David J. Calvin, President: David J. Calvin is the inspiration behind Paradise Earth. An avid birder and conservationist, Calvin's background is somewhat atypical for a champion of the rainforest.
For twenty years, he was in the oil exploration and development business. In 1980 he formed JRC Oil and was the driving force behind the identification and actualization of numerous successful oil and gas exploration projects. He sold JRC Oil to Snyder Oil in 1985. Thirty-three wells from the sale of JRC became the foundation for Bataa Oil, Inc., Calvin's solely-owned oil exploration company. In sixteen years, Bataa Oil grew to over 350 wells and became one of the largest independent oil and gas producers in Colorado. Calvin sold the majority of the Bataa Oil assets to Merit Energy in 2001.
Other successful ventures Calvin has been involved with include a home and garden retail store, restaurants, amusement park, and most notably, 1st Choice Bank, a privately-held bank in Greeley, Colorado. As the founding director and one of the controlling shareholders, Calvin was instrumental in the bank's success. In 10 years, 1st Choice Bank grew to seven branches with assets of $410 million. Wells Fargo & Co. purchased the bank in 2002.
In Arizona, Calvin developed and owns Kierland Corporate Center in Scottsdale where a second office building is currently under construction.
Calvin lives in Arizona.
Linda Naticchioni, Director of Operations: Ms. Naticchioni manages all of Calvin Enterprises' business operations, including the development of Paradise Earth. She is responsible for administrative, financial and legal issues as well as human resources. Naticchioni has been employed at Calvin Enterprises for 11 years.
Prior to joining the company, Naticchioni worked extensively in training and development of employees and managers specializing in the restaurant/hospitality industry. Naticchioni has worked with major restaurant chains and owned restaurants in Colorado and Nebraska. In addition, she has several years of paralegal experience specializing in corporate and tax matters. Naticchioni holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Nebraska.
Margaret Mullen, Consultant: Margaret Mullen has been retained to assist Calvin Enterprises with developing Paradise Earth. Mullen has more than 30 years of management, marketing and economic development experience with non-profit organizations and governmental entities. Mullen was the founding chief executive officer of the Downtown Phoenix Partnership. Projects developed during her tenure include the downtown street beautification project, Chase Field, the artists' studios on Jackson, U.S. Airways Center, the Orpheum Theater, Arizona Science Center, Phoenix Museum of History, and continued expansion of Arizona Center. Negotiations on Collier Center, Phelps-Dodge Tower and two housing projects were completed under her leadership. Mullen later consulted with Greater Phoenix Leadership (GPL) on its bioscience effort and became the founding chief operating officer of Science Foundation Arizona.
Outside of Arizona Mullen served as president and chief executive officer of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, the non-profit organization charged with overseeing the revitalization of downtown Raleigh, NC. She has consulted with cities from Los Angeles to Washington, DC on revitalization projects and strategic plans.
Mullen's accomplishments have earned her recognition from the Internation Downtown Association, the Distinguished Achievement Award from Arizona State University College of Extended Education, and the prestigious Athena Award for businesswomen of the year in 1997. She also served on Governor Janet Napolitano's 12-member transition team.
Craig Allison, TV Co-host, Landscape Designer: Craig Allison is the landscape architect for Paradise Earth's rainforest habitat. He is also working with David Calvin to develop and co-host a weekly television series titled "Paradise Earth, The Television Series," on the world's rainforests. Allison is a nationally syndicated television host of "The Carefree Gardener," an award-winning television series with over 106 million viewers weekly. Allison has over 35 years of landscape design experience. He has designed and constructed hundreds of high-end projects in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Michigan and has taught at Arizona State University's School of Landscape Architecture and the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, Arizona.
Roger Thorp, Architect: Drawing inspiration from the experience and dedication of David Calvin, Roger Thorp has designed the LEED certified Paradise Earth facility to be an ecological learning and teaching platform for many years to come.
Roger M. Thorp, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, and president, serves as principal in charge of design at Thorp Associates P.C., Architects and Planners. He has worked from a design studio in Estes Park, Colorado for over 32 years. The firm, which is licensed in 17 states and two Canadian provinces, has garnered over thirty design and professional awards for its projects.
Mandarich Media Group, Media Consultants: Mandarich Media Group serves as a media consultant for Paradise Earth. The company is responsible for Paradise Earth's massive website project of becoming a global leader in information exchange on the world's rainforests. Owned by Char and Tony Mandarich, Mandarich Media Group is a full-service web media production company with locations in Scottsdale, Arizona and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. MMG offers photography, videography, digital video production, website design, search engine optimization, web marketing, and public relations services.