Our Board of Directors is elected to serve the goals and programs of the East African Center. Members are responsible for developing a deep knowledge of our organization, shaping policy, overseeing our activities and supporting our work through outreach and fundraising.

Emma Nierman

Board Member, Executive Director

Seattle, WA Email: enierman [at] eastafricancenter [dot] org

A graduate of the University of Washington’s programs in Political Science and Human Rights, Emma has worked with the Eritrean Education Project, Stroum Jewish Community Center, Save Darfur campaign, and The Kenyan Future Leaders Fund. She has experience in grant writing, community fundraising, as well as Monitoring and Evaluation implementation.

Emma began her work with the EAC in 2007 as an intern in Kenya, where she lived for seven months. While in Takaungu she focused on facilitating the sewing club’s transition into their own independent cooperative, improving the EAC's framework of monitoring and evaluation, and running youth technology programming. Following her return to the United States, she joined the Seattle office. Emma has an interest in expanding the EAC's education initiatives to include tertiary scholarships, computer training for students, and continuing education for teaching staff. In her free time Emma enjoys participating in her Swahili language class and planning her next visit to Takaungu!

Jen Hill

Board President, Program Director

New York, NY Email: jhill [at] eastafricancenter [dot] org

Jen received her Master's degree in International Affairs from the New School University and her Bachelor's degree in Cultural Anthropology from Ohio University. At the New School, she worked on various projects including an analysis of the UN's new One UN program in Tanzania and Vietnam from a gender perspective. Jen also worked as an Outreach and Communications intern for African Refuge, a non-profit organization addressing the needs of the Liberian refugee community in New York.

She began working for the EAC as a Development and Communications Intern in Takaungu in 2008. There, she assisted the clinic and community health workers, taught at the after-school program and spoke with community members to gain a better understanding of the role that the EAC does and should play in their lives. Jen continued to work for the EAC in various capactities and is now the U.S. Program Director based in New York. She concentrates her efforts on pursuing grants and fundraising, communications, and monitoring and evaluation of programs. In the summer of 2010, she will return to Takaungu to conduct a needs assessment to determine exactly what the ever-expanding and developing community expects from the EAC and develop a strategy to meet those needs while creating more sustainable, locally operated and supported programing.

She has experienced the positive impacts of the EAC's programs in Takaungu and is honored to support an organization that truly demonstrates the best practices in development; community participation, accountability, transparency, capacity building and empowerment.

Tricia Petruney

Board Member

Chapel Hill, NC  Email: tpetruney [at] eastafricancenter [dot] org

Tricia Petruney began her work with the EAC in 2005, as part of a Practicum component within the Graduate Program in International Affairs at the New School University in New York City. In early 2006 she moved to Takaungu to oversee the EAC's international interns and volunteers, to design a monitoring and evaluation system for the EAC's various programs, and to help launch the Community Health Worker outreach initiative. She moved back to the US in 2007 to begin work with Family Health International, one of the world's largest international non-profit organizations focused on improving public health in the developing world. She is a Technical Officer in the Applied Research Department, and provides Ministries of Health and partner organizations in Africa with support to design and implement evidence-based reproductive health and HIV/AIDS policies and programs. Her work is mainly focused in Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. When not traveling for work, she lives in Chapel Hill, NC with her boyfriend and their two dogs.

Nat Katin-Borland

Board Member

Brooklyn, NY  Email: nkatinborland [at] eastafricancenter [dot] org

Nat recently received his Master's degree in International Affairs from the New School University in New York City.  He works at the Open Society Institute's (OSI) New York Office in the Information Systems Department, helping to manage OSI's web-based social networking and online collaboration  platforms and strategizing with programs about how they can use tools on the internet to do their work more effectively.  Nat is passionate about exploring the potential for web 2.0 technologies to act as a catalyst for social change.  Nat first spent time in Kenya in 2008 as an International Rescue Committee (IRC) Fellow in Nairobi, where he worked with the IRC's Civil Society Program, helping to develop grassroots community groups and adult education programs for urban refugee women.  He also spent time at the Kakuma refugee camp in Western Kenya with the IRC's Health Program.  Nat is excited to continue his involvement with community development in Kenya through his work with the EAC Board. 

Prior to beginning his graduate studies in New York, Nat worked at OSI's Washington, DC Office with the Middle East and Africa Programs, helping to raise awareness with policy makers on Capital Hill on key human rights issues from these regions.   Nat received his Bachelor's degree in 2002 from Wesleyan University, where he pursued a double-major in History and Science in Society.

