Elizabeth Elango
Before coming to GVP, Elizabeth Elango served as the CEO of Junior Achievement Africa for five years, where she transformed the organization’s ability to impact youth programs, developed sustainable funding models and expanded its reach into additional countries from Ghana headquarters. Previously she ran the largest division of Africa programming for 15 years at Heifer International as Vice President. Originally from Cameroon, Elizabeth holds a Master of Arts in African Studies from Yale University and Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Affairs from Kennesaw State University. She is thrilled by the opportunity to work with girls in education by serving as CEO & Head of School.
Jenny Granik
Jenny Granik is the Director of Finance for the Global Village Project. She is a career finance and management professional, proficient in planning, analysis, budgeting, accounting, forecasting, and compliance.
With more than a decade of experience in the private sector, Jenny's previous roles include Vice President of Finance for Spanx in Atlanta, as well as a variety of senior leadership positions with Sotheby's auction house and Macy's department store's corporate offices, both in New York City.
Jenny is an alumna of Emory University where she majored in Business Administration and led the defense for the Women's soccer team. She was born and raised in the Atlanta area and now resides in Decatur, GA with her husband and two children.
Hannah Edber
Originally from Sacramento, California,
Hannah comes to GVP with over 10 years of experience in middle school, high school, college, and prison education. She is passionate about education as a human right, and about contributing to systemic change to better support and center the needs of marginalized communities in educational settings. Hannah holds a BA in English & American Literature from Brandeis University (Watham, MA), a MA in Education from Mills College (Oakland, CA), and a MA in Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has published works with the National Council of Teachers of English, the Journal of Educational Research and Practice, the Journal of Educational Foundations, and the Journal of Curriculum Theorizing. Hannah lives in Atlanta with her spouse and pitbull mix, and in her free time she loves baking, reading, kickboxing, and cooking elaborate meals.
Danielle Ereddia
Danielle has been with GVP since 2019, first as STEAM Coordinator and currently as Education Program Manager. Danielle has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology Education from Kennesaw State University and a passion for STEAM education. She previously taught STEAM biology classes for Cobb County School District. At GVP, she teaches STEAM classes, Digital Literacy, and coordinates Specials programming. When not at GVP, Danielle can be found studying Spanish, practicing art, dance, and music, or reading with a cat on her lap.
Lane Strickland
Lane Strickland is a mission-driven fundraiser who recently returned to Atlanta after spending nearly fifteen years in Austin, TX. She comes to us with over ten years of fundraising experience leading development teams whose missions are aligned with empowering LGBTQIA+ youth and health equity. Lane's passions for youth, human rights, and health equity stem from her time as an HIVIAIDS Outreach Specialist with the U.S. Peace Corps in South Africa. Lane holds a Bachelor's Degree in Hospitality Management from The University of Alabama, is an alumni of Leadership Austin's Emerge Program of 2018, and is a Team Co-Captain for her cycling team "All Ride, All Ride, All Ride". She looks forward to growing our mission, getting to knew our students and supporters, and rediscovering Atlanta on her bike or by finding Atlanta's best patios with her South African dog, Zazu.
Crispin Wilondja
Crispin Ilombe Wilondja is the GVP Student & Family Engagement Specialist. Crispin is from the Democratic Republic of Congo and became a US Citizen in July 2018. Before coming to GVP, he worked as a refugee resettlement case manager for five years at Inspiritus, where he learned a lot about
working with refugee families. With this experience, Crispin now works to build strong bridges between GVP and families. His critical task is to connect family needs to the school and make sure that GVP meets the educational needs of our students in a culturally responsive way. In addition to serving as the Family and School Support Specialist, Crispin teaches Guided Math and assists in teaching math, science and ELA for newcomer students. Crispin is also a Lutheran Pastor and serves as Mission Developer of Good Samaritan Ministries in Stone Mountain, GA, working with refugees who are arriving in the US to start a new life. Crispin is married to Jacqueline Mwati Riziki and is the father of Ahadi-Tresor Ilombe Wilondja and Riza-Amani Ilombe Wilondja. Crispin speaks English, French, Swahili, Lingala, Kikongo, Kirega and Kibembe.
