Team

Ing. José Belfort G., MBA, PMP

CEO and Founder of FRANO de Costa Rica, S.A the legal name for the corporation of this Consulting Group founded in 1998, San Jose, Costa Rica, to attend needs of company’s industrial engineering processes in Central America.

In 2008 expanded services to provide specialized training, technical assistance and support, in a Cross – border consulting (Project Management).
Mr. Belfort has built VERTEX as trade name and primary identification for our clients, a great experience, regarding program/project management, strategic planning and organizational development services programs as an essential element to optimize business and organizational performance universally to all business and public sector organizations.

Since early 2015 is also a founding partner, and co- principal of Organizational Bridges, LLC in USA (California) that provides consulting services to nonprofit organizations, government agencies, private and public corporations/businesses, multinationals, faith based institutions and trade associations; from strategic business planning through execution.

Additional experiences include two other major corporations: ECOLAB, Chemical Plant in Costa Rica for Central America, Home Array in Saint Paul Minnesota, as Operation Manager in charge of chain Supply for Central America and Panama and; Bridgestone/Firestone Tires Co, where he was the Chemical Department Manager.
Mr. Belfort is a Chemical Engineer with and holds an MBA in Business. He has over 25 years extensive experience domestically and internationally in industrial project management. He has been a certified PMP® (Project Management Professional) since 2008 with the Project Management Institute( PMI®).

Gregory Stephen Brown

Senior Partner for Vertex and Co-President and founder of Vertex’s USA subsidiary, Organizational Bridges, LLC (California). He has considerable expertise and experience in strategic planning, organizational development & management, project-program development, grant and proposal writing, leadership development, teambuilding and training and board development.

For thirty years he has provided a range of consultant services in the USA and Central American to NGO’s, nonprofit community based organizations, educational institutions and multi-national corporations. He has obtained over $16.6 million dollars for nonprofit and government organizations. Mr. Brown has worked for and on behalf of well-respected national service providers in Washington DC such as the Center for Community Change, Neighbor-Works and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and served as a CEO of local nonprofit community based organizations in Detroit (Detroit Neighborhood and Family Initiative), San Antonio (Community Churches for Social Action) and the Washington DC Metro Area (Community Lodging Inc.).

He has also served as the CEO of two for profit consulting and training firms, Center for Technical Assistance and Training (CTAT) and GB Planning and Resource Development that provided comprehensive technical assistance to nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions and socially responsible multinational companies. Mr. Brown has provided expertise in multiple executive staffing roles and/or consultation capacities to over 300 nonprofit community development agencies, municipal and local government agencies, social service organizations, state & national organizations & public authorities in Oregon, California, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Missouri, Michigan, Illinois, DC, Virginia, Wisconsin, Maryland, Delaware, New York, South-North Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Louisiana & Iowa.

In Orange County, California Mr. Brown completed a service project between August 2014 to August 2015 with Habitat for Humanity where he developed and strengthened their congregation/faith relations network, created the Circle of Faith Clergy-Lay task forcé, re-built and restored their Women’s Build Volunteer Program and established a partnership to submit a 2015 Youth-Build DOL grant application with John Muir School , Century Center for Economic Opportunity, Inc. (CCEO) and the City of La Habra Community Youth Center. Additionally, he was a team member working to support the Fund Development Offices efforts to launch a $40 million dollar capital campaign.

His 2014-2014 international youth development project work includes working on school-youth education and capacity building projects in Granada Nicaragua for La Esperanza Granada and for a collaborative effort in Tela-Atlantida Honduras with the Director of the Department of Education, local NGOs, the principals and parents associations of 5 primary and secondary schools in Honduras to create a plan to obtain funding, renovate dilapidated schools, obtain computers, books and modern teaching tools

Mr. Brown has a M.A. in organizational management and administrative sciences from George Washington University, a B.A. in political science from American University and significant Master Degree credits in Urban Research-Studies. He has resided and worked in Costa Rica since 2009 provided technical assistance and consulting services to over 15 institutes and businesses in Costa Rica from 2009 to 2014. He has a PHM certification from National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) located in Washington, DC and is a certified housing counselor with the National Federation of Housing Counselors . He is also a 2015 recipient of the Worldwide Who’s Who of Executives and Professionals

Arthur M. Waddington

Vertex’s USA subsidiary Organizational Bridges, LLC (California). His experience and record of achievement for 30 years includes serving as an executive officer in community housing, economic development, program & project management, community engagement, neighborhood revitalization & urban planning. He’s developed and implemented strategies to create communities of choice, financing alternatives and sustainability. He has served as CEO respectively for 7 years for South Dallas Fair Park Inner City Development Corporation in Dallas and Selby Area Community Development Corporation in St. Paul Minnesota. He has also served as field officer for the Enterprise Foundation in Baltimore for 7 years, on the board of directors for various alternative lending agencies including the Southern Dallas Development Corporation, the Southern Dallas Development Fund, and the Dallas Business Finance Corporation.

