We want to see a world where no family is left without shelter when disaster strikes. Our Board of Directors and Staff share this determination and have all pledged to help make it happen.
Learn more about the people behind the scenes or skip down to the legal section to access the organization’s financial documentation.
At ShelterBox, we strive to do the right thing. It is an important value at the heart of our organization and it drives our commitment to improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in our work and workplace.
CHAIR
Dr. Matt Gerber
Dallas, TX
Senior Principal, Gartner
Matthew Gerber comes to the ShelterBox USA Board of Directors with more than 20 years of experience deploying to disaster and conflict zones.
A Senior Principal at Gartner Inc. In Dallas, Texas, Matthew’s volunteering has taken him from Indonesia to Pakistan to Colombia to Ukraine. He has also been involved with Rotary since he was 16 years old and participated in an exchange program in Australia.
Matthew said ShelterBox’s mission resonated with him after visiting countless families affected by disasters.
“I’ve been fortunate to spend time in more than 85 countries, often at inflection points of conflict or reeling from a catastrophe,” he said. “Seeing the resilience of people facing the worst experiences of their lives motivates me to help wherever I can, in whatever ways I can.”
As a connector of people, ideas, and purpose, Gerber aims to utilize his skills and passion to strengthen ShelterBox’s mission and enhance collaboration among board members and partners.
Matt holds a Masters Degree in Intelligence and Global Security, and a Doctorate in Internation Business.
VICE CHAIR
William (Bill) Decker
Park City, Utah
Founder and Managing Director, Redpoint Partners
Bill Decker has extensive experience with ShelterBox’s evolution over the past 15 years, playing several key roles in the organization, including his most recent 11-year service as a Trustee at ShelterBox Trust, U.K. Bill’s additional roles include both former chair of ShelterBox USA’s Board of Directors and current member of the ShelterBox Response Team. Bill has deployed to 10 disasters around the globe, including recently in Haiti, Morocco and the Republic of Turkiye.
As a successful entrepreneur, early-stage private investor and former Big Four consultant, Bill brings a broad business skillset to the organization that complements his acquired NGO experience at ShelterBox.
“ShelterBox caught my attention in the early years because of its unique position in the NGO landscape. The organization was filling a sizeable gap in the aid world with a focus on emergency shelter. I was impressed by the ongoing level of accountability for donor funding that we still see today. It has been one of my life’s great joys to work with ShelterBox as we have grown our capacity to help more and more people around the world.”
SECRETARY
Katherine Fick
Boston, MA
Senior Counsel – IBM Corporation
Katherine has played important roles across multiple facets of ShelterBox.
As a ShelterBox Response Team Member, Katherine has deployed five times following disasters in South America, Africa, and, most recently, Moldova during the war in Ukraine. She is also a former chair of ShelterBox USA’s Board of Directors.
An Associate General Counsel at IBM who teaches cybersecurity and privacy law at Boston College Law School, Katherine learned about ShelterBox while leading IBM’s pro bono program. She was quickly drawn to its mission.
“ShelterBox is actionable and focused,” she said, “and provides tools for the people we serve at a time when those tools can make a difference in what their futures look like.”
TREASURER
Sharon A. Oluga
Washington, DC
Controller at the American Society of Microbiology in Washington, DC.
A native of Kenya, Sharon saw the impacts of drought and famine on vulnerable communities in her childhood. That background helped her connect with ShelterBox, which provides lifesaving shelter and aid in disaster and conflict situations.
“Disasters can devastate a community,” Oluga said, “especially ones that are already in dire straits when the disasters strike. ShelterBox’s whole mission just resonates with me.”
Now a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Sharon brings significant financial expertise to the ShelterBox USA Board of Directors. She currently lives in Beltsville, Md., and is a Controller at the American Society of Microbiology.
Jana Elkadri
Brookfield, WI
Chief Financial Officer – Cathedral Capital
Jana comes to ShelterBox USA’s Board of Directors with an extensive background in finance and a passion for humanitarian work.
She has served as a Chief Financial Officer at several organizations, including currently at Cathedral Capital Inc. in the Milwaukee area and previously at Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha County. Her connection to ShelterBox USA’s mission stems from her childhood when her family was forced to repeatedly flee Lebanon during its 15-year civil war.
“Shelter is a basic necessity for displaced families,” she said. “It provides some security and stability for their children and relieves the stress and burden of finding shelter to allow the family to begin to see a path forward in their future.”
Dr. Samer Jaber
New York, NY
Dermatologist – Washington Square Dermatology
Dr. Samer Jaber is a leading Dermatologist in New York City where he is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the founder of Washington Square Dermatology. He has received numerous teaching and mentorship awards for educating young dermatologists and medical students.
He is a Founding Advisory Board Member of the Vaseline Healing Project and has been deployed to several countries as part of that humanitarian effort, including Bangladesh, Nepal, and Syrian refugee camps in Jordan.
Through that work, he has seen how devastating losing shelter can be to families.
