Pradeep Kapadia
Daniel Booth Cohen
Miheer Fyzee
Richard Fuller
Ross Povenmire
Diana Felber

Pradeep Kapadia came to the United States in 1972 as a foreign student from India. He completed his studies at Tufts University, graduating as a Mechanical Engineer, and decided to stay in the US instead of returning to India. Pradeep has been married to Susan since 1984, and has two children, Jessica and Elan. Having lived in three continents and traveled through about 25 countries, Pradeep has always been interested in cross-cultural relationships.

Pradeep runs an engineering and contracting firm, Kapadia Energy Services (KES), incorporated in 1980. The company has offices in New York and California, and Pradeep splits his time between the two coasts. KES specializes in energy conservation and management projects for large commercial, industrial and institutional clients throughout the United States. Preserving the environment and promoting prudent use of the world’s natural resources while showing corporations the financial rewards of energy conservation has been the focus and the key to the success of the company. Largely based on this success, Pradeep has been able to spend more and more time on outside interests, the main one being the start-up and administration of the Kapadia Education Foundation.

When not working at KES or for the Foundation, Pradeep is busy with Susan exploring the wonders and natural beauty of Ojai, CA where they live, or hanging out with Jessica and Elan. Other hobbies include flying lessons, skiing, or traveling to far away places.

It is clear to Pradeep that his good fortune has been made possible by his family in India and in the US, as well as by countless friends and mentors all over the world who helped along the way. It is they who have paid it forward to Pradeep, setting the example for the Kapadia Education Foundation to help others pay it forward.

Daniel Booth Cohen brings 25 years of business and peace activist experience to his role on the Board of the Kapadia Education Foundation. Dan and his wife KK are parents to daughters, Anna and Rosalie. The family lives in Needham, Massachusetts.

Dan holds an MBA from Boston University and is completing his Ph.D. in psychology at Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center. He is a practitioner of a new European approach for resolving personal problems known as a Systemic Constellation. This gentle, nearly-silent group process reveals a hidden solution to chronic emotional, physical or relationship conflicts. In addition to facilitating the Constellation approach for families and organizations, Dan works regularly with a group of “lifers” in the Massachusetts state prison system. His website is www.HiddenSolution.com.

In 1980, Dan was a founding partner of Pequod Associates, Inc.. Over the next sixteen years Dan and his business partners - including Pradeep Kapadia - built the firm into the nation’s leading provider of energy and water conservation engineering services. His responsibilities included management authority for all non-engineering aspects of the business. At the time of the company’s acquisition by Equitable Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EQT) of Pittsburgh, Pequod employed 50 people working from offices in Boston, Irvine and Washington, DC.

In a volunteer role, Dan was a founder of the City of Cambridge (MA) Peace Commission. He organized and led a series of teenage peace exchanges between students from Cambridge and Nuremberg, Germany. Later, he became the Director of the Boston Children of War program. Most recently he organized a program for 18 Jewish, Christian and Muslim teenage peacemakers from Open House in Ramle, Israel.

Miheer Fyzee, the only member of the board living overseas, resides in Mumbai, India where he is pursuing a Master's Degree in Engineering Design at the Indian Institute of Technology. He graduated from Binghamton University, NY in May 2001 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

After earning his degree Miheer spent one year as an engineer working at Kapadia Energy Services. He was one of two members of the company that worked out of the California office. Here he worked on numerous projects gaining valuable experience in project management and applied engineering.

Born in Australia, Richard Fuller founded several non-profit environmental groups in his hometown Melbourne while pursuing a successful career with IBM Australia in marketing.  Mr Fuller left Australia in 1988 to work directly on global environmental issues.

In 1988 and 1989 he worked in the rainforests of Brazil with the United Nations Environmental Programme.  Under their auspices he was responsible for bringing together forest dwellers with the Brazilian government so as to create forest reserves that promote the preservation of both the rainforest and its inhabitants.  He assisted in the design and declaration of five large reserves.

In 1989 Mr Fuller created Great Forest Inc., a marketing and consulting firm committed to environmental activities, focused on waste management, environmental issues, and recycling in New York and surrounding areas.  Great Forest works with municipalities, building management companies, department stores, large companies and public buildings in New York to design and implement environmental programs.  The company currently employs 20 people, with branch offices in Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Chicago.

In 1999 Mr Fuller created Blacksmith Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to solving pollution related environmental issues in developing countries.  This organization currently has projects in Zambia, Tanzania, Thailand, China, Russia, Mozambique, Cambodia and soon in Ghana and Senegal. 

Mr Fuller is currently a member of Social Ventures Network, the Environmental Task Force, the Energy Committee, the Advocacy Committee, and the Codes and Regulations Committees for the Building Owners and Managers Association of New York, a member of the Special Committee of New York's Business Integrity Commission, the chair of NYC BOMA's Codes and Regulations Committee, a member of the New York Energy Buyers Forum, and the National Recycling Coalition amongst others. 

Ross Povenmire is a lawyer, landscape architect, and environmental consultant, with a keen interest in promoting socially and environmentally sustainable development.

Ross is Conservation Director for the Town of Boxford,
Massachusetts. By assisting the Kapadia Education Foundation in providing educational opportunities to individuals who are motivated to improve their own communities, Ross hopes to foster tangible, practical improvements in local environmental and social conditions.

The son of American diplomats, Ross has lived and traveled extensively in Africa, South America and Europe. He received a Batchelor's degree from Tufts University in Biology, a Master's degree in Forestry and Environmental Studies from Yale, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maine Law School. He is active in his community as a member of the conservation commission and as a volunteer coach in the City's in-town soccer league.

Ross lives in Haverhill, Massachusetts, with his wife Alisa and three children. Alisa coordinates adult education programs for various communities in Massachusetts.

Diana Felber is currently a struggling artist – always struggling with the process of being an artist, and appreciating that part of the process, Diana is eager to be involved with young people on their way to new endeavors.

Diana has been through many transformations in this wonderful world that provides so many opportunities:

First off, after graduating College in New York City, she joined the Department of Social Services, attempting to help the indigent and unlucky citizens of that city. That lasted for about 4 years.

Then she traveled with her, at the time, scholar/husband in Italy for about 2-1/2 years, where, when she settled in Florence, she was able to assist an Italian dance teacher in teaching modern dance.

Returning to the States, she took up Dance Therapy, receiving a Master’s Degree in that interesting discipline, and followed up by both practicing and teaching it at the University at Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia was good to her as that was where she met her beloved, current husband of 22 years. They have 2 wonderful children, a son, now 21 years old, in Japan, and a daughter of 18, beginning a career in singing/songwriting, before she goes to college.

Organizing a community outreach group was her next project, upon moving to the Berkshires with the family. This was with an Ashram. The community organization still stands, without any of her assistance.

Her husband, Stephen, has had an ongoing creative process with his Energy Efficient Lighting business of 19 years, and Diana has participated from time to time. She currently works there doing collections and sales support on a part-time basis.

A big passion, the garden occupies a lot of her time and energy. Ask for photos, if you’re interested. She loves nothing more than to show it off. Or better yet, come and enjoy being in it.

A member of the board of the local more than food Coop, this has been another involvement for the last 6 years.

And then there’s that art thing. Trying the media of oils, watercolors, pastels…or even ceramics, I guess you could say she is eclectic or unfocussed. But she enjoys all of it and continues to explore her creative potential.

As long as people come into her life, that’s what really counts. Being involved with the Kapadia Foundation, and it’s outreach aspect is a new area that she looks forward to.