Staff

Glenn Blumhorst is President and CEO of National Peace Corps Association (NPCA), a  501(c)(3) enterprise at the center of a community of more than 180 grassroots affiliate groups and 235,000 individuals who share the Peace Corps experience. Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Washington, DC, NPCA’s mission is “to champion lifelong commitment to Peace Corps ideals.” During his tenure, Glenn has led NPCA’s historic transformation from a dues-based alumni association to a community-driven social impact organization.

Prior to joining the NPCA, Glenn enjoyed an illustrious 18-year career with ACDI/VOCA, most recently leading the establishment and substantial growth of ACDI/VOCA’s worldwide Community Stabilization and Development practice area as Managing Director. He also served as Country Representative and Chief of Party on several major USAID-funded projects throughout Central and South America. His work has taken him to over 65 countries and enabled his near-native Spanish language fluency.

Glenn launched his career by serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala from 1988 to 1991. He holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, both from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is the 2018 recipient of the prestigious University of Missouri Faculty-Alumni Award.

Glenn is a private pilot with more than 400 hours of flight time.

As Vice President, Anne Baker manages a broad range of both office operations and programs. She is the primary staff point of contact for NPCA's more than 180 affiliate groups. She is the staff liaison to the NPCA Board of Directors committees for finance, governance and awards.

Anne has been at the NPCA since 1996, when she was hired to develop and establish the Global TeachNet program, a national network of educators promoting a more global perspective across the K-12 curriculum. In 1998, Anne’s role expanded as the Director of Global Education. In 2001, she became Director of Global Education and Programs, shifting to Director of Global Education and Technology in 2002. She became the Vice President in August 2004.

Anne brings to her position experience in classroom teaching, cross-cultural awareness and counseling, and non-profit management. She has 10 years of teaching experience at the high school level: two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer teacher of physics, mathematics and physical science in the Fiji Islands and eight years as a mathematics teacher at St. George’s School in Newport, RI, where she was also the Director of Cultural Affairs and an International Student Advisor. At St. George’s, she founded, developed and facilitated a student-led organization for global education and community outreach. 

She is currently a member of the advisory groups for Kids Can Make a Difference (empowering youth to end hunger) and the Center for Global Citizenship at Hathaway Brown School in Cleveland, Ohio. She is on the board of the Friends of Fiji, a affiliate group of the NPCA, and is a past president of the New Dominion Chorale.

Anne has a B.A. in Physics from Amherst College and an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she concentrated in international education.

Bolivia (1999-2002), Timor Leste (2002-2003), Peace Corps HQ (2003-2006, 2010-2011, 2014-2017), Costa Rica Staff (2007-2010), Ethiopia Staff (2011-2014) 

Dan Baker has more than 20 years of professional experience in both the private and public sectors. Prior to joining the NPCA staff, Dan was a project director and senior technical advisor for youth development at IREX, an international nonprofit working out of Washington, D.C. At IREX, Dan led a USAID-funded project working with political leadership in Guatemala and consults with various other projects and practices to improve the organization's approach to working with youth around the world, and to ensure their inclusion in programming and policies that affect their lives. Dan began his work at IREX in 2017 following 17 years with Peace Corps. 

Beginning in 1999 in Bolivia, Dan worked as a water sanitation worker and volunteer coordinator. After three years in Bolivia, Dan answered a call for continued volunteer service in Timor Leste, where he was a member of the first group of volunteers to arrive in the new country. After four years as a volunteer, Dan continued on to a 13-year career at Peace Corps in various staff and consultant roles, both in the field and in the Washington, D.C. headquarters office. His first field position was in Costa Rica where he was the Associate Director for a youth development and child protection project. He also notably worked in Ethiopia as the first Director of Programming and Training in that country, and where he oversaw a rapid expansion of the program, including significant work with USAID Feed the Future and PEPFAR programming. Following his tenure in Ethiopia, he served as the Chief of Programming and Training for the Africa Region in Washington, D.C., where he oversaw implementation of region-wide initiatives such as Let Girls Learn, Read for Life, and great advances in the agency's diversity and inclusions efforts. Dan served with distinction during his time as Peace Corps staff, twice receiving the Director's Distinguished Service Award, among other honors, and being selected to the agency's leadership development academy. 

