Board of
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Jim Bisbee President Academic background includes a BS degree in electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, 1965 Military background – US Naval officer 1965 – 1968 Work Experience includes various management roles with the Procter and Gamble Corporation, 1968 to 1992 and the Weyerhaeuser Corporation, 1992 – 1999. For P&G he managed manufacturing operations at three Company locations. Organizations ranged from 5 to 250 people. Lead both startup situations and ongoing operations. He also managed technical projects for multi-million dollar expansions and upgrades. During the last 10 years of his career at P&G Jim took a career change to a role as Human Resources Director managed non-technical projects involving the transition to high performance work systems. He also developed expertise as a facilitator and managed numerous projects to do strategic planning in small and large organizations. At Weyerhaeuser, he led a task force to Benchmark work processes with other large corporations. Among Jim’s other accomplishments he was President of the Board of Education of the Tunkhannock Area School District in Pennsylvania, facilitated Strategic planning for the Community Hospital in Perry, Florida, was President of “Partners in Education”, a partnership between educators, business leaders and parents to improve educational outcomes in the Craven County School System. Jim is a gifted ceramicist whose work sells in many fine galleries. He is past President of the Twin Rivers Artists Association as well as past President of the Craven Arts Council and Gallery. Paula Al-Saihati Vice President Paula Al-Saihati received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education at the University of Kentucky. She then went on to become one of the first generation of women to receive an MBA degree from California Polytechnic Institute in Pomona, CA. Paula has been a lifelong learner and teacher beginning in 6th grade when she was teaching Bible School in her church to training Girl Scouts in mine rescue techniques in her coal mining town in Eastern Kentucky. She taught in an Inner City School in Lexington, KY, in Fort Knox with children whose fathers were away at war, and then in Nashville, TN. From there she went to Saudi Arabia and implemented an American based English program in the number one private school in the country. Paula has recently retired as Vice President/Administrator for a small orthopedic/prosthetic company in Ashburn, VA. In her 17 years there, Paula was able to grow the business by adding insurance contracts and increasing the number of patients and tripling the profits. Paula lives her values to build a better world through mutual understanding of cultures, her desire for social justice by being co-chair of Social Justice Ministry at her church/fellowship, Faith Connections Board Member, Case Manager of CCDRA (Craven County Disaster Recovery Alliance) and working with the local police department through their Badge Faith Community Program. Betsy Miller Treasurer Betsy attended East Carolina University on the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship and graduated from ECU with a degree in Middle School Education. As a student at ECU, Betsy traveled twice to Mexico and spent a summer in Costa Rica. As a professional, Betsy became a National Board Certified Teacher and earned a Master’s Degree from ECU in Administration and Curriculum Development. From 2007 to 2009 Betsy worked for IFESH, the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help. As a teacher trainer in Africa, Betsy lived and worked in both Malawi and Ghana where she trained both pre-service and in-service teachers at teacher training colleges. While in Ghana, Betsy conducted seminars and workshops instructing teachers how to turn everyday items into instructional materials. While in Africa, Betsy was able to travel to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Togo. Betsy taught 8th grade social studies at Beaufort Middle School in Beaufort, North Carolina. As a teacher, Betsy was also a co-sponsor of the Student Government Association. Additionally, Betsy worked for the Governor’s Teacher Network as a curriculum writer. Betsy returned to Africa and taught at an International School in Kampala, Uganda. She then returned to Eastern NC, where she now teaches in the Carteret County School District.elf, Observed,” which hung in affiliation with the “Rembrandt” exhibition (Oct 2011-Feb 2012). Carol Doty Secretary Carol was raised on Long Island, New York. She received a BS in Nursing from the University of Michigan, and a MBA from Central Michigan. She started her nursing career in San Francisco, CA, caring for premature infants in a state-of-the-art neonatal nursery at night, and volunteering days at a runaway clinic for lost teens. Returning to Michigan, she obtained her Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) degree from U of M, and then worked with developmentally delayed children, teaching their parents how to stimulate and improve their best outcomes. She moved to Columbia, SC to develop and teach a USC program for school nurses to learn health assessment skills for medically underserved children in coastal towns. She became a hospital administrator, improved policies and procedures for safe and effective care, and worked on developing computerized patient care plans for accuracy and efficiency. At nights and weekends, Carol worked on peace and social justice issues: teaching conflict resolution and empowerment skills for youth groups, parent classes, and women’s conferences from a faith-based curriculum. She was active at the Carolina Peace Resource Center where programs were developed to combat war, racism, poverty, and injustice. At CPRC she developed and taught the “Peaceful Saturdays” program for K-3rd grade children using art/song/games to learn about friendships, fair play, and non-judgmental communication. Carol continued her peace and justice programs after moving to North Carolina to be the PNP of a large pediatric office in Greenville, and also later at her pediatric office in Morehead City. She has worked on hunger-relief programs with Religious Community