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

A woman with shoulder-length light brown hair smiling outdoors with a blurred green and yellow background.

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 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

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing glasses and a red and blue plaid shirt, smiling outdoors.

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

Chief Operating Officer

A woman with short blonde hair smiling outdoors with green trees in the background.

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

Portrait of a smiling middle-aged man with glasses, a beard, wearing a blue checked shirt, standing against a gray wall background.

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

A smiling woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a sleeveless patterned top and pearl earrings, outdoors with a blurred background.

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

Rise Program Consultant

Black and white portrait of a smiling man with glasses, a beard, and curly hair, wearing a striped shirt.

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

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, smiling, wearing pearl earrings and a pearl necklace, in front of a yellow and green background.

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

A close-up portrait of a middle-aged woman with brown hair, wearing a light blue top and pearl earrings, smiling softly. Artworks are visible in the background.

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

A woman with brown hair, smiling, wearing a white blouse, in front of a white wall with colorful paintings.

Maria is Rise Bulgaria's Project Facilitator.

Project Facilitator

Portrait of a smiling woman with red hair, wearing a yellow top and a navy blue cardigan, in front of colorful artwork on the wall.

Plamena is Rise Bulgaria's Early Learning Manager.

Early Learning Manager

Young woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a navy blue t-shirt with 'worldwide orphans' logo, standing outdoors against a gray background.

Simona is Rise Bulgaria's Early Childhood Development Coordinator.

Early Childhood Development Coordinator

A smiling woman with short brown hair, wearing a navy blue shirt, indoors with colorful artwork blurred in the background.

Diana is Rise Bulgaria's Program Coordinator.

Program Coordinator

Rise Ethiopia Staff

Close-up of a woman smiling with a purple headscarf, wearing a striped pink top, indoors, with a blurred background.

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

A woman with dark hair and a dark shirt smiling in front of a blue and white sign with Amharic and English writing.

Genet is Rise Ethiopia's Early Childhood Development Director.

Early Childhood Development Director

A man with short curly black hair and a goatee, wearing a checkered shirt, standing in front of a wall with colorful posters.

Gebremeskel is Rise Ethiopia's Element of Play Teacher and Social Worker.

Element of Play Teacher & Social Worker

A young man with short curly black hair, a mustache, and a goatee, wearing an orange T-shirt, standing outdoors with trees, modern glass buildings, and construction in the background.

Tebebu is Rise Ethiopia's driver.

Driver

A young woman with dark skin and short dark hair smiling in front of a colorful educational poster.

Meseret is Rise Ethiopia's Element of Play Center Cleaner.

Element of Play Center Cleaner

A smiling woman with dark hair, wearing a blue shirt and earrings, standing in front of a colorful sign with text in a foreign script.

Yeshiareg is Rise Ethiopia's Psychologist and Element of Play Teacher.

Psychologist & Element of Play Teacher

Smiling woman with natural hair standing in front of a colorful poster or banner.

Etsegenet is one of Rise Ethiopia's Element of Play Teachers.

Element of Play Teacher

A nurse wearing a blue cap and white uniform, smiling at the camera with a colorful background featuring various letters and symbols.

Tsehay is Rise Ethiopia's cleaner.

Element of Play Center Cleaner

A woman with medium brown skin and reddish-brown curly hair looking at the camera, standing in front of a partial sign with blue and orange text on a white background.

Eleni is Rise Ethiopia's Element of Play Teacher.

Element of Play Teacher

A woman with light brown hair smiling at the camera.

Workae is Rise Ethiopia's Element of Play Teacher.

Element of Play Teacher

A woman with short dark hair wearing an orange shirt standing outdoors near a white building and green plants.

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

Secretary, Cashier & Logistics

A smiling woman with dark hair and earrings, wearing a shirt with a dark vest, standing in front of a colorful background with text and graphics.

Bethel is one of Rise Ethiopia's Element of Play Teachers and Camp Counselors.

Element of Play Teacher & Camp Coordinator

A smiling woman with dark skin and short curly hair, in front of a blue background with partial white and teal text.

Bethelhem is Rise Ethiopia's Element of Play Center Cleaner.

Element of Play Center Cleaner

Close-up of a woman with medium-dark skin, dark straight hair, and wearing a pearl necklace and patterned top, standing in front of a white background with partial pink and blue text.

Serkalem is one of Rise Ethiopia's Element of Play Teachers.

Element of Play Teacher

Close-up of a smiling woman with dark braided hair standing in front of a whiteboard with blue and orange writing.

Etsegenet is Rise Ethiopia's Element of Play Teacher.

Element of Play Teacher

A woman with dark hair in pigtails, wearing a white shirt, standing in front of a sign with colorful text.

Ayhuberhan is Rise Ethiopia's Data Clerk.

Data Clerk

Close-up of smiling man with short gray hair and some missing teeth, wearing a black jacket.

Degefu is Rise Ethiopia's Administration and Finance Manager.

Administration & Finance Manager

A woman with curly hair and earrings smiling in front of a colorful height chart with the words 'UP' and 'DOWN' in different colors.