“ShelterBox does amazing work helping those in need with what is necessary to help them start to rebuild their life,” Dr. Jaber said.
John Glanville
Olympia, WA
Managing Director – Athenaeum Capital Partners LLC
The importance of shelter after a disaster was made clear for John after a massive mudslide nearly swept through his Santa Barbara backyard in 2018.
“It was a life-changing event,” he said. “The Montecito debris flow was one of those events where a disaster was brought right to my doorstep. Now, I have a better awareness of what it means to be in a natural disaster and how long it takes to recover.”
John comes to ShelterBox USA’s Board of Directors with more than 25 years of experience in investment and portfolio management. John also serves as Managing Director of Athenaeum Capitol Partners LLC, a technology venture capital fund.
He has also worked in the nonprofit sector, including leadership roles with local Rotary Club chapters. ShelterBox is the project partner with Rotary International for disaster relief, and Glanville has been a member of Rotary for more than 25 years.
Holly Rickett
Santa Rosa, CA
Office of the Sonoma County Counsel
Holly brings significant emergency response and governance experience to ShelterBox USA’s Board of Directors. As a Deputy County Counsel for Sonoma County, California, Holly has worked with various government agencies on wildfire responses, including with the emergency operations team after some of the biggest urban wildfires in California state history struck the county.
As a longtime supporter of ShelterBox and after experiencing firsthand the devastation wildfires can have on a community, Holly developed a deeper, more personal, understanding of ShelterBox’s mission.
“Shelter is a simple word,” she said. “Most people think it means keeping someone out of the rain. Shelter is that, but it is also dignity, privacy, community, safety, and security. It is so much more.”
PAST TREASURER
Noaman Sharief
Milwaukee, WI
Senior Vice President – Dana Investment Advisors
Noaman’s experience spanning accounting, finance, and investing, brings a variety of expertise to ShelterBox USA’s Board of Directors.
Noaman is SVP and Portfolio Manager at Dana Investment Advisors and calls the Milwaukee area home. He has extensive experience in the charity and nonprofit world, including leadership roles in organizations like Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity and Lions International. He is actively involved in the Elmbrook Rotary Club and has served on multiple boards, including Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity.
Growing up in post-colonial India, Noaman witnessed firsthand the lack of basic needs by much of the population — especially shelter. This perspective fuels his commitment to ShelterBox’s mission of providing emergency shelter and aid to disaster survivors. Noaman enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, golfing, painting, woodworking, and creating new recipes.
Emanus Simeon
Boston, MA
Principal Dev-Ops Engineer, Adjunct Professor
Emanus Simeon is a Principal DevOps Engineer at PTC in Boston and is an Adjunct Professor at Franklin Cummings Tech in Boston. He has a diverse background in IT, Cloud Computing, Augmented Reality/ Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Desktop Publishing, and STEM and lives in the greater Boston area.
Emanus brings extensive volunteer experience to the ShelterBox USA Board of Directors. He is a Board Member for FAMILY, an NGO that supports initiatives in Boston, Montana, Haiti, and Tuskegee University. His commitment to promoting science and technology has led him to actively support the successful FIRST Robotics Competition in Haiti through First Lego League Haiti (FEDUDEVH).
Emanus’s passion for ShelterBox’s mission stems from witnessing disasters in his native Haiti and his belief in the charity’s record of effective response in his homeland.
“As an immigrant from a third-world country, I have witnessed firsthand the struggle and devastation from numerous disasters in Haiti,” he said. “With limited and non-existent government support, the families face an uphill battle. ShelterBox invests in the first step of the recovery process, providing a sliver of hope and a symbol of dignity.”
Outside his professional and volunteer commitments, he enjoys outdoor activities including boating, fishing, biking, and indulging in his love for remote trucks, nitro boats, and drones.
James Sinclair Taylor
Cornwall, UK
Partner at Russell-Cooke Solicitors
James is the Chair of Trustees for ShelterBox Trust. His work focuses on ensuring good governance, strategy setting, and coordination with staff, and serving as a liaison with international affiliates.
A solicitor by training, James advises charities and nonprofits on a range of governance, regulatory, and other issues. He is personally involved with a range of charities, and he developed a personal connection to ShelterBox’s mission after traveling to Nepal, Afghanistan, and Africa, where he saw the limited resources many have after disasters.
“Disasters are sudden, terrible, and unexpected,” James said. “I am passionate about ShelterBox’s ability to go all out to respond to those disasters. Going all out, both to get shelter to those in the open, and to gather the supporting funds necessary to make this response.”
Steven Tonkinson
Miami, FL
Managing Director – Tonkinson Financial
Steven Tonkinson is a veteran member of the ShelterBox Response Team, having deployed to disaster zones 15 times, including to Kenya, Fiji, Malawi, Peru, and, on five occasions, to Haiti.
