Stephanie Chasteen - Secretary
secretary @ friendsofguinea.org

I'm a science educator by trade, and I always tell folks that my first experience teaching science was during my service in Guinea (Wawaya, 97-99), when I tried to teach kids about germs. Somehow that experience took a strong hold of me, and since returning from Guinea I've become increasingly focused on service to others -- first through the co-founding and administration of Friends of Guinea, and then through my career in public science education and outreach. My PhD is in physics, but I've worked as a science journalist, podcaster, science advisor in a museum (the fabulous Exploratorium in San Francisco), and now as an education researcher in physics. I'm very pleased to be able to continue to work with Friends of Guinea, which has helped make a difference to Guineans, PCVs, RPCVs, and parents and friends of PCVs since 2000.

Claire Lea - Projects Director
projects @ friendsofguinea.org

Like a lot of other volunteers, I joined the Peace Corps to experience something completely unique, to travel to a part of the world that seemed unknown and inhospitable. Since I'd applied with the notion already in my head that I'd go to Africa, Guinea was a welcome surprise when the phone call came from PC Headquarters. The welcome packet only continued to arouse my curiosity. "You may or may not have electricity or running water. You may or may not live in a traditional thatched roof hut," it said. I was intrigued, yet admittedly a little intimidated as I read. What sealed the deal at the end of it all was the line, "all volunteers in Guinea will be issued Trek mountain bikes." I called them right away to accept.

I spent my time in a small town called Banian, between Faranah and Kissidougou on the main highway. Turns out, I didn't have electricity or running water, and I did live in a traditional thatched roof hut, which I quickly grew to love. I taught math to 8th, 9th, and 10th graders and finished my service in June 2004.

Now I'm pursuing a graduate degree in foreign language teaching at the University of Missouri in Columbia. I'm originally from Louisiana, but have considered Missouri more or less home for several years. I have B.A.'s from the University of Missouri in Psychology and Spanish, and spent a year of my undergraduate career in Madrid, Spain.

FOG provides a great service in that it is an information source on a little known and struggling sector of the world. As projects director, I'll be looking for ways to help finance projects that the current volunteers in the field are working on and helping keep up FOG's reputation for outstanding work.

Brian Clappier - Membership Director
membership @ friendsofguinea.org

Given how I still occasionally write the numbers 1 and 7, you may say that compared to many other Guinea-RPCVs, I'm fairly fresh off the boat. From 2004-2006, I lived 18 km west of Labé in a charming highway town called Hafia and served as a physics teacher at the local collège. So it's really only been a couple years since I was sitting in Mamou's ENATEF with a few fellow volunteers, trying to map out Boys Conference 2006. This planning session was one of many, having spent the past several months experiencing disjointed radio-teleconferences, unnerving bush-taxi commutes, and candlelit bookkeeping to organize the event. In the end, everyone's efforts paid off by profoundly and positively impacting the participating Guineans and us, the volunteers. Looking back though, our fieldwork was only one level of a larger collaboration.

Without the support of FOG, Boys Conference would not have happened. Projects like the gender conferences need our support from home, whether it's moral, technical, financial, or otherwise. With each member of FOG, we're building a vital network between those of us in Guinea and those of us who often wish we were there. I look forward to helping expand this base of members and I hope that what we accomplish will lend a hand to both Guineans and the Peace Corps program.

Originally from Wisconsin, I now live relatively close to home in the Windy City and work as an advocacy specialist with the Shriver Center.

Brian Farenell - Communications Director
communications @ friendsofguinea.org

Hi all, I'm Brian Farenell, the new communications director. I was advocacy director from FOG's launch until the end of 2003. But I wanted a new challenge and to give someone with fresh ideas to get a crack at doing different things with advocacy.I've been involved with FOG since the very early day. To see it grow from little more than a seed in the head of a few idealistic people like Stephanie and Woody into a dynamic group sponsoring conferences, sending out newsletters and generally being a venue for people interested in the Peace Corps and Guinea to share ideas, information and news.

