Echoes Foundation

Board of Directors

Chair of the Board and President, Nereida Gordon, is the driving force behind the genesis of ECHOES Around the World.  An educator and frequent visitor to Uganda, Nereida has a close personal and working relationship with the Reverend David Serunjogi and his wife Sarah.  She is in contact with the Serunjogis on a weekly basis and oversees the accountability aspects of money expenditures.  Nereida first visited Uganda in 1995 and has both led groups and returned on her own.  An inveterate fundraiser, her network provides invaluable resources to the Ugandan schools and critical information to the ECHOES foundation and Board of Directors.  A world traveler, Ms. Gordon hails from Sydney, Australia, and now resides in Devon, Pennsylvania.

Director Emeritus, Martha L. (Mel) Bonder served as President of the Board since the inception of the organization in 2005 through 2009.   As a co-founding director, she has been instrumental in creating the framework for ECHOES.  In the fall of 2006, Mel completed the fundraising certification program at the University of Pennsylvania and has used that knowledge to advance not only the operation of the board, but also programs and fundraisers which have attracted both returning and new donors.   Mel has sustained and maintained her relationship with the Reverend David Serunjogi and his wife Sarah since her first visit to Uganda in 2000.  She returned to Uganda in 2004 and 2008.   Her work for ECHOES continues as a resource to the board and its current leadership. 

Secretary, Betsy Fadem rejoins the ECHOES Board after serving as the Board Treasurer from 2007-2010. Betsy is passionate about the work of ECHOES and as a dedicated community volunteer she is delighted to offer her time again.  Betsy has been on the Tredyffrin/Easttown School Board since 2001. She has served as Board President and chairperson of the Education, Policy and Public Information Committees. She currently serves as Board Vice President and chair of the Finance Committee. Upon graduating from Lafayette College, Betsy spent eleven years in the financial services industry as a project manager before staying home to raise her two sons. She is also member of the Saint Monica Church Pastoral Council.  Betsy and her husband have lived in Devon, Pennsylvania for the past 17 years.

Medical Advisor, Peter Motel, M.D., is a physician board certified in Internal Medicine and Dermatology, in a practice he started and has operated since 1993. He graduated with honors from Muhlenberg College and earned his medical degree from Hahnemann University. He served as a physician in the US Air Force for four years. He is a member of the local school board since 1999 and has served the school board as its President, Chair of the Facilities Committee and member of the Finance, Policy and Education Committees. As chair of the Facilities Committee he has overseen major renovations of five schools, the school district’s administration offices and information technology center.  He also has considerable experience as a youth leader with over 20 years as a Boy Scout leader. He and his wife live in Berwyn, Pennsylvania with their three children.

Medical Advisor, Stephen J. Gluckman, M.D., F.A.C.P is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Medical Director of Penn Global Medicine.  
Dr. Gluckman received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his medical degree from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. He trained in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the University of Pennsylvania. He has been in the practice of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases for over 35 years.  Dr. Gluckman has provided care and taught in many countries in a number of different capacities. He has worked and taught at mission hospitals in Liberia and India. He has taught and evaluated HIV and other public health programs for CARE international in Afghanistan, Haiti and Tanzania. He has taught for Health Volunteers Overseas in Kenya and Uganda. He has taught HIV care in China at the request of the Chinese
Medical Association.  From 2001-2008 he worked in Botswana dividing his time between helping develop the Botswana National HIV Program, teaching on the wards of Princess Marina Hospital and helping establish Botswana's first medical school.  He is a founder of Penn's Refugee Clinic which provides free health care to recent political refugees in the United States. He serves on
the boards of the African Family Health Organization, which helps to resettle African immigrants and of Calcutta House which provides housing for homeless people living with HIV/AIDS.  He and his wife Pat have lived in Mt. Airy, Pennsylvania, for the past 40 years, where they raised their family. They are now committed empty-nesters.

Event Coordinator, Anne Cunningham has chaired nine fundraising events at St. David’s Church in Radnor including the Annual St. David’s Fair, the Fair Auction and the St. David’s Art Show.  The events ranged in size from 250 to 3000 guests and raised approximately $300K.  Anne chaired the 2012 Call to Care fundraiser for ECHOES raising $125K.  She has been an active volunteer for the Main Line Associates for the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Women’s Resource Center and St. David’s Church since moving to the area over 14 years ago.  She graduated from Lake Forest College with a B.S. in Psychology.  Anne is a Production Assistant for NextGen Reporting, a legal services firm based in Wayne, Pennsylvania.  She lives in Villanova, Pennsylvania with her husband, Terry, and their three children.

