Board of Directors

Board Chair; Board-Elected (current term ends 2024)

Honduras 1975–78

John Lee Evans grew up in the Pacific Northwest and attended the University of Madrid in Spain as an undergraduate for one year. He served in the Peace Corps in Honduras 1975–78, where he worked with rural schoolteachers and agricultural cooperative leaders in a community development agency. Following the Peace Corps, he co-founded a language institute in San Diego that utilized accelerated learning techniques to teach Spanish to local professionals. He has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and has been in private practice for 30 years, which has included working with immigrant communities. He is a member of the Cultural Diversity Committee of the San Diego Psychological Association. He has presented at the American Psychological Association on cultural and political involvement. In 2008, he was elected to the San Diego Unified School Board, overseeing a diverse student body of over 100,000 students with an operational budget of $1.2 billion. He was elected to the board for a period of 12 years and served as President of the Board for three years. He led the Vision 2020 initiative that focused on increased academic achievement and equity and earned numerous national awards.

Board-Elected (current term ends 2023)

Thailand 1991–93

Bridget Davis, a graduate of Loyola University, was a magazine writer and editor for four years before she served in the Peace Corps as a TEFL Volunteer in Thailand. Upon returning to her hometown of Chicago, Bridget became part of the Urban Teacher Corps and taught writing in Chicago’s inner city public school system. With support from a Peace Corps fellowship, she earned a master’s degree in education with a focus on curriculum development from DePaul University. Afterwards, she worked as an associate director for Wharton Executive Education in Philadelphia. She also worked for a distance-learning company in Baltimore with Columbia‘s Teachers College and the University of Pennsylvania.

Bridget currently lives in Northern California, has two daughters and is married to Cully Davis (Peace Corps Thailand 1991–93 and current member of NPCA’s Advisory Council) who she met during her Peace Corps service. Bridget previously served on the NPCA Board from 2017–2020 as well as her daughters’ school foundation board for six years. She supports various conservation efforts in Northern California, including Peninsula Open Space Trust, YearUp, and several education causes focused on providing opportunities for underserved youth.

She loves hiking through the redwoods and along the coast in Northern California with friends and her dog, Bear, and traveling the world with her family.

Board-Elected (current term ends 2024)

Azerbaijan 2010—12

James Baldwin is Chief Financial Officer for Metropolitan Family Services, joining the agency in March 2020. As CFO, Baldwin is responsible for managing Metropolitan’s financial assets and strategies.

Previously Baldwin was with the Haymarket Center in Chicago, where he served as CFO since August 2017, overseeing all financial operations, insurance billing and information technology for the $25 million behavioral healthcare provider. There his accomplishments included designing and implementing financial turnaround from five successive years of average deficits of $300,000 to a surplus of more than $1 million in the following two years, doing so through sustainable program budgeting and revenue optimization.

Before his role with Haymarket Center Baldwin was Chief Accounting Officer for Heartland Alliance in Chicago. There he was responsible for all accounting, finance, compliance and grant management for the consolidated entities and affiliates of a diverse international alliance of nonprofits with more than 1,500 staff, $200 million in assets, and combined operating budgets of more than $150 million.

Prior to that, Baldwin was Comptroller for Heartland Human Care Services, where he turned a $1.3 million operating loss to surpluses of more than $1 million in four years.

Baldwin is a Board Member of the Chicago Area Peace Corps Association, having served from 2010-12 with the Peace Corps in Azerbaijan as a Community Economic Development Advisor. During that time he administered microfinancing benefiting women entrepreneurs and groups of farmers. He also serves as a Board Member of Career Transitions Center.

Baldwin earned his MBA in Finance and Operations Management from Loyola University, and his B.A. in Accounting and Business Administration from Augustana College.

