seth armentrout, secretary, board of directors

Seth is currently Land and Water Steward with Colorado Open Lands. He was the Program Director of the Rio Grande Farm Park and as an AmeriCorps VISTA. The Farm Park is a 40 acre community space near Alamosa, Colorado dedicated to local foods production, farmer education, and youth programs. Seth previously interned with Engage Globally in Costa Rica. He brings experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal. Seth is also a singer and guitar player and he loves the outdoors, fishing, and travel. You can hear Seth perform at his annual Earth Day and environmental virtual concerts for Engage Globally on Facebook.

emily bissenger, board of directors

Emily began her career in nonprofit fundraising and is currently the Program Manager for Digital Fundraising at Consumer Reports. She studied European Politics at DIS in Denmark and participated in American University's Washington Semester Program in sustainable development. She has a B.A. in International Studies from Manhattan College and has travelled to Ecuador and the Dominican Republic to learn more about sustainable development programs. Emily enjoys ceramics; spending time with her daughter, husband and two dogs; and working at her local farmers market. 

joe coyle, board of directors

Joe is a Director & Team Leader with Gartner's Human Resources Practice. In his role, Joe assists private and public sector clients in transforming their human capital strategy, advising on topics such as pay equity, employee health & wellbeing, and communications. Prior to joining Gartner, Joe worked with a youth development non-profit in Cameroon. Joe also studied community-led development in Ghana with the American University Washington Semester/IED program and in Cameroon with Drew University. Joe graduated from Drew University in 2010 with a Political Science major. He currently resides in Philadelphia, PA with his wife, son, dog, and cat.  

n. janine gates, advisory board

​N. Janine Gates' life mission is to serve, protect, and advocate for and with our most vulnerable siblings! Advocacy is not new to Janine. Her family instilled in her community service, love thy neighbor, and live life to the fullest. Janine is a mindset coach for women of faith who are breaking generational curses. She understands firsthand the struggles of escaping poverty, failed systems, and lacking self-confidence. Her goal is to educate and coach women to unapologetically thrive. Janine has a master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University and majored in Political Science at Spelman College. In her free time, Janine enjoys being a dog mommy, volunteering with her Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Sisters, playing with her siblings, and baking cookies for family and friends.

HEATHER HECKEL, Founder

Before becoming Engage Globally's Executive Director, Heather taught sustainability studies as an Assistant Professor with American University for 15 years. She began her career in education working with families living in public housing communities and as a middle school social studies teacher. Her PhD is in international studies with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and international child rights. Through her work, she has had the opportunity to travel to study global sustainability. Heather enjoys learning, teaching, traveling with friends and family, and attempting to grow a pollinator garden. 

Taylor king, advisory board

Taylor King is a young professional in NYC where she works as a Principal HR Advisor for Gartner, Inc. She joined Gartner in 2020 and has a client-facing, advisory role to support HR leaders in developing their own strategies. Prior to Gartner, Taylor worked in various non-profits on fundraising and development, marketing and communications and business analytics. In her free time, she loves to rock climb, cook vegan meals and explore.

lauren kruglinski, treasurer, board of directors

Lauren is the Associate Director of Institutional Giving with the Center for American Progress. Previously she was Director of Operations with City Blossoms, a  nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering healthy communities by developing creative, kid-driven, green spaces. Lauren graduated from American University with a B.A. in International Studies and earned her Master of Science in nonprofit leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. She also studied and volunteered in Ghana. Lauren has worked on many farms and enjoys bike touring and camping with her family.

jessica mardo, board of directors

Jessica is the Grants Manager for the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education. She has previously worked as a college advisor and in analysis of educational data and policy. Jessica traveled to Ghana while in the American University Washington Semester Program (pictured here in Cape Coast) and had the opportunity to visit some of Engage Globally's partner communities. Jessica studied english and political science at Stonehill College and earned her master's degree in public policy analysis from Carnegie Mellon.

adrienne marvin, board of directors

Adrienne is a Program Officer for Foundations of Success where she supports project design and monitoring and evaluation of environmental conservation projects in the U.S. and globally. Adrienne was previously a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mozambique where she taught English. She has worked with several environmental nonprofits on conservation, advocacy, and research. Adrienne earned her B.A. from American University and a master's degree in environmental conservation from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She loves traveling and spending time with her family.