Allison Ezell
Allison has been part of the GVP village since 2017, first as a volunteer and mentor, and now as the Director of People and Operations. Allison brings to GVP a deep background in management and operations as well as a passion for empowering students through education. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a Masters of Business Administration from The Wharton School. She built a long career at a strategic consulting firm, working with client teams across the globe. She also managed internal HR processes for the firm including training, professional development and recruitment. She has always been deeply committed to giving back to her community, especially in the areas of education and refugee support, and has spent countless hours volunteering with students and refugee families across Metro Atlanta. She couldn’t think of a more perfect job for her than being the Director of People and Operations at GVP. She and her husband are recent “empty nesters” who love to travel, hike, read and spoil their two dogs.
Natalie Huyghe
Natalie is a passionate professional dedicated to philanthropy, community engagement and women and girls empowerment. Since December 2013, she has been an integral part of GVP, first as a board member, mentor, and volunteer, before transitioning to the role of Major Gifts Manager. In this position, Natalie facilitates the realization of donors' philanthropic goals through meaningful engagement with Global Village Project. Originally from Quebec, Canada, Natalie's adventurous nature and dreams to explore the globe motivated her to pursue a Bachelor's of International Business degree from Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, and later, a Master of International Business Administration at West Coast University, Los Angeles. Her corporate journey led her to build a thriving international enterprise and hone her skills in executive management, operations, human resources, sales and international logistics. Driven by a desire for impactful work, Natalie furthered her education with a Master of Public Administration, specializing in Humanitarian Logistics from Georgia State University's Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. This educational shift guided her towards a philanthropic vocation, leading her to GVP. Beyond her professional life, Natalie loves traveling, hiking, yoga, and the theater.
Shaakira Silvera
Shaakira is a native of Atlanta with a Bachelors Degree in Public Relations from Morris Brown College and Masters of Science in Human Services and Adolescent Development from Mercer University. Shaakira has been in education for nearly 20 years as a classroom instructor and administrator. Her background includes program management for non-profits that provide afterschool and summer programming for youth in underserved communities. She has a personal connection to small school environments and creating equal opportunities for diverse students. On a personal note, Shaakira is a mother of three and enjoys tennis, gardening, cooking, and travel.
Kara McKinley
Kara joined GVP in 2024, bringing her passion for education, justice, and community service. She graduated magna cum laude from Elon University with a degree in Anthropology, focusing on language, culture, and social justice. During her time at university, Kara demonstrated exceptional leadership as Lead Office Manager and PR Team Manager at the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, where she increased online engagement by 204% through strategic marketing initiatives and supported 7 professional staff members and over 70 student leaders. Her professional experience includes a marketing internship with RPM in New York, where she collaborated with Black Theatre United to promote equity and inclusion in Broadway's business sphere. Fluent in Spanish and conversational in Arabic, Kara continues her commitment to community engagement. In her spare time, she pursues her personal passions of playing Division I rugby with the Atlanta Harlequins, singing shamelessly, caring for her cat, and working toward her goal of becoming a pilot.
Luisa Martins
Luisa Martins is a multicultural and multilingual communicator with a background in business and a heart for mission-driven work. She joined our Village in 2025 as Marketing and Communications Coordinator, where she supports the Development team by leading storytelling, branding, and outreach efforts that help grow GVP’s impact and share the stories of refugee girls with the world. Originally from Brazil, Luisa brings her experience at the intersection of business strategy and communications. She is passionate about writing, creating connections, and amplifying voices that deserve to be heard. Guided by empathy and purpose, she builds bridges between people, cultures, and ideas. Luisa holds an MBA from Kennesaw State University and a Bachelor's in Business Administration from Universidade de Pernambuco. Outside of work, she’s in her element when exercising, traveling, or recharging outdoors—especially at the beach, with her favorite people and her dog.
William Fincher
William Fincher joins the GVP team as a Georgia Native. He graduated from Georgia College and State University with a Bachelor
of arts degree in History and a minor in English. As a university student, William discovered a passion for mission-based work, whether working with his civic engagement club on campus or in voter registration campaigns in Atlanta, Georgia. William is joining the GVP team as the Operations and HR specialist. In his free time, William enjoys reading History books, philosophy, and literature, spending time with family, or relaxing with one of his five dogs.