I served as a Peace Corps volunteer from 1995-97 in Beindou Centre, a tiny village (and sous-prefecture) less than 10 miles from Kissidougou. I had a great experience there and I'm pleased to still be in contact with my best friends from Beindou 8 1/2 years later.

From the outset, I've strongly believed that, in addition to the well-being of volunteers on the ground, Guinea and Guineans should be an important part of FOG's objectives. I didn't want us to merely be a cheerleader for the institution of the Peace Corps and leave it at that. I wanted FOG to be very Guinea-specific, if you will. And it has become so.

Best wishes,

Brian Farenell

Shad Engkilterra - Financial Officer
finances @ friendsofguinea.org

Shad Engkilterra graduated from Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. He spent three years in Michigan as the Health and Safety Training Coordinator for the Greater Kalamazoo Area chapter of the American Red Cross. In August 2004, Shad moved to Anchorage to become the Health and Safety Manager for the American Red Cross of Alaska and in March of 2005, he added Preparedness to his title. Just over a year ago, Shad was promoted to the Southeast District Director position for the American Red Cross of Alaska.

A former Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea (Banko, 1998-2000), Shad is an avid geocacher and hiker.

Sharon Buehler - Parent Support
gps @ friendsofguinea.org

The GPS listserv and general information on the FOG web site have been invaluable. When I asked my son in June 2004 if he had plans after school was over (he was substitute teaching), he said, " I guess I should tell you that I bought a ticket." I asked where, he said Philadelphia on his way to Guinea. As you can imagine, I began downloading all the information I could find, and thank you to all who contributed to FOG web site. Then in 8 days, he was gone. Fortunately, I immediately found the GPS listserv for July 4th and that really saved my sanity, just knowing that other parents were going through the same withdrawal as me. Thank you Marilyn, over and over, for initiating the GPS service for the groups. Then I learned so much from the next group of parents when I was G9 group leader for their listserv; this active group of parents share emails, letters and photos about what is happening to their PCTs, so much more detail than any one volunteer alone could tell me. So now I am pleased to be able to continue this rewarding service.

Professionally, I manage a U.S. company which imports electronic equipment from my parent organization in Australia. I attended Ohio Univ, Univ of Idaho (BS), and San Diego State Univ (MBA) and have worked in computer programming, project management, and now as President of this small company. My daughter, Diane, married one of the Australian engineers and now lives in Canberra, Australia; she has 4 children and is attending Australia National University for her second degree in creative writing. My son, Randall, and his wife Jo live in the San Diego area; he is a controls system engineer and she teaches senior mathematics. My youngest son, Brian, just celebrated his 26th birthday as a PCV teaching physics in Guinea.

Thank you to FOG for all your support to the parents and families of the volunteers in Guinea through information and administrative services. I am glad to be part of such a worthwhile organization.

Mackenzie (Pfeifer) Dabo - Newsletter Editor
newsletter @ friendsofguinea.org

As a senior in college with a double major in Mathematics and English Lit, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I loved to travel, so I applied for the Peace Corps. This decision changed the entire course of my life. I was a PCV in Guinea from '00 to '03; however I spent a total of four full years in Guinea. I was initially a math teacher in the sous-prefecture of Saramoussaya, which is between Mamou and Dabola. After my two years au village, I moved to Conakry. I spent one year as Gender, AIDS, and Development coordinator with PC and a year as an English teacher at Pepinaire Bikaz in the Miniere neighboorhood. While in Guinea, I met Amara Dabo, and in February '03, we were married at the Minister of Foreign Affairs. We moved to the US in August '04. Since we've been in the States, it has been one grand event after another. I completed my Master's of Education degree in an American program run in South Africa in July '05. We built a house for Amara's family in the village. We bought a house just in time to welcome our daughter into our home (she was born in July '06). We've continued to travel and enjoy life. I am currently a math teacher at a great middle school. I also coach the youngest athletes on a local YMCA swim team. We haven't been to Guinea since December '05, although we look forward to going again soon and are in frequent contact with our family in the capital.

