Board of Directors

Richard M. Levy: Chief Executive Officer

Rick Levy was one of the three original founders of LUA and has a heart and passion for Africa along with the numerous other projects that he supports in the United States. Mr. Levy is currently the Chief Financial Officer of SCOLR Pharma, Inc. a specialty pharmaceutical company. SCOLR Pharma’s corporate objective is to combine its formulation expertise and patented CDT platform to develop novel pharmaceutical, over-the-counter (OTC), and nutritional products. In addition, Rick is the Chief Operations Officer for the Missions Department at the First Presbyterian Church in Bellevue (“FPCB”), Washington. FPCB is a global mission organization with an annual budget in excess of $6 million. Rick has over 32 years experience in the leadership of financial institutions with a particular emphasis on banking; international private banking, world banking and retail banking.  Rick has lived in Hong Kong, Manila and Sydney and conducted business throughout Europe and Asia.  He holds a degree in business economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara and is a licensed CPA in the States of California and Washington.

William A. Longbrake: Chairman of the Board

Bill Longbrake is one of the three founders of LUA and has a heart and passion for Africa along with the numerous other projects that he supports in the United States. He is chairman of the LUA Board of Trustees.  Bill has extensive experience in finance and investments, macroeconomics and monetary policy, risk management, housing, and public policy.  He has served in business, academic and government organizations.

Beginning in June 2009 he became an Executive in Residence at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and participates in the Center for Financial Policy.  He spends one to two weeks monthly working on a variety of business, policy and governance issues with faculty, students, business leaders, government policymakers and executives of not-for-profit organizations. He is chairman of the board of HOPE LoanPort, a non-profit organization that provides a data management and communications web portal to housing counselors and home mortgage servicers.  He is a nonvoting member of the Washington State Investment Board, which manages approximately $70 billion in public employee retirement funds, and serves on the Audit Committee.  He serves on the boards of trustees of Auburn Theological Seminary and the College of Wooster; and is a director of City First Bank of DC, a community development financial institution. He is president and chairman of the board of trustees of the Longbrake Family Foundation.
    
Bill had an extensive career in Banking as the CFO and Vice Chair of Washington Mutual, Inc. He began his career in Washington, D.C. in 1970, where he served in various government positions until 1982, including acting senior deputy comptroller for policy and senior deputy comptroller for resource management for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and financial economist, acting controller and special assistant to the chairman at the FDIC.

He earned his bachelor of arts degree in economics from the College of Wooster in 1965, graduating with honors. He earned his master’s degree in monetary economics in 1968 and his master of business administration degree in 1969 from the University of Wisconsin. He received his Ph.D. in finance from the University of Maryland in 1976.

Kenneth G. Y. Grant: Compliance Officer

Ken has more than thirty years (30) of executive leadership in for-profit as well as nonprofit organizations with a focus on business development and financial services. He is employed by NRS, a trust product administrator. Ken is the firm’s Chief Officer for Corporate Development, Senior Vice President and a key to its growing retirement, nonprofit and investment services businesses. Ken is an ordained minister and prior to joining NRS, he was President and CEO of an investment firm founded by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He is a graduate of Syracuse University (Bachelor of Arts), Boston University (Master of Theology) and Clark University (Master of Business Administration). He has been adjunct faculty at Harvard University, senior leader of religious judicatories and a director and/or officer of multiple for profit and non-profit organizations.

Larry E. Donahoo: Project Coordinator

Larry has over thirty seven (37) years of engineering and construction experience, including ten (10) years of worldwide engineering and construction project management experience and ten (10) years worldwide program management experience. He has successfully completed multiple international Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts. His experience also includes management of worldwide procurement and site logistics, schedule development and analysis and management as well as in-depth experience staffing and training design and construction management teams. Mr. Donahoo divides his time between homes in Friday Harbour, WA (USA) and Nairobi, Kenya. 

Randy W. Harris: Board Trustee

Randy has over 27 years of business experience working from start-ups to large international corporations.  He is currently the founder and President of Explore Photo Tours, a photography tour company that offers photo tours in eight European cities. He holds a degree in Finance from Washington State University.

