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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.
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United States Team
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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.
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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.
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Vietnam Team
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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. |
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Pham Thi Hoang Ha - In-Country Project Manager
Vo Thi My Hang - In-Country Project Manager
Vo Thi Kieu Oanh - Assistant programmer/Accountant |
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Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team
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| 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 |
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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 |
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