Dave Pelzer
As a child, Dave Pelzer endured the horrors of child abuse. Upon his rescue, he was identified as one of the most severely abused children in California’s history. He was made a ward of the court and placed in foster care until he enlisted in the U. S. Air Force at age 18. He was hand-picked to refuel in mid-air highly secretive planes during Operations Just Cause, Desert Shield and Desert Storm. His many subsequent distinctive accomplishments have been recognized through a number of awards as well as personal commendations, including being the only American in 1994 honored as one of The Outstanding Young Persons of the World. He is the author of six inspirational books, including his first book A Child Called “It” (1993), on The New York Times best-seller list for six years, and his most recent, Help Yourself for Teens (Plume/Penguin, 2005) — both Pulitzer Prize nominees. When not on the road more than 250 days of the year offering programs for corporate groups, human services and youth-at-risk, Mr. Pelzer lives in California.