Holly Morgan
Holly Morgan joins the GVP team from Alabaster, Alabama. She graduated from Auburn University in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Global Studies and a minor
in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies. Holly
has worked in the nonprofit space internationally. In 2021, she worked as a volunteer at a dog shelter in Greece. She also worked as a barista at a nonprofit coffee shop raising money for Multiple Sclerosis in Auburn. Holly was first introduced to GVP as the nonprofit administration intern and is excited to return as the School Administration and Operations Specialist. In her free time, Holly loves reading. In 2022, she read 123 books!
Dena Stockton
When her last child went off to college, Dena wondered, "what now?" She wanted to bring value to her community and began looking for volunteer opportunities. As a Women's Studies minor in college, she is passionate about the issues young women face everyday. GVP felt like home for Dena as an all girls school empowering and reactivating the education of refugee students. Dena says becoming a volunteer at GVP is the best thing she could have done. After volunteering for one year, Dena joins the GVP staff as the Front Desk Receptionist. She is happy that GVP has given her direction, community and joy. Dena is married and has two children ages 21 and 24. Dena is from Huntsville, Alabama and has lived in Decatur with her family for the past 30 years. In her free time, she loves to read, plan dinner parties, walk and crochet. Her family is also in the roller skating business, so she grew up inside the roller rink and even learned to ride a unicycle. Dena says, “it's like riding a bike, once you learn, you can always ride one.”
Leah Kuenzi
As a graduate of Agnes Scott College, Leah has always been passionate about the education of women and girls. As a student tutor, she worked with many English language learners and furthered her interest in ensuring that the classroom is an equitable place for all students. After completing her B.A., Leah worked in program administration and grant writing for several Atlanta-area nonprofits, including the Woodruff Arts Center. She took a brief hiatus from the nonprofit world to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing, which she earned from Georgia College & State University in 2019. Leah is thrilled to be working for an organization with a mission that is so near & dear to her heart. When not at GVP, Leah can be found reading memoirs, running, experimenting with vegan recipes, or grading papers as a part-time instructor in the English department at Agnes Scott.
Hope Covington, M.A., LAPC
As the school counselor at GVP, Hope provides individual and group support to students, teaches Social Emotional Learning classes, and works with a team to guide the restorative justice program. Hope grew up in Papua New Guinea, and moved to Indiana for her Bachelors and Masters degrees. She has a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Ball State University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Georgia. Before coming to GVP, Hope spent 3 years working with teens and families in community and mental health settings around Atlanta. Hope is trained in trauma-focused therapies like CBT, EMDR, Internal Family Systems, and motivational interviewing. She enjoys partnering with refugee and immigrant communities to build resilience and foster mental health flourishing. In her work, she uses creativity, art, play, and laughter to promote healing and empower young women. When she is not at work, Hope loves being outside, reading, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. Hope says, "I am privileged to come to work each day and be part of this vibrant community, where we learn, laugh, struggle, and heal together. I feel deeply honored to walk alongside our students and staff, and bear witness to the tremendous resilience and growth of our community."
Ehsoe Moo
Ehsoe was born in a refugee camp in Thailand. She came here when she was 14 years old. After graduating from GVP in 2014, Ehsoe went to Academe of the Oaks High School and graduated from Furman University in 2022 with a Bachelor of Art in Asian Studies. GVP is a home to her. Ehsoe returned to GVP as a Teaching Assistant and helps teachers and students in and out of the classroom. In her free time, she likes to film and edit videos. She also likes to take a walk with her mom and listen to her stories. Ehsoe speaks English, Karen, and Burmese.
Olivia McKellar
Olivia grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and is thrilled to call Atlanta her home now. She earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Spanish and a Bachelor’s of Science in Bilingual Education from Boston University, with a focus on an English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching licensure for 5-12 grades. Her own study of Spanish sparked a lifelong curiosity in multiculturalism, and she feels privileged to be a part of the GVP community. Olivia enjoys walking alongside teenagers as they explore their identities, particularly in diverse language settings, and has done so in Somerville Public Schools, summer camps, a language school in Villa de Leyva, Colombia, and New American Pathways. She is rooted, both professionally and personally, in making the United States a more welcoming place for everyone. In her free time, Olivia loves to read, bake, drink tea, be outside, and play board games with her friends.
