Meet our Executive Advising Team

Dr. Joel M. DiCicco, CPA

Dr. Joel M. DiCicco, CPA, is a finance, taxation, and accounting expert with more than 40 years of experience across government, academia, and professional services. During his career with the IRS, he advanced to Territory Manager for Financial Products and later Global High Wealth and Large Business Employment Taxes. In these roles, he led examinations of sophisticated taxpayers and oversaw complex structuring, valuation, and employment tax matters.

Furthermore, Dr. DiCicco has served for more than 15 years as a full-time Senior Instructor in Florida Atlantic University’s Graduate Executive Programs. He teaches accounting, finance, and taxation at the graduate level. In addition, he contributes to the profession through the Florida Institute of CPAs, serving on both the Editorial Committee and the Accounting Principles and Auditing Standards Committee.

He also serves on the LIRN Board, where he advises on investments, financial reporting, and Form 990 compliance. Dr. DiCicco holds a PhD in Public Administration with a focus on budgeting and finance, an MS in Taxation, and an MBA in Finance. Moreover, he holds credentials in valuation, forensic accounting, and management accounting.

Heidi Frazier, JD, PMP

Heidi Frazier is the President of Florida University Southeast (FUSE). She brings a diverse background to her roles, with over a decade of experience as an educator, an eclectic educational background, and extensive administrative practice. She holds a master’s degree in business, a Juris Doctorate with multiple academic recognitions, and is a JSD Candidate. Ms. DiCicco has taught various subjects at the college level, served as a court administrator and attorney for a child advocacy program, worked briefly as a Senior Attorney for Florida’s Office of the Attorney General, Children’s Legal Services, and previously held a position as a Department Director for a nonprofit. 

Bedru Sultan, Senior Advisor | Global Development & Sustainability

Bedru Sultan is a seasoned advisor and entrepreneur with more than three decades of leadership experience across Africa, the Middle East, and North America. With academic training in Economics and Emergency Planning, he has guided multinational partnerships in infrastructure, energy, and environmental restoration.

Throughout his career, Mr. Sultan co-founded Prime Business International, led Eureka Pioneers in renewable energy, and served as CEO of GCCOM in France. In addition, he has served on the boards of several organizations, including Build Africa, Trans-Atlantic Commerce, and the global nonprofit Trees for the Future.

As Founder and Chairman of Greener Ethiopia, he has overseen the planting of nearly 40 million trees. Furthermore, he served as an advisor on environmental affairs to the late President of Ethiopia. Based in the United States, Mr. Sultan continues to advance sustainable development and strategic collaboration on a global scale.

Luís Carvalho

Luís Carvalho is a communications and education specialist with over 17 years of experience leading projects that translate research and public-health evidence into impactful campaigns and innovative e-learning programs. He currently serves as Education Coordinator at the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG, UK), where he designs and manages global capacity-building and digital learning initiatives for primary-care professionals. 

Throughout his career, Luís has held roles spanning strategic communications management, consulting, health-promotion leadership, and higher-education quality assurance. He co-created and co-wrote 2’ Life-Changing Minutes, Portugal’s first health-education television series, which received multiple awards, and directed national communication campaigns, including a tuberculosis-prevention series commissioned by the Portuguese Directorate-General for Health. 

Luís also serves as an external evaluator for Erasmus+, advises on script development for stage and screen, and teaches scriptwriting. His work bridges creative storytelling with public-health impact and education, demonstrating his multidisciplinary expertise in delivering sustainable learning solutions. 

He holds a Master in Research and Innovation in Higher Education (MARIHE, Erasmus Mundus) and continues to contribute internationally to advancing education, communications, and health promotion. 

Edward W. Choi, PhD

Dr. Edward W. Choi is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Writing Center at Yonsei University’s Underwood International College, and a board member of Dongyang University. A scholar of international and comparative higher education, his research examines governance, internationalization, and family-owned universities in Korea and globally. 

He has edited and authored books with Routledge, Brill|Sense, and Springer, and published in Policy Reviews in Higher Education and International Higher Education. He also reviews for Higher Education Research & Development and the International Journal of African Higher Education, and serves on the editorial board of Educazione. 

Dr. Choi earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Boston College, an M.A. in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University, an M.S.W. in Not-for-profit Management from Rutgers University, and a B.A. in Economics from Boston College. His teaching spans research methods, sociology of education, and Korean higher-education internationalization. 

Dr. İsa Saraç, PhD

Dr. İsa Saraç is a scholar and higher-education entrepreneur dedicated to advancing global academic collaboration and innovative learning. He earned a BSc in Mathematics and an MSc in Applied Statistics and Computing from Ege University, as well as a PhD in Econometrics from Dokuz Eylül University. As a result, he combines strong quantitative expertise with extensive experience in institutional leadership.

Furthermore, Dr. Saraç served as an academic visitor at the University of Warwick before founding London Meridian College in London, where he served as president. Later, he relocated to the United States and established Virginia International University in Fairfax, Virginia.

For 24 years, he led the university and helped build a multicultural institution recognized for its international orientation and student success. In addition, he currently serves as President of the Society for the Advancement of Global Academics (SAGA). Through this role, he promotes cross-border partnerships, technology-enabled learning, and greater access to higher education. Consequently, his career reflects a lasting commitment to educational innovation and global impact.

Dereje Tessema, PhD, PMP, PMI-ACP, CEA, SAFe-SPC

Dr. Dereje Tessema is a scholar-practitioner, consultant, and educator with over 25 years of experience managing large-scale government and private-sector programs. He specializes in enterprise architecture, EdTech, and infrastructure projects, and has led numerous multimillion-dollar initiatives. 

An accomplished author of three books and multiple research papers on leadership and management, Dr. Tessema developed the Tessema Multiple Intelligence Model, advancing organizational transformation and agility theory. He holds Ph.Ds. in Management and Sustainability, two master’s degrees, and several industry certifications. 

Dr. Tessema has taught graduate and professional courses worldwide in project management, leadership, enterprise architecture, and agile methodologies, including at Georgetown University, where he teaches in the Master of Professional Studies in Project Management Program. He also trains and consults executives and leaders globally. 

Ayenachew Aseffa, PhD, MPM, SAFe-SM

Dr. Ayenachew Aseffa is an experienced academic administrator, educator, consultant, trainer, and project manager with over a decade of international experience in both academic and non-academic roles. He has worked with several international organizations, including serving as a consultant to the World Bank, and has led international projects such as the Higher Education Forum for Africa, Asia, and Latin America, a multi-country initiative spanning three continents. 

As an academic administrator, Dr. Aseffa has overseen institutional transformation efforts that strengthened all aspects of organizational capacity. He is also an established scholar with numerous publications and completed research projects. He holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education from the Center for International Higher Education, Boston College, where he also completed a postdoctoral fellowship. His academic background further includes studies in public administration and management. ​