Leadership
Myal Greene
President/CEO
Myal Greene has a deep desire to see churches worldwide equipped, empowered, and engaged in meeting the needs of vulnerable families in their communities. In 2021, he became President and CEO after serving for fourteen years with the organization. While living in Rwanda for eight years, he developed World Relief’s innovative church-based programming model that is currently used in nine countries. He also spent six years in leadership roles within the international programs division. He has previous experience working with the U.S. Government. He holds B.S. in Finance from Lehigh University and an M.A. from Fuller Theological Seminary in Global Leadership. He and his wife, Sharon, have three children.
Kevin Sanderson
CAO
Kevin Sanderson began working with World Relief in 1991 in Nicaragua. Since that time, he has been a key leader in the International Programs Division, as well as serving four years as the organization's Chief Financial Officer. His focus on agricultural value chains, organizational development and his many years of experience in the field of program design and management have allowed Kevin to engage diverse roles around the globe for World Relief. Kevin holds a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri. Kevin resides in Maryland with his wife, Alcira, and their two children.
Dick Oyieko
CFO
Dick Oyieko has been working with World Relief since 2001 starting in Kenya working in several Africa Regional Finance Roles. In 2006, Dick transferred to our Home Office Finance Department in Baltimore to work in the role of International Finance Manager. From that time forward he has been a key leader in the Department and since 2015 has been the VP of Finance managing all of the key activities and tasks of the Department and being promoted to CFO in 2021. Dick holds an accounting degree from The University of Eastern Africa, Baraton and has in depth acumen and wealth of experience across the broad spectrum of nonprofit accounting, financial management, and compliance. His work and expertise has been instrumental in World Relief’s robust capacity and solid track record in these areas for many years. Dick resides in Maryland with his wife, Carol, and their two sons.
Francesca Albano
VP of Marketing and Brand
Francesca joined World Relief in 2016 and has played a variety of roles with progressively expanding responsibilities. She is a passionate storyteller and cross-cultural communicator, having spent much of her childhood in Kenya and the U.K., before immigrating to the U.S. as a teenager. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology and International Affairs from Colby College and an M.A in Strategic Marketing Communications from Georgetown University, and is also a Storybrand Certified Guide. Today, her passions and expertise converge to help us tell the story of what God is doing through World Relief and the local church all around the world. She is deeply committed to stewarding this story, and the stories of those we serve, with great care and dignity as we also seek to inform, inspire and invite others to come alongside the work of World Relief. She lives close to Boston with her son, Teddy.
Matthew Soerens
VP of Advocacy and Policy
Matt began his World Relief journey in 2005 as an intern in Nicaragua. Since then he served as a Department of Justice-accredited legal counselor in Chicagoland before assuming the role of U.S. Director of Church Mobilization and Advocacy. Matt is the co-author of three books including Welcoming the Stranger (InterVarsity Press, 2018) and Inalienable (InterVarsity Press, 2022). Matt also serves as the National Coordinator for the Evangelical Immigration Table, a coalition that advocates for immigration reforms consistent with biblical values. He is a graduate of Wheaton College, where he has also served as a guest faculty member in the Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership program, and earned a master’s degree from DePaul University’s School of Public Service. He lives in Aurora, Illinois with his wife Diana and their four children.
Aerlande Wontamo
SVP of U.S. Programs
Aerlande has been working in the refugee and immigrant services field for more than 15 years. This work is near and dear to her heart both personally, and professionally having spent her formative childhood years in Kenya. Prior to joining World Relief, she spent a decade with Lutheran Social Services beginning her career as a case manager, eventually assuming the role of Regional Director for Maryland and Virginia. Most recently she held several leadership positions at Catholic Charities D.C. Aerlande has extensive experience in program management, building, motivating and optimizing teams; and enjoys expanding and enhancing community partnerships. She holds a bachelor's degree in economic development from Eastern Mennonite University and a Master of Public Health, Behavioral Sciences from Saint Louis University. She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Lanre Williams-Ayedun
SVP of International Programs
Lanre Williams-Ayedun is a global development leader with 17 years of experience in strategy and systems building for new business acquisition, technical program design, and program management. Most recently, she served as a Senior Program Advisor at Jhpiego, supporting the organization to pivot its resource base and technical assets to match changing global health demands, and helping to raise millions of dollars for strategic new projects. For ten years Lanre worked for World Vision US in various roles, including as director for the Child Protection and Education team, managing a global multi-million dollar portfolio of projects funded by US government donors, individual philanthropists, corporations, and foundations. Lanre currently sits on a working group advising the World Bank on the creation of a research agenda related to faith and development, and is a 2022 World Trade Center Institute Emerging and Developing Global Executives (EDGE) fellow. She holds master’s degrees in international development and public health from The George Washington University. Lanre speaks fluent Yoruba, French, and basic Spanish; her career has included working in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Central America, and the Caribbean. Lanre and her husband Yomi live in Sterling, Virginia and lead in various capacities at Fairfax Church.
Jeff Walser
VP of Strategic Engagement
Jeff Walser joined World Relief in 2018 as the Senior Director of Development, leading our team of Strategic Partnership Directors in serving church and individual partners. Prior to joining World Relief, Jeff served for 10 years as the Executive Pastor of Ministry at Wheaton Bible Church, a World Relief partner. During his time at Wheaton Bible, Jeff traveled to Turkana, Kenya multiple times, and his heart was captured by the ways in which the local church was empowered to serve the most vulnerable. Before joining Wheaton Bible, Jeff enjoyed a 25-year career leading and developing high-performing sales and marketing teams at a large manufacturing firm in Chicago, holding the roles of President and Senior Vice President. Jeff and his wife Jill live in the Tampa Bay area and have three children and seven grandchildren. He also serves as a lay pastor in a church plant in Largo, Florida.
Board of Directors
*Ex Officio
Erin Donovan | Chair
Principal and Lead Consultant, rooted LLC
Service on Board since 2018
John Cusey | Vice Chair
American Enterprise Institute
Service on Board since 2021
Matthew P. Gerkens
RSM US LLP
Service on Board since 2018
José Velázquez | Secretary
Non-profit Executive
Service on Board since 2022
Walter Kim*
National Association of Evangelicals
Service on Board since 2020
Galen Carey*
National Association of Evangelicals
Service on Board since 2019
Myal Greene* | President/CEO
Service on Board since 2019
George Hu | Treasurer
Consultant
Service on Board since 2022
Dakota Pippins
InterVarsity
Service on Board since 2020
Dr. Carrie Tibbles
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Service on Board since 2020
Mindy Belz
Independent Journalist
Service on Board since 2023
Dr. JoAnn Flett
Seattle Pacific University
Service on Board since 2023
David Vazquez
Biola University
Service on Board since 2023
Durmomo Gary
The Compass Church. Naperville, IL
Service on Board since 2024
Helen Kaminski
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Service on Board since 2024
Liz Dong
Ameriprise Financial
Service on Board since 2024