Meet Our Board
Philip Lilienthal, Founder & PRESIDENT
Before founding Global Camps Africa in 2004, Phil was a Reston attorney and owner and director of Camp Winnebago in Maine. Mr. Lilienthal, who joined the Peace Corps following law school, started Ethiopia’s first residential summer camps in 1967 and 1968. Phil and his wife, Lynn, were Peace Corps volunteers in Ethiopia. Phil later became an Attorney-Advisor in the Peace Corps General Counsel's office, Regional Director for Mindanao in the Philippines, and Deputy Peace Corps Director in Thailand.
Tom Finn, Chairman
Tom Finn is an executive coach and consultant. He helps leaders and teams improve their ability to exert a positive influence in a global marketplace. He is the author of Are You Clueless?, a guide for leaders in a multicultural world. His customers include The Weather Channel, NASCAR, Verizon, the National Park Service, and the Argentine Education Ministry. Tom has a keen interest in international understanding and collaboration. He lives in Reston, Virginia with his wife, Kathleen.
Ronald Dunn, VICE Chairman
Ronald G. (Ron) Dunn is a retired senior executive with more than 40 years of experience in the publishing and digital information business. He held management positions in a variety of nonprofit and corporate organizations, including the American Chemical Society, Macmillan Publishing Company, McGraw-Hill, the Information Industry Association and the Thomson Corporation. He has served on several corporate and nonprofit boards of directors.
Eric L. Sass, Chairman Emeritus
Eric L. Sass most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer and President of Strategic Communications & Learning for Healthy Companies International, an international research and management consulting firm in Arlington, Virginia. Before that he was President and COO of WK Networks, an Internet start-up in Princeton, NJ. Previously, Eric spent 22-years as a senior executive at the PBS TV Network, leading national programming, fundraising, technology development, administration and computer services, human resources, audience research, joint ventures, and business development. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Reston Arts Center and National Urban Leagues. Eric and his wife Eveleen, an artist, have two grown sons and spend as much of their time as possible sailing the Maine coast.
Manuel Guzman, Treasurer
Manuel Guzman is president of CAS, a global organization with a proven history of leveraging scientific information to empower discovery. Prior to joining CAS in 2013, Manny held various executive positions within the information industry including President of Thomson Learning, Career & Professional Group. He has a B.S. in accounting and an MBA in Finance from Seton Hall University. Manny is passionate about helping others succeed, reaching their full potential while contributing to a better world for all.
Masi Ngidi-Brown, Secretary
Masi is the Director of Diversity Equity and inclusion Co-Curricular Programs at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where he oversees the First Gen Low Income Program and the International Student Program. His years of experience in both the US and in South Africa as a researcher, organizational leader, and educator, as well as his proven commitment to South African youth development, will add extraordinary energy and talent to help achieve Global Camps Africa's mission.
David Miller, Camp Strategist
For the past 20+ years, David and his wife have been the Owners/Directors of Camp Starlight, a private summer camp located in Starlight, Pennsylvania. David truly believes that camp friends are forever and the opportunity to change and impact the lives of campers and counselors is a lifelong dream. The experience of volunteering with his daughter as a vochelli at Camp Sizanani in March of 2017 was life-changing. He has continued to be involved with Global Camps Africa since the day he left camp, and was honored when Phil asked him to join the Board of Directors.
DAVID GALLEGOS
David Gallegos, Senior Vice President of Consulting Services at Optum Advisory, is an entrepreneurial, results-oriented healthcare executive with over thirty (30) years of healthcare operations and technology experience. Mr. Gallegos is proficient in strategic planning, program management, organizational development, transformational technology modernization, and innovative sourcing relationships. He has experience working with hospitals, health insurance companies and large integrated delivery systems. He has expertise in startup environments,turnaround operations, and post-merger integrations. As a former board member of the Private Sector Technology Group (PTSG) and the Healthcare Executive Group (HCEG), Mr. Gallegos is committed to transforming healthcare so that it more equitably serves patients and beneficiaries with improved quality at reduced costs and friction.
Susanne Kandel
Susanne Kandel is General Counsel for Radius Global Infrastructure. Susi got her J.D. from New York University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College. She joined the Global Camps Africa Board in January 2020.
Nancy Lieberman
As a former teacher, social worker, and health care executive, Nancy Lieberman has always had the well being of others top of mind. She is the founder of GO! St. Louis, which began in 2000. She spent 16 years leading the organization, growing the nonprofit from a single marathon weekend to a year-round community wellness leader. Nancy has created innovative programs and events that have received national acclaim while inspiring thousands of people to get to get active.
