Board of Trustees

Officers:

Nan Josephson, Ph.D., Founder, President, and CEO

Dr. Josephson was a commercial graphic artist, a technical illustration specialist for Rolls Royce, a K-12 New York City Teaching Fellow, a partner in Harvard University's World Teach program, and Chief Executive Officer of two nonprofits in Vermont and New Jersey prior to founding the Africa Teach Foundation. The Africa Teach Foundation is the realization of a dream to return to Africa and serve the beautiful people that she met there.

Matt Trobridge, Co-Founder and Vice President

Mr. Trobridge represented the United States on the U.S. National Luge team, winning an unprecedented four World titles and setting several world records that have yet to be broken. His sports background led to his recruitment into the Accessories Design team for Polo Ralph Lauren on Madison Avenue in New York City. He created sports accessories for the Tennis U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and Ralph's luxury sport RLX lines. He was also instrumental in the process of getting the company to be the Olympic clothing sponsor for the U.S. Olympic team in Beijing, China. He is the founder of McClain & Co Designs, a web design and animation firm in Los Angeles.

Drew McClain, Co-Founder and Treasurer

Mr. McClain is the heart and soul of the organization. He has a passion to serve the people of Africa with dignity and honor. He is part of the younger generation's computer savvy culture and brings a rich experience in computer technology, gaming, social networking, and programming to the organization. He is our mathematician and has the unique ability to balance vision with pragmatism.

Caroline Miller, Editor-in-Chief and Secretary

Ms. Miller is a veteran magazine and newspaper editor who was editor in chief of Newser and New York magazine as well as Seventeen and Lear's. Before she was seduced by magazines, Miller was executive editor of Variety, and culture and features editor at Newsday. Her first daily newspaper experience was at the Ithaca Journal, where she was a reporter, city editor, and then editorial page editor. Her first foray into journalism was a weekly paper in Upstate New York called the Newfield News, circulation 700, where she and a pal did everything from writing the stories and shooting the photos to pasting up the ads and driving it to the printer. Thirty years later, she finds she's come full-circle: On the web one person can credibly do just about everything a magazine writer, editor, photographer, photo editor and designer can do. Liberating, when it's not frightening. Miller has a BA from Stanford University and an MAT from Reed College.

Members:

Samuel K. Ansi, Professor, Jasikan College of Education

Mr. Ansi is a Professor at Jasikan College of Education and is currently working on a Doctor of Philosophy program in Art and Culture at the University of Education in Winneba in the Central Region of Ghana. Mr. Ansi has taught for many years and has helped train teachers for the Ministry of Education in Ghana. Mr. Ansi was one of the first people that Dr. Josephson met in Ghana and he is one of the primary reasons that she wanted to return and serve the people of his country.

Ionia Dunn Lee Cisse, Fashion Director, Today's Black Woman Magazine

Ms. Ionia Dunn Lee is the Creative Director and Founder of Threads of Color. In 2009 she had a dream that she was wearing a coat of many colors. Not knowing what the dream meant, she shared her dream with a few people while working as the Fashion Editor for Essence Magazine. Later on, while teaching at LIM College, she realized that the threads of the colorful coat in her dream referred to the global mixture of fashion designers on and around Seventh Avenue in New York City. It was then that she began to make her dream a reality by inviting industry professionals and fashion designers to take part in the Threads of Color mission.

Ann Fody, Executive Director of Greater Newark Holiday Fund

Ms. Fody is the Executive Director of the Greater Newark Holiday Fund, serving families in need in the greater Newark and Essex County, New Jersey areas, and is the founding partner of Fody and Associates, an event planning firm serving the greater New York City and New Jersey areas. Ms. Fody has a wealth of experience in nonprofit management and special events planning and she brings these much needed skills to the Africa Teach Foundation.

Frank Otchere, King of the Ghanaian Village of Osiem

Mr. Otchere is the King of the Village of Osiem and currently lives and works in New Jersey. Because of his vision and his inspiration, the seeds of the Africa Teach Foundation were planted. He works tirelessly to bring education and services to his home village. The Africa Teach Foundation is honored to partner with him to further his work in his beloved Ghana.

Clara Torres, Google Executive

Ms. Torres is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in Psychology and has been with Google for the past ten years. She brings an expertise in online marketing to our board and a commitment and dedication to the mission and goals of the Africa Teach Foundation. She is the mother of two adorable twin boys and lives in New Jersey.

Steven Watson, Ph.D., Author and Film-Maker

Dr. Watson is a cultural historian and film-maker who is interested in international projects involving children and play in many countries. He has created a library in Ghana, among other things. He is primarily an executive director of key people in the ChildsPlay International project.

Jules Zimmer, Ed.D., Dean Emeritus, University of California

Dr. Zimmer is a graduate of Arizona State University and a Professor of Child and Adolescent Development for the Department of Education and Dean Emeritus of The Gevirtz School of Education at the University of California in Santa Barbara. He is a frequent contributor to the American Psychological Association's PsycNet.