2022 Ron Hering Award Winners
Hosted by the ManKind Project Switzerland Region
Wade Anding
USA • Wisconsin
Wade Anding
“I create a safe and harmonious world because I have arisen from my own ashes and co-create space for others to do the same.”
Wade created a space for men to do men’s work by running a semi-monthly Men’s Group in Milwaukee. He schedules men from MKP Milwaukee to facilitate each time and empowered another man to be the contact for non-MKP men He is currently working with another man to create a web and social presence for the MKP Men’s Group.
Wade assists with establishing MKP in Africa. Each month he is on a virtual men’s group for MKP and non-MKP men in 8 different countries. He also co-created an Open Circle in Kenya and is planning a return trip!
Wade knows men are hungry for what MKP offers and wants to create space for them!
Randy Boring
USA • Los Angeles
Randy Boring
“I co-create a safe sacred world by being vulnerable and authentic.”
Randy spent the last 30 years on a mission of personal development and enlightenment. He holds certifications in hypnotherapy, Neurolinguistic Programming, coaching, and mentoring. He is a certified presenter and motivational speaker, with a flair for improvisation. Randy has been a corporate trainer for 25 years, and his true love is personal development.
Randy’s mission of service has been to provide safe sacred space for men and women to experience their vulnerability and brilliance. This mission has brought Randy to work with groups like H.E.R Weekend (Healing Empowerment and Release), Boys 2 Men mentoring program, and most recently, the Condor Clan where Randy is a vision quest guide. Through all his years and all his teachings, his real love is personal development, building communities, building connections, and helping to empower others to empower themselves. Randy enjoys facilitating others and his passion is to train others to facilitate themselves.
Ian Solomon & the Brother Wolf Project
South Africa • Cape Town
Ian Solomon & the Brother Wolf Project
“I co-create a vibrant, passionate and conscious world by growing awareness, working with ritual, igniting entrepreneurship and keeping my heart open.”
On election day, 8 May 2019, Ian’s friend David Wolframm was hijacked and murdered by 2 young men from Ocean View. It was a brutal act of violence that robbed a young family of their father and a powerful agent of change in the community. It also inspired a healing process in the Deep South that has been profound. On the beach that day, Ian made a commitment to explore how Head, Heart & Soul (HH&S) work with the youth of Jamestown and TSiBA University could make a difference for young men in Ocean View.
Ian and 4 I-Group brothers (Graeme, Ivan, Alistair and Ryan) gathered with 5 men from Ocean View (Elroy, Paul, Ricardo, Dimitre and Colbe) to participate in an NWTA October ‘21, kickstarting the Brother Wolf Project. Soon more men joined; Edwin in March ‘22, Vasco, Benson, and Raymond in October ‘22, Heath, Ludfie, and Edraine in November 22. In May this group of 17 men will facilitate a HH&S training for young men of Ocean View. The Ocean View men will soon lead these trainings so that the work will flourish and grow for generations to come. We believe that this model can be replicated in communities across South Africa, enabling the powerful work of MKP to reach our marginalised communities.
Efraín Anaya-Barrios
Mexico
Efraín Anaya-Barrios
“I create a world of love and compassion through actions of service and contribution.”
Efraín’s motto is: ‘There is always time to give more’ and ‘Your life matters’. He has spent 25 years combatting discrimination, violence and human trafficking of girls, boys and adolescents, as well as providing support to groups of high and very high vulnerability, (raped women, single mothers, people with different capacities and the elderly), in marginalized zones of Mexico City. Thus guaranteeing security and the full exercise of human rights.
Throughout his life, Effrain has worked in logistics, messaging, security, parcel delivery, and strategic planning and has participated in different social and Federal programs. He inherited his mother’s pride, rebelliousness and stubborn sense of raising standards. At University he studied Communication Sciences and Organizational Communication. He has studied many transformational processes and Human Development to serve others. Effrain initiated into MKP Mexico in April 2017 and is currently a Co-leader candidate.
