Our Team

CFK Africa has benefited from tremendous leadership on the ground and on our Boards for over 20 years.  

Leadership team

Board of Directors

Advisory Council

Leadership Team

Mary Ndiba
Mary Ndiba
Interim Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer | Kenya

Mary is a seasoned strategic leader with vast experience working in the development sector for close to 20 years.

Her expertise covers multiple functional areas, including organizational strategy and development, financial management, budgeting and budget implementation, procurement, operations, audit and risk management, internal controls systems design and set up, grants and contracts management, sub-awards management, project lifecycle management, HR, and IT systems management. She has managed projects from donors such as USAID, USDA, DFID, CDC, SIDA, IrishAid, EU, GIZ, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Mastercard Foundation, and The Rockefeller Foundation, among others. 

Mary has held senior management positions in Kenya, East Africa, and Southern African regions. Prior to joining the development sector, she was an Auditor. Mary holds a Master of Business Administration degree (Finance and Strategy) from the United States International University and a Bachelor of Commerce from Daystar University. She is also a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya (CPAK). 

Jeffrey Okoro
Interim Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives | Kenya

Jeffrey has been a part of CFK Africa for more than 10 years. 

He has strong roots in the Kibera community and finds joy in providing services that help uplift adolescents and youth. Growing up in Kibera and experiencing the power of education firsthand, Jeffrey serves as a powerful role model for youth in informal settlements. He manages CFK’s education and livelihoods initiatives and co-founded the Best Schools Initiative, CFK’s largest education research project.  

Jeffrey is committed to empowering people to empower themselves. He served as a 2019 Metis Fellow, working toward accelerating the pace of education reform across Africa. Jeffrey earned a Bachelor of Science in Project Planning and Management from Moi University and a certificate in Business Mathematics.

Primary Health Care Coordinator | Kenya

Eddah is a progressive community health advocate with more than 10 years of experience in community health and health service delivery.

She has served as a Health Surveillance Officer for various organizations, including Washington State University, Avo Global Enterprise, and KEMRI/CDC. Eddah oversees CFK’s Primary Health Care facilities and community outreach initiatives and has been instrumental in facilitating CFK’s COVID-19 response and expanding the organization’s water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) initiatives to additional informal settlements. 

Eddah earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Systems Management from the Kenya Methodist University and a diploma in Clinical Medicine and Surgery from the Kenya Medical Training College.

Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation Coordinator | Kenya

Wilkister is a Public Health Specialist with over 10 years of progressive experience in programs design and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and research in health and livelihoods programs.

She has previously designed, directed, and managed numerous Monitoring and Evaluation programs under PEPFAR (CDC, USAID and HRSA) and Embassy of Netherlands funded programs. Her experience in monitoring and evaluation includes work in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Livelihood, Biomedical Engineering, and Adolescent and Youth Health programs.

Wilkister holds a Master’s degree in Public Health (Epidemiology and population health option), a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences biotechnology option with Information Technology from Maseno University, and a certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation from the Kenya Institute of Management with a follow up Monitoring and Evaluation training by an International Organization, Inside NGO (now Humentum). She has previously successfully submitted two Monitoring and Evaluation Abstracts to the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) 2017 held in Ivory Coast and International AIDS conference (IAC) 2018 held in Amsterdam Netherlands. Her Mantra is “The only way we can know where we are coming from and going is through guided measurements and documentation of all processes.”

Valentine Cheche
Human Resources Business Partner | Kenya

Valentine is an accomplished Human Resources Specialist with over 10 years of progressive work experience in Human Resources and Administration

She is a people enthusiast and a thought leader who has  previously held Financial Planning Manager and Customer Care roles at British American Asset Managers and Airtel Kenya respectively. She believes in choosing and seeing people in their light and influencing them from that space.

Valentine holds a Master of Management Degree in International Business from Central Queensland University in Sydney Australia (CQU-Sydney) and a Bachelor of Science Degree in International Business Administration from the United States International University Africa Campus (USIU-A). She is a Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP-K) and an award winner of the most Outstanding National Performer in the Reward Management Unit from the Human Resource Management Professionals Examination Board (HRMPEB). She is also a full member of the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM) having been awarded a winner of a trivia organized by the institution for demonstrating excellent skills as a team player.

Kibera Centre Manager | Kenya

Yunus is a Community Health and Development Specialist with expertise in community mobilization for action, project management and implementation, coordinating research studies, and facilitation skills developed over the last 12 years.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Nairobi and a Diploma in Community-Based development and Project Management from PREMESE Africa Development Institute. Previously, he served as a Program Officer in a Public Health position and has also worked with different organizations such as AMREF, Africa Network for Health Knowledge Management (AFRI-AFYA) and KEMRI/CDC in coordinating several community-based projects.

Beth Ann Kutchma
Director of Strategic Partnerships | United States

Beth-Ann is a non-profit leader, higher education administrator, and multimedia producer with 20 years of experience specializing in global research and education development, data analysis, and international evaluation. 

She has completed professional work with organizations including Carnegie Mellon University, the Nature Conservancy, the UNC Mathematics and Science Education Network, and served as a Senior Program Officer and Fulbright Program Advisor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Beth-Ann served over three terms on CFK Africa’s Board of Directors and produced Without a Fight, an award-winning documentary that explores how soccer can facilitate social change in Kibera. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Terrestrial Ecology from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. She enjoys playing bass guitar in a good rock and roll show on occasion.

