The Fistula Foundation Board of Directors

Abaynesh Asrat, Director

Abaynesh Asrat is the founder and CEO of Nation to Nation Networking Ltd. (NNN) whose mission is to help educate, empower and build businesses to sustain adolescent girls, boys and their families internationally. She has a Bachelors Degree from Bennett College in North Carolina, and a Masters Degree in Social Science, Administration & Psychology from Michigan University. Abaynesh is currently working for the Center for Comprehensive, a multidisciplinary outpatient practice affiliated with New York Medical, where she served as clinician and administrator. Ms Asrat is involved in many civic, cultural, humanitarian and professional organizations and has served as Executive Directress of the Coalition of Ethiopian Women for Mutual Support. She has received numerous awards including the 2004 Galaxy Women Award.

Kate Grant, Director (Ex-officio)

Kate was appointed to the role as Executive Director of the Fistula Foundation in 2005. Prior to this, she worked as Vice President for Nonprofit Programs at Network for Good, the internet's largest philanthropy portal founded by Yahoo, Cisco and AOL. Prior to joining Network for Good, Ms. Grant was engaged in advocating for a strong United States role in international cooperation. She served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee Staff working for Chairman Lee Hamilton, and during the Clinton Administration as the Special Assistant and Deputy Chief of Staff to USAID Administrator Brian Atwood. In addition, she served as a consultant to USAID's Mission in Tanzania, the Rockefeller Foundation, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, and the Women's Funding Network. She holds an MPA from Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School, where she was elected Chair of the School’s Graduate Student Body. Prior to attending Princeton, she was an Advertising Executive at two large agencies: Leo Burnett in Chicago, and FCB in San Francisco, managing campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, such as Levi Strauss, McDonald’s and Clorox. Kate graduated with honors from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley, where she was elected to the Order of the Golden Bear. Ms. Grant has served on several boards, including the Governing Board of Graduate Alumni of Princeton University.

Kassahun Kebede, Chairman

Kassahun Kebede is founder and managing partner of New York-based hedge fund, PANTON Capital Group. Prior to founding PANTON, Mr. Kebede served in senior positions at Deutsche Bank, including head of European Fixed Income Derivatives as well as head of Global Equity Derivatives. His Wall Street experience also includes Credit Derivatives and Structured Products responsibilities at Merrill Lynch and Bankers Trust respectively. Mr. Kebede has a BSEE from Marquette University and holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Cleopatra Kiros, Secretary/Treasurer

Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Cleopatra Kiros came to the United States in 1986, and has been active in African women's issues ever since. She holds a degree in accounting from San Francisco State University. She, her husband and their two children make their home in the Bay Area.

Linda Samuels, Director

Linda Samuels received her Bachelors of Science degree from Roosevelt University in Chicago. In addition to a long career in marketing communications, Ms. Samuels has served on the boards of Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo, California, the South Peninsula Hebrew Day School in Sunnyvale, California, Chabad of Greater South Bay in Palo Alto, California, The New Shul of Scottsdale, Arizona and as president of Congregation Pardes Yisroel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She retired from Mesa United Way in 2006.

C. Stephen Saunders, Director

Steve Saunders is a trusts and estates lawyer who specializes in charitable planning. He lives in Austin, Texas where he has been active in civic and charitable matters. Steve has served on the Boards of the Austin Community Foundation (and was President in 2006), his parents' family foundation, and several other organizations based in Austin. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (B.A. History, '75, J.D. '80) and serves on the University's Development Board and the Gift Planning Advisory Council. He is a frequent speaker at State Bar of Texas seminars and has done public interest work in the Texas Legislature.

Gerald Shefren, MD, Director

Gerald Shefren is an obstetrician-gynecologist with over 35 years of clinical practice. He is a Clinical Professor and past Chief of the General Gynecology Division of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford University School of Medicine and is recently retired from his role as Vice President of Ambulatory Care for Stanford University Hospital and Clinics.