Daniel Perry
UK & Ireland
Daniel Perry
“I create a world of peace and harmony by overcoming my fears, loving unconditionally and sharing my passions.”
Daniel Perry has been involved with MKP since 2021. He came into MKP through various outward-facing projects that he is still involved in. He is very active with MKP UK&I in building diversity and has recently stepped up as a trustee. Outside of MKP he started the Brixton Surf Club which is a social enterprise that takes inner city Black children and gives them an experience of being with nature through surfboarding.
Victor Perichon
Canada • British Columbia
Victor Perichon
“I create a world of peace and beauty by example.”
Victor supports the community by creating spaces for children to experience themselves, learn, grow and connect. Hosting a homeschool for almost 20 children has been great for many families as the local waldorf school closed. He believes the wholesome experience they have during these formative years will carry forward. He also hosts the local I-group and opened his place for other people to host events on the land. In his community, Victor has supported others et up and organise their events. He also started the development of a pump track in Seal Bay Park for local children and their families to enjoy.
Victor has advocated for the protection of the ancient forests on Vancouver Island and beyond. He has brought many down to Frairy Creek to support the camps, and be creative with painting signs, climbing, swimming and setting up experiential activities in the forest. He continues to work as a medicinal mushroom wholesale supplier, helping people to maintain and regain health, as well as connecting people with wild forest mushrooms.
Craig Herink
USA • Mid America, Louisville, KY
Craig Herink
“I create a world of sacred intimacy by embodying relentless empathy and rigorous honesty.”
Craig was initiated in Indiana in Nov. 1992 and was a founding member of Louisville community, serving as the first Center Director. He has remained active in I-Group, the Louisville Community, Kentucky Area, and Nationally for 30 years. He also gifted the name The ManKind Project to the former New Warrior Network in 1998. He became a Co-leader in 1996, a Leader in 1999 and Leader Trainer in 2001. He has staffed 114 NWTAs, 72 leader trainings internationally. Craig has been the chair of the Kentucky Area Leader Body on many occasions and continues to mentor men on leader track and their leadership.
Craig continues to lead many trainings for warrior brothers. In 2020 he created and led; Right Use of Privilege & Quota Co-gender, a 25 hour training for white men/women on using white privilege to address the the inequities and injustice due to racism in our culture.
Frank Verkley
Canada • Ontario
Frank Verkley
“To be present to myself so I can be present to others.”
Frank works to create ways for the planet to improve its ability to interact with itself, helping other people to the fullest development of themselves, so that all may share in the gifts and insights each brings to the fore.
Frank’s accomplishments include 20 years of singing and dancing for and with Alzheimer’s residents, and a lifetime of guitar playing for churches and venues. He has an album and written over 100 songs. He also promotes young local talent. He has published a seven-volume series of books at “Inner Child Press” publications. Titled “Frankly Inspired” Volume 1-7. They contain his photographs and inspirational writings. Each day he posts original photography and cartoons on Facebook to bring beauty and laughter into the world. He has three volumes of channelled messages that he shares with an extensive world audience. Frank continues to initiate the concept of doing for others to change the atmosphere of society towards more care and reciprocity. Holding a lifelong passion to bring awareness of what connects us, is what defines service.
P. Mike McAssey
USA • New England
P. Mike McAssey
“I create a world where my inner strength can be seen for the betterment of the planet and its two and four legged inhabitants.”
Mike is an open minded man and constantly growing through his listening skills. Mike sponsors an Afghan family, advocates for alternative energy solutions, including moving his town’s school bussing to solar, and addresses food insecurity by serving those in need. Through his work with the community, he opens up the possibility of new and deeper relationships. He uses his deep concern for the world to drive individuals and communities into open conversation about growing. If asked he would say his best quality is the ability to wake each day with the energy to do more and be more. He models his belief that anything is possible.
Mike Completed his weekend in 2012. He was employed by Raytheon for many years and managed a team of engineers. Upon his retirement, Mike has made philanthropy a major part of his life’s mission. He is married to Jody Lynn McAssey, has four sons and is a proud grandfather.
