International Board of Directors

Composed of leaders from within the Partners’ network as well as the wider international development community, our Board of Directors exercises overall responsibility for the policies, programs, and direction of Partners of the Americas. The board is designed to reflect the geographic diversity of our network and the broad range of community development issues that we address through solution-driven projects, with all members having a strong and demonstrated commitment to Partners’ mission and values.

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Dr. Ashish Abraham

Director (San Diego, California)

Dr. Ashish Abraham

Director (San Diego, California)

Dr. Ashish Abraham is currently the President of Abraham Strategic Health Consulting, providing clients with consulting services in the areas of organizational strategy, revenue optimization, health program design, operations, quality measurement, and improvement. Dr. Abraham is an entrepreneur and a seasoned healthcare management executive with more than 20 years of diversified experience in direct clinical care, healthcare operations, health technology, data analytics, and strategic consulting for government and commercial clients. Prior to his work at UnitedHealth Group, Dr. Abraham was a Principal and Physician-Leader at Mercer Consulting. In 2007, Dr. Abraham co-founded Altruista Health, a care management technology and solutions company, and served as the founding CEO in the formative years of the company’s existence. He then went on to serve as President and Chairman of the board and is still actively involved on the board of Altruista Health under its new ownership. Dr. Abraham completed his medical training from Christian Medical College in India and has also earned master’s degrees in business administration and health administration from Arizona State University.
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Mr. Elias Alcocer

Director (Yucatán, Mexico Chapter)

Mr. Elias Alcocer

Director (Yucatán, Mexico Chapter)

Mr. Elias Alcocer is a social anthropologist from the Autonomous University of Yucatán and a professor at the Universidad de Oriente and the Universidad Autonoma de Yucatán. Since 1991, Mr. Alcocer has been a member of the Yucatán Chapter involved in youth, environment, and culture committees, as well as the vice president. He is currently the president of the Yucatán Chapter.
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Juan Arratia

Director (Puerto Rico)

Juan Arratia

Director (Puerto Rico)

Mr. Juan Arratia is a research professor, mentor, and the founder and president of the Scientific Caribbean Foundation. He was a university professor in Chile for 15 years and in Puerto Rico for 35 years. Mr. Arratia is a Life Senior Member of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) and was the chair of the Western Puerto Rico Section and of the IEEE Puerto Rico and Caribbean Council. His relationship with Partners of the Americas started with a grant in 2016 (UNICA-Puerto Rico Alliance). He mentored five students from Universidad Catolíca de Nicaragua in the research facilities of Universidad Metropolitana in San Juan and students from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez. Mr. Arratia presented during Partners’ 2023 What Works Conference in Antigua Guatemala with the talk, “Saturday Research Academy in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics).” Mr. Arratia holds a BS in electrical engineering from Universidad Tecníca del Estado, Valdivia, Chile, an MS from Louisiana Tech University, and a PhD from Washington University. He speaks Spanish and English and has a reading knowledge of French and German.
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Ms. Aubrey Cox Ottenstein

Director (District of Columbia)

Ms. Aubrey Cox Ottenstein

Director (District of Columbia)

Aubrey Cox Ottenstein is the co-founder and CEO of Globally, a nonprofit organization that builds communities of impact to solve global challenges. In this role, Mrs. Ottenstein leads the execution of Globally’s mission to accelerate and simplify the creation of programs that convene diverse cohorts of leaders around strategic goals. She was recently featured in Vogue for her efforts to evacuate at-risk activists from Afghanistan. Globally’s flagship program, Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, is the go-to organization for emerging leaders in global affairs with a network spanning 80 countries and reaching more than 30,000 emerging leaders. Prior to founding Globally, Mrs. Ottenstein launched and led the U.S. Institute of Peace’s youth portfolio with the goal of increasing the inclusion of youth in peace and security efforts. In this role, she expanded USIP’s Generation Change Fellows Program from 12 to 22 countries, led three delegations to meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and launched USIP’s first-ever Youth, Peace, and Security Fund. Earlier, Ms. Ottenstein supported ACCION International’s Frontier Investments Group, a $73 million impact investment fund focused on financial technology and financial inclusion in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Mrs. Ottenstein holds a bachelor’s degree in international business and Spanish from the College of Charleston and a master’s degree from the School of International Service at American University. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and two children.
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Lucia Helena de Araujo Lima

