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.
Alexis Brown
CPO
Alexis has been in executive public administration and human resources management for 15 years working in various educational, workforce development and youth nonprofits and government agencies serving multicultural families. She graduated from Walden University in 2016 with a Ph.D. Public Administration. She also holds a master’s degree in Zoology and is Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt Certified. For nine years and counting, Alexis has served as a member and volunteer treasurer for the Continental Societies, an international nonprofit member organization that is dedicated to providing services and scholarships to youth from vulnerable communities.
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 husband, Joe, and 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.
Abha Treohan
Director of Strategic Execution
Abha Treohan brings a wide range of experience in high-performing positions, including 14 years of experience in Fortune 500 companies in the pharmaceutical, construction, auto and food Industries. After completing her Global Executive MBA with a concentration in Strategy from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, she began seeing signs of her calling. Over the last several years she has had the privilege of serving several amazing organizations including the Augusta Dream Center and Elevation Church. Abha thrives on the energy of big ideas and putting those ideas into execution. She loves being at the intersection of strategy, analytics and innovation, especially in the area of her passion — community impact.
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
Steve Moore
Chairperson
Nexleader
Service on Board since 2008
Erin Donovan
Vice Chair
Principal and Lead Consultant, rooted LLC
Service on Board since 2018
The Rev. Dr. Casely Essamuah
Secretary
Global Christian Forum
Service on Board since 2008
Matthew P. Gerkens
Treasurer
Service on Board since 2018
Walter Kim*
National Evangelical Association
Service on Board since 2020
Pat Mazorol
Service on Board since 2016
Galen Carey*
National Evangelical Association
Service on Board since 2019
Myal Greene*
President/CEO
Service on Board since 2021
George Hu
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
John Cusey
American Enterprise Institute
Service on Board since 2021
Jose Velazquez
Southwest Key Programs
Service on Board since 2022
*Ex Officio