Board

Judy Zerafa

President

Judy Zerafa is the creator of the GO FOR IT! Program, the author of the book, GO FOR IT! and program founder. She was elected President of The GO FOR IT! Foundation in August, 2004. Judy leads both the Board of Directors and the Foundation staff, and is the primary presenter, fundraiser and spokesperson for GO FOR IT!

Forrest Smith III

Chairman

Forrest has worked for 15 years at Merrill Lynch, where he heads up a group handling up to 25 of Merrill Lynch’s largest clients in the Rockies. Forrest graduated from The University of New Mexico in 1987 with a degree in Finance, and Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Forrest was on the 1982 Olympic Festival volleyball team and competed on the professional beach volleyball tour in California and Australia. In 1987-1988 after college he traveled around the world to Australia, China, Japan, Nepal, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore. Forrest has two children, Alexandra and Andy. He serves on the boards of Make-A-Wish as well as the GO FOR IT! Institute.

L. William Schmidt, Jr.

Secretary

L. William Schmidt, Jr. (“Bill”) is Of Counsel to the Denver law firm of Holland & Hart LLP. He was admitted to the Colorado bar in 1962, the Texas bar in 1989, the U.S. District Court of Colorado and the U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit, in 1964 and to practice before the U.S. Tax Court in 1971. Mr. Schmidt has published several books on estate planning and is a frequent lecturer. His most recent book is entitled, “Preserving Your Wealth”. He was the founder and first president of the Rocky Mountain Estate Planning Council and currently also belongs to the Denver Estate Planning Council and the Centennial Estate Planning Council.

Mr. Schmidt has served on the Boards of numerous charitable organizations and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Goodwill Industries of Denver, the Board of Trustees of the Bonfils Blood Center Foundation, the Professional Advisory Council of The Denver Foundation, the Board of Directors of the Young Philanthropists Foundation, and the University of Michigan Law School Planned Giving Advisory Group. Mr. Schmidt was honored in 2004 by The Denver Foundation with its Philanthropic Leadership Award and in 2007 with the Bonfils Blood Center Leadership Award.

Mr. Schmidt is listed in “The Best Lawyers in America” and has been named as among the top 5% of Colorado lawyers by 5280Magazine in its annual list of Super Lawyers.

John A. Warnick

John A. Warnick is the founder the Purposeful Planning Institute, which offers a variety of services and learning opportunities designed for professionals who serve families of wealth, and Family Wealth Transitions & Solutions, a consulting firm that assists clients and their advisory teams in the areas of Purposeful Planning, Trust Design & Implementation.  He is a former partner in the Denver office of the law firm of Holme Roberts & Owen LLP. He is admitted to practice in the states of Colorado, Nevada and Wyoming. “JohnA,” as his family, friends and colleagues know him, has extensive experience in all aspects of wealth transfer planning as well as in trust and estate administration. Working with a team of nationally recognized family wealth coaches and psychologists, JohnA has explored the issues of resilience in children, “emerging adulthood” and “affluenza.” He also serves as a family wealth counselor to affluent families who are committed to ensuring that wealth contributes to positive growth in the lives of beneficiaries.

John A. is deeply involved in the philanthropic aspects of family wealth and spends a great deal of time studying microfinance, micro-franchising, literacy, health and other issues which affect the poorest of the poor throughout the world. A favorite speaking topic is “purposeful philanthropy” in which he discusses how families can make sure that their philanthropic values are aligned with their philanthropic mission and that their time and resources are making the greatest possible impact. In addition to serving on the board of the GO FOR IT! Foundation, John A. is an advisor to the Family Building Institute, a member of the national advisory committee of LDS Philanthropies, a member of AFHE (Attorneys for Family Held Enterprises) and a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Bernard Henriques

Bernard Henriques joined the GO FOR IT! Institute Board of Directors in May, 2007. Mr. Henriques was born in Zimbabwe; educated in Scotland as an engineer; and is employed by CTB International Corp, a Berkshire Hathaway Company. He is responsible for global purchasing for CTB.

Mr. Henriques has lived in many countries, and traveled to many more. This experience has allowed him to bring an international perspective to The Foundation. He is the father of three young adults who are preparing for, and beginning, their college education. Mr. Henriques international perspective, coupled with the emergence of his own children into their adult lives, has ignited his desire to find a way to help children everywhere find and be able to use the gifts with which God has blessed them. “We all realize the urgency of helping the world’s children” says Mr. Henriques. “I believe the program developed by the GO FOR IT! Institute can accomplish this.”

Liz Cady

Liz Cady, Vice President, joined JPMorgan in 2006 as a Private Banker in the Denver office. As a member of the Rockies Region team, she advises high net worth families on investment decisions, banking, credit, and wealth planning matters.

Prior to joining JPMorgan, Liz worked in Boston for the US TrustCompany as a Portfolio Manager advising high net worth clients and institutions. She began her investment career at Loomis Sayles.

Liz graduated in 1990 with a B.A. from Middlebury College. She received the CFA designation in 1998, and recently acquired the CTFA designation from the American Bankers Association that focuses on fiduciary planning. Liz spent six years on the Investment Committee of the Pine Street Inn, a homeless shelter in Boston.

Liz continues to play an active and passionate role in the community and is on the Board of Directors for two local non-profit organizations: Emily Griffith Opportunity School and the GO FOR IT! Institute. In her leisure time, Liz loves to read, write, ski, play golf, and she is energized by foreign travel. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado.