Tom Etzel developed a vision for building peace on a global scale while he studied at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. His Fletcher School thesis formed the cornerstone for the Global Peace Building Foundation (GPBF), which he founded on September 11, 2010. He has served as the GPBF's executive director without compensation since its inception. Tom holds a master of arts degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He received his bachelor of arts degree in political science cum laude from Duquesne University. Tom is a certified public accountant and author. He has been the principal of his own tax practice for the past 30 years. He currently resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Phyllis Etzel. Tom and Phyllis have three children, Kristen, Katie, and Mark; a son-in-law, Aaron; two daughters-in-law, Nikki and Katie; and six grandsons, Elliott, Sullivan, Gilmore, Dashal, Hobson Thomas, and Thatcher.