Member-elected, 3 years

RPCV Thailand 1991–1993

Tracy Haugen lives in Washington DC with her husband and 2 sons. Her oldest son is a rising senior studying Finance and Chinese culture at NYU Shanghai in China. Her youngest is in middle school with an interest in international travel (and baseball). She is a Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting delivering management consulting services such as strategic planning, human capital and organizational change management for over 25 years. She has an MBA from University of Chicago with a concentration in economics and organizational behavior. She has helped federal agencies overcome internal barriers and refocus on delivering their mission. As a partner in the firm, Haugen has sponsored pro bono projects such as adopting a rural community to understand its challenges in broadband deployment and potential economic impact; as well as developing a strategic plan to address food sovereignty on Native American reservations.

Haugen served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand from 1991–93 as a TEFL teacher and in community development. Her community development projects included tree planting to provide shade to asphalt roads as well as the leaves used for pesticide. This experience taught her how important community support means for lasting change. She hopes to apply this same philosophy to NPCA. She will strive to engage the broad Peace Corps communities to learn her hopes and aspirations, top priorities, and new ways for her to contribute to the shared vision of the Peace Corps. Coming out of Covid, she believes there is a renewed appreciation and motivation to connect globally and drive meaningful impact. She hopes to help NPCA capitalize on this renewed energy to activate the Peace Corps community on this shared vision that is reflected in community-supported strategic planning. She is excited to explore new and different ways of operating, different ways to engage different generations of Return Peace Corps Volunteers and different options to deliver the three goals of the Peace Corps. Now more than ever, it’s important for Peace Corps to drive global connections for lasting impact. Haugen is excited to contribute time, energy and skills to accomplish this vision.

Affiliate Group Network Coordinator (current term ends 2024)

Bolivia 2000–02

Kristina Owens (Bolivia 2000–02) is a second generation Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. Her dad, Robert Owens served in Peru 1970–73 where he met Kristina’s mother a host country national. Kristina’s sister Wendy (Paraguay 2000–02) also served. Kristina’s service focused on agriculture and environmental education. Her Peace Corps service has provided a framework for the trajectory of her career. She began her career as a biologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. While in D.C., Kristina began volunteering for the NPCA advocacy program in 2008 and has not stop. From 2009 to 2012, she served on the Board of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, D.C. (RPCV/W), where she led RPCV/W’s effort to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps on September 25, 2011, with a Wreath Laying, Program and Walk of Flags.

In 2012, she joined the NPCA Board Directors as the Mid-Atlantic/Nationwide Member elected Director.   She was an active member of the Governance and the Chair of the Advocacy and Policy Committee. After finishing her term in 2015, she continued serving as Board Emeritus on various initiatives such as the Peace Corps Connect to the Future and Advocacy. After over 10 years living and working in D.C., she returned home to Rochester, New York. After finishing another graduate degree in Public Policy, she worked in higher education encouraging science, engineering, and deaf and hard of hearing students to consider the Peace Corps. Now she is pursuing an additional degree to teach English to new language learners at the elementary school level.

Bolivia (1999-2002), Timor Leste (2002-2003), Peace Corps HQ (2003-2006, 2010-2011, 2014-2017), Costa Rica Staff (2007-2010), Ethiopia Staff (2011-2014)

Dan Baker has more than 20 years of professional experience in both the private and public sectors. Prior to becoming President of NPCA, Dan was NPCA’s Director of Programs and Business Development for two years, joining NPCA as the pandemic began in order to launch to support programs for evacuated Peace Corps Volunteers. Prior to NPCA, Dan worked in fundraising for Outward Bound, and was project director and senior technical advisor for youth development at IREX. At IREX, Dan led a $30M USAID-funded project working with political leadership in Guatemala and consulted with various other projects and practices to improve the organization’s approach to working with youth around the world.

Dan’s Peace Corps journey began in 1999, just after undergraduate school at Davidson College, when he received his invitation to serve in Bolivia. There he worked as a water sanitation worker and volunteer coordinator. After three years in Bolivia, Dan answered a call for continued volunteer service in Timor Leste, where he was a member of the first group of volunteers to arrive in the new country.