A small sample of some of his numerous accomplishments over the years include managing a $900,000 loan to develop an affordable housing mixed use development with a public library (100 units of Low Income Housing Tax Credit rental property) neighborhoods in South Dallas, including: minor home repair loan and grant programs, Community/Corporate volunteer home rehab and community clean up, housing development financing, and investment in a commercial/retail complex. He also developed a Youth Construction skills education project with the Exxon Mobil Green Team ad North Lake College, Irving TX. He developed 3 houses, new construction and rehabilitation after relocations. Entered into a non-profit/private corporation partnership agreement with Bank of America to build and rehabilitate homes in South Dallas Fair Park. This included lines of credit for acquisition rehab and to direct Bank of America CDC equity for new construction.

Secured $500,000 of public funds for this initiative as well. Packaged first new construction commercial complex in the South Dallas/Fair Park area in ten years ($2 million investment). Funding sources included the federal government, Wells Fargo Bank and the City of Dallas and a private foundation. The land was secured as a donation. He also was a key participate in the approval of $2 million in SBA 504 Program loans.

Wesley Gilliam

  • Legal Director & Consultant
  • Pennsylvania Office/Cell: (267) 257-5580
  • E-mail: wgillm@organizationalbridges.com

Vertex’s USA subsidiary Organizational Bridges, LLC. Mr. William has a significant background and background serving for law firms throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey as the Administrative, Office and Business Manager. He has also served as the lead para-legal and supervisor of paralegals for these firms for over 20 years.

Mr. Gilliam has also been the Co-Founder and Administrative Director for the Center for Technical Assistance and Training (CTAT), Agape Real Estate Investment, Board VP for Partners in Christian Development and Board Chair for West Oak-lane Community Development Association in Philadelphia.

Wesley has a BA degree in Political Science from University of Connecticut and holds 2 Paralegal Certifications.

Alejandro Palma Arias

  • Administrative Support and Consultant
  • Office/Cell: +(506) 8885-7552
  • E-Mail: apalma@vertexinnovation.net
  • For VERTEX (FRANO de Costa Rica S.A – Corporation)

Senior Executive Assistant of VERTEX, Mr. Palma is a management consultant in social projects with over 15 years of experience. He has worked in several companies in the private sector in Costa Rica which has enabled him to develop excellent skills in areas such as administrative support, project management, stakeholder management, outsourcing services, technical support, marketing and training processes, which applies to help to our organization to compliance its goals.

Mr. Palma has experience working with non-profit organizations and international cooperation agencies, and founded the Institute of Training for Social Development in Costa Rica, which is an initiative comprised of professionals who contribute and share their knowledge making it available to interested parties to enable them to develop competencies and skills to apply them in their communities or organized groups.

Alejandro has an Associate Degree in Project Management from National Technical University of Costa Rica, graduate of the Project Management Program by the National University of Costa Rica and a specialization in Professional Coaching by ADEN Business School in Argentina. He is currently studying two specializations in Management of Social Projects and Monitoring and Control of Social Projects by the Latin American Institute of Science in Peru and he is also taking the Strategies for Decentralization and Citizen Participation by the Organization of American States. He is member of PMI® (Project Management Institute), since 2011, ID N°: 2489963

Karla Solís Marín

    • Marketing Support
    • Office/Cell: + (506) 8821 5170
    • E-Mail: ksmarketing@innoimagen.com

For VERTEX (Frano de Costa Rica, SA) Ms. Solis is the Marketing and Corporate Image support. She has over 15 years of experience in different areas of Administration: Marketing, Public Relationships, Trade of Goods and Services, and Corporate Image. Businesswoman since 10 years ago and her specialty focus on innovative products and services.
Founder and Director of INNO IMAGEN SA, specializing in Marketing and Corporate Image, which provides support and advice to emerging and already positioned companies. Also provides a support program for SMEs. With INNO-IMAGEN launched VIRTUAL FAIRS CR, a virtual projects design and development service, pioneers and unique in Central America, obtaining awards such as: Finalist and Prize for Technological Entrepreneurship in the Business Plan Competition of Yo Emprendedor Association, invitation by the then US Ambassador in Costa Rica, Mss. Anne Andrew, to the IV Sustainable Dinner, for an INNO-IMAGEN presentation. Chosen as one of 10 Innovative Women of the World by Alas Association, as success story in the First Congress of Entrepreneur Women, have been invited to Science and Technology Exhibitions, by the Ministry of Science and Technology. She also earned an Honorable Mention in the 2015 SME Award, organized by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Trade.
Miss Karla Solis holds a BS in Business Administration and specialization in Marketing, graduated at the International University of the Americas, also has studies in Corporate Image, Corporate Etiquette and Protocol at the Chamber of Commerce of Costa Rica, Marketing Strategic Planning at INCAE, and Trade strategies. In addition, she has specialized in Social Media and other fundamental virtual tools, to establish successful launch and positioning strategies, field in which their services are also highly appreciated and which stands in VERTEX.