Board of Directors

Board Chair; Board-Elected 

Honduras 1975–78

John Lee Evans grew up in the Pacific Northwest and attended the University of Madrid in Spain as an undergraduate for one year. He served in the Peace Corps in Honduras 1975–78, where he worked with rural schoolteachers and agricultural cooperative leaders in a community development agency. Following the Peace Corps, he co-founded a language institute in San Diego that utilized accelerated learning techniques to teach Spanish to local professionals. He has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and has been in private practice for 30 years, which has included working with immigrant communities. He is a member of the Cultural Diversity Committee of the San Diego Psychological Association. He has presented at the American Psychological Association on cultural and political involvement. In 2008, he was elected to the San Diego Unified School Board, overseeing a diverse student body of over 100,000 students with an operational budget of $1.2 billion. He was elected to the board for a period of 12 years and served as President of the Board for three years. He led the Vision 2020 initiative that focused on increased academic achievement and equity and earned numerous national awards.

Board-Elected

Thailand 1991–93

Bridget Davis, a graduate of Loyola University, was a magazine writer and editor for four years before she served in the Peace Corps as a TEFL Volunteer in Thailand. Upon returning to her hometown of Chicago, Bridget became part of the Urban Teacher Corps and taught writing in Chicago’s inner city public school system. With support from a Peace Corps fellowship, she earned a master’s degree in education with a focus on curriculum development from DePaul University. Afterwards, she worked as an associate director for Wharton Executive Education in Philadelphia. She also worked for a distance-learning company in Baltimore with Columbia‘s Teachers College and the University of Pennsylvania.

Bridget currently lives in Northern California, has two daughters and is married to Cully Davis (Peace Corps Thailand 1991–93 and current member of NPCA’s Advisory Council) who she met during her Peace Corps service. Bridget previously served on the NPCA Board from 2017–2020 as well as her daughters’ school foundation board for six years. She supports various conservation efforts in Northern California, including Peninsula Open Space Trust, YearUp, and several education causes focused on providing opportunities for underserved youth.

She loves hiking through the redwoods and along the coast in Northern California with friends and her dog, Bear, and traveling the world with her family.

Board-Elected

Azerbaijan 2010—12

James Baldwin is Chief Financial Officer for Metropolitan Family Services, joining the agency in March 2020. As CFO, Baldwin is responsible for managing Metropolitan’s financial assets and strategies.

Previously Baldwin was with the Haymarket Center in Chicago, where he served as CFO since August 2017, overseeing all financial operations, insurance billing and information technology for the $25 million behavioral healthcare provider. There his accomplishments included designing and implementing financial turnaround from five successive years of average deficits of $300,000 to a surplus of more than $1 million in the following two years, doing so through sustainable program budgeting and revenue optimization.

Before his role with Haymarket Center Baldwin was Chief Accounting Officer for Heartland Alliance in Chicago. There he was responsible for all accounting, finance, compliance and grant management for the consolidated entities and affiliates of a diverse international alliance of nonprofits with more than 1,500 staff, $200 million in assets, and combined operating budgets of more than $150 million.

Prior to that, Baldwin was Comptroller for Heartland Human Care Services, where he turned a $1.3 million operating loss to surpluses of more than $1 million in four years.

Baldwin is a Board Member of the Chicago Area Peace Corps Association, having served from 2010-12 with the Peace Corps in Azerbaijan as a Community Economic Development Advisor. During that time he administered microfinancing benefiting women entrepreneurs and groups of farmers. He also serves as a Board Member of Career Transitions Center.

Baldwin earned his MBA in Finance and Operations Management from Loyola University, and his B.A. in Accounting and Business Administration from Augustana College.

Member-elected

RPCV Thailand 1991–1993

Tracy Haugen lives in Washington DC with her husband and 2 sons. Her oldest son is a rising senior studying Finance and Chinese culture at NYU Shanghai in China. Her youngest is in middle school with an interest in international travel (and baseball). She is a Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting delivering management consulting services such as strategic planning, human capital and organizational change management for over 25 years. She has an MBA from University of Chicago with a concentration in economics and organizational behavior. She has helped federal agencies overcome internal barriers and refocus on delivering their mission. As a partner in the firm, Haugen has sponsored pro bono projects such as adopting a rural community to understand its challenges in broadband deployment and potential economic impact; as well as developing a strategic plan to address food sovereignty on Native American reservations.

