Our Dedicated Team

Our passionate and talented staff work tirelessly to provide programming to the communities and people that need it most.

Rise Headquarters Staff

Mara Lee Durrell joined Rise as its Executive Director after running a conflict resolution non-profit for a decade prior, the PeaceWorks Foundation and OneVoice Movement, a prior Skoll Award winner. Her passion for this work comes after witnessing the devastation that conflict, displacement and abject poverty has on children and families.
Mara previously served as a high-level staffer in the Obama Administration and in the U.S. Congress. She also has significant campaign and teaching experience, including as an Adjunct Professor of Politics and Campaign Management at George Washington University.

Executive Director

Kristy serves as Chief Operating Officer for Rise Alliance for Children.

Chief Operating Officer

Melissa Middaugh serves as Rise’s Chief Program Officer.
With more than 20 years of experience in International Development, she has designed and implemented projects in early childhood education, family strengthening, and community development globally.
Her journey began with the Peace Corps in West Africa (2002-2004). After joining Worldwide Orphans (WWO) following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Melissa spent four years in Haiti developing programs and became the Chief Program Officer in 2014.
Currently residing in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, she is passionate about strengthening education and protection systems for children, both through her work with Rise and as Chairman of the Delta Regional Child Advocacy Center Board.
Melissa holds a Master's in Business Administration and is a PhD candidate in International Psychology.

Chief Program Officer

Dean Bruns serves as Chief Development Officer at Rise Alliance for Children, where he helps grow support for children facing adversity around the world.
With more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and fundraising, Dean has led teams and campaigns that have significantly expanded revenue and impact. Before joining Rise, he served in senior leadership roles at organizations focused on children and families. Dean is passionate about building lasting partnerships and donor relationships and believes deeply in Rise’s mission to bring healing and hope through trauma-informed care, especially in the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Chief Development Officer

Lauren, M.S., CCC-SLP/TSSLD, serves as the Speech & Language Pathologist and Rise Program Consultant for Rise Alliance for Children.

Rise Program Consultant

Kelly Ostberg is the Development Coordinator at Rise with seven years of experience in the non-profit sector, specializing in fundraising and donor relations. She currently supports mission-driven initiatives through strategic development efforts.
Prior to her work in non-profits, Kelly managed law student and lateral attorney recruitment at a top-tier global law firm. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of San Diego.

Development & Administrative Coordinator

Colin Campbell serves as Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Rise Alliance for Children, helping deliver the powerful story and impact of Rise as it works to improve the lives of vulnerable children around the world.
He brings over 15 years of experience to the role, having served in a variety of roles across agencies, nonprofits and freelance efforts with the aim of improving the lives of underserved and marginalized people. He is based in Alabama.

Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Kathleen Filippelli serves as the Program Coordinator for Rise Alliance for Children in Baltimore. Kathleen taught for 18 years in city Catholic schools in North Philadelphia and in Baltimore. She served as a Principal for 26 years in the Archdiocese of Baltimore until her retirement in 2021. Kathleen is passionate about providing quality education and support to children, parents, and teachers in Baltimore.
Kathleen earned a BS degree in Education from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia and a Masters Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Loyola College Maryland.

Program Coordinator

Rise Bulgaria Staff

Rossi joined Rise in 2015, starting as a Program Manager before becoming Country Director. With a career in child protection and welfare spanning since 1999, she has worked with organizations such as the European Children's Trust, EveryChild, Lumos, the Municipality of Plovdiv, and the Ombudsman of Bulgaria. Rossi was a key figure in pioneering the deinstitutionalization of children in Bulgaria, advocating for legislative changes that will lead to the closure of all children's institutions by 2025. She has held leadership roles in numerous organizations, driven by her mission to provide every child with the opportunity to thrive. Rossi lives in Sofia with her family and cat and is an avid reader and traveler.

Bulgaria Country Director

Diana is Rise Bulgaria's Program Coordinator.

Program Coordinator

Simona is Rise Bulgaria's Early Childhood Development Coordinator.

Early Childhood Development Coordinator

Plamena is Rise Bulgaria's Early Learning Manager.

Early Learning Manager

Rise Ethiopia Staff

Hannah serves as the Rise Ethiopia Country Director. She has a strong background in Public Health and Clinical Nursing, bringing extensive experience in healthcare, project planning, budgeting, coordination, supervision, monitoring, and staff management. Since joining WWO in 2012, she has made significant contributions, leading to her promotion to Country Director in 2022.

Ethiopia Country Director

Genet is Rise Ethiopia's Early Childhood Development Director.

Early Childhood Development Director

Genet is Rise Ethiopia's driver.

Driver

Tsehay is Rise Ethiopia's cleaner.

Cleaner

Gashaw is Rise Ethiopia's Element of Play Teacher.

Element of Play Teacher

Tinsae is Rise Ethiopia's Element of Play Teacher.

