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Newsletter - Fall 2008

Meet the Board of Directors

 Sarah Wilkinson, Founder and Executive Director      Back to Top

Sarah Wilkinson is the Founder and Executive Director of PeacePal. Sarah created Project PeacePal in 2007 based on her desire to connect young people around the world through peace building. Having traveled extensively, Sarah has learned that many of life's most precious moments are those shared simply connecting with the person next door...or the person across the globe. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her 10 year old son, Lorand.

Read Message from Sarah

Maggie Siebert, President      Back to Top

Maggie Siebert began writing grants for Project PeacePal only a few months ago. Her involvement and interest has increased exponentially leading her to be elected to the position of the president of the board. Her interest in culture is clear from her degree in Cultural Anthropology as well as her involvement in other non profits focusing on culture such as Tariro, Pangea, and The National Institute of Flamenco.

Keliko Adams, Vice President      Back to Top

Keliko Adams works with middle school students in an extended learning day program in Albuquerque, NM. She came across Project PeacePal when she met Sarah Wilkinson through the NM Forum for Youth in Community. Keliko shares in the desire to connect people from all over the world, and has recently begun a PeacePal correspondence with a young woman in Afghanistan.

Judith Kidd, Secretary      Back to Top

Judith Kidd is a retired teacher and art therapist who has worked for many years with the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice. Through the Center's Creating Peace program she participates in activities that foster dialog between persons with varying perspectives and needs. She is happy to support PeacePal's program of international communication between children.

Angie Scherbarth, Executive Assistant, Treasurer      Back to Top

Angie Scherbarth learned of PeacePal through the mayor's volunteer website. She contacted Sarah with the hopes of being of some assistance with any database or other office work. After meeting Sarah and being exposed to the mission, as well as Sarah's unbounded enthusiam for the mission, she just grew into the organization. Now she wears many hats, including Executive Assistant as well as the Treasurer of PeacePal.

I wanted to make a difference...and I have!

"My name is Angie and about six months ago I was in search of a volunteer opportunity. I had been involved with such agencies as The Storehouse, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, New Futures School, and the Environmental Education Association of NM. I enjoyed giving my skills to the causes, but was looking for something different. On the Mayor's Volunteer website, M.O.V.E., I first learned about Project PeacePal. I contacted sarah Wilkinson, and found the chance to volunteer, offer professional experience, and be exposed to such an exciting program!

I began as the database coordinator. Sarah had accumulated a stack of papers with mostly handwritten names, addresses, and contact information. There were the first PeacePals, and she was in need of a database to organize and track them. I created a database for her, and then realized that there were other tacks I might be able to help with as well.

Six months later, I am proud to be the Executive Assistant of Project PeacePal, and have also become the Treasurer and bookkeeper. I am honored to have been given the chance to use my talents to contribute to such a great organization. I have met very friendly and receptive people that have shown great appreciattion for the things I do. I am so excited to be doing my part to make our world a more peaceful place."

Nancy Harmon, International Educator      Back to Top

Nancy Harmon has been an educator for 25 years in the US and aboard in Lebanon and Thailand and has worked closely with many Peace Corps volunteers. Most recently she has tought at South Valley Academy, a charter high school. PeacePal brings together her interests in education and writing, building global bridges, and providing young people with reasons to feel optimistic about the future.

Liz Hubbard, Student      Back to Top

Lis Hubbard is a senior at Amy Biehl High School and is helping Sarah this coming 2008-09 school year. Liz is interested in learning other languages and traveling, experiencing other cultures, and teaching the importance of accepting each others' differences. This is the way she wants to create peace through understanding.

Ismail Kassam, West Africa Correspondent      Back to Top

Ismail Kassam started working with PeacePal when he returned from Togo, West Africa, where he served as a Peace Corp volunteer for over 2 years. Interested in continuing the networks and relationships he developed in Togo and other travels, Ismail feels PeacePal fulfills these goals. He understands the importance of hand written letters, as this was one of the ways he stayed in contact with friends and family while in Togo. Ismail currently lives in Chicago and works as a human resource consultant.

Claire Wilkinson, Public Relations Expert      Back to Top

Claire Wilkinson has a background in advertising, marketing, public relations, and television production and currently works as a fundraiser and grant writer for the suburban Seattle library system. She supports a number of other non-profit organizations by volunteering her communications, organizational, and training skills. Of Project PeacePal Claire says "I am enormously proud of my sister for turning a dream for peace into a tangible, dynamic and action-oriented organization that reaches around the world. Plus she said if I didn't help she'd tell our parents to ground me."