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Board of Directors and Leadership Team BiosBoard of DirectorsErna L. Grasz - CEO, Founder and Chairman of the Board Erna is the CEO and President of the Board of Directors. She founded Asante Africa Foundation after returning from travels to Tanzania in 2005, saddened by lack of clean water, sanitation and basic education. She met Emmy Moshi on that trip, and went on to forge a partnership with her that would evolve to the current strength of the Asante Africa Foundation. Erna is currently Vice President of Research and Development for Philips Medical Systems managing a team of scientists and engineers in health care technology. Her previous work includes development of robots for land mine discovery, radioactive waste handling and bomb removal. She is also a professional development coach, authoring seminars and speeches on the topics of leadership, communication skills, and project management. Her advanced degrees are in Electrical Engineering and Engineering Management. ^ top Susan Olofson - Vice President, and Secretary Susan is Vice President and Secretary on the Board of Directors, as well as Operations Director for the Marketing and Media Outreach team. Susan is a Director of Leadership Consulting at Kaiser Permanente, working closely with senior leadership and union partners to implement a 5-year, multi-union National Labor Agreement. Susan's early career was focused on human services, working as a peer counselor in juvenile hall, battered women and rape crisis shelters, childrens hospitals and psychiatric facilities. She holds a BS degree in Therapeutic Recreation Administration, and a MS degree in Mass Communications, Public Relations, both from San Jose State University. ^ top Colin Higgins - CFO and Treasurer Colin Higgins is the President and an owner of the Golub Group, a Registered Investment Advisor located in San Mateo, California that manages approximately $650 million in assets for high net worth individuals and institutions. Prior to the formation of the Golub Group, Colin served as a research analyst and portfolio manager with regional investment firms Branch Cabell, & Co. and Hoefer and Arnett, Inc. Colin is a graduate of Washington and Lee University. ^ top Stephanie Jayne - Director, Programs Stephanie Jayne, M.P.P. (Masters in Public Policy). Stephanie has professional community development and program management experience in a variety of settings, including rural Africa, low-income schools, and local governments. Stephanie spent 4 years living in rural Malawi, Africa working closely with 68 villages surrounding Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve, a wildlife conservation area. She has also served as a program and evaluation consultant for the International Support Fund in Tanzania, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, University of San Francisco Institute for Health Policy Studies, the World Bank, and the United States Peace Corps. She holds a Masters in Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley. Affiliations include:
^ top Jack Grove - Director, Funds Development Jack Grove joined the Asante Africa Foundation Board to participate in Corproate Fundraising. He has a long history of involvement with nonprofit organizations at many levels, including Amigos de los Californios; Doctors without Borders and Red Cross and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). He is currently the Vice President of large electrical wholesale company and holds BSME and MBA degrees. ^ top Karen Yolton - Director, Fundraising/Development Karen Yolton has been a volunteer with the Asante Africa Foundation since the spring of 2007 and she has recently become a Board Director with a critical focus on Fundraising. She is a Director of Communications for Kaiser Permanente's Information Technology organization. She has more than two decades of experience in all facets of corporate communications, including marketing communications, speechwriting, PR and event management. In addition to her healthcare experience, Karen led corporate communications practices in the financial services, telecommunications and technology industries and has education in. BA in Communications from Temple University. ^ top Felice Swapp - Director, Operations and Program Management Felice Swapp has most recently been the Chief Operating Officer for One Roof, a for-profit social enterprise operating in the developing world that is driven by dual social and financial missions to change the way that essential services are delivered to the world's rural poor. Felice has a broad background as an engineer, strategic management consultant and technology industry executive. Born in The Bahamas and raised in several Caribbean countries, Felice worked early in her career as a project engineer for a manufacturing company in Jamaica. Felice then went on to serve as a consultant with McKinsey and Company working on strategy, marketing and operations engagements with various companies including Habitat for Humanity. Felice was Director of Strategic Initiatives at HP (Hewlett Packard). During her eight years at HP / Compaq, she worked in strategy, new business creation, operations and marketing roles, focused particularly in new business groups and emerging markets. She has worked on projects in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Felice holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a masters degree in management (M.B.A. equivalent) from the University of Oxford which she attended as a Rhodes Scholar. ^ top Joel Abong'o - Director, Cultural Advisor Joel is a Kenyan now residing in the USA. Having been exposed to the difficulty of his fellow Kenyans back home, it was always his dream to lend a hand in improving their lot in life. Asante Africa Foundation provides that avenue to make a contribution. Joel is a Board Director, working in the Program area and speaking publicly on behalf of the Foundation. Joel has been a lecturer in Tourism Management in India, a freelance corporate trainer in computer applications and internet use, and has worked on land survey projects in Kenya. Joel holds a Post graduate degree in Tourism Management from India, Bachelors Degree from Panjab University and is a graduate of Land Surveying from Kenya Polytechnic. ^ top Senior LeadershipMark Newton - Senior Leadership - Technology and Program Management Mark Newton has been involved with Asante Africa Foundation from it's inception and is a strategic thought leader in how to build relationships in Kenya and Tanzania. He is an active member of the Programs team and focuses on how technology can aid the educational processes. He is a Senior Executive at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and holds multiple degrees, including BS and MS in Electrical Engineering as well as an MBA. ^ top Delores Bengston - Senior Leadership - Program Team for Child Scholarship Dolores Bengtston leads our child scholarship program. She has been activethrough other organizations' volunteer work in Tanzania, has worked to positively impact the future of East African children through improved educational opportunities. She is passionate about children getting the opportunity to learn and grow through QUALITY of education. She served as the Director of Parks and Community Services for the City of Pleasanton for 20 years, retiring in l998. During her tenure, she directed the construction of over 20 city parks, the Pleasanton Senior Center, Pleasanton Tennis Center, Dolores Bengtson Aquatic Center, and the Softball Complex. Ms. Bengtson served the Oakland South Alameda County American Red Cross as the Aquatics Chairperson for many years, encouraging the development of quality aquatic safety programs in the area. Upon retirement, Ms. Bengtson has devoted her efforts to encouraging good government through active participation in the League of Women Voters. ^ top Christine Abernathy(Odero) - Senior Leadership - IT and Cultural Advisor Christine Abernathy has been a board member and CIO throughout 2007 and she will continue in a senior operations role in 2008. She helps to educate other board members on the Kenyan culture and advises on interacting with our Kenyan partners. Christine was raised in Kenya, educated at MIT (BSc, MS), and now works in Silicon Valley as the VP of Engineering at MShift. ^ top In-Country Program PartnersTanzania:
Kenya:
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