Executive Director
Bob Ballard headed Ballard & Company, CPA’s, LLC, a consulting firm based in Quincy, MA specializing in government grants and contracts. He holds a BSBA summa cum laude from Bryant University and studied Public Administration at Boston University’s School of Management. For several years, Bob evaluated government programs for the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), a Congressional branch agency. Bob is an award-winning singer-songwriter and composer and performs throughout Southern California. He studied music production at Berklee College and songwriting at Passim School of Music as well as guitar and piano with private instructors.
Assistant Director
Gayle Ballard has been directly involved in the Hearts Of Fire Project since it began. She holds a BA in Accounting from the University Of Massachusetts-Boston and has extensive experience in managing small businesses and non-profit organizations. Gayle served as the financial manager for the Northeast Connecticut Health District and a senior auditor for Ballard & Company, CPA’s, LLC in Quincy, MA. She is the owner of Inn-Credible Innkeeping, a training and consulting firm in the bed & breakfast industry. In addition to her duties with the Project, she is the financial coordinator for Mediation Mount, a world-famous meditation and retreat center in Ojai, CA
Public Relations Director
Andrea Marie Portugal is an international marketing and public relations professional from Montreal, Canada. She heads her on own firm, AMPLIFY Consulting and has extensive experience in developing and implementing successful business and creative strategies..
Art Director
Deborah Ogburn is a visual artist, graphic designer and expressive arts coach, and is passionate about helping individuals, communities and organizations create personal and social change through the arts. In addition to developing the pilot art workshops for Hearts of Fire in southern California, Deborah has facilitated expressive arts programs for homeless vets at the Veterans Village of San Diego; for mentally ill, homeless and abused women at the Big Sister’s League Frances Woods Home; the MS Society; the San Diego Regional Center; Cancer Survivorship San Diego; and Center for Community Solutions. Deborah specializes in creating a safe, non-judgmental atmosphere in which artists and non-artists alike can explore self-expression and discover resources through the arts.
Deborah holds an M.A. in Expressive Arts Therapy, Coaching & Consulting from the European Graduate School in Saas Fee, Switzerland , a Diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy from the Expressive Arts Institute of San Diego and a B.S. in Graphic Design from the University of Cincinnati. She also served on the Board of the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA) and is a Juried Member of the San Diego Museum of Art Artist’s Guild.
Board Of Directors
We have a three-person board comprised of Bob Ballard, Executive Director; Gayle Ballard, Assistant Director; and Dr. Jeff Luttrull.
Jeff Luttrull came to Ventura with his parents in the 1960’s and has lived in Ojai since 1996. Educated at Balboa Jr High School, Buena High School, Ventura College, UCSB, UCLA, and USC (note the proximity of each to a beach) he practices vitreoretinal surgery with offices in Ventura and Camarillo (www.venturacountyretina.com). With wife Rosalyn and their 5 children they produce Regalo extra virgin olive oils on their family farm in Ojai’s East End (www.regalogift.com). An ex surfer and ex soccer player he persists in the belief that he can play trumpet and is currently working on his second jazz CD. Jeff is awed and humbled by the mission of Hearts of Fire and the passion and clarity of Bob Ballard’s commitment to honor the intrinsic dignity of men, women and children made invisible to society by their circumstances.