Elizabeth Elango
CEO & Head of School
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.
Erin Alred
Erin Alred
Erin Alred, MPA, serves as the Director of Operations at Global Village Project, joining the team in 2016. She brings to the role more than 10 years of leadership in nonprofit administration and resource development, with an emphasis on building stronger, more sustainable infrastructure within organizations. Her cross-functional expertise has allowed her to shape healthy operational systems for a wide range of nonprofits and across different departments. In 2016, Erin completed her Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University, knowing that the challenges nonprofits face today need to be met by leaders who have deep expertise and resources in the field. Erin is driven by her conviction that today’s communities are most likely to flourish when they honor and elevate the diversity and multiculturalism within them. She has a deep desire to ensure that newcomers to the United States are welcomed and have access to the tools and resources they need to thrive in and contribute to the shaping of their new home.
Hannah Edber
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 is currently pursuing a PhD in Educational Policy from Georgia State University, and 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.
Crispin Wilondja
Student & Family Engagement Manager
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.
Danielle Ereddia
Education Program Manager
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.
Natalie Huyghe
Natalie Huyghe
Natalie has been involved with GVP since 2013 when she joined the Board of Directors and also became a classroom volunteer. During her two terms on the Board, Natalie put her expertise in Business management, operations and HR to GVP's service. Natalie has continued to serve GVP since as a classroom volunteer, literacy workshop leader, lunch walker and mentor to two alums as well as working as GVP Volunteer Liaison; supporting the Volunteer and Program Coordinator and building the Volunteer Support Network (VSN). Natalie holds a Bachelors of International Business, an MBA and a Master of public administration (MPA) in Humanitarian Logistics. Natalie co-founded and built Infosonics Corp., an international trading company in 1990 and later worked in disaster mitigation for the American Red Cross. Throughout her career, Natalie worked and lived around the world, including most recently 4 years in Asia with her family of 4. Natalie’s two children, Grant and Audrey are now 20 and 22 and both independent adults. Natalie speaks French, English and Spanish. She has always been passionate about traveling, theater, and great music.
Shaakira Silvera
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.
William Fincher
Operations and HR Specialist
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
School Administration Specialist
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
Front Desk Receptionist
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.”
Hope Covington, M.A., LAPC
School Counselor
Hope is excited to join the GVP community as School Based Mental Health Counselor and SEL Specialist. Hope is a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor, and comes to GVP with 3 years of experience working with teens in community mental health settings. 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. She came to Georgia in 2018, and worked with the refugee community as a mental health therapist with Positive Growth, Inc in Clarkston. Hope is trained in trauma-focused therapies like CBT, EMDR, Internal Family Systems, and motivational interviewing. 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, crafting, and spending time with friends and family. She is thrilled to join the team at GVP!
Leah Kuenzi
Grants Specialist
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.
Linda Smiley
Math/Steam Teacher
Linda has taught Math to middle school students for more than 15 years in independent and parochial schools in Atlanta. Before earning her teaching certificate from Oglethorpe University, she spent several years tutoring children in various levels of mathematics. She is from Mississippi and has a degree in English from Emory University.
Olivia McKellar
English Language Arts/ESOL Instructor
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
Lead Math Teacher
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 Public Schools and at charter school in 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
Newcomer Teacher
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.
Elise Witt
Director of Music Programs
As our Artist in Residence, Elise heads up the Music Team, teaching weekly music classes, preparing student performances for Authors’ Teas, and leading the Global Village Chorus, a select group of students who represent GVP in the larger community. Collaborating with classroom teachers, Elise also writes songs with students about academic subjects of study and areas of interest. In her life outside GVP, Elise’s concerts of Global, Local & Homemade Songs™ and her Impromptu Glorious Chorus™ workshops create and connect singing communities around the globe. Born in Switzerland, raised in NC, and since 1977 making her home in Atlanta, she speaks five languages fluently, sings in over a dozen, and has been a cultural ambassador to South Africa, Italy, Nicaragua, Switzerland, and China. Elise's latest CD We’re All BORN SINGING, is her 12th recording for EMWorld Records, and twenty plus of her songs have been arranged for choruses and choirs in the Elise Witt Choral Series. She recently released All Singing: The Elise Witt Songbook, with 58 original songs, a few written with GVP students.
Anne Garbarino
Lead Literacy Coordinator
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
Social Studies & Guided Reading Teacher
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
Science/Steam Teacher
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.
Michelle Kuperman
Mentor Coordinator
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
Bus Driver
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
Bus Driver & Facility Support Staff
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
Small Business Lending Lead, Stonehill Strategic Capital
Rebecca Hoelting, Secretary
Founding Member, Hoelting & McCormack, LLC
Hassan Abdelhalim
Manager, Capital Markets and Acocunting, PwC
Mary Caneer
Interim Chief Financial Officer, The Promise Homes Company
Morli Desai
Founder & Owner, Devsai Capital
Valeda Dent
Vice Provost of Libraries and Museums, Emory University
Elizabeth Elango
(Non-Voting Member)
CEO & Head of School, Global Village Project
Geoff Goodman
Professor of Psychiatry, Emory University
Beth Graham
Vice President, B. Graham Consulting
Guatam Huded
Vice President, Counsel, Brookfield Properties
Christine Moon
Counselor, The Howard School
Pooja Hardy
Commercial Sales Support Leader, Truist
Han Pham
Attorney/Corporate Strategy and Social Enterprise, Hotshot Inc.
Peeran Mukadam
Senior Director, Learning and Enablement, Honeywell Building Technologies
Sandye Mullins
Retired CEO, Care and Counseling Center of Georgia
Alvin Townley
Author & Advocate
Amal Yusuf
President, SHE Women’s Business Resource Group, Delta Air Lines