Haugen served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand from 1991–93 as a TEFL teacher and in community development. Her community development projects included tree planting to provide shade to asphalt roads as well as the leaves used for pesticide. This experience taught her how important community support means for lasting change. She hopes to apply this same philosophy to NPCA. She will strive to engage the broad Peace Corps communities to learn her hopes and aspirations, top priorities, and new ways for her to contribute to the shared vision of the Peace Corps. Coming out of Covid, she believes there is a renewed appreciation and motivation to connect globally and drive meaningful impact. She hopes to help NPCA capitalize on this renewed energy to activate the Peace Corps community on this shared vision that is reflected in community-supported strategic planning. She is excited to explore new and different ways of operating, different ways to engage different generations of Return Peace Corps Volunteers and different options to deliver the three goals of the Peace Corps. Now more than ever, it’s important for Peace Corps to drive global connections for lasting impact. Haugen is excited to contribute time, energy and skills to accomplish this vision.

RPCV Comoro Islands 1992–1994

Carla Brown served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Comoros Islands from 1992 to 1994.

A self-described explorer, Carla has long been driven by curiosity about people, cultures, and countries. That passion led her to leave a career on Wall Street and join the Peace Corps, where she taught English to high school students and aviation professionals, while also supporting maternal and child health initiatives in her community.

Carla holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and master’s degrees in International Affairs and in Public Health, with a concentration in management and strategic planning, from Columbia University. She is fluent in English and French.

An international development professional with more than 25 years of experience, Carla has lived and worked across sub-Saharan Africa. Her connection to the continent began with a formative trip to Kenya and deepened during a six-year stay in Benin, where she witnessed firsthand the enduring ties between Africa and the transatlantic slave trade. She has also worked in Malawi, Senegal, The Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Carla has held senior leadership roles including Senior Advisor and Country Representative at Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Head of Programs at the Catholic Medical Mission Board. She has managed development and humanitarian portfolios with annual budgets of up to $20 million, overseen teams of up to 145 staff, and directed programs in education, public health, agriculture, microfinance, water and sanitation, justice, and humanitarian aid. She was instrumental in securing one of CRS’s first Global Fund grants, which helped expand and diversify its malaria prevention program. Carla has also partnered with leading philanthropic foundations including Helmsley, Hilton, and Raskob.

Carla believes deeply in the power of collaboration to transform lives — and she has also witnessed the human toll of injustice and indifference. National Peace Corps Association is honored to welcome her to lead the next chapter of the organization.

Fun Fact: During her Peace Corps service, Carla climbed to the summit of Karthala, an active volcano.

Member-elected

Associate Director Global Opps 2021-2024

I was honored to lead global operations at the Peace Corps for nearly four years, helping return Volunteers to service after the pandemic and driving innovation during one of the most critical moments in agency history.

Appointed by President Biden in 2021, I helped relaunch programs in 60+ countries, opened new posts in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Palau, and El Salvador, grew the Virtual Service Pilot, created the agency’s first climate strategy, and served as lead Congressional briefer, helping secure a 20% increase in the President’s budget request.

Beyond the Peace Corps, I’ve been a lifelong champion for international service—volunteering in Bosnia, founding Atlas Corps (a “reverse Peace Corps” with 1,100 leaders from 110 countries), and serving on boards including AIESEC USA and the American Community Association in Vietnam.

I’m a former US Diplomat and White House employee, I’m now working as an Executive Coach and advisor to global nonprofits, I have the time and energy to help NPCA and the Peace Corps community not just survive—but thrive.

Member-elected

RPCV Guatemala 2007–09

With over 25 years of experience in public and non-profit administration, Lisa Convery-López remains committed to the fundamental principles of advocacy, transparency and equity. Her career has been dedicated to empowering individuals to achieve their full potential and developing sustainable communities. Through her successful completion of Peace Corps service in Guatemala from 2007-2009 as a Municipal Development Advisor, Lisa enhanced her knowledge of capacity building at the grassroots level. After her initial tenure with Peace Corps, she remained in-country for an additional two years to oversee the finances and volunteers for a local health clinic in the Northern Highlands of Guatemala. Throughout her career, she has been laser focused on outcome-based public policy initiatives in emergency management, public health, public education and children’s services. She has been part of senior management teams for notable municipalities such as the City of New York and Beverly Hills, California as well as dynamic nonprofits in both the health and education sectors. She currently serves as the Director of Finance and Operations for a nonprofit dedicated to improving educational attainment for the State of North Carolina. Lisa’s academic foundation includes attaining a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of California and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Urban Studies from the City University of New York. This provides her with a solid basis for utilizing best practices to effectively impact modern day issues. She thrives when collaborating with team members from diverse backgrounds and has a strong commitment to consensus building when developing solutions. Plan implementation and monitoring is one of her strongest assets. As a Director on the NPCA Board, Lisa will lend her expertise in finance, contract management, human resources, risk management and strategic planning to the Peace Corps community that she honors and appreciates daily. Her goal is to thoughtfully contribute to the Board as they move forward initiatives to connect Peace Corps volunteers in their work abroad and upon their return state-side as they search for new opportunities or new talent to join their teams. Lisa is also keenly aware of the various transitions Peace Corps volunteers undergo and hopes to be able to offer more levels of support to navigate shifting cultures and priorities. She extends sincere gratitude for your vote to ensure her place on the Board and toward our common goals!