As a world-class, age-group athlete Nancy has completed dozens of marathons and triathlons, including five Ironman and Ironman 70.3 World Championships. She offers her time on civic boards and several committees and has been honored by national and regional organizations. She is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
ALLISON MARTIN
Allison is the founding member and executive director of Recuro Health and the former CEO and founder of Massachusetts-based UDoTest, a B2B At-Home Disease Testing Software Company. Inspired by cancer prevention in Africa, Allison’s global awards from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Genentech, Frost and Sullivan, to name a few, both during and pre-pandemic, led Allison to becoming a leader in the at-home testing industry. As a serial entrepreneur and business executive, as well as, with her work with America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Innovation Lab and in the global telecommunications industry, led to Allison having been frequently interviewed for her work on improving the access and the cost of better health for many.
David J. Nathan
David J. Nathan (New York, NY) is a partner at the law firm of Levin & Glasser, PC. He is president emeritus of the Congregation Shearith Israel, the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, where he continues to serve as a trustee. He has previously served as a trustee of the Abraham Joshua Heschel School and as a fellow of the Wexner Heritage Foundation. David lives with his wife, Rebecca, in New York, where they raised four children. David first met Phil Lilienthal in 1974, when he worked as a counselor at Camp Winnebago.
FRITZ SEVING
Fritz Seving has been a catalyst for positive change and forward thinking in the Maine camp community for several decades. A camper from the age of 7, he became a staffer at Camp Robin Hood at 15 and worked at camp through his college summers and recruiting in the winter. Fritz began his career with Fernwood in 1989. Making sure to keep Fernwood’s founding principles in the forefront, he inspired and excited children to grow and learn during their summers at camp. He served as President of the Maine Summer Camps from 2003-05 and is its current Treasurer, having served for nearly twenty years. He was instrumental in the formation of the Maine Youth Camp Association (MYCA) and is an active member of that board. Fritz has been a board member of the Association of Independent Camps (now CODA) and is an advisory board member of the Maine Camp Experience organization. He is also The Halsey Gulick award winner in 2013, given by the Maine Youth Camping Association to recognize people who have distinguished themselves in the field of organized youth camping in Maine.
MAUREEN SIMMONDS
Maureen Simmonds is a healthcare executive with over 20 years of leadership experience in health plan operations and process improvement for managed care organizations. She has an MBA in Healthcare Administration and is Green Belt Certified. Maureen and her husband, Denzil, live in Reston, VA and have two adult children. Maureen and her husband love to travel, play golf and spend time with family and friends. Maureen's passion is giving back and making a difference in the lives of others.
Karyn Trader-Leigh
Karyn Trader-Leigh is co-owner of KTA Global Partners, LLC, a Human Capital Consulting, Leader Development, and Capacity Building firm in Virginia. Her consulting experience includes work with US based public, private, and government organizations, and global NGOs. Her international experience includes consulting in Hungary, Britain, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Portugal, South Africa, and study and lecture in China. She is also an executive coach, training and certifying coaches for the International Coaching Community (ICC). Karyn holds a Doctorate in Organization Change and MA, International Transactions. She maintains an interest in capacity building, deep democracy (all voices represented), and equity in emerging country environments. She and her husband/co-owner have been involved in capacity building in war-torn countries in West Africa with the Taia Peace Foundation for 13 years.
Don Whipple
Don Whipple first began working for Mountain Camp northern California in 1993 and now oversees all year-round operations. He is a proud graduate of UCLA and formerly directed Bruin Woods, the UCLA Alumni Family Camp on Lake Arrowhead. Don is very active in the camp profession and currently serves on the National Board of Directors for the American Camp Association and is the Past President and Vice President of the Western Association of Independent Camps. When Don and his family are not at camp, they live in San Francisco and you’ll find them outside with their dog Bo exploring the beautiful Bay Area.
Daniel Wofford
Dan Wofford is a policy and strategic planning consultant with a focus on non-profit community and economic development organizations. Most recently, he served as an adviser to 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, a state-wide, smart growth advocacy organization, providing policy guidance, strategic planning, fundraising assistance, and government relations support. Dan brings over thirty years of experience in the civic arena encompassing policy development, program management, political consulting, government relations and fundraising. A graduate of Yale University and Georgetown University Law Center, Dan practiced law as a litigator in Philadelphia early in his career before pursuing his interest full-time in politics and public service. He lives in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania with his wife, Sarah Peck. They have two adult sons, Benjamin and Andrew, who share Dan’s passion for politics and Philadelphia’s often suffering sports teams.