Our Directors

RObert ‘Rob’ POWERS - PRESIDENT and founder

Rob, served as an Army Mountain Warfare Infantry Soldier and Officer in the 1980’s while at the same time a member of the US Biathlon and Armed Forces Sports Teams. In 1990, while on inactive reserve he started nordic ski coaching at the University of Vermont and then US Ski and Snowboard Teams. After 14 years of Olympic, World Championship and World Cup Seasons he retired in 2004.

Two years later he received a phone call from a friend in Afghanistan, notifying him that a early military career teammate and mentor of his had been killed during a nighttime firefight… it was the second military mentor in his life to be killed in the line of duty. It was because of these two amazing men that Rob was drawn to do something in honor of these heroes in his life in a pay-it-forward fashion.

The result; with help from his wife Laila and family along with Ed Bell, Chairperson of Gries Financial, he created a volunteer effort for the US Department of Defense, and took resiliency minded experts to remote military bases throughout the world sharing messages of physical, mental and spiritual strength in the face of the war on terror. The majority of his guests traveling with him to remote locations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa. ( ONETEAMCF.org ).

It was during what would become over ten years and 800 base visits that he became friends with Congressional Gold Medal recipient Sean Colgan. Sean’s amazing story of patriotism stemming from the Olympic Team Boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympic Games caused Rob to ask the Hall of Fame athlete if he’d be willing to come out and share his story and thoughts on resiliency with the service members. In the end the now brother from another mother has done so much more… through his family foundation ( ColganFoundation.org )

The rest is history, together the Colgan and Powers Families have been supporting positive youth and adult development and service member resiliency in El Salvador for over 12 years. With their latest effort being the creation of the world’s first Para Surf Training Center, which is also home to a wounded warrior therapy program for Rob’s brothers and sisters in need of some fresh air and warm water in Surf City, El Salvador!

ed bell - chairmen gries financial partners

oneteamcf - oneteamsv vice president - board member

Ed Bell has led Gries Financial’s wealth management practice since 1994. In addition to his leadership role on the firm’s management committee, his responsibilities include serving the financial needs of the firm’s high net worth and institutional clients. Prior to joining Gries Financial, Ed served in client management roles with Coopers & Lybrand (now PriceWaterhouseCoopers) and International Management Group (IMG). Ed is an attorney who received his Juris Doctor from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law and his Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from Miami University. Ed has the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation and is a CPA (inactive). He is active in the community, currently serving on the boards of Global Cleveland and Friends of Breakthrough Schools, as well as the Audit and Finance Committee of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. He also previously served as the Chair of the Providence House, a crisis nursery located on Cleveland’s near west side.

SEAN COLGAN - President & founder COLGAN FOUNDATION

FOUNDER ONETEAMSV - BOARD MEMBER ONETEAMCF

A native of Philadelphia, and the product of a Catholic education, Sean Padraic Colgan discovered the sport of rowing as an international economics student at the University of Pennsylvania. Upon graduation in 1977 he received the Hobson Award, given to the varsity athlete with the highest academic average. Some of the highlights of Colgan’s illustrious 20-year rowing career include: Silver Medal and Bronze Medal in the World Championships in LightWeight 8 (1975, 1976); a Gold Medal in the Pan American Games in Eight (1979); Silver Medal as a member of the US Olympic Team Eight at the World Cup Championships (1980); National Champion Single Sculls (1982); Team Captain, Bronze Medal Pan American Games Single Sculls (1983); Bronze Medal World Cup Championships Quadruple Scull (1984); Coach, Gold Medal Eight at Pan American Games (2011); and Technical Director, El Salvador Rowing at the London Olympics (2012). Today Colgan resides in Delray Beach, Florida, and New Zealand, and serves as the Chairman, Owner, and Founder of International Materials (Bryn Mawr, PA, and Delray Beach, FL), a minerals trading company. He is also Chairman, Co-Founder, and Majority Owner of Synthetic Materials, the largest processor of synthetic gypsum in the United States, with 14 plants throughout the East and Midwest. Colgan continues his commitment to the sport of rowing as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Rowing Foundation since 1992; and as the president of Power Ten, the annual rowing dinner, held in New York City. The father of five children, Colgan is joined on the board of the Colgan Foundation by his daughter, Eimíle Colgan Gustafson, and his wife, surgeon and conservation expert Dr. Bibi Colgan.

He also sits on the board of ONETEAM Colgan Foundation and is a co-founder of ONETEAM El Salvador. Unspoken, but known by many - Sean is a US Congressional Gold Medal Receipt, an award given to very few and considered the highest patriotic award given to a US Citizen as it requires a majority vote of legislators to be awarded.