Ken Adler
USA • Colorado Area
Ken Adler
“I help co-create a peaceful and loving world by listening to, acknowledging and empowering the inner child of children and adults.”
Ken finds opportunities to mentor boys and men using his medical and educational skills. He actively volunteered in Scouting organizations, and several public school settings. He volunteered in multiple community choirs and was on the board of directors for the Spirituals Project Choir – a Denver University organization to preserve the music of enslaved Africans through musical and social justice work. He offered free personal life-coaching and hypnotherapy and worked with Autistic children as the director of the Sensory Learning Institute of Boulder. He taught courses in Relationship Coaching, Voice Dialogue and Four Direction Gateway Coaching.
Ken graduated Rutgers with a BS in Chemistry and BS in Marine Biology, Medical School in Rome, Italy, completing a Residency in Orthopedic Surgery, and practiced 25 years in Denver. He initiated in 1997, staffed 32 times, and has been the Elder Chair of Colorado for 5 years.
Attila Tota
USA • San Diego
Attila Tota
“I create a world of love, joy, beauty and abundance by remembering who I am and inspiring others to remember who they are.”
Attila was born in Hungary. His family escaped in 1956 during the Hungarian Revolution. He grew up in San Diego and graduated from CSUSD with a business degree. He retired after 30 years in the Telecommunications industry. He has been leading the North San Diego chapter of Boys to Men for 13 years.
In 2014, Dan developed an aggressive squamous cell carcinoma on his right arm. The surgeries and road to recovery were excruciating, but one week after his second surgery, he was back, observing the Boys to Men One Wave Challenge fundraising event and resumed his duties at Boys to Men with renewed vigor.
While enduring all of this, Dan was also assisting his wife of 20 years, Lisa, in her battle with breast cancer until her passing on November 11, 2022. Dan currently leads several in-school circles of boys as well as Mountain Adventure weekends.
Dan Persson
Nordic
Dan Persson
“I create a world of love and trust by being authentic and true, supporting myself and others to expand consciousness through deep work.”
“I’m a normal man who tries to create an understanding of my nature. I see life as a journey, physical, mental, and emotional. Understanding brings acceptance and love of oneself.” Dan shows a willingness to do whatever it takes to live his mission of helping vulnerable men. His work involves working with former gang members. They suffer from conditions like addiction, PTSD, adhd, etc., so his work is both to guide them and to help them with their inner demons.
Dan is also organizing men and women to create co-gender groups and men’s group in Orebro, to provide the opportunity for all to heal. To better his leadership skills, he flew to San Francisco for a workshop to learn how to lead these groups and has just completed the first module in learning to be a Shadow Work Coach.
Jim Ramm
USA • Central Plains
Jim Ramm
“I create a world of joyful community within, by sharing my talents, skills and passion with the world around me.”
Jim is Co-founder of Eco-engineering, a growing corporation committed to creating clean energy for a changing world. He has helped grow Eco-engineering from 2 employees to over 50 employees and subcontractors all over the world. Jim’s mission of service is most evident at the Sunday dinner gatherings that he and his wife, Stephanie host regularly at his home in Des Moines. Parents, children, grandchildren and good friends are treated to carefully prepared food, and often selected readings or poetry, in an atmosphere of inclusiveness, love and celebration. Jim has a long list of men he mentors in their quest to become better men and live out their personal missions in the world. Jim grew up with 6 brothers and sisters in Omaha, NE, often the brunt of racial prejudice against his Japanese heritage. He graduated from Kansas State University. He was initiated in South Sioux City, NE in September 2009.
Ernest Patterson
USA • South Central Area
Ernest Patterson
“As a man among men, I co-create a world of love by loving myself, my family and my fellow man unconditionally.”