Board-elected

RPCV Marshall Islands 1988–90

My Peace Corps service in the Marshall Islands and time as a Peace Corps Fellow at Teachers College, Columbia University laid the foundation for a life of service and education. I currently serve as a superintendent in rural Massachusetts and have previously worked in New York City as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and executive director of policy.

I regularly draw on lessons from my time in the Peace Corps—teaching, supporting teachers, building a hut, fishing, and making water seal toilets with my community. I value listening deeply, building strong relationships, and encouraging community-driven support. The Peace Corps changed my life, as it has for so many others.

As a board member, I will work to ensure the Peace Corps remains strong and relevant, meaningfully engages RPCVs, and continues to promote service and intercultural understanding.

I hold a doctorate in curriculum and teaching and an M.A. in TESOL from Teachers College, an Ed.M. in international education from Harvard, and an A.B. in history and religion from Bowdoin. I live in Stockbridge, MA with my wife (an RPCV), our three grown children, and our dog, Ted.

Member-Elected

RPCV Bangladesh & Mongolia 2001–2005; PC Staff 2008–2017

George has dedicated much of his professional life to the mission and values of the Peace Corps—starting as a TEFL Volunteer in Bangladesh and Mongolia, and later serving in multiple staff roles across the agency. His journey began in 2001, and over the course of more than a decade, he had the privilege of supporting Volunteers and staff in both the field and at headquarters.

During his time as a Volunteer in Mongolia, George became one of the first in Peace Corps history to test fluent in Mongolian. That level of language integration opened incredible doors.

After his Volunteer service, George held multiple Pre-Service Training roles helping Volunteers serve effectively in Mongolia. He eventually became the Director of Management & Operations at Peace Corps Mongolia, overseeing post operations—including budgeting, procurement, HR, volunteer support, and embassy relations. George also worked at Peace Corps Washington, where he served in the Placement Office, as Country Desk Officer, Supervisory Budget Analyst, and Expert Consultant. In his final year with the agency, George designed global staff training programs and also earned the Director’s Distinguished Service Award for his help during the evacuation of Jordan.

As an NPCA Board Director, George continues to champion lifelong commitment to Peace Corps ideals and believes in a united, vibrant, and inclusive Peace Corps community. He is involved in several NPCA affiliate groups.  He is a Board Director of Friends of Mongolia and a member of RPCV Washington, Northern Virginia RPCV, Tennessee RPCV, RPCV Nexus, and Chicago Area Peace Corps Association.

Professionally, George is a partner at a purpose-driven private equity firm and previously held senior roles with AmeriCorps and the U.S. Courts. George lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with his wife Emma—a Mongolian-American educator and interpreter—and their three children.

Member-elected

RPCV Turkmenistan 2000-2001

I’m motivated to serve on the NPCA board by a lifelong commitment to global equity, community-led change, and the empowerment of women—values deepened during my Peace Corps service in Turkmenistan. That experience shaped my career and continues to guide my leadership.

As CEO of a large nonprofit in Texas and a national expert on gender-based violence, I bring decades of experience in nonprofit governance, strategic growth, and coalition-building. I’ve led cross-sector collaborations, testified in felony court and in the statehouse, and directed national research efforts on intimate partner violence. I hope my networks across advocacy, policy, and research can help NPCA broaden its impact, elevate RPCV voices, and drive bold, mission-aligned initiatives.

Board-elected 

Ukraine 2004–06

Jeffrey Janis is committed to public service taking on both volunteer and professional leadership roles in local, national and international organizations. He dedicated his career to financial resource development, empowering donors to achieve their philanthropic goals and organizations to accomplish their missions. Focusing primary on major gifts fundraising, Jeffrey has worked for organizations such as the United Jewish Appeal, United Way of Greater Los Angeles, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House.

When he was 44, Jeffrey fulfilled his lifelong dream and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine where he helped non-profits with fundraising, grant writing, and strategic planning. His secondary projects included Chair of the HIV/AIDS group, and he taught American Sign Language to deaf Ukrainians. He currently works for UCLA as the Peace Corps Campus Recruiter.

