Keeana S. Saxon, Esq. (Chair) has been an attorney with the Department of Housing and Community Development since 2007. A former chair of the Board of Trustees for the Boston Renaissance Charter Public School, she is also a graduate of YWCA’s Lead Boston (formerly of the Boston Center for Community and Justice). Keeana joined the U.S. Advisory Board in December 2010 while visiting the Center In Rwanda. She became chair of the board in February 2011.
Todd Fry (Chair Emeritus) directs the Merrimack Valley Sandbox Initiative, an economic development project in Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts. He has taught high school, run leadership programs, and founded a variety of community efforts over his career.He lives in Boston and has visited Rwanda and the Center several times. He is the founding Chair of the U.S. Advisory Board, which was established in 2005.
Jeff Collins has had strong interest in Africa since serving as a Peace Corp volunteer in Côte d’Ivoire. Jeff holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst and is Vice President, Director, Pension Strategies, and Relationship Manager at Wellington Management Company, LLP. He has been a member of the U.S. Advisory board since November 2010.
John Bell is Vice President for Leadership Development and the Academy for Transformation at YouthBuild USA. His career in the youth development and leadership field spans 40 years as teacher, counselor, community organizer, program developer, leadership trainer, director, and parent. John is a nationally known trainer, consultant, and published author in the areas of youth leadership development, peer counseling and healing, and diversity. He has done training and consulting work for the Peace Corps in Africa and South America. He is a steadfast advocate for including young people as partners in community development. John has been a member of the U.S. Advisory Board since 2005.
Kate Thompson is the Treasurer and Secretary for the Rwanda Youth Healing Center’s U.S. Advisory Board. She has background in the Financial and Insurance Industries and has been a member of the board since 2008.
Michelle Weemhoff (Former Chair) joined the U.S. Advisory Board in 2005, inspired by the Center’s unique approach to healing and youth leadership. She served as board chair in 2007. In 2010, Michelle traveled to Rwanda to participate in strategic planning with the youth, staff, and fellow board members. Michelle lives in East Lansing, MI and works as the senior policy associate for the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency.
Maria Villatoro joined the U.S. Advisory Board in February 2010. Bilingual, English and Spanish, and active member of company’s Diversity Committee, develop events, and training opportunities. 18 years of Health Care experience in the non-for-profit sector Responsible for participating in company’s finance and revenue planning by leading the department in developing and expanding existing and new audit recovery. Overseeing the strategic planning for Health Care departments and managing departmental personnel to carryout and achieve strategic revenue and goals.
Christine Stewart, for the past 27 years, has been the managing/owner of Stewart International Travel, a full service travel agency with a core clientele of non profit organizations. A life-long pacifist and practicing Quaker, Christine is committed to the belief that communication, compassion and grace can lead to reconciliation and a hault to perpetual retribution. The Rwanda Youth Healing Center provides a unique and desparately needed environment in which wounded youth can move forward together away from the darkness of their past and towards the light of hope and fulfillment.
Priya Nalkur-Pai is a Leadership Coach and Principal at The Boda Group. Her interest in youth and Africa began during her doctoral studies in Psychology. For her dissertation, she interviewed 200 Tanzanian street boys about their dreams and aspirations, and their strategies for achieving their goals despite difficult and unstable living circumstances. She has published on youth achievement, hopefulness, and resilience. She is a graduate of the LeadBoston program (2011) and has been a Board Member since 2011.