Element of Play Teacher

Eleni is Rise Ethiopia's Element of Play Teacher.

Element of Play Teacher

Eden is Rise Ethiopia's Secretary, Cashier & Logistics.

Secretary, Cashier & Logistics

Etsegenet is Rise Ethiopia's Element of Play Teacher.

Element of Play Teacher

Senayit is Rise Ethiopia's Accountant.

Accountant

Amare is Rise Ethiopia's Psychologist & Element of Play Trainer.

Psychologist & Element of Play Trainer

Sheleme is Rise Ethiopia's driver.

Driver

Rise Haiti Staff

Jacqueline Cadeau is the Country Director of Rise Haiti, having joined the organization in May 2012. She began as a bookkeeper and logistician for the Camp program, later advancing to program manager, camp director, and ultimately, country director.
Before Rise, Jacqueline worked at Food for the Hungry, managing financial tasks such as verifying accounting records and managing petty cash. She also served as the Sales and Administration Manager at Big Mango Caribbean Trade, where she handled sales, staff management, and payroll.
Jacqueline holds a degree in Accounting Science from the University of Port-au-Prince and has studied Administrative Management at BIWI. She lives in Haiti with her husband and daughter.

Haiti Country Director

Sheling is Rise Haiti's Program Administrator.

Program Administrator

Yolaine is Rise Haiti's Program Support Officer.

Program Support Officer

Yolaine is Rise Haiti's Program Support Officer.

Data Officer & Camp Coordinator

Juvenson is Rise Haiti's Preschool Supervisor.

Preschool Supervisor

Iseult is Rise Haiti's Program Manager.

Program Manager

Gertha is Rise Haiti's Learning Space Supervisor.

Learning Space Supervisor

Rico is Rise Haiti's Camp Supervisor.

Camp Supervisor

Exina is Rise Haiti's Learning Space Supervisor.

Learning Space Supervisor

Rise Ukraine Staff

Khrystyna serves as the Country Director of Rise Ukraine since 2022. With nearly 25 years of experience as a child psychologist, she has been instrumental in launching and expanding Rise’s programs for children in Ukraine. In addition to her role at Rise, Khrystyna consults with the Juvenile Police on child abuse cases and provides family relationship counseling at Lviv’s Hospital of Children’s Medicine.
She holds a degree in musical pedagogy and a master’s degree in clinical psychology, bringing over two decades of expertise in working with children and families.

Ukraine Country Director

Oleksiy serves as Rise Ukraine's Finance Manager.

Finance Manager

Kateryna serves as Rise Ukraine's Program Manager.

Program Manager

Rise Vietnam Staff

Vinh serves as Rise Vietnam's Country Director.

Vietnam Country Director

Thuy joined Worldwide Orphans (WWO) in 2011 as the Country Director in Vietnam.
With nearly three decades of experience in the non-profit sector, Thuy has held leadership roles at Swisscontact VN, Handicap International VN, and WWO. Her work spans various programming areas, including Positive Youth Development, Inclusion and Early Childhood care for children with different abilities, and camps for children with serious illnesses. In addition to her leadership role, Thuy oversees Networking and Fundraising, Communications and Social Media Management, CSR project design and implementation, Internal Talent Management, and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) systems.
Thuy holds an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from LaTrobe University in Australia, a postgraduate degree in International Management Consulting from Ludwigshafen, Germany, and a B.A. in Vietnamese Literature Pedagogy from HCMC University of Pedagogy. She has also received training in NGO Strategic Management from AIT in Bangkok, Thailand, as well as internal training from Swisscontact, Handicap International, and Rise.
A mother of two, Thuy is also a proud grandmother and enjoys reading, listening to music, and baking in her spare time.

Internal Consultant

Cham serves as Rise Vietnam's Program Coordinator, Element of Play Coordinator and Camp Leadership.

Program Coordinator, EoP Coordinator, Camp Leadership

Ha serves as Rise Vietnam's Program Officer and Camp Leadership.

Program Officer, Camp Leadership

Nghia serves as Rise Vietnam's Community-based Manager and Camp Director.

Community-based Manager, Camp Director

Dr. Oanh serves as Rise Vietnam's Medical Director, Element of Play Trainer and Camp Leadership.

Medical Director, EoP Trainer, Camp Leadership

Son serves as Rise Vietnam's Program Officer, Case Management, MiM and Camp Leadership.

Program Officer, Case Management, MiM, Camp Leadership

Tam serves as Rise Vietnam's Medical Advisor, Speech Language Therapist and Camp Leadership.

Medical Advisor, Speech Language Therapist, Camp Leadership

Thanh serves as Rise Vietnam's Project Site Manager.

Project Site Manager

Van serves as Rise Vietnam's Senior Accountant, Camp & Life Skills.

Senior Accountant, Camp & Life Skills

Yen serves as Rise Vietnam's Finance Director, Training.

Finance Director, Training

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

—Nelson Mandela