Board of Directors 2016-2017
Lara Ho
Lara Ho was a TEFL Peace Corps Volunteer in Bugat Soum, Mongolia (1996-98). She received her PhD in International Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a focus on social and behavioral interventions. She has worked for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) since 2007 in Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, and Geneva. She is currently a Senior Technical Advisor with the IRC based in Washington, DC and supporting health programs in Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, and the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as research and governance in health systems. Lara was the recipient of a Fulbright Award to investigate the barriers to diabetes prevention in rural Canadian First Nations. Prior to that she worked on the inpatient AIDS service at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She also holds a BSN from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and an AB in History of Science from Harvard University.
Patrick Sommerville
Patrick Sommerville is the former Co-Coordinator and Founder of Friends of Mongolia. Mr. Sommerville works as an Independent Development Consultant, specialized in the design and management of economic development and local governance programs funded by major international donors worldwide. Mr. Sommerville began his career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia (M-7), serving in Ulaanbaatar from 1996 to 1998. Upon returning from service, he worked with several other RPCVs to establish FOM and lead projects from 1999 to 2003. Stepping-back from day-to-day management of FOM, Mr. Sommerville focused on his work with CHF International, serving as Country Director of CHF-Jordan (2003-4) and Chief of Party for CHF-Georgia (2004-2007). He holds an MPA in International Management from New York University and is an advanced speaker of Russian. Mr. Sommerville has provided consulting services to an array of NGOs and international agencies, including USAID, British Petroleum, CHF, Mercy Corps, Counterpart, CARE and Save the Children.
Alexandra is an RPCV (M-8), and was a practicing lawyer for 13 years in NYC, with a general practice with particular experience in child welfare - representing a child welfare agency in federal civil rights litigation and tax exempt issues, training staff and engaging in policy discussions with state and city representatives. In Mongolia I worked with a variety of not-for-profits and business entities in my assignments with the WWF and the Gobi Initiative. Community development projects included the Hatgal Craft and Clothing Co-op, the UNCHR Law School Advisory Board which developed a Human Rights curriculum for the Mongolian National Law School, the USAID sponsored Judicial Reform Program and Peace Corps’ Women in Development, amongst others. She was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, on the Board of the Robert Louis Stevenson School, and have done fundraising and event planning for various other groups including the Martina Arroyo Foundation and the Donna Uchizono Dance Company.
Kate Borkowski
Kate Borkowski served in Mongolia as a health sector Peace Corps Volunteer from 2010-2013, and as a Peace Corps Volunteer Leader from 2012-2013. Originally from Michigan, she now resides in the DC metro area. She currently works as a clinical nurse at the National Institutes of Health.
Contact Kate: kborkowski@friendsofmongolia.
Joyce Casimpiris
Joyce served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia from 2010-2013. She spent her first 2 years in Uvurkhangai teaching English at a secondary school before moving to Ulaanbaatar to serve as a teacher trainer at the Mongolian University of Science and Technology. She now works at Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C. facilitating orientation workshops for incoming volunteers.
Bryant Edward Harden
Bryant Edward Harden was an English Education volunteer in Khovd, Mongolia from 2011-2013. Bryant successfully completed a Masters of Arts in International Relations at the University of Warwick (UK) in 2014. He currently works on Capitol Hill and plans to pursue a doctorate in the coming years.
Becky Arnold
Rebecca (Becky) Arnold was an English Education and Community Development volunteer in Bayankhongor, Mongolia from 2010-2012. She returned to Mongolia in the summer of 2013 to serve as part of an international election observation mission. Becky currently works at the Peace Corps headquarters as a Budget Analyst, and is excited to share her passion for Mongolia.