Gerald R. Kunde II (Chip)

Leadership Initiatives Board Chair
Vice President, Government Relations

Chip Kunde has served as Darden's Vice President of Government Relations since August 2007. Darden is the world's largest full-service restaurant operating company with annual sales of $7.5 billion. The company owns and operates more than 2,000 Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, Eddie V's, Yard House and Seasons 52 restaurants in North America, employs approximately 185,000 people, and serves more than 400 million meals annually. In 2011, Darden became the first full-service restaurant company ever to be named to the FORTUNE "100 Best Companies to Work For" list.

Strong government and community relations are critical to Darden's efforts to grow our existing businesses and build powerful new brands. Based in Washington D.C., Chip leads efforts in identifying, monitoring and shaping public policy that is important to the casual dining industry and Darden in particular. His strong political acumen helps Darden build relationships with key federal office holders, increasing their awareness of the business model and the economic impact on communities and quality of life. He provides a "face" to Darden and its restaurant brands before Washington, D.C. focused media and policy makers, while providing timely and useful updates to Darden leaders on federal policy changes that impact business.

Chip also oversees efforts to build relationships with state and local policy makers on issues critical to the business. In addition, Chip leads the creation and execution of a fundraising strategy for the Darden PAC and coordinates delivery of PAC contributions. Chip joined Darden from the International Dairy Foods Association, where he spent four years as Senior Vice President of Legislative and Economic Affairs. As an integral part of the senior management team, Chip oversaw planning and implementation for federal and state legislative advocacy, including milk pricing policies and economic analysis, and grassroots and political programs for the leading trade association representing the dairy processing industry.

Prior to his position at the International Dairy Foods Association, Chip was Vice President of Government and State Affairs at the Grocery Manufacturers of America. He also served five years as Executive Vice President for the Connecticut Association of Realtors, Inc. and held various positions at the National Association of Realtors and Freddie Mac. Chip holds a master's degree in Public Administration, Executive and Legislative Management from George Washington University and a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Florida.

Blushel Ocbina
Leadership Inititiatives Board Vice Chair
Marketing and Communications Professional

Blushel brings to Leadership Initiatives her passion for community service and development acquired during her years as a student at the University of Southern California, where she graduated with a degree in International Relations with a special interest in Peace and Conflict Resolution. During her studies and in her profession, Blushel learned the intricacies of various cultures and the universal role of public diplomacy in solving the problems that inhibit global growth. Her involvement in numerous community service programs allows her to better understand the important role of the individual in effecting change in the community.

From 2005 to 2007, Blushel helped Leadership Initiatives establish and manage a program in the Philippines, her native country. Currently, Blushel works for BDO Seidman, LLP, a U.S. professional services firm providing assurance, tax, financial advisory and consulting services. She is a Coordinator with the firm's Business Development Services department responsible for various local and regional marketing efforts. Blushel looks forward to combining her passions for community service, development and marketing to help the organization achieve its goals in the areas of fundraising and marketing.

President and CEO of OmniLearn, LLC

Omnilearn is an online learning company featuring a patented online LSS (learner support system). OmniLearn provides high-end LMS/LSS support, intelligent web-sites (including marketplace and communication outreach), training development & delivery, testing (360 etc), and strategic marketing/online outreach for commercial, educational, NGO, and not-for-profit clients. Ms. Hall has been an educator both in the classroom and as a college administrator prior to moving online. She studied educational effectiveness at Harvard (B.A.) and Johns Hopkins (M.S. Ed) and works with the Wharton School of Business. She has held senior leadership positions in corporations and, as a consultant, has specialized in leadership, change management, and technology innovation and sits on the board of several wireless companies. With her passion for learning and education, Ms. Hall is honored to support LI's far-reaching goals.

Bryan Bernys
Vice President for the Campus Leadership Program
Leadership Institute

Bryan Bernys is currently the Vice President for the Campus Leadership Program at the Leadership Institute. The Leadership Institute's mission is to identify, recruit, train and place conservative minded individuals in political, governmental and media positions throughout the country. Before this venture, Bryan served as the New Hampshire Field Director for the McCain 2008 campaign. As one of the first people hired onto the McCain campaign in September of 2006 Bryan worked to re-establish Sen. McCain's presence among New Hampshire voters, hired and trained campaign staff, located and opened a campaign headquarters, and ran the day to day ground operations for the campaign.

In addition to his work with the McCain campaign Bryan also comes to LI with a wealth of campaign experience. He has served as the Field Director for the Tarrant for Senate campaign in Vermont, Campaign Manager for Robinson for Delegate in Virginia, consultant for the Ball for Delegate special election in Virginia, and field staff for the Bush/Cheney 2004 campaign in Michigan.

While in college Bryan worked for the Carlyle Gregory Company, a political consulting firm in northern Virginia. Working for the Carlyle Gregory Company, Bryan assisted on several campaigns around the country for all levels of public office. He graduated from American University with a bachelors degree in Communications, Law, Economics, and Government.

Carmine C. Carullo
ExxonMobil Medicine & Occupational Health
Planning & Performance Analysis Manager

Since graduating from Wagner College with a BA in economics and masters in finance, Carmine C. Carullo has built a nearly 40-year career with ExxonMobil Corporation. It is here that he has combined his business expertise with civic engagement locally and worldwide. Carullo's ExxonMobil career has taken him from New York, where he worked in accounting and finance; to Singapore and Indonesia to Virginia, where he has worked in various controller and finance positions, as coordinator of government reporting, and as assistant secretary for shareholder relations.

Now, as planning manager of medicine and occupational health worldwide, he is charged with the well-being of 80,000 employees in 50 countries. He travels extensively to visit the company's more than 100 medical clinics. He is also involved in community health initiatives such as malaria control, HIV/AIDS prevention, clean water delivery, medical waste disposal, and medical donations. He has also worked on hospital projects in Papua New Guinea and Nigeria.

Carullo is a dedicated supporter of civic organizations in his home community as well, especially Food for Others, of which he was a board member and treasurer, 2003-2010. It is the largest distributor of free food directly to people in need in Northern Virginia. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus since 1989, finance leader for the Emergency Oil Spill Response Team, and treasurer of Felicity Cove Association Inc.