Dan is a graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina, where he studied history and Spanish. He and his wife Chris (RPCV Jamaica) currently live in Silver Spring, Maryland with their daughter, and enjoy frequently visiting their southern roots in North Carolina and Georgia. 

Kevin joined NPCA as the Finance and Operations Associate working in Washington D.C.  He served in Peace Corps Ukraine (2015-2017) as part of the first group of volunteers back after the Euromaidan Revolution of 2014. As a Community Economic Development volunteer, Kevin consulted with NGO’s, local governments, and businesses. He sought to engage local institutions in collaboration to advance municipal development initiatives in Rivne, Ukraine. His projects included the construction of multiple co-working centers, e-governance initiatives, hosting business and NGO accelerators. Additionally, Kevin facilitated trainings on empowering civil society leaders with growth mindsets, design thinking tools and dialogue facilitation techniques for conflict resolution.

Before Peace Corps, Kevin worked with and founded multiple non-profits and social impact start-ups often scoping the financial activities of these ventures. He is passionate about Ukraine and regularly attends events concerning Ukrainian affairs, engaging with the local community in the D.C. area. He is currently serving as President of the affiliate group RPCV Alliance for Ukraine. In 2014, Kevin received a B.A. in Finance with minors in Economics and in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg. His hobby for the last several years has been dialogue facilitation, regularly conducting global and regional events focused on topics ranging from conflict resolution to innovation management.

Ana Victoria Cruz joined NPCA as its Digital Content Manager in January 2019. Ana promotes NPCA’s mission by engaging with NPCA’s community online to create awareness of upcoming events and initiatives. In addition, she spearheads all communications efforts and is developing the soon-to-be-launch WorldView multimedia platform in collaboration with board and staff.

Ana has work in non-profit communications for the past nine years and has experience designing and launching websites, rebranding campaigns, and social media strategies. A digital marketer with a background in design and photography, Ana is passionate about using cutting-edge technology to inform and connect people across geographies. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Loyola University Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in History and International Studies.

Elizabeth Dowell, better known as Ella, is NPCA’s Community Technology Systems Coordinator.  As the Community Technology Systems Coordinator, Ella’s primary duty is to enhance NPCA’s effectiveness and efficiency in implementing the Community Building Platform (an all-inclusive, online, group management system) as a means of strengthening the broad network of individual and group members of the Peace Corps community, as well as meeting NPCA’s financial, membership, development, and administrative needs. Ella works remotely from her home in Sacramento, California.

Since 2016, Ella has served as a Board Director, Webmaster, and Communications Chair for the Northern California Peace Corps Association. From 2011 to 2015, Ella lived and worked in Jordan as a Volunteer Leader, Youth Development Facilitator, and Teacher of English as a Foreign Language with the Peace Corps. Ella graduated with Honors from Rhode Island School of Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography in 2010. She’s also an experienced filmmaker, having made the official film about Peace Corps’ program in Jordan and a personal documentary film.

Jodi Hammer (RPCV Ecuador 1994-97) is a career counseling professional and consultant with 25 years of experience serving the federal, corporate, and non-profit sectors, including 16 years of specialized experience in career and life coaching, training and development. From 2007-2019, she managed the RPCV Career Center in Peace Corps Headquarters where she counseled thousands of returning Volunteers. 

Jodi has a Master’s in International Adult Education and is a Certified Federal Job Search Trainer and Federal Career Coach.

As Development Officer, Valerie provides support to NPCA’s fundraising plans and strategies through donor stewardship, campaigns, grant writing, and special events.

Valerie was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania as a secondary school chemistry teacher from 2006 to 2008. Since returning, she has committed to the Peace Corps community through a variety of roles. She is a founding member of the Peace Corps Community for Refugees NPCA affiliate group, was board director and president of the Milwaukee Peace Corps Association, and a member of the Boston Area Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.

Valerie has 10 years of professional experience including new business development and fundraising positions at HIAS, Inc. and Counterpart International in Washington, D.C., and grant writing and program coordination positions at Social Development Commission (SDC) in Milwaukee. She holds an M.Ed. in International Education from the Center for International Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a B.S. in Food Science from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and certificates in fundraising and non-profit management.