Services: directed Cropwalk, managed Empty Bowls volunteers, participated in the Soup Kitchen and Backpack Ministry for hungry schoolchildren, and developed a fundraiser to pay for flooring of the RCS homeless shelter, soup kitchen, and dining area. She has assisted with stabilizing twelve Montagnard refugee families into America; and is active on the board of Faith Connection, and their racial reconciliation initiative. Zyck Baggett Elizabeth Mazyck Baggett (Zyck) grew up in New Bern, NC. She holds an Masters of Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School, a J.D. from Wake Forest University, and B.A. in Political Science from NC State University. Zyck has spent over 20 years providing program and operational support globally to international development projects working for Tetra Tech ARD in Burlington, Vermont. Her expertise in human resources, financial management, and project administration is coupled with an ability to build the capacity of government and civil society institutions, and a practiced knowledge of the technical dimensions of governance and institution-building. She has spent the past 4 years living in Mali serving as Deputy Director for USAID’s Mali Sub National Governance Program, a decentralized project with operations in most regions of Mali. Prior to that she lived in Liberia working on Land Governance and Elections projects. A dancer since her youth, Zyck is also a serious student of West African Dance and has dedicated many years to the study and the preservation of the traditional dance, music, and cultural heritage of Mali, Guinea, Senegal, Liberia, and Cote D’Ivoire. She has worked with numerous well known West African artists supporting efforts to educate others and share their culture with schools and communities across New England and most recently in Eastern NC. Aleathea Musah Ms. Musahs education includes Master of Public Health (MPH) George Washington University – International Health Promotion & Disease Prevention. Bachelor of Science, Human Ecology University of Maryland – Family Studies & Community Development. Certificate in Leadership Coaching Georgetown University She is an accomplished global health and development leader with 25+ years of public service experience, including over two decades designing and implementing large-scale public health programs across Africa and Asia. Proven ability to lead complex, multi-million-dollar portfolios, drive strategic program design, and build high-performing, multicultural teams. Recognized for expertise in health diplomacy, crisis response, and cross-sector program integration, with deep experience in HIV/AIDS, TB, maternal and child health, and health systems strengthening. A Peace Corps Volunteer with a strong commitment to locally driven, sustainable solutions and long-term development impact. Her professional experience includes: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Health, Population and Nutrition Officer | 2001 – 2025 Selected Achievements Across Roles: · Led oversight of HIV/TB/SI programs totaling $300M+, improving program integration and performance outcomes in Uganda. · Directed one of USAID’s largest PEPFAR programs ($149M annual budget), contributing to one of the most comprehensive HIV/AIDS programs globally. · Managed health and food security portfolios totaling $69M annually in Madagascar, aligning humanitarian and development programming. · Strengthened cross-sector integration of health programs in Tanzania, improving coordination across mission initiatives. · Provided strategic and technical leadership to energy and health sectors in Pakistan and India, improving program design, reporting, and execution efficiency. · Led donor coordination and policy dialogue in the Democratic Republic of Congo, influencing health system strengthening and HIV/AIDS programming. Supervised multidisciplinary teams across Africa, Asia, and Washington, DC, improving operational effectiveness and staff performance. Deedra Durocher Deedra is originally from Rhode Island, where she attended the University of Rhode Island. Her professional career included the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, Providence, RI, where she held roles of Vice President, Small Business Division; Director of Leadership Rhode Island; Vice President for Human Resources Division; and Director of five Affiliate Groups. In private industry she then had positions in sales, purchasing, property development/construction & management. Deedra also co-owned the Kingstown Camera & Portrait Studio with her husband in Wakefield, RI for 29 years. She served as Membership Services Coordinator for the Chamber of Commerce and held administrative positions, including Interim Superintendent of the Seaman’s Church Institute in Newport, RI. Most recently, she was Volunteer Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity of Craven County for four and half years until retirement at the end of 2019. Deedra’s volunteerism includes: Rotary Clubs, Habitat For Humanity, South Kingstown Economic Development Commission, Women’s Development Corporation, Neuse River Community Development Corporation and My Sister’s House. Her Awards and Recognitions include: Recognition Award, Welcome House of South County; Champion for Children, Washington County Coalition for Children; Citizen of the Year, South Kingstown Chamber of Commerce; David Sweet Leadership Award, Leadership Rhode Island; Adult Volunteer of the Year, YMCA of South County; Rotarian of the Year, Rotary Club of Wakefield; Small Business Advocate for Women in Business, SBA; Business Person of the Year, South Kingstown Chamber of Commerce. Souleymane "Solo" Sana Solo is an accomplished traditional dancer from Mali, West Africa. A former principal member for one of the premiere companies of Mali, Ballet Du District de Bamako, he is a leader among artists. Solo’s presence at local ceremonies and festivals in Mali has always been in high demand, performing with renown griots and musicians as well as internationally known artists such as Djeneba Seck and Oumou Sangare. With an extensive knowledge of traditional dances of the Mande culture he is highly sought after as an instructor for private and group lessons, teaching students from