Staff Copy

Staff

International Board of Advisors | Board of Directors | Staff |What They Are Saying

The Empower Peace program is run by a small group of highly skilled and committed professionals.

Rick Rendon - Founder

As co-founder and Senior Partner of The Rendon Group, Inc. (TRG), Mr. Rendon oversees TRG's Boston office and domestic operations.

Since forming TRG in 1981, Mr. Rendon has served as a senior communications consultant to tens of dozens of government, corporate, union, trade association, and non-profit organizations. Mr. Rendon has developed comprehensive multi-dimensional communications strategies for this diverse set of clientele.

Mr. Rendon also takes great pride in creating and developing innovative community-based initiatives and social campaigns. Mr. Rendon created and organized the Massachusetts statewide disaster relief effort entitled, "MASS DRIVE/FLY." This effort, designed to help the 1993 Midwest United States flood victims, raised over $500,000. MASS DRIVE/FLY delivered over 400 tons of food, water, clothing and supplies to the disaster area. This initiative was recognized and commended by then United States Vice President Al Gore.

Mr. Rendon also worked with community leaders and activists to create and develop the world's largest school-based racial harmony campaign. "TEAM HARMONY" annually brings together over 14,000 middle and high school students from throughout New England to discuss the issues of hatred and prejudice and to develop programs to promote diversity and harmony in schools and communities region wide. Team Harmony keynote speakers have included former United States President Bill Clinton, United States Senator and former First Lady Hillary Clinton, former United States Attorney General Janet Reno, and the Reverend Bernice King (daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King).

Mr. Rendon was also the creator and co-founder of the school-based program, "UNITED WE STAND FOR AMERICA". This program was developed post 9.11 to provide youth with an opportunity to express their emotions and feelings in the wake of the terrorist attacks. Students from throughout Massachusetts were recruited to create individual messages of peace, hope, and patriotism on six inch tiles of red, white and blue fabric. This fabric was then assembled to create a giant quilt of an American Flag (nearly half the size of a football field). Over 700 schools and 50,000 students participated in this program.

Mr. Rendon, working with the Islamic Society of Boston, the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General, and the Governor's Task Force on Hate Crimes, developed the "OUTNUMBER THE HATE" campaign. This Massachusetts school-based campaign encouraged students to rally against the hate, prejudice and intolerance experienced by Muslims and Arabs in the United States post 9.11. In response to the 1,700 hate crimes reported against Muslims and Arabs living in America, Massachusetts students responded by creating OVER 1,700 messages of respect, diversity and tolerance.

Mr. Rendon created and developed TRG's electronic media division, The Rendon Group Productions (TRGP). TRGP, based out of TRG's Boston office, produces a variety of video products for clientele ranging from Staples and FleetBoston Financial Group to the Aruban Foreign Investment Agency and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.

In addition to over twenty years of experience as a senior communications consultant, Mr. Rendon served previously as a Public Information Officer for the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and as a member of United States President Jimmy Carter's national political staff.

Tricia Raynard - Executive Director

Tricia Raynard is the Executive Director of Empower Peace and brings to the table more than fourteen years experience in the ever-changing information world of public and media relations. She has navigated projects from the brainstorming and planning stages straight through to the implementation of special event coordination, media advertising, and public education campaigns. As the Vice President of Public Relations and Special Events at The Rendon Group, she was instrumental in developing effective communication and special event strategies for all TRG clients including Merck, Time Warner, Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.

Ms. Raynard specializes in developing large scale public outreach campaigns at all levels of the public from the local community upwards onto the international scene. As the Executive Director of Empower Peace, Ms. Raynard will be responsible for further developing the educational programs currently offered, she will oversee the broadcast media programs and will work with the Empower Peace team to expand the footprint of this important program.

Before to returning to TRG in 2000, Ms. Raynard was the vice president of public relations at Hawthorne Associates, a public relations and marketing agency that specializes in the corporate training industry. While at Hawthorne Associates she was responsible for developing public relations programs, marketing events and promotional materials for well-respected corporate clients including Arthur Andersen Virtual Learning Network, McGraw-Hill Lifetime Learning, The Gallup School of Management and PRIMEDIA Workplace Learning.

Asad Butt - Director of Media and Advance

Asad Mahmood Butt joined Empower Peace in the fall of 2005 as a field producer in Islamabad, Pakistan during the third Empower Peace conference.

It was in his first experience that Mr. Butt saw the power of using technology to break down barriers and connect people oceans apart. Mr. Butt stayed on to produce Empower Peace's first television broadcast in November 2005. Aired on Boston's WB56, “Empower Peace: Pledging for Pakistan” raised $10,000 for victims of the earthquake in South Asia. Mr. Butt, along with the other producers of the show, was nominated for a local Emmy for his efforts.

Mr. Butt has since led Empower Peace's Media and Advance department. He is responsible for all media content produced and distributed by Empower Peace on TV stations and the Internet. Asad has traveled throughout the world for Empower Peace including Lebanon, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Israel, and Kuwait.

Prior to coming to Empower Peace, Mr. Butt helped launch the first American Muslim lifestyle network in Orchard Park, New York. Here he served as news director as well as the station's main news anchor and producer. Before that, he worked as a producer, writer and assignment editor at WHDH-TV in Boston. Because of his background in broadcast journalism and the media, Mr. Butt also works at a producer, editor and public relations specialist for The Rendon Group.

Mr. Butt graduated with a Master's Degree in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University in 2004 and a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Bates College in Maine in 2001. A photographer and journalist by nature, Mr. Butt has traveled the world in search of a good story. His passion lies in trying to bridge the gap between cultures, and creating a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.

Kari Johnston - Director of Youth Marketing

Kari joined The Rendon Group, Inc. in the winter of 2000. During that time she has worked with a number of clients on their public awareness/public relations initiatives such as: the Department of Environmental Protection, the M. Patricia Cronin Foundation to Fight Ovarian Cancer, the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation, the Academy for Educational Development’s BluePack Project and the New England Office of Youth Services and Job Corps.

Kari has been involved with planning a number of special events with TRG. She served as Registration Coordinator for more than 18,000 attendees at the Pilgrimage 2000 Culminating Event at Fenway Park, and for more than 14,000 participants at Team Harmony VII at the FleetCenter.

Kari has served as event manager for the Fourth and Fifth Boston Sports Awards, an awards program that honors professional, collegiate and high school athletes for the work they do on and off the playing field. She also served as event manager for the Bridging Our Dreams Youth Summit held in conjunction with the Dedication Event for the Leonard P. Zakim/Bunker Hill Bridge.

Ms. Johnston graduated from Northeastern University in 1997.