About the Foundation Board

Paul Michaels acts as President for The STORM Foundation and brings many talents and much experience to the position.  In his younger years, he was a 13 time Lifeguard Champion and Waterpark Lifeguard Supervisor for 12 of his 13 years there.  He learned many management skills in this position.  Later he worked in Marketing for all three of the major racing series' in the U.S., including NASCAR, IndyCar and the NHRA.  These responsibilities coupled with his degree in Education from McNeese State University equip him to function at a high level as President of 

The STORM Foundation.

In addition to being President of the Foundation, he also runs The STORM Factory, which is a media company and also owns the clothing company, Contraband.

Karen brings a lot of experience and talent to the Foundation, having once founded and operated a thriving Motorsports Marketing Agency that provided services for special events, hospitality, public relations and sponsorships. Her client list included 

several Fortune 500 companies such as Shell, Pennzoil and Quaker State.  She has traveled the U.S. and extensively throughout Europe and brings that worldly viewpoint to our charity. 

These days, Karen stays busy with many pursuits including being an accomplished chef and a certified floral designer. In addition, she continues to utilize her time + talents to host an event just to make people smile. 

With a heart as big as Texas and a soul as deep as Louisiana, Karen is an asset on the Board. We are pleased to have her involvement and dedication to her role as 

Vice President.

Jeff is an original cofounder of the STORM Foundation and acting Treasurer. He started at WaterWorld at the age of 17 and spent 6 years as a Lifeguard/Headguard at the park. In 2005, Jeff founded Spearhead Creative, a Marketing and Design Studio in Houston. In 2015 Spearhead became an Event Service Provider for The Periwinkle Foundation, donating time and services to make their Texas Children’s Hospital events larger, more engaging, and less cost prohibitive. This successful partnership and the desire to help and do more were the inspiration for starting 

The STORM Foundation.

Ryan began his career of service to others as a lifeguard alongside many of the other board members here.  He eventually became a Water Safety Supervisor for the waterpark for five years.  Upon acceptance to the police academy, Ryan moved on from waterpark safety and entered into law enforcement for a major police department in the Houston area.  He worked to bring closure to crime victims and their families for nearly twenty years.  Currently, Ryan owns and manages several cryptocurrency arbitrage contracts on mid and large cap cryptopair exchanges.  While not working, Ryan enjoys spending time with his wife, a Harris County Felony District Court Associate Judge, and their teenage children, a son and daughter.  Ryan also enjoys outdoor and event photography, volunteering at the Houston SPCA and serving as a Board member of the STORM Foundation.

Joni worked for the Six Flags Corporation for 15 years in waterpark management. She was also a Consultant/Instructor Trainer/Auditor for Jeff Ellis & Associates, which is a company that specializes in lifeguard training. 

She is a retired Fire Service/Paramedic of 25+ years of service. And she has served as President of a 509a2 organization 

for 25+ years. 

She enjoys traveling, exercising 

and swimming. Joni brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Foundation and is a valued Board member.

In his youth, Robert achieved the coveted status of Eagle Scout. He started at WaterWorld as a lifeguard in 1989 and worked his way up to Headguard and then Water Safety Supervisor, having worked there for 12 years. He has extensive training in NASCO, E&A and American Red Cross. And is now an Instructor / Trainer with Star Guard Elite.

Water Safety and saving lives has been Robert's focus for much of his professional career and to this day is a Manager for Cinco Pools, where he oversees the operation and training of 1,200 to 1,500 lifeguards 

each and every year.

Robert has lived through things that no parent ever wants to with having a daughter that suffered from cancer. She survived but that experience has given him a unique perspective into the hardships that accompany this disease. Giving back has always been in Robert's nature but now more than ever since his daughter's fight for life. His insights and experience play a vital role in the direction of our Foundation and he is an integral part 

of our success.

As a young adult, Geoff spent 3 years as a lifeguard at a major waterpark learning such life skills as client/guest relations, team building, team management, emergency/crisis management and problem solving. 

Those skills were later transferred to his successful and ongoing +23-year career as a Land Development Consultant for several high-profile Civil Engineering and Land Planning firms in the Houston area. Skills that once again will be utilized as a Board Member of The STORM Foundation. 

While being the father of three daughters keeps him busy outside of work, in Geoff’s spare time he enjoys tinkering with his vehicles and attending rock concerts.

John brings a valuable point of view to the Foundation, having once been homeless in his younger years. For many years now, he has been an expert graphic designer with a wealth of knowledge in that field. His job involves a lot of responsibility and attention to detail and he brings that focus to the Foundation. In his spare time, John enjoys cooking for family gatherings, cycling throughout the Montrose area, surfing and spending quality time with his friends. He has been friends with his fellow Board members for decades now and continues to be an 

asset to this Foundation.

  Jerry worked as a lifeguard at WaterWorld for six years in the late 80’s and early 90’s. After lifeguarding, he became a regional trainer for a national copy and printing company while waiting to get into the Houston Fire Department. He has worked as a Firefighter/Paramedic for the last 22 years. Jerry has been married to his wife, who is a middle school teacher, for the past 22 years. They have 4 children, 3 daughters and a son, and also a granddaughter. Outside of work, Jerry enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, fishing, and wood working. He is currently pursuing a degree in nursing and hopes to further help others. Jerry is proud to be a part of the STORM Foundation and what it stands for, and looks forward to what 

the future brings.

Eric worked at WaterWorld also and achieved the level of Headguard before moving on to other things. While at the waterpark, he was on the lifeguard team that won the 10th 

Texas State Lifeguarding Championship 

for WaterWorld.

Eric had a career working at Momentum for several decades and recently changed careers to work in the Importing Industry.

He's raising twins, a boy and a girl, and that takes up a lot of his time. In his free time, Eric practices Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and is one belt away from Black Belt status. He's a great addition to the Foundation Board as he is 

hard-working and cares about the well-being 

of others that are less fortunate.