Kathleen was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin, West Africa from 1975 to 1977.  As a health education volunteer, she trained primary school teachers to deliver a new national curriculum of lessons on nutrition, personal hygiene, and disease prevention. Kathleen worked in global health for more than a decade, managing projects throughout Africa and Asia. She earned an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management and has nonprofit, private, and public sector experience across multiple industries, focused on marketing, business development, and project management. Kathleen particularly enjoyed the years she spent consulting and training in cross-cultural communication and business etiquette.

As President, Kathleen hopes to help SEAPAX continue adapting and evolving to remain a relevant and significant contributor to peace and global solidarity.

Fun Fact: Kathleen has summited numerous volcanic peaks and climbs in the U.S. West, East Africa, and Mexico. Taking advantage of the accessibility of another favorite PNW sport, she’s traded in her rope, rack, and climbing shoes for a pair of sculling oars.

Brad was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of South Africa from 2006-2008. As a volunteer, he worked at a rural, district hospital in a clinic specializing in HIV/AIDS health care. Projects included the identification of the late AIDS-stage arrival of HIV patients at the clinic where he worked, the development of a system to help find HIV patients who failed to return for medical follow-up visits, and youth outreach work.

After returning to the United States, Brad took a position as a Research Scientist at the University of Washington, which is where he currently works. The focus
of the lab that he works in is the design and development of an effective HIV-1 vaccine.

Brad was SEAPAX Membership Chair from 2017-2018 before serving as President from 2019-2021.  As the Immediate Past President, he is looking forward to staying engaged with SEAPAX as an advisor to the Board.

Fun fact: In his younger days, Brad was known for riding a unicycle wherever he went.

Erin was a Peace Corps volunteer in Myanmar (Burma) from 2018-2020. She taught in a local high school with two Myanmar teachers. Since coming home Erin has enjoyed spending a lot of time with her niece and new nephew.

Fun Fact: Erin has never had braces.

Kenney Tran was a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia, serving in Community Economic
Development on the Caribbean coast from 2018 to 2020 where he worked
with the national training service, high school teachers, as well as the ministry of education to
enhance entrepreneurship and financial literacy efforts. Kenney is a Covid-19 Evacuee.

Kenney is a graduate student at the University of Washington in the Evans School, working on
his MPA focusing on racial equity through social policy. Kenney is heavily invested in anti-racism work, serving on multiple nonprofit boards.

Swaziland 2008-2010

Belize 1996-1998

*Voting Board Member

My professional career was in higher education administration at PLU, UWT, and for Washington State where I worked in Career and Academic Advising, Financial Aid, and Global Honors. My travels have taken me to Europe, Asia, Central America, the Middle East and, of course, Africa. By far my favorite places to travel are the Middle East and Africa. I have just become a grandmother and the baby's name is Zuri - Swahili for beautiful! I served in Senegal from 2002- 2004.

I served as a Rural Community Development Volunteer in Costa Rica from 2011-2013. I am passionate about reading and read at least one book a week. For this reason, I’m excited to serve on the board as Book Club Chair!

Fun fact: I was a participant in a Costa Rican rodeo and a Brazilian reality TV show.

I served as a secondary education volunteer (teacher) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from 2000-2001. 

As a marketer and communications consultant, I enjoy being the webmaster and helping SEAPAX with their online presence.

My curiosity has taken me on some great adventures professionally and personally. Photography is one of my passions and the Pacific Northwest and the Puget Sound the best canvass. When I am not behind the camera I can be found cooking new recipes, exploring, or learning something new.
 

Fun Fact:  I have run with the bulls and have lived in seven countries.

Brianna Celaya serves on the SEAPAX board and served in Guyana from June 2019- to March 2020 as an Environmental Educator. She is a Civil Engineer at U.S. Forest Service.
 

Over the course of almost two decades, I worked with Peace Corps in varied forms: PCV Cote d’Ivoire 1966-68 English teacher, PCV trainer in West Africa, Quebec and Virgin Islands, Education Specialist in HQ/DC, and in-country staff in Senegal, Niger and The Gambia. I speak French and Wolof besides English, and have had non-lasting relationships with German, Spanish and Italian. I say hello in enough languages to get a foot in the door, but not enough to get it back out again.

Since arriving in Seattle after three decades in Senegal and a year in Rome, I have been on the boards of a number of nonprofits, including a year as SEAPAX VP and two as co-President. I am currently working part time for the US Census Bureau as a Field Representative on various surveys, 2011-present. I have an MEd 1973 and a BA 1966.

I believe that networking in all walks of life provide us with diverse experiences and openings to many cultures. I enjoy road trips, reading, gardening, and the other towering task of keeping up with technology.

The SEAPAX mentoring program provides a support system for RPCV’s and increased knowledge of our community for us all.

John Berry served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger 1986–89 and has extensive experience in international development program design and management.

Sally served as a Rural Aquaculture Promotion Agent in Eastern Zambia from 2014-2016. When not building fish farming capacity, she worked on other agriculture, health, and education projects, in addition to spending plenty of time hanging out on porches and reed mats shelling maize with women and playing in the dirt with children.

