TEACH Rwanda USA Board Members

Gary J. Aichele

Gary J. Aichele, BA, MDiv., JD, PhD, is TEACH Rwanda’s Board Treasurer. Originally from Philadelphia, PA, he spent his college years at the University of Virginia. Ater practicing law in Charlottesville, VA, he moved to Washington, DC, as a Judicial Fellow and administrative assistant to U.S. Chief Justice Warren Burger. Following four years as Executive Director of the Supreme Court Historical Society he become a tenured college professor. Gary taught political science and law at Norwich University in Vermont, and Juniata College and Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. His published works include a biography of Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendall Holmes and an analysis of the evolution of contemporary American constitutional law.

With his wife, Wendy, he also taught at Lee Academy in Lee, ME, and at the Milton Hershey School in Hershey, PA. In addition to his legal and academic careers, he also pastored several congregations in central Pennsylvania as an ordained minister after completing an MDiv degree at Lancaster Theological Seminary in Lancaster, PA.

After retiring to Washington, VA, he served as a member of the Planning Commission and Town Council, and as treasurer and chair of the Headwaters Foundation—a non-profit chartered to support local public education. In addition, Gary served on the board of ENCOMPASS, where he chaired the Finance and Administration Committee and was a member of its Executive Committee.

Now living in Pennsylvania to be closer to family, he is active in his church, where he sings in the choir and occasionally leads worship. The father of two daughters, he and Wendy enjoy reading, listening to classical music, taking long walks together, and spending as much time as possible with their grandchildren. Class of 2029

Janet F. Brown

Janet F. Brown, BS, MEd., TEACH Rwanda Founder and President Emerita, is grateful that she has able to spend her life advocating for world-class early childhood and primary education as well as teacher mentoring.

Early in a career that now spans more than 5 decades, Jan was a preschool teacher and child care director. She worked as Editor of Young Children and Director of Publications for the National Association for the Education of Young Children and then as Editor of Dimensions of Early Childhood.

Later in her career she served as a consultant with Art As a Way of Learning® with Northampton Community College and then became Managing Editor for Crayola. After retiring, she regularly volunteered with Head Start in the Lehigh Valley. She has traveled extensively, enjoys photography, and began sharing her passion for social justice through play-based education in Rwanda in 2010.

As the on-the-ground leader of TEACH Rwanda, she saw Bright School grow from just 20 children in preschool to more than 400 students in preschool and primary. At the request of local education leaders, she, along with Rwandan educators, developed TEACH Rwanda’s successful module system to mentor teachers, TEACH for Transformation.

Jan and her husband, William Whipple III, are delighted to share 6 adult children, 6 grandchildren, and a growing number of great grandchildren, spread over two continents. Class of 2029

B. Daniel Dillard

TEACH Rwanda President, served for 36 years as the Executive Director/CEO of the Burn Prevention Network, a 501(c)3 corporation. Under his leadership, that organization delivered a diverse portfolio of fire safety, burn prevention, and burn survivor support services to nearly 1 million beneficiaries annually. Several of these programs have been recognized nationally and nominated for Emmy Awards.

Dan is a frequent speaker nationally, and has served as the Chairman of the American Burn Association (ABA) Burn Prevention Committee; the President of the Federation of Burn Foundations; and has led a number of multi-organization national initiatives funded by the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

He has been honored by the ABA as the recipient of its annual Burn Prevention Award. Dillard has extensive experience in strategic planning, board management, staff coordination and direction, fundraising, partnership coordination, and public relations. Mr. Dillard is married, has 7 children, 17 grandchildren and counting! Class of 2028

Matt Ferdock

Matt Ferdock, BS, MA, PHD, is skilled in corporate finance, programming, and statistical data analysis. Matt’s core competencies include strategic planning, conflict resolution, team building, and employee motivation.

He is an Organizational Development Specialist at Innovative Funding Partners in Washington, DC; a Professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA; Lead Clinical Research Statistician, Emergency Department, Lehigh Valley Health Network, in Allentown, PA; and Founder and Board Member at the Burn Services and Research Institute in Allentown, PA.

TEACH Rwanda is delighted that Matt can bring his wealth of skills as a TR board member. Class of 2028

Hope K. Gerde

Hope K. Gerde, PhD, is Director of the Institute for Early Childhood Development and Education and Professor of Early Childhood at Texas A&M University. A former preschool teacher, she earned her PhD from Purdue University and teaches courses in early childhood curriculum design, family engagement, and intervention research in early childhood.

Dr. Gerde is a leading scholar in early literacy development and instruction as well as effective professional learning approaches for early educators. She has led more than $33M in federal grant funded research projects, published more than 70 articles, and is regularly invited to speak on these topics at conferences around the world. In fact, her research has led to new state policy in early childhood having profound impact on educators, young children and families across the state. Class of 2027

Alana Augello Harris

Alana, TEACH Rwanda's Board Secretary, is a 2013 Graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, where she obtained her B.S. in Elementary and Kindergarten Education. In 2016 she earned her Master’s Degree from Lehigh University in Educational Leadership. Alana taught 5th & 6th grade for 2 years at St. Michael the Archangel School in Bethlehem, and is now teaching 5th grade in the Bethlehem Area School District at Hanover Elementary School.

Alana has participated in a numerous international mission trips and educational field experiences. Locations include Mexico, Costa Rica, Germany, and Haiti. Alana is passionate about making a difference in the life of a child both inside and outside of the U.S. Alana joined the TEACH Rwanda Board in the summer of 2016. Alana feels very strongly about and supports all of TEACH Rwanda’s mission and vision statements.