Jared Watkins

Board Member

Brooklyn, NY  Email: jwatkins [at] eastafricancenter [dot] org

Jared recently received his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. During law school, Jared focused his studies and work experience in international public law. Throughout the summer of 2008, he worked in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for the Documentation Center of Cambodia conducting legal analysis of issues before the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, monitoring Pre-Trial Chamber Proceedings, and supporting DC-Cam's accountability initiatives. In November 2008, Jared successfully represented an Indonesian man in removal proceedings and won him asylum. In 2006, he worked at the International Center for Transitional Justice and recently published a related article for the Brooklyn Journal of International Law exploring the right to reparations under international human rights law using the experience of Bahraini torture victims as a case study. This past spring, Jared had the privilege of interning for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Prior to law school, Jared worked at the United Nations Development Programme, assisting on projects aimed at strengthening UNDP's monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. Thereafter, he teamed up with the Global Youth Action Network in São Paulo, Brazil in support of its mission to promote youth participation and collaboration to address critical problems. He is excited to merge the skills gained from these endeavors with his newly minted legal skills while serving on the EAC Board.

Jared received his Bachelor's degree in 2003 from the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in History and minored in Hispanic Studies. Throughout his undergraduate tenure, Jared mentored and tutored children in the North Philadelphia and West Philadelphia areas through his volunteer work with the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project and Project Home. He currently lives in Brooklyn, NY and enjoys surfing the waves of Far Rockaway whenever he gets the chance.

Libby Gluck

Board Member

Brooklyn, NY  Email: lgluck [at] eastafricancenter [dot] org

Libby began working with the EAC in May 2009, helping to expand their fundraising efforts on the East coast. She will also be directing her energy towards young philanthropist outreach as well as increase the EAC's online presence specifically through social networking sites.

Previously working with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Libby has raised thousands of dollars for society through their Team in Training program. She also served as a fundraising liason for the Brooklyn chapter, assisting over 100 Team in Training participants raise nearly $1 million dollars for cancer research. Libby received her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Art History and Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. During her undergraduate studies, Libby participated in the UCDC internship program where she interned with the Senate's Health and Education subcomittee under Senator Dodd's office. This was in addition to studying abroad at the Univeristy of Sussex in Brighton, England. Libby looks forward to her involvement with the EAC and expanding their growing network of supporters.

Suzanne Wilson

Board Advisor

Seattle, WA   Email: sjeneby [at] eastafricancenter [dot] org

Suzanne Wilson began her development efforts in Kenya in 1997, through her work with PCEA Kikuyu Hospital. In September 2000, with the help of the Seattle Junior Chamber (Jaycees), she founded the Kenya Kids AIDS Project. This project provided an emergency shelter, as well as over two-tons of humanitarian goods, to HIV/AIDS orphans in a Nairobi slum.

In 2001, with the help of a Bill and Melinda Gates Leadership Grant, she founded the East African Center for the Empowerment of Women and Children. In 2002, she received her BSC in International Health from the University of Washington, focusing largely on African Studies and Public Health.

As Executive Director of the East African Center, she oversaw all of the EAC's operations in Kenya, as well as the EAC's efforts to establish future Centers in Kenya and elsewhere. Ms. Wilson is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in International Public Policy at the University of Washington.

Kristina Reinhardt

Board Advisor

Seattle, WA  Email: kreinhardt [at] eastafricancenter [dot] org

Theresa Wilson

Board Advisor

Falls Church, Virginia

Theresa has worked as a policy analyst for the Social Security Administration, a Researcher/Analyst on a Gender and Development project for the Presidency of the country of Colombia, and as a Social Worker for the State of Washington Department of Social and Health Services. Her professional interests include gender and development, women's labor force participation, and women's economic policy.

Theresa has a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Washington, a graduate specialist degree in Regional Development Planning from the University of Los Andes in Bogota, Colombia, and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science with a focus on gender and development from the University of Washington. She is married with two young sons and lives in Falls Church, Virginia.

Rose Wilson

Board Advisor

Gig Harbor, WA

Rose Wilson serves as the Board Secretary and has been involved with the EAC from its earliest stages. She is the mother of Suzanne Jeneby--EAC founder and Executive Director, and Theresa Wilson—Board President of EAC-US. Rose currently resides in Gig Harbor, WA and is a Standards Technician with the Boeing Company where she has worked for 21 years. Prior to joining Boeing, she worked in health care administration. Rose states, “I feel honored to be a part of this organization making a positive difference in so many lives not only in Kenya, but also in the lives of those who have volunteered with the organization and experienced the culture first hand. They are now sharing their experiences with others in their homelands.”