Executive Committee
Fasika Alem, President [ - ]
Prior to assuming the role of President, Fasika served as Vice-President of the Awassa Children''s Project since 2003, and as a member since 2001. She has a Masters degree in Public Health and is currently working towards a PhD in Public Health. Fasika currently works as Assistant Director of Student Development Services at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she develops health education and promotion initiatives. Fasika also serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago and was a 2005–2006 Albert Schweitzer Fellow.
Ronald O Wietecha, Treasurer [ - ]
Ro Wietecha has been a board member since 2005. Ro is an attorney for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Chicago and received his Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University School of Law. During law school, he worked as an intern consultant at a school in Thailand teaching democracy , human rights, and environmental conservation to Thai and Burmese development students. Ro also conducted field research into the democratic and political system of Tanzania. Prior to attending law school, Ro served two years as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in South Africa and has served as a board member on HEITA-SA, the Friends of South Africa affiliate of the National Peace Corps Association.
Ada W. Dolph, Secretary [ - ]
Ada W. Dolph received her Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in political science. Ms. Dolph is currently an attorney practicing labor and employment law in the Chicago office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP. She also provides pro bono legal services through the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Midwest Immigrant and Human Rights Center. Ms. Dolph has been a board member since 2005.
Board of Directors
Paul Chadha [ - ]
Paul Chadha, has been President since 2005, and a director since 2003. Paul received his Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University School of Law and Bachelors degree in Political Science from DePaul University. Paul served in the United States Air Force and U.S. Air Force Reserves from 1993-1999. Paul has also served as the Chairman of the Board of StreetWise, a newspaper sold by the homeless of Chicago and sits on the board of directors of Trap Door Theatre, Productions. Paul is currently working as an attorney for Accenture and is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University School of Law, where he teaches a course in negotiations.
John L. Roe [ - ]
John Roe has been a board member since 2004 and is a partner with BT Trading Group, a division of MF Global. He operates a futures and options trading division of one of the largest futures clearing firms in the world, specializing in system trading, futures brokerage, and institutional execution and clearing . John moved to BT Trading Group from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange''s Eurodollar pit, where he worked as a Globex floor broker for the largest institutional spread brokerage group on the exchange. In 2007, Mr. Roe founded Roe Capital Management, a commodity trading adviser firm which offers managed futures accounts to private and institutional clients. His portfolios trade equity index futures, 30 year bond futures and euro currency futures.
Tim Connelly [ - ]
Tim has been a board member since 2007 and contributing editor of the Tukul Voice since 2005.
Carole Anne Hussey [ - ]
Carole Anne Hussey has been a director of the Awassa Children''s Project since April 2005. Carole Anne is an attorney with Midway Games Inc. She received her Juris Doctorate from The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. in 2002, and her Bachelors degree from The University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana in 1998. Carole Anne has also studied international commerce at the University College Dublin and law at the University of Chicago. Prior to law school, Carole Anne worked for Arthur Andersen Business Consulting. Carole Anne is a Major in the United States Air Force and has served in the Air Force since 1998.
Krishna LeFan [ - ]
Krishna Le Fan, has been on the board since 2003. Krishna received his Bachelor''s degree from De Paul University''s Theater School. Prior to that, Le Fan was a scholarship student at American Conservatory Theater and the Pickle Family Circus School in San Francisco. His California performing credits include Berkeley Repertory Theater, The Pasadena Playhouse, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Artaud, and The Victoria. He was Artistic Director for Theater Royale Youth in Los Angeles, a non-profit organization employing high-risk youth in theater. In Chicago he has performed at Steppenwolf, Court, Chicago Shakespeare, Theater Building and directed the critically acclaimed production of Fassbinder''s Katzlemacher at Trap Door Theatre. In February, 2004, Krishna helped produced a documentary on the Awassa Children''s Project which was shot on location in Ethiopia. In March, 2005, Krishna returned to Ethiopia on behalf of the United Nations to incorporate educational programs designed to assist Sudanese refugees in setting up their own theater troupes that will promote HIV/AIDS and landmine awareness.
Kymberli Waller [ - ]
Kymberli Waller has been a board member since January 2005. Kymberli serves as an Educational Consultant with Pearson Education and an ESL teacher. She has a masters in teaching from Columbia University Teachers College and has been a professional educator since 1996. In June, 2005 Kymberli designed and coordinated the first Awassa Children''s Project Summer Learning Camp, a successful program that will be replicated for years.
Administrators
AWASSA CHILDREN''S CENTER AWASSA YOUTH CAMPUS
Ato Girma Melesse John McKay
Ato Girma graduated from agricultural collage in general agriculture, recieving a BA Degree from the agricultural collage in plant science. Ato Girma also graduated from the Ethiopian Management Institute after which, he served in the Ministry of State Farm Bureau, as production head manager for 15 years. Ato Girma spent six years with the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) working on a refugee settlement project as agricultural section head and project coordinator. Prior to joining the Awassa Children''s Project, Ato Girma served in the South Regional State Transport Owners Association - as Board Chairman for 4 years. Currently Ato Girma is the Awassa Children''s Center Administrator and has been since its establishment 5 years ago. John was born and raised in Massachusetts, U.S.A. After finishing his B.S. in Marine Affairs he joined the U.S. Peace Corps as a Rural Aquaculture Extension Agent in Zambia. Upon completion of his Peace Corps service he continued to travel and live in Africa off an on for two years. In 2005, John received a Masters Degree in Sustainable International Development from the Heller School for Social Management and Policy at Brandeis University. His Master’s paper entitled “Revisiting the Last Resort: Creative Approaches to Institutional-based Care for HIV/AIDS Orphans and Vulnerable Children” was based on his experience interning with the Awassa Children’s Project (ACP). In 2006, with the support of ACP John, along with Tesfaye Tekelu and Meshu Tamrat, started the Awassa Youth Campus (AYC). For almost three years John has lived and worked in Ethiopia and is fluent in Amharic. John is an avid musician.
Advisory Board
Dr. Donald Levine, Chairman of the Advisory Board
Dr. Levine has been a long supporter of the efforts of the Awassa Children''s Project.
David Schein
Mr. Schein is a co-founder of ACP.
John LeFan
Mr. LeFan is a former ACP Board member.
Betsy Zajko
Ms. Zajko is a Los Angeles based actress who served on the ACP Board of Directors from 2004-2008.
Awassa Children''s Center - International Board of Directors
Mr. Krishna LeFan (United States)
Ms. Aster Dabels (Germany)
Ms. Pia Federer (Germany)
Dr. Hermann Hunzinger (Germany)
Mr. Edward J. Hussey Jr., Esq. (United States)
Ms. Kathrin Nutt (Germany)