Deputy Director of Communications and Development | United States

Emma is a global education and outreach professional with 10 years of experience in non-profit settings and at academic institutions. 

She has worked with institutions of higher education such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University to support global initiatives and engage in outreach efforts to share university resources and knowledge with the broader community. She has also held positions with internationally-focused nonprofits including WorldDenver and LEAF Global Arts. A passion for strengthening global understanding and partnerships drives her work.

Harver holds a M.A. in International Education, a B.A. in Global Studies and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has studied Arabic and French. 

Board of Directors &
Advisory Council

We have a dedicated team of Board and Advisory Council members who volunteer their time and expertise to maximize CFK Africa’s impact. They provide us with a strong, steady foundation even through the most difficult times. We are forever grateful for their support and expertise. 

Board of Directors

Our Kenya Board of Trustees and U.S. Board of Directors operate together on a Joint Board.

Rye Barcott, Chair

Co-Founder, CFK Africa; Co-Founder and CEO, With Honor

Brett Bullington

Angel Investor and Advisor to Start-ups, Technology Entrepreneur

Jennifer Coffman, Ph.D.

Professor of Integrated Science and Technology, School of Integrated Sciences, James Madison University

Jim Herrington, Ph.D.

Co-Founder and Vice-President, Drone Data and Film® Photography; Professor (retired), Department of Health Behavior, UNC-Chapel Hill

Francis Kibet, Treasurer

Manager, IT Audit Services, Duke Energy Corporation

George Kuria

Chief Executive Officer, ACRE Africa

Rosemary Maina

Senior Associate, Anjarwalla & Khanna (ALN Kenya)

Suzanne Maman, Ph.D.

Professor and Associate Dean, Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC-Chapel Hill

James Ndiang’ui

Senior Finance, Administration and Compliance Manager, Malawi at Counterpart International

Joseph Nganga, Secretary

Executive Director, Smart Power Africa, Power Initiative, The Rockefeller Foundation

Dickson Omondi

Regional Director, Southern and East Africa, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)

Claire Rotich

Senior Associate, Health Industries Advisory at PwC

James Peacock, Ph.D. (Honorary Member)

Kenan Professor of Anthropology, UNC-Chapel Hill

Advisory Council

In 2020, we convened a diverse group of international leaders and volunteers that will guide CFK Africa’s strategic decisions and assist us as we continue to develop local leaders and catalyze change in informal communities.

Madeleine Albright (in memoriam)

64th U.S. Secretary of State

Steve Arnold, Ph.D.

Education Activist

Karen Austrian, Ph.D.
Senior Associate, Population Council
Yaniv Barzilai​

Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State; former CFK Africa Peacock Fellow

Stellah Bosire, M.D.

Executive Director, UHAI: East African Sexual Health & Rights Initiative

Robert Breiman, M.D.

Emory University Professor; Former Director, CDC Global Disease Detection Division in Kenya

Peter Dixon ​

Founder and CEO, Second Front; former CFK Africa Peacock Fellow

Bill George, Ph.D.

Professor, Harvard Business School; former CEO, Medtronic

Christopher Hunt

Partner, Riverston; Professor of Practice, Imperial Business School in London

Orlando Lyomu

Group CEO and Managing Director, The Standard Group PI

Rebecca Martin, Ph.D.

Vice President for Global Health, Emory University; Director, Emory Global Health Institute

Kathleen McGinn, Ph.D.

Cahners-Rabb Professor of Business Administration; Co-Unit Head, Negotiation, Organizations & Markets, Harvard Business School

Joseph Nye, Ph.D.

Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor, Harvard University Center for the Environment, Harvard Kennedy School, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

William Roper, M.D.

CEO, UNC Health Care; Former Director, U.S. CDC

English Sall, Ph.D.

Board Member, Sall Family Foundation; Adjunct Professor, UNC School of Public Health

Dr. Ron Strauss, D.M.D., Ph.D.

Executive Vice Provost, UNC-Chapel Hill

Past Board Chairs

CFK Africa has benefited from tremendous leadership on the ground and on our Boards for nearly 20 years. We recognize the tenure of our past Board Chairs, who volunteered and helped us grow at each stage of our movement to be a model of participatory development and responsible research in informal settlements gripped by cycles of extreme poverty and around the world.

Jennifer Coffman, Ph.D.

Professor of Integrated Science and Technology, School of Integrated Sciences, James Madison University

Joseph Nganga

Executive Director, Smart Power Africa, Power Initiative, The Rockefeller Foundation

Kathleen McGinn, Ph.D.

Cahners-Rabb Professor of Business Administration; Co-Unit Head, Negotiation, Organizaitons & Markets, Harvard Business School

David Mshila

Senior Advisor, GIZ-PSDA

George Kuria

Chief Executive Officr, ACRE Africa

Fred Wasike

Division Director of Human Resources, Isuzu East Africa Ltd.

Jane Kilonzo

Deputy Managing Director, Bank of Africa

Kim Chapman Page

Owner of Bull City Running

Ben Mshila

Training Consultant, SelectTempStaffing

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