After four years as a volunteer, Dan continued on to a 13-year career at Peace Corps in various staff and consultant roles, both in the field and in the Washington, D.C. headquarters office. His first field position was in Costa Rica where he was the Associate Director for a youth development and child protection project. He also notably worked in Ethiopia as the first Director of Programming and Training in that country, and where he oversaw a rapid expansion of the program, including significant work with USAID Feed the Future and PEPFAR programming. Following his tenure in Ethiopia, he served as the Chief of Programming and Training for the Africa Region in Washington, D.C., where he oversaw implementation of region-wide initiatives such as Let Girls Learn, Read for Life, and advances in the agency’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Dan served with distinction during his time as Peace Corps staff, twice receiving the Director’s Distinguished Service Award, and being selected to the agency’s leadership development academy.

Dan and his wife Chris (RPCV Jamaica) currently live in Silver Spring, Maryland with their daughters and enjoy frequently visiting their southern roots in North Carolina and Georgia.

Member-elected, 3 years

RPCV Guatemala 2007–09

With over 25 years of experience in public and non-profit administration, Lisa Convery-López remains committed to the fundamental principles of advocacy, transparency and equity. Her career has been dedicated to empowering individuals to achieve their full potential and developing sustainable communities. Through her successful completion of Peace Corps service in Guatemala from 2007-2009 as a Municipal Development Advisor, Lisa enhanced her knowledge of capacity building at the grassroots level. After her initial tenure with Peace Corps, she remained in-country for an additional two years to oversee the finances and volunteers for a local health clinic in the Northern Highlands of Guatemala. Throughout her career, she has been laser focused on outcome-based public policy initiatives in emergency management, public health, public education and children’s services. She has been part of senior management teams for notable municipalities such as the City of New York and Beverly Hills, California as well as dynamic nonprofits in both the health and education sectors. She currently serves as the Director of Finance and Operations for a nonprofit dedicated to improving educational attainment for the State of North Carolina. Lisa’s academic foundation includes attaining a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of California and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Urban Studies from the City University of New York. This provides her with a solid basis for utilizing best practices to effectively impact modern day issues. She thrives when collaborating with team members from diverse backgrounds and has a strong commitment to consensus building when developing solutions. Plan implementation and monitoring is one of her strongest assets. As a Director on the NPCA Board, Lisa will lend her expertise in finance, contract management, human resources, risk management and strategic planning to the Peace Corps community that she honors and appreciates daily. Her goal is to thoughtfully contribute to the Board as they move forward initiatives to connect Peace Corps volunteers in their work abroad and upon their return state-side as they search for new opportunities or new talent to join their teams. Lisa is also keenly aware of the various transitions Peace Corps volunteers undergo and hopes to be able to offer more levels of support to navigate shifting cultures and priorities. She extends sincere gratitude for your vote to ensure her place on the Board and toward our common goals!

Member-Elected, 1 year

RPCV Bangladesh & Mongolia, 2001–2005; PC Staff 2008–2017

The child of Greek immigrants, George grew up bicultural and bilingual in Memphis, Tennessee.  He is an RPCV Bangladesh (2001) and Mongolia (2002-2005) and worked as a Peace Corps employee 2008-2017.  He was also an AmeriCorps Volunteer in St. Louis between his stints in Bangladesh and Mongolia.  George has a total of 17 years of federal service and 7 years of teaching experience.  Currently, he is Partner at a single-family private equity firm with assets in healthcare, real estate, FinTech, and blockchain.

George was fortunate to work in several positions at the Peace Corps, including leadership roles.  George started as a TEFL Volunteer in Bangladesh and Mongolia.  He was selected as the only Mongolia PCVL in 2004.  He worked on four Mongolia PSTs and really enjoyed mentoring Volunteers.  At Peace Corps/Washington, George first joined the Placement Office, worked up to Country Desk Officer, and then became DMO in Mongolia.  After 3.5 years as DMO, George went back to Washington to work in the Budget Office.  He eventually became one of the Budget Office managers and then was asked to work as an Expert Consultant training the new DMOs and administrative staff for Overseas Staff Training.  George managed progressively larger budgets at the Peace Corps and also had the opportunity to travel to several posts.  He was called upon to coordinate evacuation conferences for Jordan and Ukraine and served on several task forces.  He received the Director’s Distinguished Service  Award in 2015 for his contributions to the Jordan Evacuation Team.