Rita Gerlach - Newsletter Distribution Manager/Assistant
rita @ friendsofguinea.org

I am humbled, surrounded as I am by these incredible, accomplished men and women. My claim to fame is my daughter Julie, now serving with G15.

The topic of volunteering with the Peace Corps has long been a familiar one with us. Julie and I have made a habit of volunteering, together and separately, since Julie was in grade school. Don’t be fooled, it isn’t that we’re particular altruistic, it’s just that we like keeping busy and experiencing new people and places. By the time Julie was ready to graduate (May 07) with her undergrad degree she’d submitted her application to the Peace Corps. December 2007, she was gone! Is it shameful to admit to vicarious enjoyment as I watch my only child participate in what I believe will be a seminal life experience?

When not otherwise occupied trying to figure out where in the world Julie is, my husband and I enjoy sightseeing while riding our Harley’s. (My husband Grant and I met in Louisiana while both serving as Red Cross volunteers immediately following Katrina and during Rita.) Most days you’ll find me trying to figure out how to move extremely large trucks and loads over bridges around the state of California without overloading them.

Each one of our volunteers, past, present, and future, have my utmost respect. I love the premise of the FOG. Although I don’t have much in the way of financial means, I have time, so here I am!

Nathan Shepherd - Webmaster
web @ friendsofguinea.org

I joined the Peace Corps right out of college, because I wanted to travel, master a foreign language, learn about distant and amazing places, and try to help my fellow men. I've been happy about my decision ever since.

I was assigned to Dinguiraye where I taught 9th grade math to classes of a hundred or so students from 2001-2003. Dinguiraye is a mid-sized town with a rich, unique religious heritage, thanks to the empire of El-Hadj Omar Tall. The people in Dinguiraye are very welcoming and rightfully proud of their roots. In addition to my math classes, I enjoyed teaching an astronomy course and starting a local beekeeping cooperative, among other things. I will never forget the inspirational people I befriended and worked with while I was there.

Since then, I've enjoyed studying physics and then shifting my professional focus towards international economic development. I am currently enrolled in a Master's program in Public Affairs at Princeton University and am taking one year out of my studies to gain professional experience (and learn a bit of Arabic) in Jordan, where I work with a non-profit business association that represents the stone and tile industry.

I have a lot of fantastic memories of my experiences in the Peace Corps in Guinea. Maintaining the FOG web page is one of the ways I can relive those memories while helping work towards a sustainable future for Guinea.

Urska Manners - Listserv Administrator
listserv @ friendsofguinea.org

My love of travel started at a very young age. I was born in Slovenia but spent the first three years of my life bouncing around between several countries, before my family finally settled in Vienna, Austria. We ended up living there for 13 years before moving to Belgium during my senior year of high school. I then moved to the US to attend college at Brown University, where I studied geophysics. During my senior year of college, I applied to the Peace Corps, because it was something I had always wanted to do. Peace Corps seemed like the perfect mix of travel and volunteering, and it was. I served in Guinea from 2000 to 2002, working as a high school math teacher in Siguiri. During my second year, I also became involved with APROFIG, an organisation that helps girls succeed in school. Siguiri is notorious for being very hot and politically active. I really appreciated being able to learn about the inner workings of Guinean politics while I was there. I probably would have preferred not to experience the heat. Upon leaving Guinea, I went back to school to get my Ph.D. I'm now in my third year of grad school at UC San Diego, studying seismology. Most of my research involves using earthquakes to study the structure of the interior of the Earth. Now that I'm here, I find that I miss Guinea and hope I can go back and visit some day. I try to keep some of the nostalgia at bay by mentoring new refugee families and congregating with San Diego-area RPCV's. And of course, I still like to travel.