judges

Cincinnati, OH – Mr. Ricks is a former model who has worked progressively across the United States and Europe. In 2002, he became the Agency Director of New View Model Management. During his tenure as director, several of his models have been featured in national and international magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Glamour and Harper’s Bazaar. He is also the modeling agent of Miss USA 2010 Rima Fahik. His models can also be seen on numerous TV shows, national commercials, beauty campaigns and billboards. Chester is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati.

Portsmouth, OH - Mr. Dunlap has devoted over 30 years to the G&J Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company in Portsmouth, Ohio and is currently the On-Premise Sales Manager. As an executive, he was presented with the National Salesperson of the Year award in 2000 by the Dr. Pepper Company. Mike is a graduate of Ohio University and former professional bowler and now enjoys league bowling and golf. As for the world of pageantry, Mike has been a part of the Miss Ohio USA® and Miss Michigan USA® organization for over nine years and has judged the Miss Ohio USA® Pageant, the Miss Michigan Teen USA® Pageant, the Miss Pennsylvania USA® Pageant and the Miss Indiana USA® Pageant.

Washington, DC – No stranger to the pageant world; Mattie is the former Miss Idaho National Teen-Ager (2001). While attending Gonzaga University for her Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Philosophy, she was a contestant in the Miss Washington Scholarship Organization (2005). Mattie was involved in runway modeling and was a mentor for the Girls on the Run program; which encourages a positive, healthy self image for teens and young women. Passionate about education and politics, Mattie resides in Washington, DC where she has experience working in press/communications on Capitol Hill. Currently, she helps run a social skills development program for children with the autism spectrum disorder, Asperger’s syndrome.

Cincinnati, OH - John Simmons was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. He attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX and graduated from SMU's Edwin L. Cox School of Business. While at SMU, he became a consensus All-American in football. John played for seven years in the National Football League, six of those years with the Cincinnati Bengals, which included playing in a Super Bowl and a seventh year with the Green Bay Packers. John is currently living in Cincinnati and working in the consumer goods industry.

Pittsburgh, PA - An entrepreneur with over 10 years experience in start-up development, Mr. Cohen founded Premier Innovations Group in 2007. A Pittsburgh based spirits importing company that launched Clique Vodka and Don Pantaleon Tequila into the US markets, Premier is a conglomerate that owns an event-based entertainment company and graphic design company which serve as subsidiaries. At the age of 30 he has already been involved in the development of over 20 start-up projects in a broad range of industries including technology, real estate, restaurants, chemical products, direct sales, advertising, music, nonprofit philanthropy and entertainment. Mr. Cohen runs the day-to-day operations and oversees Premier’s core team of officers while building strong worldwide relationships and connecting people to help them achieve their passion.