Ernest Patterson, MS, LCDC is a Chemical Dependency Counselor in Houston Texas. He has 19 years of experience in this field and is the recipient of the Elves Smith Counselor of the year award for the state of Texas, USA. He is also an MKP full leader (since 2008) and has staffed 154 weekends, 64 as a full leader – including NWTAs in Australia and South Africa. His team building skills were greatly enhanced from his years on the basketball court. Ernest was drafted by the Chicago Bulls as a professional basketball player in 1983 out of New Mexico State University. Ernest, born in 1960, is married with two daughters. He has a BA in Business Management and an MS in Addiction Counseling from Grand Canyon University in Arizona, USA. Currently he is Program Director/Clinician with the Ethos Behavioral Health Group at the Lovett Clinic in Houston, Texas
Philippe de Wergifosse
Belgium
Philippe de Wergifosse
“Je crée un monde puissant et respectueux en assumant ma juste place”
Philippe de Wergifosse est ingénieur agronome de formation, officier sapeur-pompier professionnel et consultant en gestion de crise (humanitaire et anti-terrorisme). Au cours de ses nombreuses missions de part le monde (du Yémen en Haïti, du Japon au Tchad, du Cameroun au Liban,…) et par ses interventions au quotidien dans le cadre de la lutte contre l’incendie et de l’aide médicale urgente, … il est confronté depuis plus de 25 ans à toute la misère d’un monde en perdition. C’est probablement ce qui l’a poussé à créer, grâce à de nombreux soutiens et collaborations, un centre d’éducation à la citoyenneté, “Le Monde de Thamagoria,” implanté en Argonne (France) qui offre à des jeunes adultes un espace de liberté et de créativité, où ils peuvent apprendre à (re)prendre leur vie en main, à lui (re)donner un sens. Basé sur une approche pédagogique de type “Montessori.” Thamagoria, c’est un lieu d’échange et de confrontation des idées, où chacun apprend la puissance de l’entraide et la richesse de la diversité, au travers d’une expérience initiatique en pleine nature, d’un retour aux fondamentaux de la vie en collectivité, prônant l”économie du don, la mutualisation des ressources, l’intelligence collective.
Todd Phillips
USA • Greater Carolinas
Todd Phillips
“I co-create an optimistic world able to heal by modeling my passion for being authentic, vulnerable, and powerfully loving.”
Todd says, “I have a responsibility to make a difference in the world by serving others. The greatest gift for me in my life is to give to others.” He is known for his extensive leadership and philanthropy over the last 24 years on a national, area, and community level. Todd’s life’s mission beyond MKP is global, prolific, and worthy of recognition.
He was initiated in December 1999 in Reidsville NC. Todd says, “That weekend changed my life in so many ways.” His multiple leadership roles in MKP USA along with roles in several communities in the Greater Carolina’s Area have strengthened his desire to look at the greater world around him.”
Gus Wilhelmy
USA • Chicago
Gus Wilhelmy
“Accountability is quintessential in life, putting values into action, behaving so I walk my talk.”
Gus grew up on a chicken farm, became a Catholic monk, an ordained priest and university professor. He then became the visionary and co-founder of Safer Foundation. Since 1970, this non-profit has helped tens of thousands offenders make their effective transition from being incarcerated to landing meaningful jobs, procuring decent housing, gaining an education, securing health benefits and rejoining society. Safer is a leader in helping enact laws that address issues of people with arrest records. Today, with a $30 million annual budget, it has 250+ employees, at least one in every Illinois jail and in Adult Training Centers. Gus is also the founder of Chicago’s Philanthropy Club, a fisherman and poet. Gus says, “Maybe those who really should be nominated are all the men and women who made a successful transition from prison to society. And today they are Chicago and Illinois taxpayers shoring up our economy and creating safer communities for all to us to live in.”
Dene Maria Sebastiana
USA • Colorado
Dene Maria Sebastiana
“My mission is to make the world a more peaceful place by spreading my Gold with listening, hearing and patience.”
Richard’s impact in the entrepreneurship community all over Upstate New York (Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse) is legendary. And most recently he has been passionately working on Ending Racism. Richard is active in the Exploring Racism Group body of work, which are learning circles made up of business and organizational leaders who are learning about the impact of Systemic Racism, and committed to ending it in our organizations and businesses. Probably his biggest impact of all, is that he was the person who convinced the County Legislature and County Managers to rename the Rochester airport after Frederick Douglass. Richard has personally caused the creation and growth of many businesses and led the Ending Racism charge here in Rochester.