Marketing, Caroline O'Halloran is a freelance writer and an editor at Main Line Media News, where she has held such positions as Education editor, Lifestyles editor and People editor.  She currently edits Flair, a monthly women’s style and health section published in Main Line Suburban Life, the Main Line Times and online.  Her articles have also appeared in collegiate publications, regional newspapers and national magazines. She has also worked in broadcast news as an anchor/reporter, assignment editor and producer and has coordinated publicity for area schools and restaurants.  Caroline chaired ECHOES’ 2010 auction fundraiser and served as communications coordinator for ECHOES’ 2009 luncheon. The founding Board President of Good Samaritan Episcopal Day School in Paoli, she has also served on various volunteer committees for the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District.  Caroline is a magna cum laude graduate of Brown University where she majored in Health and Society. Caroline lives in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Web Manager, Lois M. Redmond works in finance and program management in the field of information technology for a Fortune 100 company.  She holds a B.S. in Business Administration and a B.A. in French from the University of Rhode Island, and an M.B.A. in International Business from George Washington University.  She studied at the undergraduate level in France and Germany and began her career working in the field of international development/project finance with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).  Lois has traveled extensively and looks forward to helping communicate the good work ECHOES does in Uganda and the United States.  Lois lives with her family in Rosemont, Pennsylvania. 

Finance Committee, David T. Park is a mortgage banker, and has worked in the financial industry since 2006. Dave is part of the management team of State Financial Network, Inc. in Broomall, Pennsylvania. He is a candidate for a M.S. in Financial Services from Saint Joseph's University, and has his B.S. in Information Sciences & Technology from Penn State University.  Dave brings an understanding of the challenges facing children of Uganda through extensive interaction with La Plenitude School in Hinche, Haiti. Dave sits on the school's U.S. advisory board consisting of members from three Mennonite churches in Lancaster County.  Dave traveled to Haiti in 2008 to work on construction of the school building.  Dave also volunteers with the Kiwanis Club of the Upper Main Line in Berwyn and Boy Scout Troop 45 in Wayne.  He lives in Devon, Pennsylvania with his wife, Samantha.

Finance Committee, John Stranger served for over 30 years as an executive in sales and operations management in the software/technology industry. His experience includes running two start-ups in the Philadelphia region as well as serving in a variety of executive positions for companies like Oracle Corporation.  John retired in 2010.  John holds a BS degree in Marketing and Management.  He is currently serving as Chair of the Finance Commission at St. Peter’s Church in the Great Valley, on the Board of the Fernleigh Homeowner’s Association, is actively involved with multiple families with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) to be the voice of abused and neglected children in the Delaware County Court system.  John resides with his wife of 37 years, Penny, in Phoenixville, PA.

Strategy Advisor, Jeff Kaiser is an analyst at Dalberg Global Development Advisors, a strategic advisory firm specializing in international development.  At Dalberg, Jeff has worked in Nigeria on a long-term agricultural finance initiative on behalf of a German development bank.  Jeff first visited ECHOES' projects in Uganda as a student at the Haverford School in 2007.  Upon returning, he led a fundraising campaign to support Double Cure Medical Centre's ambulance and mobile clinic program.  He has since returned to Uganda on a number of occasions and remains heavily involved in ECHOES' work and personally committed to Rev. David Serunjogi and his family.  Jeff is a recent graduate of Yale University, where he studied political science and edited an international affairs magazine called The Yale Globalist.  He has traveled extensively in East Africa and enjoys scuba diving and photography.  He lives in Washington, D.C..

Tech Advisor, Sean Legnini is a partner at Aid Arcade and an Arts Administration graduate student at Drexel University. At Aid Arcade, Sean connects charities and video games in an exciting new form of fundraising. Using in-game purchases and character upgrades, Aid Arcade raises money for worthy charities. At Aid Arcade, and in his professional history, Sean has worked with and for many non profit organizations including Main Line Animal Rescue, The Mann Center and Weathervane Music. Sean started working with ECHOES in 2005 when he first visited Uganda. Since then, Sean has been back four times including a documentary filming trip in 2010.  He lives in Philadelphia, PA. 

Advisory Board Members

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