aleah myers, advisory board

Aleah currently works on virtual communication and sustainability through her business Happily Ever Exploring. Her background includes community outreach, communications, and high school science teaching in Washington, D.C. Aleah has spent time in Ghana, China, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic teaching and learning about education and sustainable development. Aleah earned a B.S. in biology from Elizabethtown College and has a master's degree in education from Johns Hopkins University.  

tafadzwa negonde, Advisory board

Tafadzwa is Resident Life Coordinator at Colorado School of Mines. He earned his master's of science from Tennessee Knoxville and his B.A. in Economics from St. Lawrence University. Tafadzwa also participated in the Washington Semester program at American University. Tafadzwa is a native of Zimbabwe and has a passion for international affairs that stems from his lived experiences in the U.S, China, and South Africa. He is also an advocate for international education having mentored many Zimbabwean students to successful admission to international high schools and colleges through a small nonprofit he founded in Zimbabwe. Tafadzwa has worked as a teacher, as an auditor at Deloitte, and with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation (EGPAF). In his free time, Tafadzwa likes to write, watch sports, mentor youths, go to church, travel, and volunteer. 

shaya gregory poku, board of directors

Shaya is Vice President for Equity & Social Justice at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. Her professional experience spans the faith-based, non-profit, and higher education sectors, all with the aim of undermining the scourge of inequality. Before working in higher education, Shaya worked on international development projects in conflict-affected countries throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. It is work she is still deeply invested in. Poku holds three interdisciplinary degrees - a master of arts in intercultural relations with a concentration in intercultural conflict management from Lesley University, a master of science in security and resilience studies at Northeastern University, and a bachelor of arts in international relations from Agnes Scott College. She is a proud wife, mom of two, and native of California committed to the work of restoration, actualization, and empowerment.

gilbert ruiz, advisory board

Gil is a Legislative Director with Kirsten Gillibrand, United States Senator for New York. He has worked on public health, environmental, and security policies. Gilbert grew up in California and Las Vegas, and graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Medical Humanities. He enjoys soccer, spending time with his family, and living in Washington, DC. 

Sandra Sohne-Johnston, board of directors

Sandra Sohne-Johnston is originally from Accra, Ghana. Today, she works as the Director of College Counseling at St. Anne’s Belfield’s independent boarding and day school in Virginia. Sandra is passionate about supporting education in Ghana and founded Guido’s Heart in honor of her brother, to sell handcrafted baskets, empower Ghanaian artisans, and share resources about Ghana’s rich culture. Sandra enjoys time with her family and encourages everyone to, “Love what you do, and share what you love with others.” 

j. andrew shelley, advisory board

J. Andrew Shelley specializes in startup organizations. Over the years he has contributed significantly to the growth of organizations in the mobile technology, insurance, and human and health services fields. His primary expertise is in product management, meshing the needs of future customers with emerging technology. Multiple companies in which he has held early senior leadership positions have grown rapidly and been acquired. Recognizing that acquisitions and liquidity events have both good and bad consequences for the people being served by an organization, he has recently focused on better understanding the mindsets needed for sustainable, healthy growth. He is writing on these topics and contributing to emerging organizations that embrace learning about sustaining concepts.

kara vanderkamp, advisory board

Kara is the founder and Executive Director of Remember Niger, a non-profit organization that supports a wide variety of education efforts in Niger. She started Remember Niger after working for the Presbyterian Church in Niger and Kenya. Kara began her career as a primary school teacher in Chicago. Kara enjoys traveling, especially in Niger.

sam walsh, vice president, board of directors

Sam is the Head of US Renewable Energy at AXIS Capital, overseeing the underwriting team that focuses on insuring wind, solar and battery energy storage projects across the United States. He took part in the study abroad program Semester at Sea and American University’s Washington Semester program, focusing on Environment and Development in Ecuador. Sam graduated from the University of Miami with majors in Economics and International Studies. He lives in Chicago and enjoys spending time with his twin nephews, that is of course until things start getting intense and then he promptly hands them back to their parents.

join us

We are currently seeking members for our Advisory Board. As a small organization, Advisory Board members' assistance with fundraising and helping grow our community in very important and valuable. Learn more about the roles and responsibilities here.