LISA R. HAYNES - SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/TREASURER
A founding member of Rebuild A Nation, Ms. Haynes has over 25 years of research, writing and legal experience as a legal assistant and legal secretary. Lisa spent 10 years working as a community volunteer, successfully reviving the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) at both Roper Middle School and Woodson Senior High School. Working as PTA head, Lisa helped foster an environment for greater collaboration among parents, faculty and administrators in order to improve the quality and level of education for African American children in Washington, DC area schools.  Lisa will complete her Bachelor of Science in Gerontology at the University of Maryland, in September 2010.

SYLVIA JAMES, ESQ. - DIRECTOR
Sylvia James is a labor and employment attorney and diversity consultant who currently works as the Diversity Counsel for Baker Botts L.L.P., a large international law firm. Sylvia earned her law degree from the Duke University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts (with honors) in political science from Vassar College. Sylvia brings a deep passion for issues involving women and children, as well as a deep interest in issues involving human rights. She has successfully represented several individuals from Africa and Haiti seeking political asylum in the United States. She has also served as a volunteer in the AIDS legal clinic at Duke University School of Law, as well as with several organizations providing free legal services, meals, and clothing to the disadvantaged.

LYNDA DAY - DIRECTOR
Lynda Day is an Associate Professor of African Studies at Brooklyn College in Brooklyn, New York. She has published several books and articles related to women's' studies and issues as they relate to African culture. Her research in Sierra Leone is documented in a manuscript titled "Women Paramount Chiefs of the Mende: Marginality and Power." She has written extensively on the subject of Post War Reconstruction in Sierra Leone, women's political activism, and gender and human rights. The recipient of many awards, Linda regularly conducts conferences, seminars and symposiums concerning these and other related topics. She holds a Ph.D in African History and a Masters of Arts in African Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison University of Wisconsin-Madison.

KENNETH JOHNSON - SECRETARY
Kenneth D. Johnson is a Principal and co-founder of Devconia, LLC a U.S. based international development, sustainability and cross-cultural management firm. He has successfully designed and implemented various development projects in Africa including an export-based framework to help African countries increase their exports under the African Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA). He also developed an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) model to help U.S. companies in Africa mitigate operational and cultural risks. Mr. Johnson has worked in marketing and business development for over 15 years at leading professional services firms in the U.S. including, Ernst & Young, Accenture and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Johnson holds a certificate in business studies administered by the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Royal Society of Arts and is a graduate in economics & finance from Baruch College in New York. He is a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) and a former Vice President of Strategic Planning at the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD-NY).

Project Team

AMITA VYAS, PH.D. - PROJECT ADVISOR
Amita N. Vyas is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Maternal and Child Health Program in the Department of Prevention and Community Health, at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. At the age of 20, Professor Vyas journeyed to Calcutta to work alongside Mother Teresa in the Missionaries of Charity. Her work focuses on reproductive health care, adolescent health, and the health and development of immigrant children and adolescents. She is also an expert in multi-level research methods and evaluation. Dr. Vyas continues to hold an adjunct position in the Department of Population and Family Health Sciences at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. She was previously on the research faculty of that institution's Center for Adolescent Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, where she earned its Kann-Trowbridge Award for outstanding research in the area of population and family health. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Biological Sciences), University of Connecticut, 1994, Master of Health Science (Demography), Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, 1995, Doctor of Philosophy (Population Dynamics), Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2001. Dr. Vyas is the Founder and Chair of the Global India Fund, a donor advised fund aimed at mobilizing resources to improve the health and well-being of people living in India.

PRATHIMA PARTHASARATHI - HEALTH PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Prathima Parthasarathi has an extensive background with NGOs working on such projects as the Rural Service Program at Primary Health Center for tribal communities at Gumballi, oral hygiene status program for Anganwadi school children and water purification projects and bio-medical waste disposal projects. She has a bachelor's degree in dental surgery and is currently pursing her Master's degree in Public Health at the Department of Prevention and Community Health at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Her focus at GWI is Maternal and Child Health. Her background in working with International NGOs to assist the terminally ill patients with HIV/AIDS involved surveying and preparing HIV/AIDS prevention programs and implementing them through fund-raising activities. Prathima background involves grant proposal development for AmeriCorps/Caring Counts Program for the National AIDS Fund. In addition to English, Prathima speaks six languages: Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Arabic and Urdu.

RENEE KATHLEEN CRAWLEY - OUTREACH COORDINATOR
Renee Crawley is an investigator for the State of Maryland, Licensing Regulation Occupational and Professional Licensing, for the Maryland Home Improvement Commission. Her current duties require initiation of administrative and or criminal proceedings against home improvement contractors. She is also required to prepare and submit criminal charges to appropriate District Courts, draft documents, present evidence, prepare witness and testify in criminal, administrative and regulatory proceedings as needed. Renee maintains and prepares case files and information along with statistical data, reports, and expense sheets. Her background in Law enforcement for the State of Maryland, Voucher Examination Specialist for the Department of Defense and Financial Management Specialist for the U.S. Air Force, uniquely qualifies her to work with Rebuild A Nation to assist in the fight against elder abuse around the country.

JULIANA MAMIE SOKO KAMANDA - MATERNAL HEALTH PROJECT COORDINATOR (SIERRA LEONE)
Juliana has over twenty years of experience in international public health projects in West Africa. Her experience covers all aspects of design, implementation, and management of demand responsive provision of sustainable community (urban/rural) water supply and sanitation integrated with health/hygiene promotion. She designed and implemented a health education program in the operational areas of SALWACO nationwide, with grassroots communities. The project involved the construction and maintenance of water points and sanitation facilities; training of women and children on its management and maintenance. Juliana has a solid academic background in international public health and; public health medicine She holds a Masters of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Dundee. 1996 (United Kingdom) and a Higher Teachers Certificate (HTC) Milton Margai Teachers College of Education, University of Sierra Leone 1982. She is presently doing doctoral studies at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, specializing in Household Environmental Health - estimation of childhood exposure to microbes and parasites in the tropical households. Her Publications include Women in Rural Areas, Water Supply and Sanitation in Sierra Leone (1996).

ARLENE VENABLE - HEALTH SPECIALIST/COORDINATOR FOR VOLUNTEERS
Arlene has been a Registered Nurse for nearly twenty-five years. Currently working with Washington Hospital Center in the Hematology/Oncology Department, she helps patients who have various cancers, sickle-cell Anemia. She administers chemotherapy, blood and platelets as necessary, and according to physician's orders.   Her nursing experience working with patients in the hospital and in their homes is extensive. Seven years experience at D.C. General Hospital in the Trauma Unit where she performed all the necessary duties of an ER nurse of a large city in Washington, D.C. Arlene worked with patients and women at Sibley Hospital in the post-partum ward, taking care of women who recently delivered babies, including by caesarean section. As a nurse, she assessed the amount of bleeding, administered pain medications, administered antibiotics, supplements and other medications, as well as blood when there was blood loss. Arlene also has excellent administrative skills as a nurse, keeping accurate progress notes and reports as required by nursing and hospital standards. As a RN, Arlene also has many years of HIV care for patients, teaching the prevention of spread of the disease; She worked specifically with AIDS patients while with the Visiting Nursing Association seeing patients in their homes teaching patients proper care and making sure that they are compliant with their medication, hydration needs and nutrition.   Background also includes teaching Safe Sex to HIV-positive patient as well as follow up monitoring with CD4 count lab work. Arlene is a graduate of Wesley College and holds a Bachelor's Degree from Delaware State.