around the world including internationally acclaimed dancers, university instructors, and Broadway performers. Currently Solo splits his time between teaching and performing in the United States and running Kono Gnaga, his NGO in Mali with a mission to preserve traditional dance and music. Solo made his choreographic premiere in New York City in the Spring of 2014 and has most recently embarked on the creation of Sira Koro, a dance and music ensemble in Mali, where Solo serves as Artistic Director and Choreographer with a mission to bring new perspective to traditions while simultaneously providing opportunities for young artists in Mali. Solo speaks Bambara, Dioula, Mossi, French and English Reverend Dr. Laura Wood The Reverend Dr. Laura Wood is an ordained minister with standing in the Christian Church. (Disciples of Christ). A native of Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee. Dr. Wood has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Kings College in Bristol, Tennessee. She earned a Master of Divinity Degree with Languages from Campbell University Divinity School in Buies Creek in 2003. She graduated with a Doctor of Ministry degree from Campbell in 2013. Dr. Wood is a clinically trained and CISM qualified pastor. She earned five units of CPE and is a CBF– and Disciples– endorsed Chaplin. She has experience as a Chaplin in police, Civil Air Patrol, hospice, hospital, and disaster relief settings. Prior to entering vocational ministry, Laura was a Lead Technical writer in California and North Carolina. During the internet gold-rush, she served as the editor-in-chief of the Silicon Valley Society for technical communication. John M. Palien John M. Palien hails from the Baltimore/Annapolis, MD area and now has retired to New Bern, NC. John received his Bachelor's of Arts degree in International Studies from the School of International Service at the American University. The first 20 years of John's human resource career focused with global corporations such as the World Bank, Honeywell, Johnson & Johnson, Calgon and US Internetworking. He was primarily responsible for organizational compensation and benefits. With the dot.com crash, John looked for new opportunities in the international development non-profit sector and served in senior human resource leadership and consultant roles over a 20+ year period with Catholic Relief Services, ORC Worldwide/Mercer, National Democratic Institute and Innovations for Poverty Action. He was a member of CRS's emergency response team and deployed to major emergencies (hurricane, tsunami, conflict) around the globe. He provided international HR support to post war and developing countries assisting in establishing organizational structures (election, political, parliamentary and HR Operational support). John’s background makes him invaluable in supporting the international mission of ATEG. Paul Byrum Paul Byrum grew up in the Hampton Roads / Virginia Beach area and graduated from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA with a B.S.B.A. in Finance, and holds an MBA from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. Paul specialized in high growth small technology businesses in Tampa, FL. He helped build two companies for sale, starting as the ninth employee, shareholder, and SVP Sales, growing to 120 employees, and starting as the 12th employee, shareholder, and VP, National Accounts, growing to 140 employees and over $75 million in revenue for the second company. After a 32-year successful business career, including significant business travel to South America and Europe, he relocated to New Bern to retire. Paul was introduced to Arts to End Genocide by adopting a child and is a donor to the Global Citizenship Music Festival. In addition, Paul is a board member for the New Bern CROP Hunger Walk, working with Religious Community Services (RCS), World Church World Services (CWS), and Faith Connection to feed the hungry and help those in need. Paul is also a volunteer for Riposo Home, which is focused on providing compassionate end of life care with dignity, comfort and love. Paul Byrum is a cancer survivor and a graduate of the LiveStrong program. He is grateful for the outstanding care and support provided by the Carolina East Cancer Center and the Twin Rivers YMCA. Other interests include Qigong, paddle boarding, yoga, and working to increase mindfulness and awareness through meditation practices, and Reiki Master training. Merrill “Mitch” Lewis Executive Director Academic background includes a BFA degree in fine arts from Pratt Institute. Work experience includes a 40-year tenure as Vice President and Creative Director of Vision Advertising in New York. Mitch headed up a design team whose many successful campaigns included those focused-on health care issues as they impacted the medically underserved. He continued his studies, taking courses in sculpture at East Carolina University, Greenville NC, which led to a career as a figurative sculptor. His work has been exhibited in museums, fine art galleries and private collections both nationally and internationally. He has been honored with numerous awards including a 2010 Puffin Foundation Grant for his Darfur sculpture. Mitch has also been given a “Darfur Hero” award from the Save Darfur Coalition and is a Paul Harris Fellow. His speaking engagements include a presentation at a United to End Genocide Action Summit in Washington, DC., speaking on Art as Advocacy. His paper on Arts & Human Rights has been published in a British Scholarly Journal. His sculptural exhibition “Toward Greater Awareness,” addressing the genocide in Darfur is currently on a National tour of University Art Museums and Human Rights Centers. Public service includes having served on the Board of the Craven Arts Council in New Bern, NC, including 2 terms as Vice President. During his tenure, he initiated and chaired their National Sculpture Show and was the driving force behind the establishment of their highly acclaimed Sculpture Park. Mitch also helped initiate the Art in the Airport Program for the Coastal Carolina Regional Airport. He also served on the North Carolina Arts Council Roundtable. Mitch is also a past Board Member and Lay Leader at his Temple. |