Second segment in a series that takes the public into the plight of homeless families with children and of teens living on their own (ages 18-21 & in school living either apart from parents or with none at all) in greater Daytona Beach and throughout Volusia County); and the big three leaders who did something about it by Pushing for Hope Place -- Mark Geallis, executive director of Halifax Urban Ministries; Forough Hosseini, vice president of ICI Homes & a community entrepreneur; and Jim Dinneen, Volusia County manager. These are their stories...
Photos for Headline Surfer® / Forough B. Hosseini is shown greeting Daytona-area children at an after-school holiday party, featuring Santa Claus. The business entrepreneur is heavily involved in community charity works for children and serves as the chairman of Daytona State College among her seemingly countless civic duties as shown above in addition to her career responsibilities as vice president of ICI Homes in Daytona Beach, Florida.
By HENRY FREDERICK
Headline Surfer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Forough B. Hosseini, along with Mark Geallas and Jim Dinneen, are the three big stakeholders who have worked tirelessly to make "Hope Place" a true reality for homeless families with kids and for teens without parents or a place to live, but enrolled in school.
And they have done so without the ugliness of political bickering or one upmanship.
With initial approval in early March by unanimous vote of the County Council, all that awaits the moving of dirt is a vote on final funding, which is expected to be dealt with and approved by the council in the near future.
Often in partnerships between the public and private sectors, the ultimate mission gets lost in translation early on and a goodwill project is doomed.
Not so with these three stakeholders, especially Hosseini, who has made sure the hyperbole has been kept to a minimum with realistic goals established early and adjustments made to make for a level playing field and a positive outcome.
Geallis, executive director of Halifax Urban Ministries, has already been highlighted and Jim Dinneen, Volusia County manager,will be highlighted next, while this segment focuses on Forough Hosseini, career businesswoman, entrepreneur and public college policy oversight leader.
Hosseini has been the main driving force in the private sector pushing for Hope Place, which calls for the conversion of the former Hurst Elementary School, just north of Daytona Beach and west of Holly Hill in unincorporated Volusia County, into a full-fledged shelter for homeless families with children and for teens, ages 18-21, and enrolled in school, but have no home or in some cases even parents.
Forough Hosseini has been the main driving force in the private sector pushing for Hope Place, which calls for the conversion of the former Hurst Elementary School, just north of Daytona Beach and west of Holly Hill in unincorporated Volusia County, into a full-fledged shelter for homeless families with children and for teens, ages 18-21, and enrolled in school, but have no home or in some cases even parents.
Headline Surfer® will take you through the roles played by Forough Hosseini and the other two community leaders as this investigative reporting series progresses in greater detail as to how they who worked together to make Hope Place a reality.
Hosseini's role has been to galvanize private sector support to step up to the plate with fundraising and seeing the program become reality.
Dinneen's role is in providing taxpayer funding and other revenue streams through the County Council, which has already resulted in approval for some of the funding with another round upcoming that is expected to result in unanimous approval for the balance of monies needed.
And Geallis' role, as highlighted in the first sidebar, is to administer the social services programs and oversee future revenue streams.
The Volusia County Council voted unanimously March 3 to fund Hope Place for homeless families with children (108 bunks) and for approximately 28-32 unaccompanied youth (ages 18-21 without parents) but still attending school. The project still has to be apprved by the County Council.
Photo for Headline Surfer® / Forough Hosseini is shown with her husband, Mori Hosseini, in October 2014, at the start of a Daytona State College Board of Trustees meeting where he was honored with a framed “Resolution of Appreciation” certificate recognizing the business entrepreneur's unabashed influence and money to aid Daytona State better itself. Through his help, and that of his wife, Forough, currently DSC board chair, the public college received more than $12.5 million in Public Education Capital Outlay last year, instrumental in the maintenance and renovation. Additionally, $8 million of that funding is allotted for construction of a new student services building on the Daytona campus. The completion date is 2018. Past contributions from the businessman helped build the Mori Hosseini College of Hospitality and Culinary Management, a state-of-the-art facility that is the centerpiece of the main campus in Daytona.
What follows here is a snapshot profile on Forough Hosseini, akin to a resume:
Name: Forough B. Hosseini
Age: 57
Background/family:
• Born and raised in Iran, Forough B. Hosseini came to the US to continue her education in 1977, and became an American citizen, a path similar to that of her husband, Mori Hosseini, except that he came to the UAS via London from Iran.
• Mori and Forough Hosseini live in Ormond Beach. They have three grown daughters (the younger two twins).
