Meet the Board of Directors

Alyssa Koral
San Fransisco, CA

In her role as Financial Advisor on the Board of Directors, Alyssa Koral provides direction and guidance on the financial and accounting systems i.HUG is putting into place. Her primary objective is to ensure donor accountability and complete transparency for all stakeholders—and in doing so, map the building blocks that will support the organization as it grows in the future. Alyssa joined i.HUG because she was moved by the need for such an organization and motivated by the ability to give more directly. Originally from New York, in 2005 Alyssa moved to San Francisco, Calif., to work in Professional Money Management at Fisher Investments, a company that oversees financial assets for prominent institutions and affluent individuals. With this area of expertise, Alyssa also plays a role in counseling the foundation on how to best maximize its resources and invest for the future.

Anne B. Devereux
New York, NY

A leader and visionary in healthcare marketing, Anne is responsible for the continued evolution of the Agency and the worldwide network as it continuously strives to help clients build world-class brands. Prior to joining LLNS, Anne was BBDO’s Chief Integration Officer as well as Managing Director of all health-related assignments within BBDO New York. While at BBDO, she built one of the fastest growing healthcare units of a major advertising network. Before joining BBDO, Anne was President and Founder of Consumer Healthworks, which then became Merkley Newman Harty Healthworks, one of the first agencies to specialize in direct-to-consumer advertising for healthcare brands.   A Wellesley College graduate, Anne is the proud mother of two girls, Lauren and Ciara.  In her spare time she can be found at the gym, in the garden, or at her kitchen table designing jewelry.

 

Atucungwiire Rwebiita
Cincinnati, OH

Atucungwiire Rwebiita was born in a village of Ngoma in Western Uganda on September 16, 1979. He started his primary school at Ngomanungi, where the drop out rate was 99%. After his father’s death, Atucungwiire was taken to a nearby boarding primary school where he completed his primary level. He later joined Nganwa high school and was suspended for criticizing the punishment that was detrimental to the lives of children. Children, for example, were subjected to hard labor, and were victims of assault and battery by the teachers and students’ leaders, that young Atucungwiire strongly opposed. He finished his ordinary level at Ruyonza School, and was admitted at Mbarara high school where he matriculated. He enrolled at Makerere University for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in social sciences. After graduation, Atucungwiire joined Students Partnership Worldwide (SPW), where he worked as peer educator of primary and secondary schools in Eastern Uganda. He later joined African Centre for Trade and Development (ACTADE) as a programs officer, before enrolling for an MA at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio USA. He is living his dream of being a positive influence in many people’s lives, especially the impoverished. He spearheaded the GuluWalk in Cincinnati—a campaign that is committed in making a difference in the lives of war-affected children in Northern Uganda, and his constant petitioning influenced the mayor of Cincinnati to declare October 21 as Guluwalk Cincinnati Day. Atucungwiire has also served as the President of African Students at the University of Cincinnati, coordinated the Uganda Conflict Action Network, and various portfolios within and outside Uganda. His MA research project is on Power and Social Construction of Masculinity in Relation to Microfinance and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment strategies in Uganda.

 

Bethlehem Gregory
New York, NY

Bethlehem Gregory is the Secretary of The International HUG Foundation, and a member of the Executive Committee. She is responsible for maintaining records and contacts for the organization. She is also instrumental in problem solving and improving efficiency in the everyday workings of i.HUG. Bethlehem is a Vice-President at Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. helping to run their Corporate Marketing efforts within Equity Research and Capital Markets. She graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering. She enjoys being a part of the grass-roots effort that is i.HUG and seeing first-hand the difference that can be made in the world when people come together for the greater good. Bethlehem currently lives in Hoboken, NJ with her husband, Stephen .

 

Jane Dicker
Cincinnati, OH

Jane Dicker is the Vice President and Co-Founder of i.HUG. She gained qualified teacher status in 2000 and subsequently taught English and health education in a high school in East London. During this time, she was selected by her colleagues to be awarded for the prestigious Jack Petchy leadership award for teachers who are “exceptional instructors and leaders .” In 2003, Jane moved to Uganda, where she lived and worked for one year. She lived with Ugandan families in both rural and urban settings and worked in local primary and secondary schools. In 2006, Jane graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Master’s degree in Education. Her area of interest is anthropology and education with a focus on ethnography. Her Master’s project was entitled “Responses to AIDS in Uganda” and was well received by the education department. She has written a number of other papers about education in Uganda and Africa.