Selamawit is Rise Ethiopia's Element of Play Teacher and Social Worker.

Element of Play Teacher & Social Worker

A smiling woman with braided hair, wearing a yellow top, standing in front of a colorful background with text and numbers.

Senayit is Rise Ethiopia's Accountant.

Accountant

Rise Haiti Staff

Smiling woman wearing a blue t-shirt outdoors with trees and an informational sign in the background.

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

A woman with dark curly hair smiling outdoors, wearing an orange shirt with a bright green logo, surrounded by trees and greenery.

Sheling is Rise Haiti's Program Administrator.

Program Administrator

A woman with short, textured hair wearing an orange shirt, standing in front of a blurred background featuring a large frog image with a green forest scene.

Yolaine is Rise Haiti's Program Support Officer.

Program Support Officer

A young man with dark skin and short curly hair sitting outdoors on a sunny day, wearing a bright blue T-shirt and a silver necklace, with green trees and a signboard in the background.

Yolaine is Rise Haiti's Program Support Officer.

Data Officer & Camp Coordinator

Young man wearing a green shirt outdoors with trees and a sign in the background.

Juvenson is Rise Haiti's Preschool Supervisor.

Preschool Supervisor

A smiling woman with short curly hair, wearing a bright blue T-shirt with white text and pink earrings, standing outdoors with trees and an informational sign in the background.

Iseult is Rise Haiti's Program Manager.

Program Manager

A woman wearing an orange T-shirt with lime green text standing outdoors with trees and a fence in the background.

Gertha is Rise Haiti's Learning Space Supervisor.

Learning Space Supervisor

A man with dark hair and a goatee wearing an orange T-shirt with green text, standing outdoors with trees and a house in the background.

Rico is Rise Haiti's Camp Supervisor.

Camp Supervisor

A woman with short black hair wearing a blue T-shirt with white graphics, sitting outdoors with green trees and a signboard in the background.

Exina is Rise Haiti's Learning Space Supervisor.

Learning Space Supervisor

Rise Ukraine Staff

A smiling woman with brown hair wearing a white blazer standing in front of a colorful, abstract painting.

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

Portrait of a woman with long black hair, wearing a white high-neck blouse, and smiling against a plain light background.

Kateryna serves as Rise Ukraine's Program Manager.

Program Manager

A woman with short black hair, wearing a white collared shirt, is sitting in front of a whiteboard or screen, looking at the camera with a slight smile.

Oksana serves as Rise Ukraine's Finance Manager.

Finance Manager

A woman with blonde hair smiling outdoors, with a colorful rainbow flag in the background.

Mariya serves as Rise Ukraine's Education and Training Manager.

Education & Training Manager

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a white button-up shirt and multiple strands of orange beads around her neck, standing against a plain white background.

Sandra serves as Rise Ukraine's Monitoring and Evaluation Manager.

Monitoring & Evaluation Manager

A young woman with long brown hair, wearing a white pinstripe blazer and white shirt, smiling and holding a mug that says "RISE" in front of a yellow cabinet and bookshelf filled with books.

Olya serves as Rise Ukraine's Communications Coordinator.

Communications Coordinator

Rise Vietnam Staff

A smiling woman with black hair, wearing a blue t-shirt with the text 'PLAY LEARN THRIVE,' standing in front of a wall with colorful balloon illustrations.

Vinh serves as Rise Vietnam's Country Director. She joined the organization in 2012 after gaining significant experience in implementing social development projects. Prior to her current role, she worked with Swisscontact on the "Strengthening of Vocational Training Centres" (SVTC) project, as well as on environmental protection initiatives funded by DANIDA and the World Bank.
Vinh has a degree in Education and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Bolton.

Vietnam Country Director

Young woman smiling in front of a bookshelf filled with books.

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

Program Coordinator, EoP Coordinator, Camp Leadership

Woman smiling and forming a heart shape with her hands in front of a festive background with colorful balloons.

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

Program Officer, Camp Leadership

A man with black hair smiling in front of a wall decorated with colorful balloons.

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

Community-based Manager, Camp Director

Smiling woman with glasses and long gray hair wearing a blue T-shirt, standing in front of a colorful wall with pink, green, blue, and white abstract shapes.

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

Medical Director, EoP Trainer, Camp Leadership

A young man with glasses smiling in front of a bookshelf filled with colorful books.

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

Program Officer, Case Management, MiM, Camp Leadership

A woman smiling in a store aisle with shelves of toys and shoes behind her.

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

Medical Advisor, Speech Language Therapist, Camp Leadership

A young man wearing glasses and a blue shirt with the words 'Play Learn Thrive' printed on it, smiling in front of a white background decorated with colorful balloons and streamers.

Thanh serves as Rise Vietnam's Project Site Manager.

Project Site Manager

Woman with black hair and a blue T-shirt standing in front of a light gray wall decorated with colorful balloons and clouds.

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

Senior Accountant, Camp & Life Skills

A woman with glasses and dark hair pulled back, wearing a blue shirt, standing in front of a shelf with decorative items including a red bag and candles.

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