranger to community leadership. He has served as President of the St. Patrick Catholic School Board,
President of the Woodbridge Homeowners Association and Board Director of For the Love of the Lake (a non-profit
organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of White Rock Lake Park as an urban oasis). He continues to
find ways in which to contribute to his community.
JON HENDRIK TEEUWISSEN (Advisory Board)
Jon H. Teeuwissen is the President and CEO of the California Center for the Arts. His thriving career in non-profit
management includes experience as an executive director, arts presenter, and producer/booking agent for a variety of
organizations such as The Joffrey Ballet (Chicago) and The American Ballet Theatre (New York).
Mr. Teeuwissen’s background in accounting combined with proven management skills including long-range and strategic
planning, fundraising, marketing, board development and community outreach have won him notice from publications
such as The Wall Street Journal, Crain’s Chicago Business, The Chicago Tribune, and Advertising Age. He has also
received the honor of a Proclamation from Chicago’s Mayor, Richard Daily (2006), The Top 50 Brands Award in
Advertising Age Magazine (2005), and the Coming Up Taller Award from the President’s Committee on the Arts &
Humanities (2002) among others.
A true friend of the arts, Jon is a member of many philanthropic arts organizations including the American Arts Alliance,
Arts Club of Chicago, Arts Midwest, the Western Arts Alliance, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, and the
International Society for the Performing Arts.
TAO – BOARD MEMBER BIOS (under 300 words) 2014
JOSEPH VINCELLI (Executive Director/Founder)
Joseph Vincelli has been a jazz performer and recording artist for over nearly thirty years in which he has composed and
produced fourteen CD’s, a DVD, and worked in the film industry as a film composer and musician. Over the years, Mr.
Vincelli has recorded with many notable artists including Buddy Miles, Ice Cube, Bobby Goldsboro, Jerry Vale, and Burt
Reynolds. He continues to tour extensively in North America and has made performance visits to Brazil, Venezuela,
England, Italy, Australia, and South Africa. Joseph’s diversity with the art of music has given him such honors as the
Scott Joplin Award for Achievement (1998) and the Hall of Fame Award – Clearwater Jazz Holiday Festival (2000). In
addition, he has authored a book, entitled The Art of Tone: Understanding Our Love for Music, which is the catalyst
toward launching the 501c3 project that would become The Artist Outreach.
As a philanthropist, Mr. Vincelli has performed his music at specific functions in charitable service for his entire career.
He also co-created a charitable event called “Cookin’ for Kids”, tying his love for food and the culinary arts with his
music career. The money is raised annually for Kids Who Care, a non-profit charity that works with young performing
artists. He also devotes time to giving master classes to students interested in the industry of music. Joseph is extremely
passionate about inspiring creative thought and inspired learning in our youth.