 

Jeani Fink
San Fransisco, CA

Jeani Fink is Vice President of Child Sponsorship on i.HUG's Board of Directors. The sponsorship committee has two main goals (1) Growing the number of child sponsors by educating others about the needs of the children in Kabalagala (2) Maintaining and building relationships with current sponsors by keeping them abreast on their child's progress and sending updates on i.HUG's projects, accomplishments, and activities. Jeani is originally from Portland, Oregon and now resides in San Francisco, CA. She is a graduate of Santa Clara University where she received a Bachelors degree in Business Administration. Jeani has worked in the financial sector, first at Fisher Investments, an asset management firm, and now for Capital Guardian. In the summer of 2007, Jeani traveled to Uganda and volunteered at the Kabalagala Community Academy, helping to establish the school in its first year.

 

Joanna Breitstein
New York, NY

Joanna Breitstein is the President and Co-Founder of i.HUG. She first traveled to Kabalagala in 2004 to write a story about AIDS. Although she had read in newspapers that Uganda had become an AIDS “success story,” she found a community in the throes of a pandemic, left unnoticed by the rest of the world and with no access to AIDS treatments. Healthcare in Kabalagala was so terrible; it was hard to bear, particularly when it became clear that the epidemic was leaving behind a whole generation of orphans with no one to care for them. For Joanna, the need to establish i.HUG grew out of her experience in Kabalagala and with spending time with Paddy Luzige, whose programs for children in the community showed her that it was possible to make a big difference and improve lives . Joanna has spent the last six years working at Pharmaceutical Executive magazine, most recently as Executive Editor. She has interviewed countless CEOs of multinational pharmaceutical companies, and other healthcare organizations, and has reported widely on issues related to AIDS, tuberculosis, and other diseases of poverty. For her work, she has received numerous awards, including four Neal Awards and a Kaiser Family Foundation fellowship, which enabled her to travel to Uganda and find her life’s work.

 

Klaus Leisinger
Switzerland

Klaus Leisinger is the President of the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development and is a special advisor to Kofi Annan on the Global Compact, a worldwide initiative that promotes corporate responsibility. He also serves as Professor of Development Sociology at the University of Basel and as advisor to various national and international organizations dealing with sustainable development. In recognition of his work, Leisinger was awarded an honorary doctorate in Theology by the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) in November 2004. Prior to joining the Novartis Foundation, Klaus served as manager of Ciba Pharmaceuticals in East Africa and headed the company’s department for developing-country relations in Basel. He studied economics and social sciences at the University of Basel, Switzerland. Leisinger works with i.HUG to provide strategic direction, particularly with regard to working with governments and ensuring the long-term viability of the project

 

Marita Gomez
Chicago, Illinois

Marita Gomez is the founder and president of the healthcare public relations consultancy HealthInfo Direct. In that role, she counsels pharmaceutical, medical device, and other healthcare companies on communications strategy. Prior to entering the pharmaceutical industry, Marita was a journalist, producer, and editor for various media outlets, including ABC and NBC affiliates. In addition to her media background, Marita has extensive experience in consumer/professional advocacy development. Prior to establishing HealthInfo Direct, Marita oversaw the public relations programs for Prevent Blindness America (PBA), a national nonprofit with affiliates, divisions and chapters nationwide. During her tenure at PBA, Marita was instrumental in achieving a meeting with PBA and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton as she drafted the national healthcare policy. In addition to serving on i.HUG's board of directors, Marita is an active member on the boards of the Midwest HealthCare Marketing Association (MHMA) and the Illinois Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma, and sits on several committees for the March of Dimes Illinois Chapter. She also serves on the editorial board of Pharmaceutical Commerce, a leading business analysis publication in the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, she served on the boards of the Health Care Communicators of Chicago, the Metropolitan Healthcare Council, and the Mentoring Program at Northwestern University. A journalism graduate from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Marita achieved her master's in communication management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

 

Lesley Weller
Kent, England

Lesley has a passion for development and is committed to working to alleviate poverty. She graduated with a degree in geology in 2002, and then spent six months in Tanzania with Student Partnerships Worldwide (SPW). With SPW, she worked with Tanzanian volunteers to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and related health issues in primary schools and the rural community.  This experience motivated her decision the following year to work in International Development.  In the UK, Lesley gained further voluntary experience with the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET) and Christian Aid. In 2005, as a Projects Assistant for Uganda with THET she gained valuable experience, including the development of project proposals. In addition, she has recently completed an MSc in Development at the University of Wales Swansea. Her dissertation researched conflict and mental health in northern Uganda, and was inspired by the work of THET in developing community mental health care in Adjumani District. These opportunities have given her a valuable insight into the importance of respecting local knowledge and culture and have highlighted the value of education for overcoming poverty and empowering communities.  Lesley is an enthusiastic traveller and has also visited Australia, India and many European countries.  In her spare time, she enjoys being outdoors, reading, sport and salsa dancing.

