LPCA Board of Directors
Shannon French - President
Zambia (2004-2006)
Response, Jamaica (2010)
Shannon French served in Zambia from 2004-2006 along with his wife,
Laney. The two worked on rural education development initiatives in
rural villages and communities throughout Kasempa district in
northwestern Zambia. Shannon entered grad school at Tulane University in
2007, where he received a Master's Degree in Architecture in May 2009.
He returned to Peace Corps in 2010 as a Response Volunteer in Jamaica,
designing two buildings working with local communities in Spanish Town
and Bluefields. He now works in New Orleans as an architectural
designer. Shannon and Laney are both originally from Wisconsin.
Ryan Mast - Vice President, Service Project Coordinator
Originally from Illinois, Ryan Mast served as an agriculture extentionist in Guatemala
from 2002 to 2004. During his time in country, he worked with multiple
organizations, women’s groups, and local schools educating on the topics
of sustainable agriculture practices, environmental health, and
nutrition. In addition to his regular assigned duties, he
also served as president of the Volunteer Advisory Counsel and Volunteer
Trainer for the agriculture program. After the Peace Corps, Ryan moved to New Orleans and received a MA in Latin American Studies from Tulane University. He currently continues to work and reside in the city.
James Dunne
Vice President, Social Events
Matthew Riccardo - Treasurer
Zambia (2003 - 2005)
Crisis Corps, New Orleans (2005)
Originally from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Matthew served in the Ntambu catchment area in the Northwestern Province of Zambia from 2003 to 2005. He was a Community Action for Health volunteer and worked to educate the area in the major health issues of the country and completed health related projects. Matthew worked as a Crisis Corps volunteer in New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina relief in 2005 and later moved to stay in April, 2010.
Allison Davis- Secretary
East Timor (2003-2005)
Allison Davis served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in East Timor from 2003-2005. She worked on Good Governance issues in the town
of Viqueue. She
is originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, but now resides in
the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans, LA with her boyfriend and Peace
Corps groupie Jon Atkinson. She works as a FEMA
Specialist/Liaison in CDM’s Program Management office in St. Bernard
Parish, helping in the infrastructure rebuilding progress there. Immediately
after hurricane Katrina, Allison was also a Crisis Corps Volunteer
serving in New Orleans and working with FEMA and the Red Cross on
response efforts. Currently, she is serving as the Louisiana Peace Corps Association’s Secretary on the 2001 Board.
Picture: Allison is the second from the right"
Michael Grodsky -- Membership Coordinator
Turkmenistan (2003-2005)
Michael
was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama. He earned a business degree
from Indiana University in 2001. He joined the Peace Corps after
working in San Francisco for two years. Michael completed his PC
service in Turkmenistan and returned to the US in December 2005. He
moved to New Orleans in January 2006 to help rebuild after Hurricane
Katrina and has been there ever since. Michael currently works as the
Director of the Westbank Boys & Girls Club and serves as the
Chairman of the young adult civic engagement organization EngageNOLA.
Ashley Gerfin -- Web Coordinator
Burkina Faso (2006-2008)
Response, Guinea/Burkina Faso (2010-2011)
Ashley served in Burkina Faso from 2006 to 2008 as a math teacher. She returned to New Orleans to teach and work towards teacher certification through a Master of Arts in Teaching degree at Xavier University of Louisiana and plans to graduate in May 2012. In addition to primary duties as a teacher, Ashley also served on the Volunteer Advisory Committee and was a Volunteer Trainer both years.
She returned to West Africa in 2010 as a Peace Corps Response volunteer in Guinea (Conakry). Due to political instability in the country, she was transferred to Burkina Faso after only six weeks in Guinea. She served as a math teacher again and continues to work in Jefferson Parish as a math teacher.
Ashley's undergraduate degree is Industrial Engineering, with a minor in Spanish from Penn State. She hopes to pursue a career in Humanitarian Aid and Development.
Mike Madej - Grant Coordinator
Kenya (2006-2008)
Mike hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan. He joined the Peace Corps in 2006
and his service took him to Coastal Kenya where he served as a Small
Enterprise Development Volunteer. Mike most recently worked with CASA
New Orleans as the Recruitment/Training Coordinator until deciding to
pursue a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of New
Orleans. Mike currently works at the Regional Planning Commission and
enjoys living in New Orleans.
David Wessel - Director at Large, 50th Anniversary Liaison
Columbia (1962-1964),
Crisis, El Salvador (2001-2002)
Dave has served as the LPCA Newsletter Editor, Vice President, Treasurer and was the LPCA President from 1997-2000. He was born in 1938 in Miami Beach, Florida. Dave came to New Orleans to attend Loyola University and earned his Bachelors in History in 1962.
He served in Columbia as a Community Development Peace Corps Volunteer from 1962-64 and then taught at Warren Easton High School in New Orleans from 1964-65. Dave went on to earn his MA in Latin American History at Indiana State University in 1969.
He was the Executive Director of Junior Achievement in Terre Haute, Indiana from 1965-70 and in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida from 1970-1976. He was a Manufacturer's Rep. in New Orleans from 1976-1979 and was in Real Estate Sales from 1979 -2004. Additionally, Dave is the Founder of Grace House of New Orleans, which is a non-profit treatment center for alcohol and/or drug addicted, indigent females. He served as President and Executive Director of that organization from 1986-1992. He has been married to Linda Trusty since 1965 and has four grown children.
Newsletter Editor - this position is vacant - we are desperately seeking a replacement!
Kimberly Clements - Baton Rouge Liaison
Micronesia (2000-2002)
Kimberly Clements is the Baton Rouge Liaison for
Louisiana RPCA. Her country of service was Federated States of
Micronesia from 2000-2002 where she worked in the Marine Resource
Conservation Program in Yap Island. Kimberly currently works for the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a Fishery
Biologist working of coastal habitat restoration in the Gulf of
Mexico.
Melanie Boulet - Global TeachNet/3rd Goal Coordinator