Faith R. Connors, MAT
Faith Raymond Connors was born in Stamford, Connecticut, attended the University of Oslo, International Summer School, and graduated from the University of Connecticut.
As a young Navy wife, she served as a pre-school, elementary and high school teacher in six states.
She completed other graduate level studies at Bowie State University, the University of Maryland and Hood College. After completing a Master of Arts in Teaching (Reading), at Jacksonville University, she served as a reading teacher in Duval County, Florida and Charlottesville, Virginia.
As an Extension Educator (Associate Professor) for the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service, Charles County, Maryland, she directed and managed over thirty-six county-wide community service clubs, special interest 4-H clubs, and educational youth programs for over one thousand young people.
She received the National Achievement in Service Award from the National Association of Extension Agents 4-H, and has served as Vice President of the Maryland Association of Extension 4-H Agents.
In recent years she has focused on completing several new works of historical fiction. She co-authored the first edition of Flavors of the Fjords with Tracy Connors, Bjørn Fladvad and Tove Fladvad of Oslo, Norway in 1995. In August 2007, she completed Love, Midgie, a work of historic fiction set in Florida during 1918-1920.
She lives in Florida with her husband, Tracy, where they write books, grow oranges and lemons in their garden and drink plenty of (un)sweet tea. They have two grown daughters and five grandchildren.
Dr. Tracy D. Connors, CAPT, USN (Ret)
Dr. Tracy D. Connors, CAPT, USN (Ret.), graduated from Jacksonville University (AA), the University of Florida (BA), and the University of Rhode Island (MA), followed by graduate study in public communications (University of Maryland), and human resource development (Bowie State University).
In 2013 he was awarded the Ph.D. Degree (with Distinction) in Human Services at Capella University with a specialization in Management of Nonprofit Agencies.
Jacksonville University designated Dr. Connors as a “Distinguished Dolphin” and conferred an honorary Ph.D. in Leadership Excellence in December 2013.
Dr. Connors has published eight major handbooks for nonprofit organization management since the first such handbook in 1980, and the first volunteer resource management handbook in 1995. The Second Edition of the Volunteer Management Handbook was published in 2011.
Captain Connors has also published two major military history works: Baited Trap, the Ambush of Mission 1890 (2008,) and Truckbusters from Dogpatch, the Combat Diary of the 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing in the Korean War (2006).
His U.S. Navy service (Airman Recruit to Captain) included 32 years of active and inactive duty on several ships, Surface Warfare Officer qualifications, duty on numerous senior flag staffs, and several tours of duty on the staff of the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations.
From 2013-2018, he served as lead and core faculty for the Norwich University, MPA Program, Charitable-Philanthropic-Nonprofit Management Concentration and Graduate Certification Program.
Tove J. Fladvad
Tove Fladvad was born and educated in Oslo, Norway where she graduated from the Fagerborg Gymnasium, majoring in English. After starting her business career with positions in Copenhagen and Oslo, at the age of 24 she left Norway for what she intended to be a one year stay in the United States. During that year she met her husband to be, and the one year extended to 25 years.
She has lived in New York, Vermont, Maine, and Wisconsin.
In 1981 she returned to Norway to live and to resume her career with an Oslo Marine Insurance Broker firm.
Now retired, she divides her time between family, and several hobbies, including travel in Europe and the United States, and cooking. Of her three children, two live in the United States, and one lives in Norway.
She hopes Flavors of the Fjords “will be like a window to the readers,” a window through which they can catch a glimpse of her beloved country.
Bjørn Johansen Fladvad
After graduating from the College of Economics, Bjørn Fladvad served in a Norwegian brigade as a component of the British Army on the Rhine in Germany.
Following military service, he entered the insurance business and completed the Higher Insurance Examination.
In 1958 he joined the Gjensidige (“The Mutual”) to develop and expand its business operations.
In 1961 he was appointed manager and a member of the management board of directors, and was placed in charge of all insurance and reinsurance activities for the company.
During his career, he was a member of many insurance liaison committees between Nordic countries. In addition, he was a board member or chairman of many profit and nonprofit organizations operating in Nordic countries. From 1975 until his retirement, he was a member of the board for insurance companies operating in London, Paris, New York, and Bermuda.
He is an avid stamp collector and gardener (ecological vegetables).
Bjørn lives in Oslo, with his wife, Kari.