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The Team

Meet our Team!

Hundreds of global-citizens have contributed to PeaceTrees Vietnam since the project was created in 1995. A small dedicated group of volunteers work on the project daily. We could not do our important life-saving work without the assistance of these caring individuals.

United States Team
	Fred Gregory, Executive Director Fred comes to PeaceTrees Vietnam as a seasoned executive with over 40 years of experience in the private, not-for profit, and public sectors. He has consistently performed above expectations in complex humanitarian crisis in the field, and in developing successful long-term strategies for development challenges. Fred has had extensive experience representing organizations in volatile environments including building fruitful and positive relationships with governments in Somalia, Sudan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. He has demonstrated experience in diverse geographic, cultural and political settings including Southeast Asia, China/Korean Peninsula, South Asia, Central Asia, East Africa, and the Central America/Caribbean Basin. Fred is excited and honored to be working with the people of Vietnam again as his career comes full-circle. In 1966 he began his international career with a consortium of three American NGOs in Vietnam, developing relief and vocational educational programs for war-displaced victims. He established and managed a feeding program for children, a vocational training school, and a housing project for Internally Displaced Peoples. In another assignment, Fred worked with indigenous communities in the highlands of Vietnam in agriculture, micro-credit, and business development.

	Joselynn Plank - Program Coordinator Joselynn comes to PeaceTrees Vietnam with a diverse background working in the public, private and non-profits sectors. Her experiences have included co-founding a non-profit biological research station in Costa Rica; volunteering with the Red Cross; entertainment management; program management for the YWCA of Bellingham, working on such projects as Transitional Housing and fundraising. Joselynn graduated from The Evergreen State College in 1999 with a degree in Environmental Science. She brings new expertise in data management, fundraising and donor relations to PeaceTrees Vietnam. She is honored to say that PeaceTrees Vietnam is her dream job. She grew up learning about Vietnam from her father, who had served during the conflict. As a child she learned about landmines from Princess Diana’s work. Joselynn knew from that moment that she needed to do something to reverse the legacy of war. Her many life experiences have been training her for this moment to work with the people of Vietnam and an organization such as PeaceTrees Vietnam.
Vietnam Team
	Quang Le - In-Country Representative As the In-Country Representative for PeaceTrees Vietnam Quang Le provides direct oversight for all of our projects and work in the Quang Tri Province and acts as our liaison with Vietnamese officials. He organizes our entire country itinerary: transportation, lodging and meals for our Citizen Diplomacy trips. Further, he provides PeaceTrees' immediate response to all victims of landmine/UXO accidents. He determines the best way to help them and meet their immediate and long-term needs. Quang Le is a Vietnamese American and resides and works in the PeaceTrees Vietnam office in Dong Ha nearly ten months a year. He worked in Vietnam for over twelve years. He has a bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Ohio. He is married and has four daughters and one grandchild. His home is in Fountain Valley, California.

	Pham Thi Hoang Ha - In-Country Project Manager Vo Thi My Hang - In-Country Project Manager Vo Thi Kieu Oanh - Assistant programmer/Accountant

	Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team
Board Of Directors
Jerilyn Brusseau - Co-Founder/Board President Rae Cheney - Treasurer/Board member Vicky Oxley - Secretary/Board member Skip Rowland - Board member Thoa Nguyen - Board member Paul Kennel - Board member Blair Burroughs - Board member Cynthia Chirot - Board member Peter Raffa - Board member Catherine Hazen - Board member

	Jerilyn Brusseau, Co-Founder/Board President Jerilyn Brusseau is a cook, baker, restaurateur, business-woman, humanitarian and cultural diplomat. In 1978, she founded “brusseau’s in Edmonds”, a flourishing French sidewalk café and country bakery, which she operated with her family until 1993. During that time Jerilyn was invited by Restaurants Unlimited to join them in the pursuit of the “perfect” cinnamon roll, resulting in 1985 in the creation of Cinnabon World Famous Cinnamon Rolls. In 1986, she founded PeaceTable to create shared culinary experiences between people of the United States and the former Soviet Republics as a tool for building cultural understanding. For this unique work, Jerilyn was given the National Giraffe Award, given to people who “stick their necks out” for the common good. In 1995, she co-founded PeaceTrees Vietnam, a project to foster cross-cultural friendship and healing with the people and the land of Vietnam. Her husband and PeaceTrees Co-Founder, Danaan Parry, died suddenly in 1996, as the first PeaceTrees citizen diplomacy team was preparing to leave the USA for Vietnam. Her brother Daniel Cheney, a young helicopter pilot, was killed in the Vietnam War in 1969, and received the Distinguished Flying Cross for Bravery. The loss of her brother inspired the creation of PeaceTrees Vietnam. Jerilyn has been featured in People Magazine and in an Emmy-Award-Winning documentary film, “Vietnam Revealed”, on behalf of PeaceTrees Vietnam. In April 2005, she was awarded the International Humanitarian of the Year Award by the International Association of Culinary Professionals for PeaceTrees Vietnam’s work. Jerilyn is a founding member of the Seattle Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, a member of Seattle Four Rotary Club, and recipient of the first “Broadway Edison Culinary Award” for global and community service, offered by Seattle Central Community College. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Women’s Center of the University of Washington.

	Rae Cheney - Treasurer/Board member Considered the "heart" of the organization, she does everything from helping with events to writing personal thank-you notes to thousands of donors, large and small. A retired banking professional and mother of Daniel Cheney, a young helicopter pilot who lost his life in Vietnam 1969, Cheney has dedicated her post-retirement life to the organization and support its daily operations tirelessly with untold volunteer hours. In 1970, Cheney was awarded the Gold Star Emblem, a medal bestowed on mothers who have lost their sons in foreign wars. She has two daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She lives on Bainbridge Island.

Vietnamese Partners PeaceTrees Vietnam works very closely with the People’s Committee of Quang Tri Province - a governmental body similar to the state level in the US. The Foreign Relations Department within the People’s Committee of Quang Tri Province is tasked with all Non-Governmental Organization affairs. PeaceTrees Vietnam also works with The Women’s Union of Quang Tri Province. The Women’s Union is a well-organized national association that works to improve the health and welfare of women and children throughout Vietnam. The Women’s Union is instrumental in the mines awareness education project.
	People's Aid Coordinating Committee People’s Committee of Quang Tri Province Foreign Relations Department of Quang Tri Province People's Committee Dong Ha Town The Vietnam Women’s Union The Vietnam Women’s Union of Quang Tri Province The Vietnam-USA Society
United States Partners PeaceTrees Vietnam works very closely with various organizations both governmental and non-governmental.
	Over the years PeaceTrees Vietnam has been granted funds by the United States Department of State and the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement. In 2008 we were awarded funding to extend our Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team (EOD) another year. They have also granted us funding to expand our EOD Team, allowing us the capacity to double our life-saving work. Our third grant for 2008 will allow us to create a Mine Risk Education program in the ethnic minority languages in Vietnam.
PTVN International Headquarters 2200 Alaskan Way, Suite 435 Seattle, Washington USA 98121 206-441-6136 ~ info@peacetreesvietnam.org