Laurie Emrich

Laurie Emrich earned her Masters degree in International Economics and Modernization Studies at the School for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. For over twenty years, she has worked as an independent consultant specializing in health program planning and evaluation, NGO organizational development and sustainability analysis. Her assignments were primarily in Sub Saharan Africa, and in Haiti.

More recently, she has been active in the continuing movement to reform and shift the traditional philanthropic infrastructure from a charity approach to an orientation of systemic change towards justice. In a similar fashion she has worked with individual donors on creating giving plans designed to inspire more generous and effective giving towards a just and sustainable society.

She is a founding board member of the Washington Area Women's Foundation and served for several years on Threshold Foundation's board. Active as an advisor to such NGOs as Changemakers, Grantmakers without Borders, and Be Present, Inc.; she is also a student of social venture investment.

The Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Gumbleton

he Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Gumbleton Roman Catholic Bishop of Detroit, Michigan (ret.) has tirelessly lent his energy to many worthy organizations and causes for many years: President of Bread for the World; member of the Bishops' committee which drafted the pastoral letter "Challenge of Peace;" Founding President of Pax Christi, USA; Co-Founder of Catholic Caucus of Southeast Michigan, and Board member of Core City Neighborhoods, Witness for Peace, Southwest Community Mental Health Coalition, and many Central American peace organizations. He has received numerous awards for his efforts on behalf of peace and traveled the world to promote peace in Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Central and South American nations and Haiti. He has received many honorary degrees and published countless articles on peace and religious issues.

Julie Meyer

Julie Meyer is the Executive Director of The Next Step Public Charter School, a bilingual GED and ESL program in Columbia Heights. She has over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector including administrative, fundraising, programmatic and leadership roles. She worked in the Central American solidarity movement for thirteen years and helped found several nonprofits including the Lambi Fund of Haiti and Grantmakers Without Borders. She has been active in Latin American development issues, the local, DC Latino community, and health and education issues, serving on boards of many organizations such as La Clinica del Pueblo, Calvary Bilingual Multicultural Learning Center (now CentroNia) and Wilson High School’s Professional Advisory Board for its International Studies Program. She has been married for 27 years and has three sons, ages 24, 21 and 15.

Max Blanchet

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Max Blanchet is a chemical engineer who has worked for nearly 30 years as a design engineer and energy specialist at Shell, Chevron and Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Since his retirement Mr. Blanchet has worked as a consulting engineer. In recent years Mr. Blanchet has served on the boards of various organizations including: Global Exchange, The Data Center, The East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, FONKOZE USA, The National Coalition for Haitian Rights, and PACIFICA's KPFA. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1964 and 1965 respectively and an M.B.A. in Finance from UC Berkeley in 1979.