Jeffrey has a B.A. in Psychology from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a M.B.A. with a focus in non-profit management from the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, CA.  He is an avid traveler and has been to more than 50 countries.

Board-elected

RPCV Mozambique 2006-2009

In a time of material US policy upheaval and growing geopolitical tensions, I am eager to support the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer community as we rally to safeguard Peace Corps and its enduring mission. Given my global private and public sector experience, I am well-suited to help advance NPCA’s development goals and corporate engagement, catalyzing the organization’s financial sustainability and reach. Moreover, with my background in management consulting and board engagement, I can support NPCA in the maintenance of its strategy to amplify its long-term impact. Being in the Peace Corps was the gift of a lifetime, something I will cherish forever. With the threats posed to the organization, I cannot sit back.

Member-elected

RPCV Mongolia 2010–12

Babila Lima is the Director of the IT Enterprise Project Management Office for the city of Baltimore, leading a 20-member team in application portfolio optimization, audit management and compliance, data analysis and process improvement, legislative affairs, strategic plan oversight, performance management, and project management. His role encompasses a wide range of functions aimed at enhancing city operations and service delivery.

Babila brings a wealth of experience in transformation and strategic planning, policy development and implementation, and nonprofit leadership to his NPCA board service. He has served as a board member and board president for Baltimore Green Space, where he supported the development of a new board member recruitment strategy and strategic plan. His experience includes managing international development projects funded by organizations such as the Canadian government, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and USAID, as well as creating new government offices to improve service delivery and innovation. In Mongolia, Babila organized a “Run for Air” fundraiser, covering 267 miles to raise funds for smokeless stoves, and in Baltimore, he streamlined the special events permit process and developed a fee assessment impact model. Recently, he developed a generative artificial intelligence policy for Baltimore City. At NPCA, Babila supports policy, programs, and advocacy efforts, strengthening relationships with stakeholders and partners to advance the Peace Corps’ mission. He holds a B.A. from Denison University, is a Certified Public Manager (CPM), and will complete an M.S. in Information Architecture from the University of Baltimore in December 2024.

Member-elected

RPCV Burkina Faso 2000-2002, EMA Regional Director 2014-2016

Serving Peace Corps as a volunteer and staff member has truly been an honor and privilege. I am deeply committed to continue serving Peace Corps, especially during these unprecedented times. The work, impact, and global presence of Peace Corps is needed now more than ever.

Being a PCV in Burkina Faso 20+ years ago opened the doors and passion for my career in foreign diplomacy. I returned from Peace Corps and began working at an international nonprofit, then U.S. Agency for International Development, National Security Council, Peace Corps, Department of State, Congressional Commission on Service, international consulting firm, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. I have served under Presidents Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden. Throughout my experiences, I have been presented with opportunities and challenges including evacuating volunteers and opening new Peace Corps programs. The strength and determination I gained as a PCV remains my foundation – if I can do Peace Corps, I can do anything. I could not think of a better way to keep supporting and contributing to Peace Corps than serving on the NPCA Board.

Member-elected

Bolivia 2000–02

Kristina Owens (Bolivia 2000–02) is a second generation Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. Her dad, Robert Owens served in Peru 1970–73 where he met Kristina’s mother a host country national. Kristina’s sister Wendy (Paraguay 2000–02) also served. Kristina’s service focused on agriculture and environmental education. Her Peace Corps service has provided a framework for the trajectory of her career. She began her career as a biologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. While in D.C., Kristina began volunteering for the NPCA advocacy program in 2008 and has not stop. From 2009 to 2012, she served on the Board of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, D.C. (RPCV/W), where she led RPCV/W’s effort to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps on September 25, 2011, with a Wreath Laying, Program and Walk of Flags.

In 2012, she joined the NPCA Board Directors as the Mid-Atlantic/Nationwide Member elected Director.   She was an active member of the Governance and the Chair of the Advocacy and Policy Committee. After finishing her term in 2015, she continued serving as Board Emeritus on various initiatives such as the Peace Corps Connect to the Future and Advocacy. After over 10 years living and working in D.C., she returned home to Rochester, New York. After finishing another graduate degree in Public Policy, she worked in higher education encouraging science, engineering, and deaf and hard of hearing students to consider the Peace Corps. Now she is pursuing an additional degree to teach English to new language learners at the elementary school level.

