Village Life Outreach Project: About: Leadership

Uniting Communities to Promote Life, Health and Education

Leadership
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

		Christopher Lewis, M.D. Chairman of the Board & Founder, Village Life Outreach Project, Inc. Chris works as a Family Physician for Alliance Primary Care in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. He earned his B.A. in Biology from Harvard University in 1996. Upon returning home for medical school and residency at the University of Cincinnati, He also served as Chief Resident of his residency program. He also served as Chief Resident of his program in 2002-2003. Dr. Lewis’s international health experience includes work in Honduras, El Salvador, Kenya, and Tanzania. He holds a faculty position with the University of Cincinnati’s Department of Family Medicine, and volunteers his time training undergraduates, medical students and medical residents. Dr. Lewis is a diplomat of the American Board of Family Medicine, an active member of the American Academy of Family Medicine, a committee chair of the Cincinnati Medical Association, has served as a local health expert on over 30 local news programs, and gives talks to public school students across Cincinnati about sexual health and responsibility.

		Adam Parrillo, Ph.D. Vice Chairman of the Board, and Life Committee Liaison Adam is a Human Geographer with an expertise in the social geography of urban inequality and the disparities of economic development. He is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati where he earned a B.S. in Geography, an M.A. in Human Geography, and a Ph.D. in the Social Geography of Economic Development. Adam has been involved with developmental issues in the Cincinnati metropolitan area as consultant for a local non-profit land conservancy, the Hillside Trust. He has been with VLOP since its inception 2004, was previously the Life Committee Chairperson, and co-edited Room to Love. Currently, Adam is an Assistant Professor of Geography in the Urban and Regional Studies department at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

		Jennifer Ernst, M.D. Board President Jen practices primary care medicine in Crestview Hills, KY with the Patient First group. She received her B.A. in psychology from the University of Cincinnati and her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. During medical school, she was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Dr. Ernst then completed a combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics residency program at University Hospital and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati. After which, she served as Chief Resident in the Internal Medicine residency program. An active member of her local church, she engages in multiple outreach service projects to uplift her community. In addition to her leadership with VLOP’s signature Mosquito Net Project, Jen plays an active role on the organization’s Health Committee.

		Jeff Perry Board Treasurer, Finance and Strategy Committee Chairman Jeff works at Citigroup as a Senior Analytics Manager in Business Planning & Analysis. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1996 with a B.B.A. in Finance and Business Economics. Jeff also owns and operates Cincinnati Fitness & Boxing, Ltd., a gym specializing in group fitness classes with a focus on boxing and cross-training techniques. Jeff enjoys working with children and formerly worked in a rustic camp setting as an Outdoor Youth Counselor for a year-round therapeutic wilderness camp for at-risk youth. Since joining Village Life, Jeff has participated in several brigades to Tanzania and greatly facilitated the care of a young boy badly burned in Africa who was able to receive life-saving medical care at the Shriners Burn Institute in Cincinnati.

		Sheeleah Prince, B.A. Board Secretary Sheeleah serves as Field Director for the Girl Scouts of America – Nations Capital in Washington, D.C. and previously held the position of Public Relations Specialist at Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Warren and Clinton Counties of Ohio. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a B.A. in Communications with a focus on Public Relations. In joining Village Life, she brought her valuable expertise and has served in multiple facets of the organization. Her efforts facilitated the development of Village Life’s education initiatives, and she continues to concentrate on promoting the work of the Marketing and Development committee.

MANAGEMENT TEAM

		Callisia Clarke, M.D. Health Committee Co-Chairperson, Marketing and Development Committee, Co-Chairperson Callisia is a resident in the Department of Surgery at the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine. She received her B.A. in biochemistry from the College of Wooster and her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. During medical school, she was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Dr. Clarke is completing her training in the General Surgery residency program at University Hospital. She is actively involved in recruitment and retention efforts at the College of Medicine, participating and organizing multiple projects aimed at improving the experiences of prospective and current medical students at the University of Cincinnati. Callisia brings enthusiasm and energy to the Health Committee, her passion is stirred by the positive experiences she had as a medical student during the October 2005 brigade.

		Amanda Fishman, BSN Health Committee, Co-Chairperson Amanda is a Surgical ICU nurse at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Edgewood, Kentucky. She travelled with Village Life as a UC nursing student on the October 2006 brigade and returned to Tanzania in October 2008 as one of the lead nurses for the Mobile Field Clinics. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a BSN in 2007 and has continued to be a passionate volunteer for Village Life. In early 2009, Amanda began serving as the Co-Chairperson for the Health Committee. She has also taken leadership of a new project for Village Life called the Child Health Initiative that focuses on preventive healthcare for children in Tanzania.

		Michael Zaretsky, Architect, LEED AP Roche Health Center Committee Chairperson Michael is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Cincinnati School of Architecture and Interior Design. He is a registered Architect and a LEED Accredited Professional. Michael completed his Master of Architecture at the University of Oregon in 1998 where he focused on the incorporation of environmental design principles in the design process. He spent seven years practicing architecture in Copenhagen, Denmark, San Francisco, California and Seattle, Washington at firms practicing sustainable design. He has been teaching architecture design studios and courses in environmental technology at the University of Cincinnati since 2006. Throughout his career he has been an educator, practitioner and advocate of regionally responsive sustainable design. Michael has been leading the design of the Roche Health Center since 2008.

		Kevin Klueber Life Committee Chairperson Kevin is a Product Manager at Intelligrated, a material handling solutions provider in Cincinnati, OH. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering in 2006. Kevin was the chairperson of the engineering committee for the U.C. chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) while in college and has continued his involvement with EWB through the Greater Cincinnati Professionals chapter. He has traveled to Kenya, Tanzania, Jamaica, and throughout the U.S. working on service projects, and enjoys enabling collaboration between multiple organizations. His involvement began in 2006 as a liaison between Village Life and both EWB chapters. Kevin's passion lies in working with the local villagers to develop partnerships thereby empowering them to an improved quality of life.

		Amber Brunck Education Committee, Co-Chairperson Amber works at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in the Grievance & Appeals Department. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Amber enjoys working with children and especially enjoys partaking in activities that enhance the education of children. She has also volunteered with Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati, helping local school children prepare for the Ohio Achievement Test.

		Linda Fowler Education Committee, Co-Chairperson Linda is a retired corporate trainer, professor and teacher. She has taught in high schools and colleges. She earned a Doctorate in Education from the University of Cincinnati. She has participated in Kidlink, an international organization that connects students with other students across the planet. In 2005, she went on her first brigade where she helped initiate the first Pen Pal Project connecting Tanzanian students with their peers in Cincinnati area schools. Linda has always been committed to helping others pursue life-long learning and remains excited to help these wonderful people improve their lives.

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