Caroline Henry
Caroline is an educator and instructional leader who has worked in the field of education on four continents. After receiving her MA in TESOL and Bilingual Education at Georgetown University, Caroline served as an ELL and reading specialist in Arlington, VA and Washington D.C. After moving overseas with her husband and two children, she played a lead role in the introduction of play-based learning for students at Learning Tree International Preschool in Georgetown, Guyana. Caroline brought her expertise to Atlanta in 2015 as an ELL Specialist at a Grant Park school, and as an English Instructor for CDC employees. In 2019, she started volunteering with GVP as a literacy workshop volunteer. She fell in love with GVP and is thrilled to now be on staff. In her free time, Caroline loves to go on long runs and backpack with her family and their overly-energetic dog.
Johna Meldau
Johna joins the GVP team as the Newcomer Teacher. She grew up in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. She received her Bachelor’s degree at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina and studied Political Science. She also received her Master’s of Education degree with an emphasis in ESOL from Fort Hays State University. Johna is drawn to diverse environments and communities. She has taught ESL in different countries such as Costa Rica, Thailand, and Taiwan since 2009. Johna has been married for seven years and lives near East Lake in Decatur, Georgia. Outside of teaching, she enjoys running, cooking, eating, and traveling. She is also a dog lover and sometimes fosters dogs from PAWS Animal Shelter.
Linda Smiley
Linda joined the staff at GVP in 2010, teaching math to all three forms and understanding almost immediately the high standards that the students had set for themselves. After graduating with honors from Emory University with a BA in English, she worked as a graphic artist and photographer in staff and patient education at Emory Hospital. Freelance writing was an interest, and she wrote a program aimed at middle school-aged students that was aired on public television in multiple states. In Washington, D.C., she worked on educational programs at the National Council on Aging and as a budget analyst at the US Department of Labor. Upon returning to Atlanta and starting a family, Linda volunteered as a children's docent at the High Museum and tutored middle and high school students in math. This led to the pursuit of a teaching certificate from Oglethorpe University and subsequent teaching jobs in public, private and parochial schools in Atlanta, including serving on a committee to establish the structure of math skills for late elementary through middle grades for the archdiocesan schools in Atlanta. It was a fortuitous day when she discovered the need for a math teacher at this unique, caring school. She considers it a privilege to be a part of the lives of these young women as they learn and flourish in their new surroundings. When not teaching, Linda enjoys painting with watercolor and ink, baking, knitting, and traveling.
Anne Garbarino
Anne has been teaching at GVP since 2012, and she has been teaching and learning from refugee and immigrant children since 2003. She previously taught at the International Community School in Decatur, where she worked with the ESOL program for six years. She is an Atlanta native and the daughter of two English teachers. She completed a psychology degree at Pomona College, and then stayed in California to complete a Masters in Teaching program in multicultural education at Claremont Graduate University. She taught middle school Language Arts and Social Studies in Riverside, CA. Before returning to Atlanta and starting a family, she taught English for a semester in Guatemala. Anne travels frequently to Italy and hopes to tour the globe someday. She lives in Lake Claire with her husband, David, and daughters, Grace and Nina.
Katie Fowler
Katie was born and raised in Tucker, GA, just minutes from Clarkston’s refugee community. She graduated with honors and a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in German and History from Agnes Scott College, a women’s college and one of GVP’s long standing partners. She moved to Portland, Oregon after graduation, where she worked in the special education department of a public high school. Katie then pursued her Master’s in Elementary Education with certification in middle school social studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with special emphasis in urban education and teaching underprivileged youth. Shortly after graduating from UIC, Katie moved back to Atlanta and taught EIP reading and primary grades at a Title 1 school in Dekalb County where most of her students were English Language Learners. Kate has also done part-time work as a teacher in the Family Literacy Program at Friends of Refugees in Clarkston. When not teaching, she loves to spend time with her husband Levi, two boys, and extended family. She also likes to read historical fiction and non-fiction history books, go on road trips, and dance Zumba!
Marjorie Cooper
Marjorie has taught science and guided math at GVP since 2014. She previously taught science, social studies, reading, and math to regular education, ESOL and gifted students in the DeKalb County School system for 25 years. She also has extensive experience designing curriculum and implementing STEAM programs. Marjorie received her Bachelor's degree from Georgia State University and her Master's degree from the Bread Loaf program at Middlebury College. She has participated in a Fulbright program in Derby, England; a Habitat for Humanity educational trip to West Africa; and a Friendship Force teacher exchange program in Azerbaijan.