Samuel S. Muinde: Vice President of the Board

Sam was one of the three original founders of LUA and has a strong passion for his community in Kenya. Sam worked as a chemist for the City of Oshkosh, Wisconsin prior to his retirement in 1999. He holds degrees in microbiology and public health from the University of Wisconsin.  Mr. Muinde was born in Machakos, Kenya, where he lived until, sponsored by the Episcopal Church, he moved to Wisconsin as a teenager to attend high school. He has a long history of involvement in community affairs, including serving as president of the Oshkosh Jaycees and vice president of the Wisconsin Jaycees.  He is currently a member of the Oshkosh Southwest Rotary Club and has established a Rotary club in his hometown in Kenya.  He has served on the board of a credit union in Oshkosh and has held leadership positions in Trinity Episcopal Church in Oshkosh.

Staff, Interns and Volunteers:

Amanda Grant-Rose: Director of Marketing and Programs

Amanda Grant-Rose is the Director of Marketing and Programs working directly with LUA’s partners throughout the Africa and the States.  Prior to joining the LUA team Amanda worked as the Director of Special Education for Sebastian Kolowa University College in Tanzania, as a Mental Health Specialist, and a kindergarten through second grade teacher.  Amanda is a graduate from the University of Arizona with her B.S. degree in Special Education, University of Pennsylvania with her degree in Clinical Social Work and Harvard University Graduate School of Education with a degree in International Educational Policy. Amanda also continues to learn Swahili.

Lolo Levy: Accountant

Lolo has over 25 years of experience working in accounting with public, private and nonprofit companies.  She has an extensive volunteer background ranging from mission work in Guatemala to managing cookbooks with the Junior League.  She is currently working part time as an accounting consultant for small businesses, maintaining an inactive CPS license.  She also volunteers in the Presbyterian Church, PTA, Campfire USA, Junior League, and on an international scholarship foundation committee.  Lolo has a passion for helping others and she loves to travel.

Kevin Blaine: Funds Development Intern

Originally hailing from California, Kevin moved to Boston in the summer of 2010. He is currently working at the Harvard School of Public Health as a research assistant on multiple studies seeking to reduce secondhand smoke exposure in children. While in California, he received his MA in Education and BA in Religious Studies at the University of California Davis and taught junior high and high school history. Kevin is passionate about social justice, education, clean water and sanitation, and the intersection of all three in international development efforts. He is excited to be working with LUA to positively impact local communities in Africa.

Jonathan Newton: University Intern

Jonathan Newton recently earned his Ed.M. at the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a focus on International Education Policy. He believes that education is essential to effective international development, and he is interested in improving the quality of education in developing countries to alleviate poverty and open doors for young people. He is also interested global citizenship, and believes that grassroots movements among passionate individuals can make a powerful impact both locally and globally. Before enrolling at Harvard, he taught at an after-school program in India and at an orphanage in Tanzania. He also worked with at-risk youth in Boston as an Outreach Coordinator for a local nonprofit.

Katie Levy: High School Intern

Katie Levy is currently attending Bellevue High School as a junior in Washington State, and is very excited to become part of LUA. She has a passion for global outreach through the mission trips she has gone on including Costa Rica and Guatemala while expanding her skills in the Spanish language and developing a deeper understanding for diverse and rich cultures. More locally she participates in community service through being a member of National Honors Society and of Key Club (a service organization) both at school and through doing other various volunteer events with her church youth group of First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue. She is interested in studying Information Technology in college and growing her experience in non-profit organizations.

Courtney Levy: High School Intern

Courtney Levy is a senior at Bellevue High School in Washington State. She is one of Lift Up Africa’s high school interns and is working on developing a travel experience for donors. She enjoys doing community service and extracurricular activities. She swims and plays golf through her high school and plays tennis on the side. She is looking into studying hospitality and business management. She is excited to be a part of the Lift Up Africa family.