Board of Directors
John Paul DeJoria, Director
Mr. DeJoria is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Beverly Hills, California-based John Paul Mitchell Systems, distributor of Paul Mitchell®, the leading brand of professional salon hair care products in the United States. John Paul Mitchell Systems has donated millions of dollars to a variety of philanthropic causes. The company sponsored the development of “Mana La,” a solar-powered vehicle, in advance of the first International Solar-Powered Cross-Country Continental Race held in Australia. Mr. DeJoria has received awards from many organizations including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Anti-Vivisection Society (for pioneering the first nationwide brand of salon products not tested on animals). Mr. DeJoria has served as a Special Emissary to the United Nations Environmental Program and has given presentations about management techniques, motivation and global thinking to departments and agencies of the United States government, including the United States Navy and the Central Intelligence Agency. He is an advisor to universities and colleges including the University of Southern California at Los Angeles, Rice University and Pepperdine University where he received an Honorary Doctorate of Law.
Freeman J. Dyson, Director
Freeman Dyson is Professor Emeritus of Physics at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Born in England, Dr. Dyson came to Cornell University as a Commonwealth Fellow in 1947 and settled permanently in the U.S. in 1951. During World War II he worked for the Royal Air Force doing operations research, and since that time he has been unable to stop thinking about the great human problems of war and peace. In 1979 he published Disturbing the Universe , a scientific autobiography interspersed with meditation on the human condition. In Weapons and Hope he contemplated in greater depth the cultural role of nuclear weapons and nuclear strategies. Professor Dyson’s most recent book; The Sun, the Genome, and the Internet; is concerned with technology’s potentially powerful role as an agent for worldwide social justice. He has received honorary degrees from 18 universities and has won many prestigious awards including the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, the Max Plank Medal of the German Physical Society, the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Prize, the Enrico Fermi Award of the U.S. Department of Energy and the Lewis Thomas Prize of Rockefeller University.
Robert A. Freling, Executive Director
Robert Freling has been Executive Director of SELF since 1997. During his stewardship, SELF has completed solar energy projects in more than 15 countries, making SELF the leader among non-governmental organizations in realizing practical and cost-effective alternative energy solutions for rural villagers.
A native of Dallas, Texas. Mr. Freling collaborated with SELF as a Chinese translator and interpreter to coordinate a 1000-house solar electrification project in rural Gansu, China in 1995. He was soon appointed SELF's Director of International Programs. In that role, he facilitated negotiations between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture to expand the Gansu Province solar electrification project.
Fluent in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese and Indonesian, Mr. Freling holds a B.A. in Russian Studies from Yale University, and an M.A. in Communications Management from the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California.
Mr. Freling was the recipient of the 2008 King Hussein Leadership Prize, which was presented by Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan at the Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Awards.
Larry Hagman, Director
Larry Hagman is most widely known for his extraordinary Hollywood acting career. His roles have included astronaut Tony Nelson in I Dream of Jeannie and J.R. Ewing in Dallas, though his talent extends beyond television to film and stage performances as well. In the world of philanthropy Mr. Hagman is well known not only for his compassion to individuals struggling with disease, but also for his commitment to organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the American Institute for Cancer Research, the Exceptional Children’s Foundation, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Boys and Girls Club and dozens of others. Mr. Hagman is also the spokesperson for The National Kidney Foundation’s U.S. Transplant Games, held annually to raise awareness of organ and tissue donation.
Jonathan (J.W.) Postal, Director
Jonathan W. (J.W.) Postal
is a founder of Main Street Power and currently serves as the company’s Senior Vice President of Business Development and Government Relations. As a fundamental leader, Mr. Postal is a driving force in the company’s future business endeavors, marketing, project level finance, and government relations efforts. Main Street supports public sector and non-profit entities in meeting their fiscal, sustainability, and social development goals through unique financing options and the deployment of solar energy.
Mary Green Swig, Director
Mary Green Swig is the President and CEO of Mary Green/Mansilk, a firm engaged in the design and manufacture of men’s and women’s silk apparel, and has received several industry awards for design excellence. Mrs. Swig has traveled extensively, specializing in Asia, and is regarded as an expert in trade with China. She co-authored the bestselling book, How to Be An Importer And Pay For Your World Travel. Mrs. Swig serves on the board of the Stephen Stills Foundation and is a past member of the board of the American Oceans Campaign. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley.
Steven L. Swig, Chairman
Previously an attorney with the firm of Howard, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady, Falk and Rabkin, Mr. Swig is now President of Presidio World College in San Francisco. He is also Chairman and CEO of Swig Development Company, a multifaceted real estate firm engaged in the ownership and management of various property interests around the United States. He is engaged in public interest and charity concerns and serves on various boards, including Saint Francis Foundation, University of Oregon, American Conservatory Theater, American Himalayan Foundation, Jewish Community Federation, American Jewish Committee, Stephen Stills Foundation, American Associates of Ben Gurion University and the Tech Museum of Innovation.
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