board of directors

Jessica Mardo, Chair
Heather Heckel, Founder and Executive Director
Sam Walsh, Vice President
Lauren Kruglinski, Treasurer
Seth Armentrout, Secretary
Emily Bissenger
Joe Coyle
Shaya Gregory Poku
Adrienne Marvin
​Sandra Sohne-Johnston

​ADVISORY BOARD

Jena Barjenbruch
N. Janine Gates
Taylor King
Aleah Myers
Tafadzwa Negonde
Eileen Patten
Gilbert Ruiz
J. Andrew Shelley
Kara Vanderkamp

meet Some of our board members

seth armentrout, secretary, board of directors

Seth is currently Program Director of the Rio Grande Farm Park after serving a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA. The Farm Park is a 40 acre community space near Alamosa, Colorado dedicated to local foods production, farmer education, youth programs, and volunteer opportunities. Seth previously interned with Engage Globally in Costa Rica. He brings experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal and has helped with different projects across Colorado. 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 virtual concert 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. She started advocating for others as a child on the playground. 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 young girls and women to unapologetically thrive. Janine is the Housing and Economic Engagement Program Manager for the City of Milwaukie. Previous experiences include working for elected officials in Oregon, with local non-profits, and ensuring foster children’s needs are met. She 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, CHAIR, board of directors

Before becoming Engage Globally's Executive Director, Heather taught sustainability studies as an Assistant Professor with American University for 14 years. She began her career in education working with families 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 widely to study global sustainability. Heather enjoys learning, teaching, traveling with friends and family, and attempting to garden. 

lauren kruglinski, treasurer, board of directors

Lauren is the 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 studied and volunteered in Ghana in 2011. 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 is an environmental educator and 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 taught English in China, worked as a teacher in Zimbabwe, as an auditor at Deloitte, and with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation (EGPAF). In his free time, Tafadzwa likes to write, watch sports, meet people from different backgrounds, 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. They are a master of arts degree 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 degree 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. 

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 has been 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.

work with 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.