In 2017, George took a position as the Deputy Region Director for Operations at the Atlantic Region for AmeriCorps NCCC.   He spent his last 4 years of federal service at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, directly overseeing $784 million as the Chief of the Judicial Security & Administrative Services Branch of the Resources Management Division in the Facilities and Security Office.

In 2006-2007, George was Co-Director of Friends of Mongolia and helped set up the scholarship program for Mongolian students that is still going strong today.  He has recently joined the Board of Friends of Mongolia.  George is also on the Board of Soyol, a non-profit promoting Mongolian culture in the U.S.

George has an MBA from American Public University and a B.S. in Liberal Arts and Sciences with a major in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  He speaks fluent Greek and Mongolian.  George and his spouse Tsevelmaa (Emma) live in Fairfax, VA and have 3 kids.  Emma grew up in Mongolia and worked as an elementary school teacher.    She currently works in the Language Services Office of Fairfax County Public Schools.  In his free time, George shuttles his kids around to their various activities.  He also likes running, exercising, playing tennis, traveling, reading, listening to podcasts, and watching TV in his spare time.

Board-elected (current term ends 2025)

Ukraine 2004–06

Jeffrey Janis is committed to public service taking on both volunteer and professional leadership roles in local, national and international organizations. He dedicated his career to financial resource development, empowering donors to achieve their philanthropic goals and organizations to accomplish their missions. Focusing primary on major gifts fundraising, Jeffrey has worked for organizations such as the United Jewish Appeal, United Way of Greater Los Angeles, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House.

When he was 44, Jeffrey fulfilled his lifelong dream and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine where he helped non-profits with fundraising, grant writing, and strategic planning. His secondary projects included Chair of the HIV/AIDS group, and he taught American Sign Language to deaf Ukrainians. He currently works for UCLA as the Peace Corps Campus Recruiter.

Jeffrey has a B.A. in Psychology from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a M.B.A. with a focus in non-profit management from the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, CA.  He is an avid traveler and has been to more than 50 countries.

Babila Lima is the Director of the IT Enterprise Project Management Office for the city of Baltimore, leading a 20-member team in application portfolio optimization, audit management and compliance, data analysis and process improvement, legislative affairs, strategic plan oversight, performance management, and project management. His role encompasses a wide range of functions aimed at enhancing city operations and service delivery.

Babila brings a wealth of experience in transformation and strategic planning, policy development and implementation, and nonprofit leadership to his NPCA board service. He has served as a board member and board president for Baltimore Green Space, where he supported the development of a new board member recruitment strategy and strategic plan. His experience includes managing international development projects funded by organizations such as the Canadian government, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and USAID, as well as creating new government offices to improve service delivery and innovation. In Mongolia, Babila organized a “Run for Air” fundraiser, covering 267 miles to raise funds for smokeless stoves, and in Baltimore, he streamlined the special events permit process and developed a fee assessment impact model. Recently, he developed a generative artificial intelligence policy for Baltimore City. At NPCA, Babila supports policy, programs, and advocacy efforts, strengthening relationships with stakeholders and partners to advance the Peace Corps’ mission. He holds a B.A. from Denison University, is a Certified Public Manager (CPM), and will complete an M.S. in Information Architecture from the University of Baltimore in December 2024.

Member-Elected, 3 years

RPCV Ukraine 1998–2000

Petrozzola’s Peace Corps Volunteer experience immeasurably impacted her life’s path. Initially opening the door to positions at the United Nations, it also led her back to the Peace Corps.  Returning to the Peace Corps, albeit this time as staff, she completed two terms as Director of Programming and Training in Ukraine and the Eastern Caribbean in addition to short term staff assignments in Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname, Romania and Georgia.  She then served at Peace Corps HQ as the Director of Programming and Training in the Office of AIDS Relief, providing support to Peace Corps health programs around the world. In this role, she spent extensive time at Peace Corps posts managing PEPFAR funds, including Malawi, Swaziland, Tanzania, Kenya, Cameroon and Rwanda.  She was also tapped to support the opening of the Peace Corps in the Philippines, spending 2 months traveling around to villages to meet with potential hosting communities and identify sites for the first group of Volunteers.  Wrapping up her staff tenure, she served as a consultant to develop online pre-departure training to help ready candidates for their service.  It was an honor for her to serve the Peace Corps in these various capacities which afforded her a window on the incredible organization of the Peace Corps.