Director (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Chapter)

Lucia Helena de Araujo Lima

Director (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Chapter)

Ms. Lucia Helena de Araujo Lima has taken leadership roles as a secretary, vice president, and president (this is her second term as the Chapter president) of the Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Chapter. She has participated in many Partners’ events, hosted visitors, and traveled to Indiana, the counterpart Chapter. Ms. De Araujo Lima is an entrepreneur and the Director of Helen’s Language Center. She was active in the Brazilian Association of Partners in the 1990s and has been honored by Partners for her service and participation for more than 30 years. Ms. De Araujo Lima holds a bachelor’s degree in social communication: advertising and public relations, and a master’s degree in the arts with multiple certifications in romance languages and English. She is on many boards of prominent service organizations, such as Soroptimists, Rotary, and the Academy of Women in Business.
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Dr. João Francisco Meira

Director (Minas Gerais, Brazil)

Dr. João Francisco Meira

Director (Minas Gerais, Brazil)

Dr. João Francisco Meira is a political scientist who has been working with public opinion, market, and electoral research, and directing projects in Brazil, and Latin American, African, and European countries during the last three decades. He also has a wealth of experience in graduate and post-graduate teaching in both public and private universities in his native state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Dr. Meira is a co-founder and board member of Vox Populi, one of the leading Brazilian private market and opinion research houses. In this capacity, he is a former vice-president and board member of ABEP (Brazilian Association of Market Media and Opinion Research) and a member of the Brazilian Political Science Association. Dr. Meira’s other professional interest field is Oenology, particularly on the development of viticulture in his hometown, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, where he runs a vineyard on his property, and collaborates with the local university in agronomical projects, historical research, and vine growing experiments.
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Ms. Maria Gilda Battagliese

Director (Uruguay Chapter)

Ms. Maria Gilda Battagliese

Director (Uruguay Chapter)

Ms. Maria Gilda Battagliese is the president of the Uruguay Chapter, with its counterpart in Minnesota. She works at the Binational Center in Uruguay, Alianza Cultural Uruguay – EEUU, as a teacher educator, mentor, and coordinator of a country-wide program. Ms. Battagliese has been involved with Partners since 2008 when she was elected as a Teacher in Residence to travel to Minnesota to exchange language, culture, and teaching techniques. At Partners, she has worked on projects involving different committees in both Chapters. Ms. Battagliese participated in conventions, youth engagement workshops, and is also a member of the iEARN network. In past years, she served as vice president of the Uruguayan affiliate of TESOL (Urutesol). She holds a teaching degree from the Alianza in collaboration with the University of Maryland in Baltimore County. Ms. Battagliese also holds a postgraduate degree specializing in Virtual Learning Environments. She collaborated in Massive Open Online Courses with the University of Oregon and holds certificates in leadership and project management.
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Mr. Reynolds Hawkins

Director (Long Island, New York Chapter)

Mr. Reynolds Hawkins

Director (Long Island, New York Chapter)

Mr. Reynolds Hawkins is the president of the Long Island, New York Chapter. He first joined the Partners Chapter in 1988 as the chair of the Youth and Sports Committee. During the same year, Mr. Hawkins traveled to St. Vincent to consult, teach, and train track and field athletes prior to their participation in the 1988 Summer Olympics. Mr. Hawkins traveled again to St. Vincent in 1995 to work with youth on the benefits of sports. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida A&M University in Criminal Justice and Sociology and a master’s degree from Stony Brook University in Social Work (MSW). In addition to working with youth and sports, Mr. Hawkins provides individual and couples therapy related to stress management, crisis intervention, crisis related to substance use, and anxiety disorders.
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Ms. Cathy Healy

Director (District of Columbia)

Ms. Cathy Healy

Director (District of Columbia)

