Peter Samuelson, Co-Founder and President
Peter Samuelson is a media executive and serial pro-social entrepreneur. In 1999 his strong passion for children’s advocacy led him to co-found First Star, a DC based nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of America’s abused and neglected children. In 1982, Peter co-founded the Starlight Children’s Foundation—an international charity dedicated to granting wishes for seriously ill children. In 1990 Peter founded with Steven Spielberg and General Norman Schwarzkopf Starbright World, an online social network to educate, encourage and empower children to cope with the medical, emotional and social challenges of their illness. In 2006, Peter founded EDAR, “Everyone Deserves A Roof” to develop and widely distribute through established service agencies a mobile single-user homeless shelter on wheels. Peter currently serves as President of Film Associates, Inc. Peter has produced two dozen motion pictures including Revenge of the Nerds, Wilde and Arlington Road. Peter is a graduate of the Anderson School of Business at UCLA, and also has a Masters Degree from Cambridge University, England.
Sherry Quirk, Co-Founder and Vice Chair
After discovering that a family member had become a victim of child abuse, Sherry’s passion for improving the lives of neglected children began. In 1999 she and Peter Samuelson founded First Star and began the important work of improving the rights of children and illuminating systemic failures to ignite reform. She is the past President and Founder of One Voice and the American Coalition for Abuse Awareness. As a partner with Schiff Hardin LLP, she heads up the firm’s energy group. Sherry has been named one of DC’s top 50 women lawyers and one of the District’s top energy and natural resources lawyers. Quirk received her undergraduate degree from Mount Holyoke College, and her law degree from the Washington College of Law at American University.
Elissa Garr, Executive Director
Elissa has had a long career in management in the Washington D.C. area having worked for the Senate Labor and Public Welfare Committee, the Federal Election Commission, and the law firm of Oldaker, Belair and Wittie LLP. In addition, she has also served as an educator in a DC area private school. Garr served on the First Star Board of Trustees from 2007-2010. She received a B.A. in History from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey.
Kevin J. Reardon, Director and Treasurer
Dr. Kevin J. Reardon is a retired U.S. Navy Captain and currently serves as President and CEO of a consulting firm that advises defense and high technology industry companies. He recently served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security. Prior to joining the Department of Homeland Security, Dr. Reardon served for twelve years in senior executive positions with major government contractors and commercial high tech firms.
Captain Reardon graduated With Distinction from the US Naval Academy as a Trident Scholar. He also holds a degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Operations Research and Master of Science in Statistics from Stanford University and completed an Executive Management Program at Harvard University.
Kathleen Kelly Reardon, Director, Distinguished Fellow, Director of Foster Youth Education
Dr. Kathleen Kelley Reardon, Professor of Management and Organization in the
University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, has served on the faculty
of the MBA, Executive MBA, International MBA Programs and the faculty of Preventive
Medicine. She is a leading authority on persuasion, politics in the workplace,
negotiation, and interpersonal communication. She is the author of nine books and
numerous articles published in communication and business journals, including three
times in the Harvard Business Review. The Secret Handshake: Mastering the Politics of
the Business Inner Circle, It’s All Politics, and Comebacks at Work (with Christopher
Noblet) are her latest business books. Read Full Biography of Kathleen Kelly Reardon