Board Bios
Please scroll the page or use the links below to view each board member of Operation Dreamseed. Board members Officers President and Director U. S. Army Major Todd Schmidt is a native of Greenwood, Indiana. Upon graduating from Indiana University, he served in the Indiana Governor's Fellowship program. Todd is an active duty officer that has served in units across the United States and around the world, most recently Afghanistan. He has completed a master's degree in policy management at Georgetown University. He is a Bronze Star recipient, a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, winner of the 2007 Microsoft / USO "Above and Beyond" award, and his award winning professional writings have been published in several military publications, most recently "US National Security Policy: Framing an Authentic Preemptive Strategy in the 21st Century" in the Military Review. Todd gives motivational speeches and lectures to undergraduate and graduate college classes on his military service and non-profit work, and he is currently co-authoring a book he hopes to have published on the power of small non-profit organizations and the changing nature of public service. Director Connie Fratianni is a partner with the law firm Shearman & Sterling in New York City. As a partner in the Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group she regularly represents creditors in out-of-court loan workouts, Chapter 11 bankruptcy and lenders and borrowers in various financings. Her particular emphasis is on acquisition financings. She is also the firm's Personnel Partner, managing over 1,000 lawyers in 19 offices worldwide. Connie is a graduate of Hoftsra University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and American Literature as well as the University of Michigan School of Law. She is the mother of Michael, Alexandra, Matthew and Amanda--her greatest accomplishment. She has served on the boards of local community organizations, and is very active as a Junior Girl Scout Leader, Brownie Girl Scout Leader and Cub Scout Leader. Director Gerlinde Gautrey grew up in Germany. After graduating with a degree in Hotel Management from Hotelfachschule Villingen and Hotel Walderholungsheim Degerloch she moved to the United States to train with an American company. She lives with her husband David and a handful of animals in the Santa Monica Mountain community of Topanga Canyon. Gerlinde is an Associate Financial Advisor in Beverly Hills, CA. Her most important 'job' has been raising her two boys, Brian and Kevin. As a Cub Scout den mother, Booster Club and PTA member and Town Council VP, she has been an active part of the community. In her free time she likes to read, hike, ski, needlepoint and cultivate her garden. Director Chérie Schaible is a corporate lawyer specializing in finance and restructuring. She practiced at Shearman & Sterling LLP for five and a half years and recently accepted a position as a Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at AIG Global Investment Group. She earned her L.L.B. with honors from Bond University in Australia, where she was a member of the water polo team, and her L.L.M. from NYU School of Law. Chérie is admitted to the New York bar. She has also volunteered in the Office of Prosecution for the United Nations International War Crimes Tribunal for Rwanda. Chérie and her husband Damian live in New York City. For the past several years, she and her husband have been involved in leading the youth group at their church. She enjoys traveling, skiing, water skiing and scuba diving. Treasurer Executive Director Daya Watkins is a teacher in the Klein Independent School District in Houston, Texas. She is a graduate of Sam Houston State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Teaching degree in History, Composite Social Studies and Recreational Physical Education. Prior to teaching public school Daya was a gymnastics coach for both Karolyi's and Capital Gymnastics National Olympic Training Centers. As a member of the Texas Association of Student Councils, she teaches leadership workshops to students from all over the state. Daya has served on the State Board of the Texas Association of Student Councils and Secondary School Principals, is a Girl Scout leader and most of all, a mom. She and her husband, Anthony, are the parents of a beautiful daughter, Olivia. Director, South American Operations US Army Major Nicholas Bugajski is a proud native of Chicago, Illinois. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Nick served in Military Police units around the world, most recently in South Korea. An active duty officer, Nick currently lives and works in the Washington, DC area, where he completed a master's degree in policy management and an executive certificate in nonprofit management from Georgetown University.
Board Members
Todd A. Schmidt
U.S. Army 
Constance A. Fratianni
New York, New York 
Gerlinde Gautrey
Topanga, California 
Chérie Schaible
New York, New York
John Guzowski
John is currently enrolled in an MBA/MPA program at Syracuse University. He will graduate in August 2010 and looks forward to continuing his support to those who serve this great nation. Officers
Daya Christian Watkins
Houston, Texas
U.S. Army
Nicohlas Bugajski
Vice President Ryan Nielsen is a native of Rhinebeck, New York. He attended the University of Pennsylvania where he received a Bachelor of Arts in political science. Upon graduation he was commissioned as an Air Defense Artillery officer in the U.S. Army. Previous assignments include Fort Bragg, 82nd Airborne, Delaware National Guard, FORSCOM, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Secretary Cyndi Purvis Gonzalez is currently a personal banker for Frost Bank of Texas and has worked in banking and lending for 16 years. Prior to her career in banking Cyndi was a professional ballerina with Compania National de Danza in Mexico City. She later worked for Capital Gymnastics National Olympic Training Center in Austin, TX for 10 years where she taught ballet and gymnastics, coached their "Show Team" and their " International Competitive Team". After her marriage to her longtime best friend, Cyndi returned to South Texas where she began her current career. She and her husband, Frank, have one wonderful son, Frank-Ryan. Cyndi's experiences have led her to love working with children. She devotes countless hours to her church and serves as a financial advisor to the board. 
Ryan Nielsen
Raleigh, North Carolina
Ryan and his wife, Elizabeth, reside in Waxhaw, NC. He is a portfolio manager with TIAA-CREF and is currently a major in the U.S. Army Reserve at Fort Jackson, SC.
Cyndi Purvis Gonzalez
San Benito, Texas