 

Mary Dicker
Horam, England

Mary Dicker is Jane’s mum. For 25 years, she has worked for Fegans Child and Family Care, a charity working with children and families, as part of the management team for the past eight years. Her connection with Uganda is longstanding. Mary was manager of a children’s home in the '80s, where Ugandan children who had been affected by the war in Uganda were placed. This fuelled Mary’s interest in Uganda, and also a desire to visit the country. This became possible in 2000, and Mary has visited Uganda five times since then. Soon after the first visit, Mary met Pastor Paddy in the UK. A friendship was born. Subsequently, she returned to Uganda to run seminars for people working with children. This included “Listening to Children” and “Grief and Trauma.” Mary is a skilled communicator and trainer. Her expertise lies in counseling, and she runs courses for counselors from other agencies, in addition to her own. She has a great deal of experience in the voluntary sector in the UK and is involved in policy making. In addition, she is also on the board of trustees of Christian Child Care Forum, an umbrella body in the UK who seeks to bring childcare organizations together, address issues that affect children and bring quality training to childcare workers. Mary’s passion is to see all children loved and listened to. She lives in East Sussex, England.

Michael Ruehlman
London, England

Michael is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where he received a Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) in May of 2002 and a Masters in Public Accounting (MPA) in May of 2003. After graduating, Michael moved to Chicago to work as an analyst for Huron Consulting Group. Never one to stay in a place for too long, Michael moved to Huron’s New York office in January 2005, and to its office in London, England, in 2006. While in New York, Michael heard Pastor Paddy’s story, and saw an opportunity to make an impact on the lives of people in great need. Soon after, Michael met with Joanna to see how he could help and has since shared his accounting and business knowledge with the team. Michael serves as Treasurer, a role that allows him to build spreadsheets, budgets, and crunch numbers—all in the name of a good cause! Michael was born in Madison, Wis. He is an enthusiastic traveler and has visited more than 20 countries. Besides traveling, Michael likes to spend his spare time reading, in the outdoors—especially hiking and skiing and playing basketball and soccer.

Paddy Luzige
Kabalagala, Uganda

Paddy is the founder and chairman of New Life Church, which was established in 1996 and has grown to include nine congregations around Uganda. He is the Senior Pastor of the branch in Kabalagala, which has over 700 members. Paddy founded New Life because rather than focus on the theory of religion, he wanted to use faith to reach out to the poor and organize projects that help them—and teach them how to help themselves. Over the years, those projects have grown in scope, and now range from computer and drama classes to counseling sessions for AIDS patients. He has spent a lot of time working with orphans, many whose parents have died of AIDS, and has instituted several children’s programs to keep them off the street. He works closely with the local community and often helps place children with extended families. He has set up a school at the Congo border in Karambi, a place where many children are left disadvantaged because of the rebel groups that have waged war there. Paddy has traveled widely in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, USA and East Africa and has authored two booklets “Come Back Home Before Dark” and “Mind the Gap.” He loves playing soccer, dancing and drumming! Over the years Paddy and his wife, Rose, have taken in more than 10 needy children and parented them.

 

Ronald Lubali
Kabalagala, Uganda

Ronald serves i.HUG on the education committee and on the ground in Uganda. For more than 5 years now, Ronald has worked tirelessly with young people in the community that he lives. During that time, he has been part of a men’s choir called “The Kabalagala Boys,” that has performed in many locations throughout Kampala and has toured in the United Kingdom. The members of the Kabalagala Boys all came from extreme poverty and many of them are ex-street children. Their songs, many written by Ronald, were songs of hope and advice. One of their songs tackled the sensitive issue of how to avoid catching HIV. Ronald fervently believes music is an important medium in the war against AIDS. As a child, Ronald’s upbringing, one of poverty and associated problems, meant he was unable to complete his education. Despite this, Ronald’s sheer flair and talent for music, dance, and his passion for children have meant that he is a popular teacher of traditional African drumming and dance in local primary schools and churches in Kabalagala. Ronald is an avid drummer, dancer, singer, songwriter, and teacher. Ronald is a well-respected member of the community in Kabalagala. His neighbors know him as a man of compassion and action. Unfortunately, more people turn to Ronald for help than he is able to assist. That is why he is so excited to be part of i.HUG—an organization that actively values and uses his knowledge of Kabalagala, his experiences of life, and his contacts with the community so that other children will have opportunities he did not . His personal mission in life is “to help children understand who they are and what good they are able to do for themselves and the world.” Ronald is married to Betty. They have two children—Gloria 6, and Gabriel 3. Like Paddy and Rose, they have parented numerous other children in need over the years .