Page 78 - MVA Book

OFFICIAL PANEL OF JUDGES
LEAH GOODWIN
Leah Goodwin - Founder, Love and Cheers Foundation
Her successful career as a gymnast earned her several scholarships and led to her selection as Miss Dallas Co. 1992. Later she cheered for the world-famous Dallas Cowboys, 1997-98 season. Most recently, she established The Love and Cheers FOCUS - Foundations for Life Program which offers music, art, dance, sports, and recreational weekly training, monthly outreach, and quarterly retreats.
Ms. Goodwin is a Charitable Advisor for the National Community Foundation and Founding Principal for WIN - World Investor Network. With more than 25 years of experience educating investors on timely issues concerning the global financial environment, she began working with Prudential Insurance and Financial Services in 1995. For 6 years, she specialized in helping numerous families protect their loved ones through the proper implementation of life and disability insurance, retirement and succession plans, wills, and trusts.
In 2001, she founded Goodwin Financial, currently working with high-net-worth families, privately held businesses, publicly held companies, and multi-national corporations. Ms. Goodwin holds a bachelor’s degree in the Interdisciplinary Studies of Business Administration/Management from Dallas Baptist University and lectures widely on retirement planning, wealth preservation, and business succession planning strategies.
MEGAN GORDON
Megan Gordon, native of South Carolina, began her work in the modeling and pageant industries over a decade ago.
She was crowned Miss South Carolina USA and went on to place Top 5 at the national 2017 Miss USA competition! She also served as a national titleholder, being crowned Miss Collegiate America in 2014, and she received first runner- up to Miss World America in 2020.
Megan currently enjoys travel nursing, specializing in pre-operative care for patients, reading, spending time with her family and friends, traveling, and consulting with pageant contestants.
She says, “Working with young women from all walks of life brings me so much joy. I love sharing my experiences and being a resource for them.”
Megan wishes each contestant the very best during this year’s competition.
KIRK RYDER
Originally from Rockford, IL, Kirk grew up in Minneapolis, Nashville, and Naples, FL. Since then, he has gained nearly four decades of experience in the entertainment industry. He is currently Consultant, Entertainment Industry Strategy and Relations for CARE USA (www.care.org). Kirk is fortunate to facilitate philanthropic support and advocacy for causes such as the conflict in Ukraine and women’s rights around the globe.
Previously, as Director of Business Development for Aid for AIDS of Nevada, Kirk led the organization in raising over $500K in his first year. Out of 12,000 walkers, Kirk was the 3rd largest individual fundraiser for AIDS Walk Las Vegas. Previous to AFAN, Kirk served as Director, Field Marketing and Liaison to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for the Miss America Organization. Kirk was responsible for the organization’s fundraising efforts that during his tenure resulted in raising over $5 million for CMNH and the Miss America Scholarship Fund. Before joining Miss America, Kirk headed the talent relations department for Showtime Networks in Los Angeles, where he facilitated every aspect of celebrity appearances and charitable efforts of the network’s actors, executives, producers, directors and writers. His five years prior to that were spent in the William Morris Agency’s Television Talent and TV Packaging department.
Kirk received a full-tuition scholarship + living stipend from The Juilliard School in New York City, where he graduated with honors and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. He has performed all over the world as a guest artist with internationally-acclaimed ballet companies, as a soloist with Netherlands Dance Theater, as a featured dancer in the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Guys & Dolls!, as an original cast member of the musical Fosse, in two Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades, onstage with the Rockettes for Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular, and as a featured adagio couple in the closing ceremonies of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Kirk recently enjoyed portraying ‘Lord Capulet’ in Nevada Ballet Theatre’s acclaimed Romeo and Juliet and ‘Drosselmeyer’ in their Nutcracker at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas. He is an avid snowboarder and has been a passionate volunteer for The Trevor Project, ChildHelp USA, and pet adoption agencies. He currently resides in Long Beach, CA.