Career:
• Mrs. Hosseini is executive Vice president of Information Systems for ICI Homes, a company she and her husband started in 1980. ICI Homes, built on bold vision, develops and builds here in the Sunshine State, neighboring Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. The company has consistently garnered a cadre of prestigious local, regional and national honors, punctuated by its consistent ranking among the "Top 100 Builders" in the nation by Builder Magazine.
• Despite heavy involvement in community works, Mrs. Hosseini has continually worked alongside her husband since the inception of ICI Homes. She has been responsible for designing and managing ICI’s systems for nearly three decades now.
Education:
• Bachelors degree, Computer Science, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach.
• Masters of Business Administration, University of Central Florida.
Photos for Headline Surfer® /
Forough Hosseini, chairwoman of the Daytona State College Board, is shown at a recent meeting with Business Officer Isalene Montgomery and DSC President Tom LoBasso, along with board Vice Chairman Stanley Escudero (with separate image because his face is obscured in the display photo).
Community Leadership Posts:
• Mrs. Hosseini is chairwoman of the Daytona State College Board of Trustees. She was initially appointed to the DSC board by then-Gov. Jeb Bush; re-appointed by then-Gov. Charlie Crist serving as the chair for two years; and re-appointed by Gov. Rick Scott and unanimously selected as chair earlier this year after serving as vice chair.
• She has been a board member (as well as executive committee) of Central Florida Myregion since its inception over a decade ago. Led by a group of public, private & civic leaders,
myregion.org advocates unprecedented cooperation among community leaders to create a coordinated, comprehensive plan for Central Florida's future; ensuring its place in the global economy and improving opportunities for future generations of Central Floridians.
Civic Involvement:
• Mrs. Hosseini has served on the executive board of the United Way of Volusia and Flagler counties for more than a decade. She also serves on the United Way’s Foundation (motto: connecting people who care with causes that matter).
• Among national and international associations, Mrs. Hosseini was a founder and past president of the Iranian American Society of Daytona Beach, a board member of the World Affairs Councils of America and a board member and vice chair of the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans.
• She chairs the Arts and Culture Consortium partnering with local universities, colleges and museums, sponsoring lectures, international art and cultural programs.
• Mrs. Hosseini has served on numerous boards including, but not limited to the Museum of Arts and Sciences, American Heart Association, March of Dimes, Women in Your Life and Success by Six.
Community Good Works:
• Mrs.Hosseini started the Forough B. Hosseini Family Foundation with the mission of helping local homeless and underprivileged children enrolled in public schools to stay in school by providing after-school programs that involve tutoring, sports, activities and food. The program also follows the participating students through high school and invites them to apply for college scholarships.
• She is the founder, chair and board member of Food Brings Hope, providing food and other materials for children in need throughout Volusia County.
Awards/Recognition:
Forough B. Hosseini, as well as her husband, Mori Hosseini, are among the 200-plus entrants throughout Central Florida and beyond in the inaugural Class of 2016 Headline Surfer® Hall of Fame.
2016: Entrant in inaugural Class of 2016 Headline Surfer® Hall of Fame.
2015: Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Community Engagement Award.
2011: Herbert M. Davidson Award for Outstanding Community Service with the United Way.
2011: Education Commissioner’s Business Recognition Award for work with Volusia County School Board.
2010: Glenn and Connie Ritchey Community Service Award for work with Council on Aging.
2009: Ellis Island Medal of Honor Recipient (entered into the US Congressional Record) Philanthropist of the Year Award for the PARSA Community Foundation.
2009: “Spirit of Hope” Award for work with Halifax Habitat for Humanity.
2008: Juneteenth Hometown Hero from Bethune-Cookman University;
2008: “Field of Dreams” achievement award from Westside Elementary School for her contributions with the Forough B. Hosseini Family Foundation.
Mrs. Hosseini has received numerous proclamations from Volusia County and the cities of Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach.
Did You Know?
• Forough and Mori Hosseini, avid believers in giving back to the greater Daytona community that has offered them so much, contributed to the Hospitality Management building at Daytona State College. That's right: the aptly titled, building, "Mori Hosseini College of Hospitality Management."
• And Mrs. Hosseini's family funded the Southeast Museum of Photography’s main gallery, titled after her maiden name, “The Babazadeh Gallery,” housed in the Mori Hosseini Center.
Previous Coverage:
Preamble: Posted Wed, 2016-03-09 10:33
Part 1:Posted Sat, 2016-03-26 17:05
Sidebar 1: Big 3: Mark Geallis
Posted Mon, 2016-04-04 10:07
Sidebar 2: Big 3: Forough Hosseini
Posted Tue, 2016-04-19 03:05