Since leaving the Peace Corps, she has worked at TRG as an organizational development professional in the international development space. She was drawn to TRG because it was founded by former Peace Corps Volunteers and staff members and embodies many of the same values and principles of the Peace Corps, promoting locally-driven development that recognizes the value diversity of all kinds brings to addressing community and global challenges. In her role, she works with teams and organizations supporting human-centered design, connecting stakeholders for a shared agenda and learning; designing, facilitating, and creating spaces for voices to be heard and for solutions to complex global challenges to be locally led and sustainable.  In addition to being a proud staff member, she also serves in various roles to support the governance of her company, including having served a three-year term as a Board Member elected by her colleagues. This experience gave her hands-on experience in serving on a Board, responsible for the governance of the company and ensuring the company is in alignment with her mission and vision.

As an NPCA Board Member, she would bring a lifelong commitment to the Peace Corps combined with experience in a mission-driven company and as a Board member to help the Peace Corps be the best it can be, to empower NPCA members and affiliate groups to thrive and to amplify the community’s collective social impact.

Board-Elected, 3 years

RPCV Guinea 2013–2015

Ryan Plesh grew up in Pennsylvania and attended the University of Wisconsin.  He is a third-generation Badger, and he served in the Peace Corps in Guinea-Conakry from 2013-14 and as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Namibia in 2015, teaching science, math, and English.  After his Peace Corps service, Ryan was a Fulbright Scholar in Turkey, during which time he taught English at Ataturk University.  He earned his JD from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020. He lives in San Francisco with his dog, Alta.

Kathryn (Kate) Pongonis served as an Agricultural Extension Volunteer in the highlands of Ecuador from 1992-1994. This experience was an impetus for a lifetime career overseas. She is a recently-retired Foreign Service Officer with the United States Department of State. Kate joined the State Department in 1999 and served in multiple overseas posts. Prior to joining the State Department, Kate was a Hispanic Outreach Attorney with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society in Atlanta, Georgia. Soon after her retirement, Kate returned to the State Department in a retiree status, rejoining the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to work on the Lawful Migration Task Force and the Safe Mobility Office initiative in Latin America. Kate is actively engaged in her community as a member of a neighborhood board of directors and her law school’s international advisory committee.

Kate is currently a board member of the NOVA RPCA and is interested in serving on the board of the NPCA to become further involved in nationwide leadership role to support RPCVs, their activities and initiatives, and to further the goals of the agency. She describes herself as a community-builder, who, over the course of 25 years overseas, has led and formed groups in all of the countries where she served. In particular, in countries where Peace Corps was present, she served as a mentor to volunteers concluding their service and a resource on international careers with the U.S. government. She enjoys generating new ideas and collaborating with others to bring these ideas to fruition. She feels welcome and “at home” and relishes the camaraderie of RPCV groupings.

Upper Midwest (current term ends 2025)

Kiribati 2000–02

Mike is a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Kiribati, AmeriCorps VISTA (Central College, Pella, IA), and Fulbright Fellow (Waikato University, New Zealand), a dedicated global advocate, storyteller, and academic leader. He is also the co-creator of Humans of Kiribati, a robust social media platform amplifying the voices of frontline climate communities.

In 2014, Mike earned his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh, a milestone that reflects his commitment to addressing the human dimensions of climate change. For over 24 years, he has been a force for change, collaborating with governments, international media, non-profits, and citizens across the globe to elevate global consciousness about the climate crisis. His work sheds light on the urgent realities faced by climate-impacted communities, particularly those in Kiribati, a place that holds a special place in his heart.

