Miss Universe®: The Main Event

MISS UNIVERSE® 2008 JUDGES

TELECAST JUDGES
	ROBERTO CAVALLI World famous fashion designer Roberto Cavalli has dressed stars such as Lenny Kravitz, Madonna, Drew Barrymore, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyoncé Knowles, Charlize Theron and Victoria Beckham, just to name a few. Cavalli pushes fashion to the limit by using fresh techniques and experimenting, making all his creations one of a kind! In 1980 Cavalli married Eva Duringer, who has been his lifelong companion and his inseparable business partner.

	DONALD TRUMP, JR. Donald Trump, Jr., is an Executive Vice President at the Trump Organization. Trump, Jr., began work for the Trump Organization on projects in New York such as the West Side Yards and Trump Place on Riverside Drive . Since 2007, he has managed more than 33 national and international real estate projects. Recently, he has worked on the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago . Trump, Jr. has also appeared in NBC’s hit show "The Apprentice" alongside his father, Mr. Donald J. Trump, and his sister Ivanka. Trump Jr. and his wife Vanessa have a baby girl, Kai Madison Trump.

	NADINE VELAZQUEZ Actress Nadine Velazquez stars on the NBC smash hit sitcom "My Name is Earl" and was nominated in 2006 and 2007 for ‘Supporting TV Actress’ for the ALMA Awards. Velazquez was born inChicago, Illinois and has a BA degree in Marketing from Columbia College. She appeared in the 2004 film "Blast!" as well as the TV movie, "The Last Ride." Velazquez appeared on the January 2006 cover of Stuffmagazine, and was named #39 in the annual Maxim Hot 100 list. Velazquez is married to talent agent Marc Provissiero.

	LOUIS LICARI Hair stylist to the stars, Louis Licari, owns two successful salons in New York City and Beverly Hills. Known for his expertise in hair coloring, Licari joined the NBC "Today Show" team several years ago as a Contributing Editor and is now featured in the popular segment "Ambush Makeover."

	JENNIFER HAWKINS Australian native Jennifer Hawkins is no stranger to the Miss Universe Pageant as the proud winner of the coveted crown in 2004! Since returning to her native country after her reign, she has enjoyed a successful career as a model, spokeswoman, television host and actress. In 2006, Hawkins signed a lucrative endorsement deal to become the first Australian face of CoverGirl cosmetics. Hawkins was also a recent participant in Australia's "Dancing with the Stars" and appears as a presenter in the popular travel program "The Great Outdoors" on the Seven Network.

	TARYN ROSE Taryn Rose changed the footwear industry in 1998 by creating a line of luxury shoes that were as fashionable as they were functional. Rose has since opened boutiques in California, Las Vegas, and Korea and also sells in Harrods and Printemps department stores. This year, Rose successfully sold her shoe business and is on to her next project, a new line named 'Haute Footure." Rose regularly participates in projects to support various non-profit organizations including the Breast Cancer Research Center in New York, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the AIDS Project Los Angeles and Clothes Off Our Back, to name a few.

	NGUYEN CONG KHE Mr. Nguyen Cong Khe is the Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien newspaper. He is also the Director of the Nguyen Thai Binh Scholarship, a member of the Vietnam Youth Fund and is Chairman and Founder of the Vietnam Talent Fund. He is married and has two children.

	JOSEPH CINQUE Joseph Cinque began his path in the hospitality industry in the early 80’s as part owner in The Surf Club and The Crane Club. Since then he has found his true calling in life, a position he was made for, The President of The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. Under Cinque’s leadership the Academy has grown enormously. Throughout its history, the company has set the standard of quality and service in the global travel and luxury services sector. Each year the Academy bestows its coveted International Five Star Diamond Award exclusively to five star establishments that are deemed to be of pinnacle quality by its esteemed Board of Trustees. Joe and his wife of 50 years, Rosa, have two children and two grandchildren.

	EESHA KOPPIKHAR Indian-born actress and singer, Eesha Koppikhar, has appeared in numerous films, music videos and live theatre performances. She recently attended the “Indian Idol” grand finale where she danced on stage with the two finalists. Her popularity as an actress continues to grow; she has six films being released between August and December of this year. In her free time, Koppikhar enjoys dancing and is avid in the practice of Tae kwon do. She has a degree in Life Sciences from Rui College in Bombay and graduated from Bombay University with a degree in Biotechnology.

