John Sullivan is a video producer and former journalist with more than 30 years of experience working in the United States and across Africa, primarily in environmental reporting and documentary production. He began his career as a news reporter in Massachusetts before serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the former Zaire from 1979 to 1981, where he taught English to secondary school students in Katanga Region.

He holds a B.A. in English from Suffolk University in Boston. John is fluent in French and has a working knowledge of Swahili, skills that have supported his long-term engagement with African environmental issues and storytelling.

Julie Martel is a retired senior director in pharmaceutical project management with 30 years of experience in statistical process control, medical research, and drug development across both academic and industry settings. Her career has focused on advancing evidence‑based methodologies, improving clinical development systems, and strengthening quality assurance frameworks within global health and pharmaceutical organizations.

Julie holds a Master’s degree in Statistics and Biometry from Cornell University, where she specialized in applied statistical modeling and biological data analysis. Her technical expertise spans clinical trial design, regulatory‑driven data processes, and cross‑functional project leadership.

From 1981 to 1985, Julie served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bandundu Province, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). She worked as a Fish Culture Extension Agent, supporting rural aquaculture initiatives, and later became the Peace Corps Regional Volunteer Leader, coordinating volunteer activities and community partnerships across Bandundu. Her experience in the region continues to inform her commitment to community‑centered development and capacity building.

Julie is fluent in Kikongo and has working knowledge of French, enabling effective engagement with Congolese partners and communities.

Peter Lane is a national board‑certified health and wellness coach and an experienced organizational development consultant, with a career focused on strengthening individual well‑being, leadership effectiveness, and institutional performance. His work integrates behavioral health, adult learning, and systems‑based organizational change.

Peter began his international development career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), where he taught English at Institut Gufwa‑Gubila in Kandale during the 1980s. In addition to classroom teaching, he piloted a literacy program and supported small‑scale income‑generating projects in animal husbandry, contributing to community‑driven economic resilience.

He holds a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, with a focus on adult education and organizational learning. His professional background includes extensive work with organizations seeking to improve staff well‑being, strengthen leadership capacity, and build healthier workplace cultures.

Peter lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his partner. He brings a long‑standing commitment to community empowerment and cross‑cultural collaboration, informed by his early service in Kandale and continued engagement in global development.

Tom Pendleton is a retired federal employee with the U.S. Department of Labor, where he served as a Contracting Officer responsible for 24 Educational and Vocational Training Centers across the Northeast United States and Puerto Rico. These centers provided high‑school completion pathways and vocational training opportunities for at‑risk youth, and Tom’s oversight ensured compliance, quality assurance, and effective program delivery across a multi‑state portfolio.

Tom began his international service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bandundu Province, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) from 1980 to 1983, where he taught mathematics at the secondary level. He and his wife, Pam Pendleton, later served as Peace Corps Regional Volunteer Leaders in Bandundu, coordinating volunteer support, training, and community partnerships throughout the region.

Tom is now retired and lives in Massachusetts with Pam and their dog, Maisy. They enjoy traveling throughout the United States in their RV, maintaining strong ties to the Peace Corps community and their long‑standing connection to Bandundu.

Robyn Souza is a retired executive nurse leader and public health professional with extensive experience in operations management, program development, quality improvement, patient safety, and strategic planning. Over her career, she held senior leadership roles in community health centers and academic medical centers across the greater Boston area, where she focused on expanding access to high‑quality health care regardless of patients’ ability to pay. Her work reflects a long‑standing commitment to equitable health systems and community‑centered care.

Robyn holds an undergraduate degree in Biology, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and a Master’s degree in International Public Health, grounding her leadership in both clinical expertise and global health practice.

From 1983 to 1985, Robyn served as a Peace Corps Health Volunteer in the Kasai and Kivu regions of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), supporting community health initiatives and local capacity building. She later served as Technical Advisor for Family Planning in Dakar, Sénégal from 1990 to 1991, contributing to national reproductive health programs and provider training.

Robyn now lives in Vermont with her wife, continuing her engagement in community health and global development through advisory roles and volunteer service.

Renee McKinney is a semi‑retired primary care physician who has practiced in the Boston area for nearly 30 years, providing direct patient care, teaching medical students and residents, and holding leadership roles within her multi‑specialty practice group and a local university medical school. Her work has centered on strengthening primary care delivery, mentoring emerging clinicians, and advancing high‑quality, patient‑centered medical practice. She now focuses on clinical support for primary care clinicians, contributing to improved care coordination and professional development across her organization.

Before entering medicine, Renee taught social studies in a Boston‑area public high school and later served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Kasai region of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in the early 1980s. As a Fish Culture Extension Agent, she supported community‑based aquaculture initiatives and contributed to local income‑generating activities, gaining early experience in rural development and cross‑cultural collaboration.

Renee holds a B.A. and a Master’s degree from Brown University, and an M.D. from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. She lives in Boston with her husband, and together they enjoy hiking, biking, and cross‑country skiing throughout New England while traveling more frequently in retirement.