Steven learned about ShelterBox in 2008 from his father, a Rotarian who encountered ShelterBox during a trip to India where he delivered polio vaccinations. ShelterBox’s mission has resonated with him since Hurricane Andrew destroyed his family’s home in Florida in 1992.
“I saw firsthand what disasters can do to your community. I also saw how my community came together to help all those affected and the value and importance that had for me and my family,” he said. “That is why ShelterBox’s mission is so important to me.”
Steven is the Managing Director for Tonkinson Financial, an independent financial advisory firm specializing in retirement planning for essential workers. In addition to his work for ShelterBox, he serves as a Special Olympics Coach, is a co-founder of the Tonkinson Foundation, and is a board member of the Woody Foundation.
María Santos Valentín
Brooklyn New York
Special Counsel, The Ford Foundation
Maria Santos Valentin has over 30 years of legal experience in emerging markets and impact investing in the U.S. and around the world. Maria worked first in the private sector for a U.S. and U.K. law firm, and most recently as in-house counsel at three major U.S. private foundations: Open Society Foundations, The Rockefeller Foundation and now at The Ford Foundation. Maria has focused on economic development and social justice to foster a more inclusive form of capitalism.
She was a Distinguished Scholar and Senior Fellow at NYU Law School’s Grunin Center for Law and Social Entrepreneurship, where she co-taught the International Transactions Clinic. In addition, Maria served as a member of the Water Board of the City of New York.
“Having lived in tenements and public housing myself, it’s been important to me in my work to help others struggling to find adequate and safe shelter, whether it be as a result of poverty, natural disaster or refugee status. The work that ShelterBox does to help address this need is so critical.”
Angie Castera
Boston, MA
Chief People Officer
Angie Castera has over 25 years of Human human Resources resources experience. Angie has worked in the nonprofit and corporate sectors specializing in organizational culture transformations. She has brought a wealth of experience and executed complicated culture shifts to both national and global organizations.
Prior to her current role, Angie was Vice President of People, Culture and Global Human Resources for Oxfam America, a global humanitarian organization.
”Having seen the devastation of disaster, the opportunity to support an organization that provides a shelter to the vulnerable in times of need is an honor and privilege. Shelter brings calm, peace, and safety, a basic human right. There’s no better expression of care and love than to offer safe, shelter to those in need.”
Murray Ray
Santa Barbara, California
Chairman PCT Global, Board Advisor ShipHawk
Murray Ray has extensive experience in global business and leadership. Murray moved from his role as Chief People Officer of QAD Inc. in 2014, to phase out of full-time employment and concentrate on consulting, leadership development and interim leadership assignments, and board work. Murray is a past president and member of the Rotary Club of Montecito and has been a Rotarian in Australia and the USA for 31 years. “ShelterBox believes that shelter is a human right – that shelter from the chaos of disaster and conflict is vital. When you suddenly have nothing, we can provide some hope for the future.”
Murray is presently chairman of PCT Global and just completed six years as chairman of ShipHawk, where he remains a board advisor. He has also served as board president of Crescend Health and a board member of PathPoint after managing the merger of Crescend with PathPoint.
Murray received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Western Australia. He also completed the advanced management programs at the Australian Management College, Mt. Eliza, and the University of Hawaii.
Mahesh Turaga
Danville, CA
VP of Business Development, Cloud – Cadence Design Systems
Mahesh Turaga has considerable experience in the technology and software sector. He is currently the Vice President of Cloud Business Development for Cadence Design Systems. He lives in Danville, Calif., and his career has focused on business development and marketing, particularly in new markets and growth areas.
Mahesh comes to ShelterBox USA’s Board of Directors with a background in humanitarian causes. He has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, participating in home buildouts, and collaborated with Habitat Young Professionals as a marketing strategy advisor, including chairing its Advocacy & Education Committee.
Mahesh’s dedication to ShelterBox USA’s mission of leaving no one without shelter reflects his core values.
“Shelter gives every human being the dignity, the respect, and the confidence they deserve,” he said. “After food, I strongly believe the most important thing is having a shelter that one can call home.”
Mahesh enjoys traveling, hiking, and photography.
*All listed are independent voting members.
Special Advisors
Robert Reid
Lopez Island, WA
President, Waivunai – The Island Development Initiative
Jeffry Cadorette
Media, PA
2018 – 2020 Rotary International Director
Peter Scott
Orlando, FL
Chief Executive Officer – American Academy of Optometry (AAO)
staff
SR. DIRECTOR OF FINANCE OPERATIONS
Rodney Butler
Santa Barbara, CA
[email protected]
P: 805-203-8654
HUMANITARIAN DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
Serena Kelsch
Santa Barbara, CA
[email protected]
P1: 820-203-1210
P2: 805-203-3310
SENIOR PHILANTHROPY ADVISOR
Elliott Williams
Charleston, South Carolina
[email protected]
P: 805-695-3206
GIFT PROCESSING AND DATA ENTRY ASSOCIATE
Gabriela Gonzalez
Santa Barbara, CA
[email protected]
P: 805-695-3896
