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About GRU Core Volunteers
Sam Bloch Founder & Executive Director
Sam began working in post disaster relief after hearing of the 2004 Asian Tsunami. As Project Manager for the Tsunami Volunteer Center (TVC) in Thailand, Sam led the reconstruction of the coastal village of Laem Pom. After the Peruvian earthquake of 2007, Sam worked as Operations Director for Burners Without Borders (BWB) in Pisco Peru. There he managed over 800 volunteers representing 34 countries culminating in over 54,000 man hours of relief operations. The program developed by Sam and BWB was handed over to local partners and Pisco Sin Fronteras (PSF) was founded. Aside from relief work, Sam is an avid climber, and has designed and constructed multiple forest canopy zip-line tours.
Chad Walsh Founder, Director of Operations, CTO
While specializing in information technology, and computer systems analysis, Chad also has extensive experience in sustainable construction on Nantucket Island. In addition to running his own construction business, Chad has worked in the Green Building industry in San Francisco.
He has spent time hiking in India, South America, and Europe with focus on travel writing and photo-journalism. In 2009, he hiked the 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail over a period of seven months.
Aaron Sangster Founder, Haiti Project Coordinator
With an extensive background in disaster relief work, Aaron's contributions integrate all he has learned in his previous deployments to help build a strong base of operations. The major factors in his decision to join GRU were the core concepts of community mobilization and the often overlooked element of supporting other aid organizations helping them operate most efficiently. In 2005 after the Thailand Tsunami he led crews in the reconstruction of fishing villages and helped rebuild 108 long-tail boats lost in the disaster. His work in Haiti began in 2008 post hurricane Gustav where he led crews clearing mud-filled homes, and built/reinforced over 100 wells. In post 2009 earthquake Indonesia he led crews in deconstruction, and managed construction of transitional shelter systems.
Jimmy Levi Operations Liason, GRU Peru
Currently heading GRU operations in Pisco Peru, Jimmy's roles vary dependent upon organizational needs. With 7 years experience in the non-profit sector, he has worked as Environmental Coordinator for the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. There he helped in the restoration of traditional home-lands, which strengthened the Tribe's ability to contribute to Lake Tahoe Area public policy. In 2008 he was exposed to disaster relief work in Peru with Burners without Borders. Since that time he has dedicated himself to the long-term sustainable redevelopment of Pisco Peru. Jimmy graduated with a BS in Environmental Management and Policy from Indiana University.
Delphine Bedu Cholera Education Project Coordinator
The earthquake in Haiti spurred Delphine Bedu’s third major disaster response. The first was with the Tsunami Volunteer Center in the Taptawaan village project in Thailand for four months. The second was with Pisco Sin Fronteras (Burners Without Borders) in Pisco, Peru where she lived for eight months. Born and raised in Bourges, France, Delphine spends her time between disaster relief efforts teaching French in Dublin and Paris. She came to GrassRoots United in June of 2010. She has been the international volunteer coordinator, but at the onset of cholera (as in, the day it was diagnosed) she shifted gears to create the Community Cholera Education Project, which dovetails with Delphine’s other program, MAPS (Men Ansanm Pou la Sante), a medical clinic location and assessment project.
Brian Wolford
Brian graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Geography. He has spent the past several years involved in outdoor recreation and natural resource management. Brian has worked for the US Forest Service and several trail crews, and is a very active hiker and caver.
In Haiti Brian is working to help collect and manage humanitarian data. Focusing on open data and ease of use, the information collected is utilized most efficiently by international and local organizations in disaster relief environments.
Karl Cook
In Janury 2011, Karl joined GRU as projects coordinator. Karl oversees both local and international volunteers as they work to improve the GRU resource center and work on external projects. Karl is also the GRU videographer, filming and producing informational and fundraising videos for GRU.
Karl has a BS in Forestry, and works as a wildland firefighter for the US Forest Service.
Marcia Carter Tillson
In January of 2011 Marcia came to GRU with no previous experience in global disaster relief, but she did have over 16 years of administrative & human resource experience behind her. It was then natural for her role with GRU to evolve in to being not only the Volunteer Coordinator, but she also works with Medical Distributions and the Cholera Education Programs, by helping to keep the inventory current and ensuring supplies go out smoothly to hospitals and clinics that need them. As Volunteer Coordinator it is her job to make sure our new volunteers and partner organizations are helped to have as good an experience with GrassRoots as possible.
Corinne Poulsen Medical Program Coordinator
Corinne Poulsen was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, and has traveled worldwide. She earned a B.A. at The University of California, Berkeley in Peace and Conflict Studies. Corinne worked in Human Resources and Accounting in Silicon Valley for 7 years before coming to Haiti in March, 2010 where she went to work in field hospitals. She joined GrassRoots United as the Medical Program Coordinator in August.
Founding Members
Brenda Zimmerman Founding Member
Bringing a mix of business, accounting, human resources and marketing skills, Brenda ensures that GRU operations run smoothly. Prior to joining the team, she managed a real estate and construction company in Lake Tahoe.
Brenda has volunteered with Tahoe Women's Services, the North Tahoe Public Utility District and the North Tahoe Business Association on various community fundraisers ranging from beach clean ups to outdoor education scholarships for area children. She brings a love of the outdoors, and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Sierra Nevada College, with a degree in Business Management.
Nishan Padayachee Founding Member
Nishan has coordinated and overseen disaster relief projects in Thailand, Peru, Samoa, and Indonesia. In Thailand, he supervised reconstructed of two fishing villages devastated by the Asian Tsunami. He volunteered in post-earthquake Pisco Peru as a Project Coordinator with Hands on Disaster Response (HODR) clearing fallen buildings. He then led the oversight of constructed schools for UNICEF in Ica, Peru. Working with Sam Bloch at Burners without Borders, he built schools and coordinated a group of 115 volunteers. Neesh provided vital logistical and project development work on the ground in Haiti during the launch of GrassRoots United.