Our Board of Directors is composed of members with diverse experience in business, healthcare, education and government. Their review and oversight of Santa America’s service initiatives insures both program excellence and fiduciary compliance. Our Board meets annually in the first quarter of the calendar year to review prior year performance and to approve current year initiatives.

Ernest Berger – Chairman
Ernest (Ernest L. Berger) is founder and president of Santa America, Inc., a national non-profit, 501C3, IRS approved corporation dedicated to serving special needs children and their families during the holidays and throughout the year.

In his “pre-Santa” career, he founded several healthcare management companies, networking private practice cardiologists, radiologist and orthopedic/spine surgeons for improved healthcare and operational and administrative efficiency.

For 19 years, Santa Ernest was a senior human resources executive for various GE businesses specializing in strategic planning, EEO, organization design and development, and labor relations. In his last GE assignment, he was VP of human resources for GE Computer Services (GECS), a $1.2 billion international technical service business.

He continues to provide human resources consulting services as a senior consultant for Paladin Associates, Atlanta, Georgia.

He is a principal in The Elf Group, LLC, providing administrative and marketing support services to government, businesses and Santa-centric clients.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and industrial-labor relations from Cornell University and and completed masters and doctoral studies in public administration and econometrics at State University of New York. In addition, he completed advanced management training at the GE Management Institute at Croton-on-the Hudson.

Ernest is an active outdoorsman. He enjoys big game hunting, salt water fly fishing, sea kayaking, tennis, golf and motorcycling. He is completing a rebuild-restoration of a vintage motorcycle sidecar racer that will race to raise awareness of Santa America. He is a member of Team Reel Elves, a Gulf Coast saltwater tournament team, fishing for the children and families of Santa-America. He is a living history reenactor, circa. 1680-1704 and 1740-1763, participating in living history events throughout the US and Canada.

His greatest personal joy is bringing Love, Hope and Joy to the children and families of Santa-America during the holidays and throughout the year. Santa-America now has over 200 volunteers serving special needs children and their families around the world.  “Santa America is the finest team of volunteers and staff with whom I have ever been affiliated.”

David Cameron
David Cameron is a graduate of Northwestern University with an undergraduate degree in communications.  Upon graduation he entered the U.S. Navy as a commissioned officer and spent over four years of service as a naval aviator, primarily with the Pacific Fleet.

His business career which began with various sales positions and progressed into a succession of sales management assignments. He joined, built and operated a metals manufacturing company specializing in high precision screws and metal connectors. Company product was aboard the Mercury Space Mission. He retired as president and chief executive officer after over 25 years of service.

David is actively involved in community activities and volunteering.  He has two daughters (Catherine and Elizabeth) and two sons (Bruce and David).  David and his wife Cheryl reside in Fairhope, Alabama.

Patrick Horgan
Pat Horgan is a sales and marketing expert with over thirty-five years management experience in General Electric and other nationally known firms. He majored in philosophy at Dartmouth College and attended Case Western Reserve Law School , then joined GE, working directly with future Chairman Jack Welch in rapidly growing GE Plastics.

As head of GE’s Consumer Battery Venture, he led the development and introduction of consumer nickel-cadmium (NiCd) rechargeable batteries. Later he held P&L responsibility for GE Information Services’ Manufacturing Industry.

Recruited by Planning Research Corporation, Horgan led the development and successful commercialization of four complete turnkey information systems.

Recruited back to GE Computer Service as VP Sales and Marketing, he led merger integration with RCA and drove a major turn-around, doubling sales and creating an early IT outsourcing provider.

As SVP Marketing and Sales Operations at Vanstar Corporation, Horgan led another sales turn-around of outsourcing and systems integration growth, unifying marketing and sales and integrating service and product sales. Later acquired by Inacom, he led the $7B integration as VP of Corporate Marketing and Sales.

In 2001, he founded Paladin Associates (www.PaladinAssociatesInc.com), with several former GE executives who focus on productivity and profitability improvement.

Mr. Horgan is active in community affairs, heads his homeowner’s association, and has worked on the Steering Committee of the Atlanta United Way. He is an active outdoorsman, enjoying canoeing and kayaking, hunting and fishing, boating and motorcycling.

He has been an active supporter of Santa-America since its inception, providing complimentary marketing and business perspective. He has been a strong advocate of hospice and personally supports families of slain service men and women and the innocent victims of catastrophes.

Thomas Johnson
Thomas F. Johnson is Headmaster of Bayside Academy, a leading K-12 private college preparatory school with its campus in Daphne, Alabama. He has a distinguished career as an educator, executive administrator and leader in both public and private education. He brings a wealth of experience and support to the Santa America national training program.

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Tom has served as:

• President of the Georgia Independent Schools Association
• Treasurer of the Alabama Association of Independent Schools
• Member on the Board of Examiners of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission
• Member on the Board of Valdosta State University Alumni
• Charter member of Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society
• Member of the Blue Key Leadership Organization

Tom is the recipient of numerous professional awards including the Distinguished Service Award: Georgia Independent Schools Association, Alabama Art Educators Award, and Georgia State Coach of the Year awards for Basketball, Golf and Debate. He served as a non-commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corp Reserves from 1966-1972.

Tom and his wife Lee reside in Daphne, Alabama. They have a son and a daughter and three grandchildren, each and all a joy.

Tom has Bachelors and Masters of Education degrees from Valdosta State University .

He is an accomplished athlete having played and coached basketball and baseball at Valdosta State University . He is an avid golfer and plays in the 70′s.
Isador( Izzy) Pike MD
Isadore (Izzy) M. Pike, MD, is a medical oncologist. Izzy received his undergraduate and doctor of medicine degrees from Emory University in Atlanta, GA. He completed his post-doctoral training in internal medicine, hematology and oncology at Grady Memorial Hospital (Atlanta), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Emory University.

He was in the private practice of oncology in Asheville, NC, where he was one of the founders and volunteer medical director of Mountain Area Hospice. He was also elected chief of staff of Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville. Following his 13 year private practice, he joined Bristol-Myers Squibb for 10 years where he served as vice-president of the oncology/immunology division. During this time, he led teams which successfully brought two new therapeutic agents through the process of Food and Drug Administration approval. He then spent 3 years as senior vice-president of Quintiles Oncology Therapeutics in Raleigh, NC, and 2 years as vice-president of clinical development for Merix Bioscience, Inc. Since 2003, Izzy has headed a consulting firm serving companies developing new cancer therapeutics.

Izzy served on active duty as a major in the United States Air Force from 1971-1974.

He also serves as a volunteer physician and as vice-president of the Board of Directors of the Alabama Free Clinic in Bay Minette, AL.

Izzy and his wife of 46 years, Janette, retired to Fairhope, Alabama, in May, 2005. They have two daughters who reside with their families, including two grandchildren, in northern Virginia.

Steven Whitcomb
R. Steven Whitcomb is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant upon graduation from the University of Virginia in 1970. His most current assignment he served as the Inspector General in the Office of The Inspector General (OTIG) of the United States Army Inspector General Agency.