Mike’s influence extends to the policy arena, where he partners with congressional representatives to shape and pass climate-related legislation. His advocacy has driven action in collaboration with key organizations such as the National Peace Corps Association, Climate Reality, and Citizens’ Climate Lobby. As a member of the National Peace Corps Association’s Board of Directors, he remains a steadfast advocate for the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer community, focusing on advancing opportunities for underrepresented groups and recently returned volunteers.

Academically, Mike integrates his passion for global issues into his teaching and mentorship. He has delivered thought-provoking lectures, TEDx talks, and keynotes worldwide, captivating audiences with stories of courage, displacement, and environmental justice. This endeavor reflects his deep belief in the power of storytelling to inspire social change.

Whether in the classroom, on stage, or in congressional chambers, Mike Roman’s work is driven by a love for humanity and a profound respect for Kiribati and its people. He shapes a more just and sustainable world through storytelling, advocacy, and leadership—one voice, partnership, and policy at a time.

Board-Elected, 3 years

Uzbekistan 2005; Suriname 2005-2008

Joe Shaffner is a strategist with over 15 years of experience in communications, marketing, client relations, partnership development, business development, project & process management, and team leadership. Either working in-house or as a consultant, he has worked for U.S.-based organizations that work internationally and domestically. Joe has broad experience working with agencies, corporations, nonprofits, small businesses, and individuals aiming to grow capacity and develop capabilities.

As a consultant, Joe has worked with organizations like WomenStrong International, Mina’s List, the U.S. Peace Corps, IREX, and ThoughtWorks. Joe’s most recent in-house role was serving as the Director of Global Communications for the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), where Joe oversaw all brand content and team development for the organization. While at ICRW, Joe was also part of a number of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and was a member of the organization’s internal task force on DEI. Prior to Joe’s role at ICRW, he served as Marketing Manager for Sheladia Associates, Inc., an architectural and engineering firm located in Rockville, MD and implementing projects worldwide, and Account Director at Ogilvy PR.”

As a second generation Volunteer and third member of his family (father in Thailand and brother in Senegal), Joe served for nearly four years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uzbekistan (2005) and Suriname (2005-2008). In Uzbekistan, Joe was a health education generalist at a community-based health center. For the first two years in Suriname, Joe focused on community economic development, working closely with his counterpart who ran an eco-tourism camp. For his final year in Suriname, Joe served as the Peace Corps Volunteer Leader and worked closely with UNICEF on a pilot project to bridge the educational divide between the coastal regions of the country and the inland schools.

Since volunteering, Joe also supported the documentary on the Peace Corps, A Towering Task, which was most recently broadcast on PBS in Colorado. For several years, Joe has helped the documentary team with communications and fundraising. At the beginning of Joe’s work with the team, he joined LinkedIn and NPCA is raising funds for the documentary – over $100,000 in four weeks.

Joe holds a master’s degree in Public Relations & Corporate Communications from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Joe also brings Board experience, having served as Vice President of his local civic association in Silver Spring, Maryland for two years. For over five years, Joe volunteered with the Montgomery County Maryland Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and served as Chapter Co-Chair for a year. As a youth, Joe worked with his local community on a service project to earn the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.

Joe’s history in leadership, relationship-building, and community service lends itself to supporting NPCA to further engage and empower its membership, grow its network, raise the visibility of NPCA and the broader Peace Corps community, and ensure sustained efforts to make an impact.

Marikaa Stephenson’s commitment to service, coupled with a deep belief in the Peace Corps’ mission, drives her desire to contribute to the NPCA’s work. She is eager to leverage her skills, experiences, and connections within the Peace Corps network to further the association’s mission. As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Mongolia, Marikaa carries with her the invaluable insights and connections from her time in the field. Additionally, with her current experience as the Director of Management & Operations for the Peace Corps in the Eastern Caribbean, and previously in Timor-Leste, she has had the privilege of leading diverse teams and navigating the complexities of international development and volunteer management.

