Friday, March 28, 2014

Check out our new Board of Directors!

World Camp has a revamped Board of Directors! We're excited to see what we can achieve in 2014 with so many great people investing their time in World Camp. Over the years we've been blessed with so many wonderful, talented and highly dedicated volunteers. And now our Board of Directors is entirely made up of passionate alumni. We thought you all might want to know a little bit about who's steering the helm of World Camp these days!
Robert Lamb is the current Board President. Rob worked as a Program Coordinator (PC) and office staff member from 2006 - 2008. Prior to working with World Camp, Rob had led wilderness trips and taught English abroad. Since working for World Camp he earned his law degree and just recently moved to Durham where he is now working for a small immigration firm that helps people obtain green cards and defends individuals that are being deported.  Rob said he likes serving on the board because World Camp is an enriching program that helps a lot of people learn and grow.
 Rachel Dudasik serves as Program Coordinator for the LIVESTRONG exercise program for adult cancer survivors for the YMCAs  of Western North Carolina. Rachel joined the board, "In hopes of John Chizimba's cake making its way to the US. And to  continue with an organization dedicated to some of the issues that drive both my personal and professional path."  Rachel  interned with World Camp in 2009 and then continued on as a PC from 2009 to 2011.
Baker Henson has been working with World Camp since putting through the original paperwork to found the organization. Baker's love for the Malawian people and understanding of cultural nuances have made him an amazing leader in World Camp's work, including leading over 200 WC volunteers through the program. Baker has also worked in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Baker is currently completing his surgical residency in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania but remains dedicated to World Camp’s work and mission.
 Laura Ivey lives in Asheville, North Carolina. She co-founded World Camp and served as a Director until 2004. She is thrilled to  see that the organization has grown from a short term volunteer program to an organization with ongoing community  partnerships with schools, the Ministry of Education, and other NGOs. She is excited to join World Camp once again to be part  of a team that really does make a difference in so many lives.
Reinier Terwindt, currently in New York City volunteered for WC in the summer of 2009 and then began a 14 month stint in Malawi with WC in 2011. Reinier did a lot of work during that time that has helped develop our current programming. He was mainly interested in serving on the Board because he remains very inspired by the great work that World Camp has done and the potential it has to greatly increase its impact in Malawi. "I’m very excited about being part of a team of young talented people, of whom several played a crucial role in founding the organization, who are passionate about capacity building in World Camp’s partner communities."
 Karen Clark returned to Sunnyvale, California this past fall after having coordinated every session from the summer of 2010  through this past summer. Karen first volunteered with WC in January of 2010 and has been a driving force within the  organization ever since. Karen is working at Stanford but chose to become involved with the board because her time in  Malawi made such a large impact on her and she wanted to stay involved with WC’s work.
Scott Coriell, currently in Vermont, volunteered in the summer of '06 and coordinated the summer of 2008 sessions and the summer and January programs in 2009. He had this to say about his involvement with the board: "Like almost everyone who has done a World Camp program, the experience had a big impact on me. I was lucky to volunteer and work for the organization over a number of years, experiencing firsthand the amazing volunteers, translators, students, teachers and others in the World Camp orbit. It's a truly amazing group of people motivated to do amazing things. I'm excited about the opportunity to help set a direction for the organization worthy of all those amazing people."
 Katy Lackey volunteered with WC back in the summer of 2005 and then coordinated 10 sessions between 2008 and 2010 in  both Malawi and India. Katy has just completed a dual-MA in International Affairs and Natural Resources/Sustainable  Development in Washington, DC. She has worked extensively throughout Latin America with a focus on water quality, weather  patterns and storm water management. "My previous time with World Camp was life-changing. There's no other way to  describe it. It was intense, wonderful, difficult. But working in these incredible places - India and Malawi - on environmental and health issues, and the people who challenged my perspectives and changed my ideas, is what brought me to pursue my master's degree and a career in water and how water relates to human and environmental health. I guess I wanted to serve on the Board for two reasons: to give back to the organization and local staff who helped make me who I am today, and to help sustain and improve the important and inspiring work World Camp does."
The very newest member of our Board, Katie Sacca, just came on! We're so excited to have her joining us but haven't yet gotten her answers on these questions. Know that very soon we'll be featuring bios on all of our members, including Ms Sacca!