The former editor of the National Geographic Intranet and Américas Magazine, as well as a Reuters Digital Vision Fellow at Stanford University, Ms. Cathy Healy has bridged networks of educators since 1990. She was the special liaison for Partners’ “Connecting Teachers, Connecting Classrooms Initiative,” with iEARN and its 140-country, K-12 network enabling teachers to select from 100 virtual projects in English, Spanish, Portuguese and other languages. A director emeritus of iEARN-USA, Ms. Healy is an advisor for its world-languages program, an advisor for Educadores Globais/iEARN-Brasil, and a veteran member of Partners’ Chapters in Washington, D.C. and her home state of Wyoming. Through the end of 2018, she was the vice president of the LU Ranch, a family operation recognized for its sustainable practices and technological acumen, including being the first ranch to use computers.
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Victor Lobo

Director (Espírito Santo, Brazil Chapter)

Victor Lobo

Director (Espírito Santo, Brazil Chapter)

Mr. Victor Lobo has served as the secretary and executive director of the Espírito Santo, Brazil Chapter. He is a business manager in the pharmaceutical industry. Mr. Lobo has shared knowledge as a speaker at international pharma cold chain conferences worldwide. He launched the first needle-free injector of human vaccines in Brazil manufactured in the United States. Mr. Lobo started his first business at 16, doing graphic design and basic computer services. In 2011, he founded an importing company dedicated to the import and distribution of in vitro diagnostic medical devices. In 2020, Mr. Lobo founded Lobo Consult to expand the team to help the development of new vaccines for the COVID-19 pandemic and later for the Monkeypox vaccine. He attended the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Universidad Nacional in Bogotá, Colombia, and speaks fluent Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French.
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Ms. Heather Martinez

Director (Panama)

Panama

Ms. Heather Martinez

Director (Panama)

Ms. Heather Martinez works at IOM as a client service assistant. She has previously consulted with Partners for the Panama Teacher Match Program as the in-country coordinator (2017) and the EducaFuturo Program as a counterpart reviewer (2016). She has also collaborated logistically with Partners at the Summit of the Americas in 2014. Ms. Martinez started volunteering at the age of 16 in 2007 with the Special Olympics, TECHO, Ponte en Algo, and FLJADIS Panamá, among other organizations. She joined PartnersCampus Panamá in 2013. She joined the Chapter’s Board working on human management in 2013 and became its president in 2015. Ms. Martinez was the recipient of Partners’ Education & Culture exchange grant in 2017, where she was paired with the Philadelphia Chapter and helped facilitate meetings and activities in the city, New York, and Washington, D.C. She currently advises on the Partners Board’s policy, finance, programs, and personnel. Ms. Martinez also enhances relationships with Partners’ Youth volunteers and other community groups and agencies. She speaks fluent English and has a basic knowledge of French. Ms. Martinez graduated from the University of Panamá with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Finance and International Business.
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Mr. John McPhail

President & CEO

Mr. John McPhail

President & CEO

With over two decades of experience in organizational leadership, John is a seasoned expert in partnership building, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement. He is passionate about community development in Latin America and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador. After his service, he remained in the country for a total of over fifteen years, marrying a Salvadoran doctor and raising their three daughters. John brings significant experience as a country and regional director for international nonprofits including Save the Children, World Vision, and Project Concern International. He has held leadership positions on the Boards of numerous local nonprofits and associations in El Salvador, providing operational and strategic direction. He coordinated or co-coordinated multiple national and regional networks in Central America in health, water & sanitation, and agriculture/food security. John received a BSc in Civil Engineering from MIT and a Master’s in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois / Urbana-Champaign. He is fluent in Spanish and has a working knowledge of French. John enjoys listening to music, reading, playing volleyball and frisbee, and spending time with his family.
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Ms. Beth Outterson

Treasurer (Portland, Oregon)

Ms. Beth Outterson

Treasurer (Portland, Oregon)

Beth Outterson has been a part of Partners of the Americas since 1993, when she received the Partners Kellogg Fellowship in International Community Development (IX). During the fellowship period, she conducted a health theater project on HIV and drug abuse with teens in Washington D.C.’s partner city of Brasilia, Brazil. After the fellowship, Ms. Outterson became involved with the Washington, D.C. Chapter, serving as secretary for two years and later as president for six years. Earlier in her career, after receiving her master’s degree in public health and Latin American Studies, Ms. Outterson served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo). Upon her return, she worked as a health educator in the U.S. migrant and seasonal farmworkers across the eastern shore states, and later moved to Washington, D.C. to work with a national farmworker employment and training program. She then served in training and advisory roles at the U.S. Peace Corps and several nonprofit organizations, including Family Health International, Save the Children, and Medical Teams International. Ms. Outterson is currently an independent public health consultant in Portland, Oregon.
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Mr. Steve Richards

