Board of Directors

Kerry Olson, President
Kerry Olson, Ph.D., is co-founder and President of the Firelight Foundation. Prior to starting Firelight, Kerry worked for over 20 years as an educator, a child development specialist, and a research social scientist. She is actively involved in the fundraising, advocacy, and program development operations of Firelight.

David Katz, Vice President, Treasurer
Dave Katz is a senior software engineer at a Silicon Valley internet infrastructure company. Dave and his wife Kerry Olson established the Firelight Foundation in 1999 out of their shared sense of social responsibility toward those in need. In addition to overseeing the financial management of the foundation, Dave serves as technical manager for computer and networking operations.

Debra Evans, Secretary
Debra L. Evans, Board Secretary, has extensively explored issues related to women’s health and spirituality as a writer, educator, and consultant since 1974. She has published 21 books and numerous articles as well as served on a wide variety of public and private boards at the community, state, and national levels. Debra is Kerry Olson’s sister.

Nancy Shallow, Member
Nancy Shallow, J.D., is a senior consultant specializing in employment practices risk management for a global human resources consulting firm. She is a strong advocate for children’s fundamental human rights, and is the sister of Kerry Olson.

Back to Top

2004 Advisory Board

Geoff Foster, Mutare, Zimbabwe
Geoff Foster, M.D., is an expert on healthcare and other forms of support for children affected by HIV/AIDS. He is the founder of the Family AIDS Caring Trust (FACT), one of the first AIDS service organizations in Africa. His programs are considered by UNICEF to be model approaches to community-based care for orphans. Geoff consults with many international organizations on programming for orphans and vulnerable children.

Stefan Germann, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Stefan Germann is an innovator of programs that support children and youth affected by HIV/AIDS in southern Africa. He founded Masiye Camp, a program for the psychosocial support of orphans and vulnerable children through adventure-based learning. Stefan helped found the Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative (REPSSI), an organization working to increase and enhance existing psychosocial support programs for children affected by AIDS throughout southern Africa.

Tim Jackson, London, England
Tim Jackson is a journalist and writer based in London who has also started a successful technology company and managed a venture capital fund. As founder of the Argentarius Foundation, a private charity, Tim was introduced to the issues facing orphans and vulnerable children. His research into funding community-based projects led him to the Firelight Foundation. Business Week recently named Tim one of “The 50 Most Influential People in Europe.”

Natasha Martin, Half Moon Bay, California
Natasha Martin, F.I.M.L.S., has 20 years of scientific research experience in immunology, as well as extensive experience in interdisciplinary project management in HIV-related clinical research. She is Founder and President of Grassroots Alliance for Community Education (GRACE), an organization that helps African community-based organizations implement locally determined and sustainable initiatives to fight HIV/AIDS.

Beatrice Were, Kampala, Uganda
Beatrice Were is a member of the National Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (NACWOLA) in Uganda, and is currently working for ActionAid in Kampala, Uganda. She served as NACWOLA’s National Coordinator for six years and initiated the widely replicated Memory Book Project. Memory Books are created by families to provide children with a connection to their family history and to help dying parents plan for the future care of their children. Beatrice is a mother living with HIV.

Betty Gahima, Visiting Scholar, Kigali, Rwanda
Betty Gahima is an educator and the founder and National Coordinator of the Benishyaka Association, founded in 1994. Benishyaka ensures access to educational and livelihood opportunities for Rwandan orphans, widows, and families affected by the genocide and HIV/AIDS. Betty serves on a number of national and regional steering committees and boards, including the Eastern African Initiative for the Advancement of Women.

Back to Top

2004 Staff

Jennifer Astone, Executive Director
Jennifer Astone, Ph.D., is an applied anthropologist who has focused on human rights and community-based development in Sub-Saharan Africa since 1985. Prior to joining the Firelight Foundation in 2001, she worked for the Global Fund for Women and the African Development Foundation.

Jennifer Anderson-Bähr, Senior Program Officer
Jennifer Anderson-Bahr, M.I.A., has worked on HIV/AIDS and its impact in Africa since 1988. From 1991-2000 she lived in South Africa and Lesotho, working with international and indigenous organizations focused on community-based HIV/AIDS prevention and care.

Caitlin Brune, Program Officer
Caitlin Brune, M.P.H., has focused on maternal and child community-based healthcare since 1992, including work in Kenya, Ghana, and Zimbabwe. Her previous experience includes work with a foundation in Zimbabwe on efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Josh Dankoff, Program Assistant
Josh Dankoff, B.A., has worked in Nigeria at a community-based organization committed to HIV prevention among youth and has studied in Cameroon.

Joop Rubens, Communications and Development Officer
Joop Rubens, J.D., M.A., has lived in South Africa where he worked in HIV/AIDS prevention and counseling and worked with African youth on technology projects in various countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Cheryl Talley-Moon, Administrative Assistant
Cheryl Talley-Moon has worked in the field of alternative medicine and with Alzheimer’s patients. She was the Firelight Foundation’s first employee in 2000.

Lynn Brisson, Accountant
Lynn Brisson, C.P.A., has nine years of experience working with local nonprofit organizations.

Back to Top

Volunteers

Karen Ande
Judy Astone
Cathy Aronson
Tristan Bähr
Gail Brenner
Patrick Bujold
Holly Burkhalter
Kristen Cheney
Olivier Corbet
Brian Corser
Tim Davis
Gaurav Garg & Khomal Shah
Jim Hayes
Sara Keene
John & Shari Levitt
Katie Malloy
Charlene McKowen
Grace Mnguni
Tammy Moody
Bob Moon
Ryannon Moon
Nancy Munger
Karen Anne Murray
Jolly Ntungire
Donald Patten
Carmen Pegan Lee Slaff
Jennifer Smith
Chuck Tremper
Marty Vaden
Dave Wittbrodt
Marianne Wyllie

In addition to the volunteers listed, Firelight would like to acknowledge and warmly thank the many individuals who have volunteered their time and insight by providing assessments, references, and referrals as part of our application and due diligence process.