She is highly intrigued with the leadership component of the professional development initiatives for the teachers in TEACH Rwanda’s schools. Class of 2027

Timothy P. Mummaw

The Rev. Timothy P. Mummaw, BS, MDiv is a dedicated ministry professional with more than 25 years of experience in various church leadership roles, including pastoral leadership, Christian education, and community development.

Mummaw served as Personnel Director at Stauffers for 5 years, where he developed effective team dynamics and enhanced organizational culture. Additionally, he spent 5 years as Program Director for the Greater Western Reserve Council of the Boy Scouts of America, fostering youth development and community engagement.

Mummaw has also been acknowledged for his work with the United Way of Lake County (OH). His community service extends to working with the Lake County Domestic Relations Court and serving on the Board of Directors for both the Lake County Adolescent Counseling Center and the Greater Western Reserve Council, BSA.

Throughout his career, Mummaw has been committed to empowering individuals and strengthening communities through innovative ministry approaches and educational programs. His passion for connecting faith with practical outreach continues to guide his work as he seeks to inspire and uplift those he serves. Class of 2028

Umesh Rao

Umesh first joined the TEACH Rwanda community in late 2022, acting as the International Volunteer Development Coordinator. He now serves as a committed member of the U.S. Governing Board and plays a key role on the Fundraising Team.

Bringing a wealth of experience in managing complex digital transformation initiatives, Umesh was previously the Vice President of Engineering and Platform Architecture at PPL Services Corp. in New Hampshire. He has since transitioned these technical talents to Sparus Holdings in his role as Chief Technology Officer.

By leveraging his deep proficiency in systems architecture and modern technology, TR aims to expand its operational reach and modernize its digital tools, supporting the ongoing mission to provide impactful, transformative education across Africa. Class of 2029

Clare Smith

Clare Smith, BS, MEd, TEACH Rwanda Vice President, is a 2012 Honors Graduate of The Pennsylvania State University where she obtained her B. S. Degree in Elementary and Kindergarten Education. She graduated with high distinction and was the recipient of the 2012 Elementary Education Academic Service Award. Clare is also a 2020 Honors Graduate of Lehigh University where she obtained her Masters of Education Degree in Teaching and Learning. She has unique international teaching experiences including a month-long teaching internship in Rwanda.

During her internship in Rwanda, Clare taught English to primary students and mentored genocide orphans, while conducting research for her undergraduate honors thesis, which focused on building resilience in children of poverty and trauma. Clare’s thesis was published by the Schreyer Honors College. Clare’s international teaching experiences not only enriched her life, but also her students’ lives as she is able to teach about diversity while sharing first-hand experiences.

Clare joined the TEACH Rwanda Board in March of 2016 and traveled back to Rwanda later that year to volunteer at TEACH Rwanda’s schools. After teaching 4th grade for 3 years at St. Michael the Archangel School, she landed a position in the Bethlehem Area School District, teaching at Farmersville Elementary School. Clare is very passionate about education and TEACH Rwanda’s mission and vision. Class of 2027

Tom Smith

Serving as TEACH Rwanda’s Assistant Treasurer, Tom earned his bachelor's degree in Communication Arts and Sciences with a Business minor from The Pennsylvania State University in 2014. A 2020 graduate of the Allentown Police Academy, he now fulfills his lifelong ambition as a police officer for the Bethlehem Township Police Department in Pennsylvania.
Tom’s professional background includes two years as the Head Boys Basketball Coach at St. Michael the Archangel School.

Since joining the TEACH Rwanda Board in March 2016, he has actively contributed his expertise in management, business operations, and communications. Tom’s commitment to the mission was solidified during his 2016 volunteer trip to the organization’s schools in Rwanda.

His leadership experience further extends to his former role as Vice President and Chief of Staff for the Student Government Association at Penn State Berks. Driven by a desire to see TR reach its ambitious goals, Tom remains deeply passionate about the organization’s vision. Class of 2028

William Whipple III

TEACH Rwanda Business Representative, retired in 2014 from a 33-year career as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Certified Diabetes Educator so that he could go to Rwanda for extended lengths of time with his wife Jan and TEACH Rwanda. Dietetics has a strong diet education component and Bill has had an interest in high-quality education all his life, hearing about it at the family dinner table from his father who was a literature professor and his mother who had an advanced degree in journalism.

He finds fascinating the process of implementing high-quality education in Rwanda. He understands now that good early education gives a strong foundation for learning throughout life and sees potential for making a strong impact on the lives of children in Rwanda.

Bill contributes his own talents, including communicating in French, a passion for teaching English, mentoring, management, and business skills. He was the onsite coordinator for the first Bright School STELA Future Hopes LEGO Robotics Team. He misses his children, grandchildren (see Jan’s bio), and friends in the U.S. when spending extended periods of time in Rwanda. Class of 2027

Jay (Robert Steven) Woodward

Robert “Jay” Woodward, BA, MS, PhD, joined the TEACH Rwanda board in 2026. He is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University. Throughout his career, Jay has championed innovative teaching practices, including inquiry-based learning and active learning, and was selected as an Innovative Teaching Faculty Fellow.

He first connected with TEACH Rwanda after speaking at the Fun Learning Conference in Kigali in March 2026, where he met Rachel and Jan. Jay has led undergraduate students on global education experiences spanning all seven continents, including leading Texas A&M University's first-ever study abroad program to Antarctica.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he secured grant funding to develop virtual study abroad experiences that ensured students continued to engage in meaningful global learning while international travel was restricted. He currently serves as Assistant Director of Texas A&M's Office for Youth Engagement and brings more than three decades of experience designing and leading career exploration and college-readiness summer programs that help young people discover their interests and prepare for future educational and career opportunities. Class of 2029