Director (Colorado Chapter)

Mr. Steve Richards

Director (Colorado Chapter)

Mr. Steve Richards is a current member of the Colorado Chapter and the past president of the Kansas Paraguay Partners (KPP) Chapter. He spent more than 15 years as a member of the Chapter, previously serving as the vice president and as a co-chair of KPP’s Emergency Preparedness project. In 2014, Mr. Richards was a mentor for the American Youth Leadership Program. He received a bachelor’s degree in physics, math, and art, holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering, and is a doctoral candidate. Two careers included clinical engineering and donor relations for nonprofit agencies. Mr. Richards has served on several boards, including Circle of Hope — Peace Connections, an initiative that seeks to improve the financial health and well-being of the Harvey County community. He has also served on the local school board and a community clinic. As well, Mr. Richards has served on local and regional committees and a regional visioning task force for the United Methodist Church.
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Jeffrey Richter

Director (New Jersey Chapter)

Jeffrey Richter

Director (New Jersey Chapter)

Mr. Jeffrey Richter has a storied career in public service. He has served as a member of the New Jersey Chapter since 1988. During that time, Mr. Richter has been its president twice and is currently the executive director. He also participated in a Fellowship in International Development, received the Dumond Hill Peck Volunteer of the Year, was a Legislative Fellow for the Office of the Mayor in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and is a coordinator of Crocker Memorial Lecture at Brookdale Community College. Mr. Richter has experience in budgeting, program planning, financial management, and strategic planning. He also holds leadership skills from both civilian and military sectors. Mr. Richter holds a BA from Johns Hopkins University, an MA from Harvard University in history, and an MA from Rider University in public administration. He speaks French, German, Russian, and Haitian Creole. Mr. Richter is pleased to join the Board so that he can give something back to Partners, an organization that has been an important part of his life for the last 35 years.
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Paula Sofia Villanueva

Director (Peru Chapter)

Paula Sofia Villanueva

Director (Peru Chapter)

Ms. Paula Sofia Villanueva is the president of Partners’ Peru Chapter and an industrial engineer, where she has worked in diverse fields, such as mining and the retail business. She is deeply passionate about joining Partners’ Board, a sentiment rooted in a transformative experience 15 years ago. As a participant of the Youth Leaders/Youth Ambassadors program, her first encounter with the United States, Ms. Sofia Villanueva discovered a renewed purpose: to help and serve others. As an active member of the Peru Chapter for several years, she has gained firsthand experience of Partners’ impact. Ms. Sofia Villanueva’s tenure as the Chapter’s president further solidified her dedication and provided her with immense leadership experience. She speaks fluent Spanish, English, German, and Italian.
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Mr. Wayne Ferdinand Williams

Director (Saint Vincent & the Grenadines Chapter)

Mr. Wayne Ferdinand Williams

Director (Saint Vincent & the Grenadines Chapter)

Mr. Wayne Ferdinand Williams has been a member of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Chapter in the Caribbean for 30 years. Since 1993, he has served as the Chapter’s chairman of the Youth and Sports Committee. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Williams participated in the Partners Kellogg Fellowship in International Community Development Program (IX). He then completed coordinator training in Ecuador and became country coordinator and regional trainer and facilitator for the A Ganar program to empower youth through sports. Mr. Williams had the honor of implementing and managing the first A Ganar program in an English-speaking country and assisting in training the coordinators of several other countries. Mr. Williams also had the responsibility to raise local counterpart funding to realize the success of the program. Outside of Partners, Mr. Williams was the personnel manager at the Music Centre for almost 30 years. Since 1995, he has helped to source funds and fulfill basketball scholarships to eligible Caribbean players. Mr. Williams has also served as the president of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Basketball Federation and represented the organization at several regional and international forums. Since 2009, Mr. Williams has acted as the vice president of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic and Commonwealth Games Committee (SVGOC), as well as serving as the chairman of the SVGOC Marketing Commission.