Since Peace Corps, Sally has remained in the international development sector working for education and health organizations. She moved to Seattle in 2019 to start a Master in Pubic Administration with an International Development focus at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance.

Fun fact: You'll often find Sally frolicking in nature, baking desserts, or playing rugby.

Jerome was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Liupanshui, Guizhou Province,
China from June 2019 to February 2020, serving as an adjunct professor at
Liupanshui Normal University. Along with teaching news listening and spoken English,
Jerome also served as an advisor to the university’s student led English Fans
Association, hosted a bimonthly cooking club, and executed a weekly English Corner.
Jerome also served as a Peer-Support and Diversity Network Advisor, Safety and
Security Warden, and In-Service Training Committee Planner.
 
Jerome’s final act as a volunteer was executing a two-cohort reflection session during
Peace Corps China’s consolidation, evacuation, and final close of service ceremony in
Bangkok, Thailand (February 2020). Jerome is a Covid-19 Evacuee.
 
Jerome has called the PNW home since 2003. He is currently working for the National
Peace Corps Association as a COVID-19 Contact Tracer, part of the inaugural NPCA
Emergency Response Network. His current assignment is focused on the COVID-19
response in King County, Washington. He is excited to share stories and be a part of
the PNW RPCV community.
 
Fun fact: Jerome has run three marathons in Seattle.

Erin served in the Peace Corps in Morocco from 1986-88. She was a high school English teacher in a rural oasis town in the southeast (Tinghir). She pursued a career in  global public health, first at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, then as a USAID Population Fellow in Mali, since 2004 at the University of Washington. She works for Department of Global Health's International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), where she manages HIV clinical programming in Mozambique. 

Fun Fact: Erin attended cooking school immediately after Peace Corps, and makes a mean seven vegetable couscous.

Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Britany fell in love with public health and serving others at a very
young age due to the influence of her physician father. Upon graduating from the University of Alabama
with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science, she joined the US Peace Corps where she spent 27 months in Ghana
teaching Biology, ICT, and running several HIV/AIDS related programs sponsored by PEPFAR grants. After
witnessing the health care disparities in rural sub-Saharan Africa including inadequate access and low
health literacy rates, Britany was motivated to make a difference. After completing her service, Britany
earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Britany spent
almost six years on the beautiful African continent living in Ghana, South Africa, Zambia and Tanzania
and visiting nine additional countries while working for mission-centered nonprofit organizations such as
Doctors Without Borders and MCW Global. After moving back to the USA, Britany continued to pursue
her passion of working in healthcare and doing her part to serve underserved population groups at
organizations such as the United Way and Sea Mar Community Health Centers. In 2018, Britany founded
a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization called Health Resource Partners (HRP) along with strong partners in
both the US and Ghana. The mission of HRP is to improve health outcomes in the lives of vulnerable
individuals living in rural sub-Saharan Africa through partnerships with local NGOs. Currently, Britany
also works in the Business Development Department at Fairfax Behavioral Health. In this role, she works
to build and strengthen community partnerships with healthcare professionals in WA State and
advocate for Behavioral Health services.

I served as a TESL volunteer in the Philippines from 1965-67 and as a Crisis Corps (now Peace Corps Response) volunteer in the Dominican Republic from 2004-5.  I was supposed to help with flood relief in the DR, but it took so long for the PC to get me there that by the time I arrived the emergency was over.  The PC then said, “Try and make yourself useful.”  I did that and had a wonderful experience getting to know Dominicans and their country.

My career has included stints in the for-profit, non-profit, and public sectors.  I lobbied for a Nader group in DC, worked at the US EPA in DC and in Seattle, worked briefly in Silicon Valley, and spent 7 years in the commercial fishing industry, which was the most fun part of my working life.  My offices were always in Seattle, but the fishing was in Alaska, and I spent quite a bit of time there.  My favorite spot was Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands, which are the tops of mountains poking out of the Pacific.  I loved Alaskan summers – I could work a full day and still have plenty of daylight to take a 10-mile hike after work.  In the Aleutians there are no trees, so a person can just point oneself in a direction and go.

My wife and I owned a small house in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for many years – dividing our time between San Miguel and Seattle.  We sold the place last fall, and now are in Seattle full-time.

Fun Fact:  I walked all the 100 hikes in the Mountaineers 100 Hikes in the Alpine Lakes.

I served in The Gambia, West Africa from 2014-2016, born and raised in Spokane, WA. Went to University of Washington where I double majored in Political Science and Communications.

I am currently a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley. When I'm not working, I enjoy staying active and hanging with friends.  I love the outdoors- hiking, camping, fishing, and skiing. Enjoy sports, playing soccer, golf, and rugby as well as watching all sports.

I try to give back when I can and volunteer regularly with the local IRC chapter; I joined the SEAPAX board to help out because my peace corps experience was incredibly rewarding and I want to continue the mission. I'm excited to meet old and new volunteers and connect with all our members. I like to joke and have a good time! 

Fun fact: I had my appendix removed when I was 9 years old.