Mary Tadesse, Director

Mary Tadesse brings a wealth of advocacy experience to the Fistula Foundation, having served on the boards of the Hamlin Fistula Welfare and Research Trust, the Central Examination Board of the United Nations, the Council of African Advisers to the World Bank and the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children in Africa. A graduate of London University, she served as Vice-Minister of Education and Culture in the Ethiopian Government and Chief of the African Training and Research Center for Women in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Ms. Tadesse is co-author of African Women and Development with Margaret Snyder, and is currently working on an autobiography. She remains active in Ethiopian women's groups in the United States.

Robert Tessler, Esq., Director

Robert Tessler is a partner in the Manhattan law firm Toberoff, Tessler & Schochet. He has served as Chairman of the Essex County chapter of the ACLU, Chairman of the Board of the National Music Theater Network, and County Committeeman of the New Jersey Democratic Party.

Whitney Tilson, Director

Whitney Tilson is the founder and Managing Partner of T2 Partners LLC and the Tilson Mutual Funds, and the co-founder of the biannual conference, Value Investing Congress, and newsletter Value Investor Insight. Mr. Tilson co-authored the new book, More Mortgage Meltdown: 6 Ways to Profit in These Bad Times, writes a regular column on value investing for Kiplinger's, was featured on 60 Minutes last December, and has appeared dozens of times on CNBC and Bloomberg TV. Mr. Tilson's parents are both educators and he spent much of his childhood in Tanzania and Nicaragua. Consequently, Mr. Tilson is involved with a number of charities focused on education reform and Africa. Regarding the former, he is a board member of the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) Academy charter school in the South Bronx, the Pershing Square Foundation, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and the Council of Urban Professionals. He is one of the founders of Democrats for Education Reform, is Chairman of the Manhattan chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization, and served on the finance committees of Barack Obama and Newark Mayor Cory Booker. For his philanthropic work, he received the 2008 John C. Whitehead Social Enterprise Award from the Harvard Business School Club of Greater New York. Mr. Tilson received an MBA with High Distinction from the Harvard Business School, where he was elected a Baker Scholar, and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College, with a bachelor's degree in Government.

Linda Tripp, Director

Linda was the first woman Vice President in the World Vision global partnership. In this capacity she represented World Vision Canada's Relief and Development work to the government, other aid organizations, and served on several coalitions and boards. She chaired the Women's Commission that developed the first Gender Policy for the World Vision Partnership and continues to champion the cause of women and the Girl Child. Linda started World Vision Canada's International Refugee Program and established a Refugee Centre in Toronto. She began the Development Education program, and the Advocacy and Justice Department to increase donor and public awareness and understanding of refugee, poverty and women's issues. She has traveled extensively, witnessing first hand the work on the ground, attending international and UN conferences and speaking to various publics across Canada. During her 31 years with World Vision Canada she served as Vice President of International Programs and Government Relations, Advocacy and Policy, and Public Affairs. Linda retired in 2008 and now serves on the Board of Tyndale University College and Seminary in Toronto and is active in her local Anglican church.

Larry William, MD, Director

Dr. Larry William received a BA degree from Columbia College and an MD from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is board-certified in both internal medicine and medical oncology, and has practiced privately for 20 years. He was formerly Medical Director for Pacific Partners Management Services, which manages the care of about 200,000 people in different HMOs and medical groups. Prior to joining PPMSI, Dr. William served as Medical Director for Foundation Health Preferred Administrators, where he developed innovative managed care systems and directed utilization review activities for the company's 200,000 members.

The Fistula Foundation Staff

Anne Ferguson, Operations Director

Anne Ferguson moved with her husband from Scotland to Silicon Valley in 2000 and joined the Fistula Foundation in late 2003. She has earned an MA in English & Modern History from St. Andrews University and an HR qualification from the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development in the UK. Working with the Fistula Foundation is her first employment in the United States.

Kate Grant, Executive Director

(bio above)

Terry Rodriguez, Donor Relations Manager

Terry Rodriguez comes to the Fistula Foundation with 17 years of customer service experience. In 2004 she left her job as a Purchasing Agent to work part-time for the Fistula Foundation so she could better assist in her children's education. Ms. Rodriguez was the team captain for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in 2004 and is an active member helping the fight against cancer.