Akua Taylor
Akua Taylor joined GVP in April 2024 as a Teaching Artist in Residence specializing in Music and Vocal Performance. She studied Dramatics and Speech at Fisk University in Nashville, TN and while in undergrad, she had the honor of being a Fisk Jubilee Singer, touring the world singing Spirituals. Akua received her Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, and joined the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. When Akua moved to New York City after graduation, she developed her first teaching artist workshop for the Elizabeth, New Jersey school system called “Reach Higher.” After moving to Atlanta, Akua developed a second teaching artist workshop for abused women and children called “Approve” and facilitated it for six weeks with the Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence in Decatur, GA. As the Founder and Director of her nonprofit Precious Messenger Productions, Akua was featured at the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival 2017 and 2018 for her play “Song Lake.” Akua earned her Master of Arts in Creative Business Leadership from SCAD in 2021 and has been teaching the subjects of acting, voice, and general performing arts with after school programs since 2002.
Michelle Kuperman
Michelle has been a volunteer at GVP since 2010 and became the Volunteer Mentor Coordinator in the Fall of that year. In her former life, she was a buyer for Macy’s for almost 30 years and came to GVP in her retirement. She has built the mentor program from its inception of only 12 mentors to currently managing over 65 mentors and counting. She was very honored to receive
the Decatur Hometown Hero award in 2015
for her work with GVP. She is from Ohio and graduated from The Ohio State University – a proud Buckeye!
John Plunkett
John is an Atlanta native. He received his Bachelor’s and a Masters of Education degree from Georgia State university. He also received his Master of Divinity from SE Baptist Theological Seminary in North Carolina. He spent the first part of his career working with adolescents in psychiatric settings. Within the last 20 years, he has done more administrative work. John’s main hobby includes sacred harp and shape note singing. He also served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and primary shipping clerk for the Sacred Harp Publishing Company. Outside of GVP, he enjoys watching Georgia Tech Football.
Dieudonne “Don” Ntibayazi
Don Ntibayazi is a true jack-of-all-trades handyman, with skills ranging from school bus and commercial truck driving to building maintenance, custodial care, groundskeeping, and exterior painting. Don has been working
at GVP as a bus driver and facility support
staff since 2018. He has also worked with
The Atlanta Friends Meeting as a custodian and groundskeeper since 2010, and has previously worked at East Decatur Station, Werner Enterprises, and The Georgian Terrace. Don completed four years of study at the Theology Institute in Burundi, Africa, and he has been studying church leadership at Barclay College in Kansas since 2017. Don speaks English, French, Swahili, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda and Kinyabwisha. He spends his free time on weekends participating in activities with his church.
Board of Directors
Sonya Ko, Chair
Retired Banking Executive, Strategy & Finance
David Lowance, Vice Chair
Chief Legal Officer, Insight Global, LLC
Sand Patel, Treasurer
Senior VP of Lending, State Bank of Texas
Rebecca Hoelting, Secretary
Founding Member, Hoelting & McCormack, LLC
Hassan Abdelhalim
Vice President, Transaction Advisory Services, Kroll
Pooja Brish
Commercial Sales Support Leader, Truist
Ritu Bahri Childs
Senior Staff Attorney at Fulton County
and Superior Courts
Elizabeth Clark
Partner, Alston & Bird
Valeda Dent
Vice Provost of Libraries and Museums, Emory University
Morli Desai
Founder & Owner, Devsai Capital
Elizabeth Elango
(Non-Voting Member)
CEO & Head of School, Global Village Project
Maggie Glezer
Goldsmith & Designer, Author
Geoff Goodman
Professor of Psychiatry, Emory University
Tameka Harper
Global Chief of DEI, Coca-Cola
Gautam Huded
Vice President–Counsel, Brookfield Properties
Ryan Kelley
Project Manager at LeaseQuery
Christine Moon
Retired, Next Steps Counselor, The Howard School
Sandye Mullins
Retired CEO, Care and Counseling Center of Georgia
Peeran Mukadam
Sr. Director, Learning & Enablement, Honeywell
Building Technologies
Alex Pearson
Community Volunteer
Tim Seymour
Vice President–Pricing, Assortment, Space & Merch,
Home Depot
Alvin Townley
Author & Advocate
Amal Yusuf
President, SHE Women’s Business Resource Group,
Delta Air Lines