Richard A. Glaser
USA • Upstate New York
Richard A. Glaser
“My mission is to make the world a more peaceful place by spreading my Gold with listening, hearing and patience.”
Richard’s impact in the entrepreneurship community all over Upstate New York (Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse) is legendary. And most recently he has been passionately working on Ending Racism. Richard is active in the Exploring Racism Group body of work, which are learning circles made up of business and organizational leaders who are learning about the impact of Systemic Racism, and committed to ending it in our organizations and businesses. Probably his biggest impact of all, is that he was the person who convinced the County Legislature and County Managers to rename the Rochester airport after Frederick Douglass. Richard has personally caused the creation and growth of many businesses and led the Ending Racism charge here in Rochester.
Terry Jones
USA • Northwest
Terry Jones
“To walk in the world more like an elder and help other men do the same.”
Terry’s volunteer work has involved him in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Elderhood and mentoring. He is on the planning board for the non profit Multicultural Services Center of South Sound (MSCSS) providing advocacy services to immigrants and others new to the USA. He published the book The Elder Within (2001) and Nagasawa: A Samurai in America (2022). 20 years ago he became a volunteer mentor in SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors who help small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals. Terry was initiated into MKP in 1996 in Washington state, is a father of six and retired in 2009.
Warriors of Color United
USA • Mid Atlantic
Warriors of Color United
“I co-create a world of fulfillment, legacy and peace by building community, inspiring others, and living through my heart.”
Robert is a life-long educator, and community activist in his Puna community on the Island of Hawaii. He is living his mission by mentoring youth through Boys to Men Hawaii, serving as a mentor for men in their 20-40s, and supporting men and women in living their soul’s mission as a mentor for the Purpose Guides Institute. In May 2021 he began Puna Rising, to connect, inform, and inspire the people to work together collaboratively, identify markets, explore new opportunities and to build a robust community ethos. Puna Rising seeks to be the 21st century commons that engages and uplifts all members of the community. In 2022 Robert has became a member of U-school and is co-leading an international team of community activists as part of a prototype, Expanding the Mycorrhizal Network,. Robert’s commitment to this work represents his contribution to The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible.
Robert Golden
Canada • Alberta
Robert Golden
“I co-create a world of fulfillment, legacy and peace by building community, inspiring others, and living through my heart.”
Robert is a life-long educator, and community activist in his Puna community on the Island of Hawaii. He is living his mission by mentoring youth through Boys to Men Hawaii, serving as a mentor for men in their 20-40s, and supporting men and women in living their soul’s mission as a mentor for the Purpose Guides Institute. In May 2021 he began Puna Rising, to connect, inform, and inspire the people to work together collaboratively, identify markets, explore new opportunities and to build a robust community ethos. Puna Rising seeks to be the 21st century commons that engages and uplifts all members of the community. In 2022 Robert has became a member of U-school and is co-leading an international team of community activists as part of a prototype, Expanding the Mycorrhizal Network,. Robert’s commitment to this work represents his contribution to The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible.
Floyd Baptiste
Canada • Alberta
Floyd Baptiste
“To be kind and loveable by helping people in society.”
Floyd, initiated in September 2017, is 31 years old and lives in Wetaskiwin, Alberta. He is a compassionate, caring, Indigenous man who always looks to help others in any way that he can. Floyd has volunteered at The Rock Soup Greenhouse & Foodbank as the Indigenous Liaison. He has worked with the vulnerable and houseless population in his community. His roles include, educating the public about Indigenous culture, providing outreach support for the houseless population, cultural needs and assessment, and providing equal opportunities for food security. At Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, Floyd works with individuals to help them reach and maintain their sobriety. Sometimes he chairs meetings and other times he helps to set up and greet the guests! Other times, he attends for his self-care and wellbeing.