Prior to her role with the Peace Corps, Marikaa held leadership positions at Uncommon Schools, a prominent charter school network in the Northeast United States. During her tenure, she served as the Director of Operations and later as the Acting Associate Chief Operating Officer. In these capacities, she supervised school and regional operations teams, implementing systems and processes that supported teachers and principals in focusing on student achievement and instructional excellence.

These roles have not only honed Marikaa’s skills in strategic planning, financial oversight, and human resources management but have also deepened her understanding of the critical role that Peace Corps volunteers play in fostering cross-cultural understanding and sustainable development. Marikaa holds a B.A. from Spelman College and a M.A. from Yale University.

Board-Elected, one year

Ghana 1997–99

Nell Todd is a managing director at Deloitte Consulting LLP and leads Deloitte’s support of the State Department’s work in Afghanistan. She is currently the diversity, equity, and inclusion leader for Deloitte’s international affairs sub-sector and the pro bono lead for Deloitte’s government and public services. Nell has managed development projects in over ten countries, primarily focused on strengthening local governments.  She also leads large-scale, mission-focused transformation and strategic planning efforts with federal government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Nell was an interim head of school, taught for ten years as an adjunct professor at Georgetown’s school of foreign service, and served in the US Peace Corps. Nell holds a BA in political science from Carleton College and an MS in public policy and management from the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University.

Treasurer; Board-Elected (current term ends 2025)

Ukraine 2008–10

Gretchen Upholt served as a Community Development Peace Corps Volunteer in Korop, Ukraine, where she designed project frameworks and wrote grants in partnership with a number of local government and non-government organizations based in her 4,000 person county seat. In addition to her site work, Gretchen sat on the committee tasked with making funding decisions for the USAID-funded SPA grant program. Gretchen joined the Finance Committee of the NPCA in 2018 and was elected to the board in 2019.

Currently Gretchen is a lead consultant for the Midwest office of BDO FMA, a consulting firm focused on building the financial and operational capacity of nonprofits. In that role Gretchen is responsible for the business development and growth strategy of the Midwest region. In addition to her focus on business development, Gretchen splits her time between playing an active role as trainer, coach, and curriculum developer for BDO FMA’s cohort training initiatives and as consultant to nonprofit clients across the country, helping nonprofit leaders improve their financial management skills and processes.

Before joining the BDO FMA team, Gretchen served as the head of the Volunteer Department at the Thabyay Education Network in Thailand. Gretchen’s widely diverse nonprofit experience includes working on the corporate citizenship team at the TCC Group, designing and implementing a pilot research study on nonprofit talent costs for the Talent Philanthropy Project, as a project manager with the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, and as Chorus Manager for The Choral Arts Society of Washington.

Gretchen holds a Master of Public Administration in Public and Nonprofit Management from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Arts and Cultural Management from American University in Washington, D.C. She currently lives in Chicago and is active in a number of local organizations in the Chicagoland area.

Member-Elected: West, Central, and Southern Africa (current term ends 2025)

Botswana 1986–88

Faith Van Gilder — a native of Defiance, Ohio — earned a journalism degree from Bowling Green State University, where she met her husband, David. The two served in the Peace Corps as middle school teachers in Kanye, Botswana, from 1986 to 1988. Her career has included stints as editor at the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, senior account supervisor at Asher Agency (a Fort Wayne marketing firm), and currently, Chief Officer of Marketing & Development at Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana.

Faith serves on the boards of Wellspring Interfaith Social Services, Friends of Cedar Creek, and Advancing Voices of Women (AVOW) — which she co-founded in 2017 and earned her recognition by the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette as “Citizen of the Year” in 2018. She is a graduate of Leadership Fort Wayne, an Athena Award nominee, and a recipient of the YWCA of Northeast Indiana Peggy Hobbs Award for Volunteerism.

Faith and David live in Huntertown, Indiana, and have two adult daughters. They are also Indiana Advocacy Coordinators for the Peace Corps, as well as conveners of the Northeast Indiana RPCV group.