PRELIMINARY JUDGES
	ROSALINA TRAN LYDSTER Born in Vietnam, Rosalina Tran Lydster worked as a co-designer for the official Miss Universe Crown for the 2008 pageant. A graduate of San Francisco State University and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Lydster has designed pieces for a wide variety of celebrities and her jewelry has appeared in major films such Superman Returns. She was also recognized in 2007 as the Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition's recipient of the Achievement in Fashion Award. According to Lydster, "from minimalist to extravagant, my goal is for my creations to truly express the personalities of my clients."

	ADEL CHABBI French-born Adel Chabbi has over 23 years of experience as a hair dresser, working with notable clients including Alicia Silverstone, Lauren Hutton and Jessica Lange, to name a few. Specializing in hair extensions for many years, Adel has become an expert in the field. His know-how landed him several TV appearances over the years, including spots on Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," NBC's "Today Show" and "Extra." He has also styled for major fashion and beauty magazines including French Vogue, Glamour, Elle and many more.

	LEIGH ROSSINI Born in New York, Leigh Rossini began her career in 1993 shampooing hair for Louis Licari Color Group on some of the most influential people in the world. In 1995 she left New York for New Mexico where she earned her degree in Communications. After graduating she returned to Louis Licari Salon in New York City as Mr. Licari's personal assistant and soon after became Louis Licari Salon's first in-house Publicist. Today Rossini works side by side with Licari and his team in New York and Beverly Hills and is responsible for the company's publicity efforts.

	DEAN McFLIKER Dean is the Vice President of NBC Primetime Special Projects, where he produces, directs and choreographs countless productions and has created the promotional campaigns for "ER," "Law & Order," "Grease: You're The One That I Want," "The Biggest Loser," "The Apprentice," "America's Got Talent," "American Dreams," "American Gladiators," "Deal or No Deal," "The Singing Bee" and many more. On Broadway, Dean has choreographed "Sha*Bang" (Lincoln Center), "Gypsy of the Year" (Virginia Theater), "Upfront" (Radio City Music Hall) as well as international tours, concerts and benefits for Tina Turner, Kool & The Gang, Ray Charles, The Temptations, The Pointer Sisters, Debbie Reynolds, and Carol Channing. Recently, Dean was a choreographer for "Blame It On Bacharach" at the Wilshire Theater and is currently executive producing a "Heroes" one hour special airing September 22nd on NBC.

	DAVE TOMBERLIN Dave Tomberlin is the Sr. VP of Media Relations at Interscope, A and M, and Geffen Records. Originally from Durango, Colorado, Dave left the quiet mountains for the madness of Los Angeles, and the music industry, in 1993. At Interscope Records since 1994, Dave has been fortunate to work as publicist for some of the most successful artists in the world, including Sheryl Crow, Gwen Stefani, Enrique Iglesias, No Doubt, The Pussycat Dolls, Robin Thicke and many others. In his spare time, he loves to listen to and discover new music, cook, travel and read.

	NGUYEN CONG KHE Mr. Nguyen Cong Khe is the Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien newspaper. He is also the Director of the Nguyen Thai Binh Scholarship, a member of the Vietnam Youth Fund and is Chairman and Founder of the Vietnam Talent Fund. He is married and has two children.

	FRED HOWARD Fred Howard has spent nearly a decade working in the fashion and finds inspiration in various facets of the industry. As a former model scout, Howard worked with some of the most recognized models in the world including, Adriana Lima, Karolina Kurkova, Natalia Vodianova and a host of others. Howard has also spent many years as a stylist and casting coordinator, working with luxury fashion brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Giorgio Armani and J. Crew.

	THUY TRAN For the last decade Thuy Tran has worked in a number of capacities in the worlds of art and fashion. In addition to representing internationally renowned photographers and stylists for the Michele Filomeno agency in New York and Paris, she is also the managing director of DACTYL, a not-for-profit arts and humanities foundation. Tran was born in Saigon and grew up in Honolulu. She now lives in New York City.