Member-Elected

RPCV Ukraine 1998–2000

Petrozzola’s Peace Corps Volunteer experience immeasurably impacted her life’s path. Initially opening the door to positions at the United Nations, it also led her back to the Peace Corps.  Returning to the Peace Corps, albeit this time as staff, she completed two terms as Director of Programming and Training in Ukraine and the Eastern Caribbean in addition to short term staff assignments in Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname, Romania and Georgia.  She then served at Peace Corps HQ as the Director of Programming and Training in the Office of AIDS Relief, providing support to Peace Corps health programs around the world. In this role, she spent extensive time at Peace Corps posts managing PEPFAR funds, including Malawi, Swaziland, Tanzania, Kenya, Cameroon and Rwanda.  She was also tapped to support the opening of the Peace Corps in the Philippines, spending 2 months traveling around to villages to meet with potential hosting communities and identify sites for the first group of Volunteers.  Wrapping up her staff tenure, she served as a consultant to develop online pre-departure training to help ready candidates for their service.  It was an honor for her to serve the Peace Corps in these various capacities which afforded her a window on the incredible organization of the Peace Corps.

Since leaving the Peace Corps, she has worked at TRG as an organizational development professional in the international development space. She was drawn to TRG because it was founded by former Peace Corps Volunteers and staff members and embodies many of the same values and principles of the Peace Corps, promoting locally-driven development that recognizes the value diversity of all kinds brings to addressing community and global challenges. In her role, she works with teams and organizations supporting human-centered design, connecting stakeholders for a shared agenda and learning; designing, facilitating, and creating spaces for voices to be heard and for solutions to complex global challenges to be locally led and sustainable.  In addition to being a proud staff member, she also serves in various roles to support the governance of her company, including having served a three-year term as a Board Member elected by her colleagues. This experience gave her hands-on experience in serving on a Board, responsible for the governance of the company and ensuring the company is in alignment with her mission and vision.

As an NPCA Board Member, she would bring a lifelong commitment to the Peace Corps combined with experience in a mission-driven company and as a Board member to help the Peace Corps be the best it can be, to empower NPCA members and affiliate groups to thrive and to amplify the community’s collective social impact.

Member-elected

RPCV Ecuador 1992–94

Kathryn (Kate) Pongonis served as an Agricultural Extension Volunteer in the highlands of Ecuador from 1992-1994. This experience was an impetus for a lifetime career overseas. She is a recently-retired Foreign Service Officer with the United States Department of State. Kate joined the State Department in 1999 and served in multiple overseas posts. Prior to joining the State Department, Kate was a Hispanic Outreach Attorney with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society in Atlanta, Georgia. Soon after her retirement, Kate returned to the State Department in a retiree status, rejoining the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to work on the Lawful Migration Task Force and the Safe Mobility Office initiative in Latin America. Kate is actively engaged in her community as a member of a neighborhood board of directors and her law school’s international advisory committee.

Kate is currently a board member of the NOVA RPCA and is interested in serving on the board of the NPCA to become further involved in nationwide leadership role to support RPCVs, their activities and initiatives, and to further the goals of the agency. She describes herself as a community-builder, who, over the course of 25 years overseas, has led and formed groups in all of the countries where she served. In particular, in countries where Peace Corps was present, she served as a mentor to volunteers concluding their service and a resource on international careers with the U.S. government. She enjoys generating new ideas and collaborating with others to bring these ideas to fruition. She feels welcome and “at home” and relishes the camaraderie of RPCV groupings.

Board-elected

RPCV Guatemala 2007-2009

Sarah Fuhrmann Thorwirth served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala from 2007 to 2009, an experience that shaped her lifelong dedication to cross-cultural collaboration and global service. She earned her Master’s degree in Conflict Transformation and Sustainable Development through the now-retired Master’s International program, which combined graduate study with Peace Corps service.

Over the past decade, Sarah has been deeply involved in nonprofit governance and volunteer development. In her professional career, she directs her expertise toward community and leadership development, leading teams and partnerships to design and implement inclusive, sustainable programs grounded in local perspectives and values.

As an NPCA board director, Sarah brings a blend of field experience, governance acumen, and a passion for nurturing volunteer networks. She aims to strengthen connections among Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs), support affiliate groups, and help NPCA evolve with relevance across generations and geographies.

Board-Elected

Ghana 1997–99

Nell Todd is a managing director at Deloitte Consulting LLP and leads Deloitte’s support of the State Department’s work in Afghanistan. She is currently the diversity, equity, and inclusion leader for Deloitte’s international affairs sub-sector and the pro bono lead for Deloitte’s government and public services. Nell has managed development projects in over ten countries, primarily focused on strengthening local governments.  She also leads large-scale, mission-focused transformation and strategic planning efforts with federal government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Nell was an interim head of school, taught for ten years as an adjunct professor at Georgetown’s school of foreign service, and served in the US Peace Corps. Nell holds a BA in political science from Carleton College and an MS in public policy and management from the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University.