Bethany joined NPCA in September 2019. As the International Programs Coordinator, she oversees NPCA’s Next Step Travel, and helps the Peace Corps community continue to engage with the world in a way that promotes Peace Corps ideals. Bethany also manages NPCA’s international volunteer opportunities, recruiting members of the Peace Corps community to continue to serve through short term technical assignments.  

Prior to NPCA, Bethany worked in comparative international education, where through evaluation, capacity-building, and research, enhanced the equity and quality of education systems globally. Bethany earned her MA in Comparative International Development and Education from the University of Minnesota. She also holds a BS in International Studies from UW-River Falls, and got her start in international development as a Community Development Health Volunteer with Peace Corps Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) 2011-2013.

Jonathan Pearson works with NPCA members and other supporters to advance policies to expand, improve and embolden the Peace Corps, and promote opportunities for international service (including the Service World initiative). He also engages with advocates on other key global issues that impact the lives of people and communities in countries where Peace Corps volunteers served.

Jonathan coordinates the annual National Day of Action in Support of the Peace Corps each March, when RPCVs go to Capitol Hill to speak directly with policy-makers as others who can’t come to Washington phone and email their lawmakers. He regularly writes blogs and updates throughout the year to keep the Peace Corps Community informed about advocacy opportunities.

Prior to NPCA, Jonathan worked voluntarily and contractually to assist with the formation of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

Following his Peace Corps service, he worked 5 years as Program Coordinator for Maryland Save Our Streams in Glen Burnie, MD, leading a number of watershed-based community organizing projects. A long-time member of Amnesty International, he joined the staff of AIUSA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Office in 1997. He served in several positions, including Regional Deputy Director and Director.

Jonathan served in the Peace Corps on Lamotrek Atoll in the Federated States of Micronesia as a teacher and community development worker. Prior to joining the Peace Corps, he worked for seven years as a reporter, newscaster, News Director and talk show host for WINY Radio in Putnam.

A native of Connecticut, Jonathan graduated cum laude from Boston College, majoring in communications and political science.

Arianna joined National Peace Corps Association in January 2020. As the Community Engagement Associate, Arianna works to further NPCA's goal of building increased capacity of affiliate groups, and to develop strategies for increased outreach and engagement of the Peace Corps community. Arianna also supports NPCA's advocacy program, coordinating events with multiple partners across the country to advocate for a better Peace Corps. 

Before joining NPCA, Arianna served as a Community Health volunteer with the Peace Corps in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). While abroad, Arianna mobilized a committee of women in Ekuphumleni to develop income generating projects to fund a neighborhood care point to benefit vulnerable children in the community. Additionally, Arianna founded exercise groups, facilitated gardening trainings, and implemented sanitation demonstrations to reduce the negative impacts of HIV/AIDS in her community. In 2015, Arianna received a B.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Following the successful completion of her Peace Corps service, she went on to earn her M.S. in International Human Development also from Oklahoma State University in 2019.

Steven Boyd Saum came on board as editor of WorldView in January 2020. For more than two decades he has edited award-winning magazines in the San Francisco Bay Area, earning national recognition for writing, design, photography, illustration, and overall excellence. His journalism, essays, and fiction have appeared in Orion, The Believer, Creative Nonfiction, The Kenyon Review, Christian Science Monitor, on KQED FM, and other magazines and newspapers in the U.S. and internationally.

Steven is a native of the Chicago area and has lived on both U.S. coasts and in the South, with a good part of the 1990s spent in Central and Eastern Europe—starting with his Peace Corps service in Ukraine (1994-1996) as an assistant professor at Lesya Ukrainka East European National University. He also hosted a radio show and directed the Fulbright program and other academic exchanges for the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. He has lived and worked in the Czech Republic, and he serves as a consular officer for the Czech Honorary Consulate General in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. He has served on the board of the Northern California Peace Corps Association, appeared on panels representing returned Volunteers, and regularly serves as an election observer with the OSCE.

Steven studied English and philosophy at Emory University and writing at Johns Hopkins. He speaks Russian, Ukrainian, Czech, German, and some Slovak. He was a three-time champion on Jeopardy! and has it on good authority that hieroglyphics is not a language. You can reach him at steven@peacecorpsconnect.org.