Mbumwae Suba, Founder and President

Mbumwae Suba has truly had a lifelong connection to Africa. She was born in Zambia in 1953 and the events of her childhood gave her a strong conviction that she should maintain her ties to Africa - particularly to help the women of the continent benefit from a system of support and education. Read more...

David Vassar, Treasurer

David has sponsored several needy Central American children through Christian Children's Fund since finishing his B.A. in 1978, and held memberships in the Nature Conservancy, Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, and NYC's own Transportation Alternatives, which he enthusiastically supports in its efforts to promote better transit and conditions for pedestrians and cyclists throughout the City.  His concern for a healthier living environment for fellow New Yorkers and for all citizens of our one world is perhaps best reflected in the dictum:  "Think globally, act locally."

David's own recreational interests include reading, bicycling, hiking, kayaking, playing soccer and cards with 7-year-old son Benjamin, watching sports and science programs on TV, and listening to music by Miles Davis, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, and assorted world and traditional "classical" music.  His ambivalent endeavors in amateur carpentry at home have in any case somewhat vindicated his likewise ambivalent career-veer into academic librarianship, as characterized by his prevailing motto:  "Service with a grimace." --the point of which perhaps is:  We'd often rather be served than serve, but we're all called to participate in this thing called service.

d.vassar at subayo.org

Chris Rohner, Secretary

Chris Rohner is a senior Emergency Manager for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.  He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has lived in PA and NY all his life, except for a two year stint in Japan.  He has a masters in urban planning and has been involved in pedestrian-friendly transportation and urban design since college. 

He has served as Vice President of the 950 unit coop where he lives and is active in community activities.  Chris believes one person can make a difference, that you should think globally and act locally, that a walk in the woods does everyone good, and that “do’in” muscles are better than “show’in” muscles.  He likes riding his bike to work and enjoys escaping the city to his two story tree house in duchess country on weekends.  Chris lives in New York City with his wife and two daughters.

c.rohner at subayo.org

Gregory Schwedock, Web Master/Design

Gregory Schwedock is a sophomore at Hamilton College.   As an active member of the Hamilton Outing Club he regularly leads trips in the Adirondacks in addition to participating in lots of sports around campus including hockey, ultimate frisbee and IM softball to mention a few.  Having Einstein as an idol, he currently intends to major in physics, but enjoys a wide range of interests from writing and performing poetry to designing websites. He spent the 2007 summer interning with Professor David Schiminovich at Columbia University identifying Ultraviolet Luminescent Galaxies.  He also bicycled from Sea Isle, New Jersey to New Burn, North Carolina with a friend, a 500 mile plus trip in six and a half days. Gregory feels it is an honor to be able to assist in furthering the goals of the Subayo Foundation by designing and maintaining its website.

g.schwedock at subayo.org

Catherine Whitmore

Cate lives in Riverside with her husband.  They have three sons and a grandson.  Cate has a BA in Anthropology from California State University, Fullerton and a MA in Psychology, at California State University, San Bernardino.  She has worked as a Curator of Anthropology at the Riverside Municipal Museum, and as the Curator of History for the Riverside County Regional Parks and Open Space District, where she managed the County’s Archeological and Historic Sites, including two National Register Historic sites.  Retired from the County, Cate now is partnered with her husband, Dr. Vince Moses, the former Director of the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, and together they have a consulting business, specializing in historic preservation and museums.

Both Cate and her husband are active in their community.  Cate has served on the board of the Riverside Rape Crisis Center, as legislative chair for the American Association of University Women, as regional representative for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, and on the board of the California Citrus State Historic Park.  Cate is on the Board and one of the founding members of the Riverside Huaxia Chinese School in Riverside.  She serves on the executive board of the International Relations Council (under Riverside’s Mayor’s office), and also serves on two Riverside Sister City Committees:  the Riverside/Obuasi (Ghana) Sister City Committee; and, co-chair of the Riverside/Jiangmen (China) Sister City Committee.

c.whitmore at subayo.org

Adjoa Parker

Adjoa is an international project manager and marketing consultant, working for a business development enterprise. She holds degrees in biology from Hardwick College, NY, and an MBA from the IUG in Bruchsal, Germany. She was born in Lusaka, Zambia, as the daughter of a Zambian mother and a Ghanaian Father. She grew up in Zambia, Canada and the US. During her studies she also lived in Germany and Thailand. Her multinational background is of great value for the Subayo Foundation, as Adjoa knows first hand about the situation in different countries. Adjoa loves dancing, reading and mainly spending her free time with her family. She is married with two children.

a.parker at subayo.org

Musonda Sambo

Musonda has been working as a management and information systems consultant for the past 7 years. Before that, he worked in the construction industry as a cost analyst as well as financial accountant. He has also worked in quasi-governmental institutions.

As a consultant, Musonda has worked on projects from inception, implementation and initial management of projects before handing over to the owners. Currently, he is developing an animated series of lessons that will be used by grade school students doing independent learning. He hopes that he can use his project development and management experience to work for the Foundation.

Musonda is a charter member of the Lions Club of Downtown Kingston through which he has been doing voluntary work for the past sixteen years. He lives in Kingston, Jamaica with his wife, niece and two children. Musonda holds Master's degrees in Business Administration and Computer Based Management Information Systems, and a B.A. in Finance and Accounting.

Sven Buchholz

Sven Buchholz is the Managing Director of a Social and Market Research company. He lives in New York City and in Northern Germany. He has substantial knowledge and experience in international project management and micro-financing, which he offers freely to strongly support the goals of Subayo. Sven has also practical hands-on experience in helping on-site through is 6 years of voluntary service at the Technische Hilfswerk (THW), or German Federal Agency for Technical Relief.

He has been working with with Subayo since 2003. He believes that it is the ultimate goal to improve the situation in Africa and the world through the support, development and motivation of ambitious individuals and communities thereby strengthening morale and values in everyday life. He is married with two children.

s.buchholz at subayo.org

Victoria Owusu

Ms. Victoria Owusu comes to  the Subayo Foundation with extensive background in communications and public relations.  Presently Ms. Owusu is the general manager of the Adansi Communications Network LTD (SHAFT FM 98.1 FM) in Obuasi, Ghana. She came to Obuasi from Kumasi, Ghana where she managed the Starcom Broadcasting Services (Spirit 88.3FM), and has worked in the past at several other broadcasting stations.  She has experience in all aspects of management.  Ms. Owusu is a known team player with strong management skills.  She has great communication and interpersonal skills, as well as extensive experience in public relations. These as well as her strong leadership qualities well make her a great asset to our Foundation. 

Ms.  Owusu has served on the Board of Directors, for the Akrofuom area, Rural Bank; the Board of Directors, Blessed Height Educational Institute; the Board of Directors, Child Care Ministry (CHICAM); as well as serving as Patron, for the Spirit Incorporated Musical & Jazz Club; and, the Adansi University Students Association.  She has also served on the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission's consumer Service Committee.

Ms. Owusu is Ghanaian and lives in Obuasi-Adansi Region. She holds a BED (honors) in English and Education from the University of Ibadan Rivers State College of Education, and a Nigeria Certificate of Education from the University of Ibadan Rivers State College of Education.  In her spare time, Ms. Owusu enjoys reading, dancing, playing golf, making friends, and listening to the radio.   

Ana Singh

Ana is a Senior at Carleton College in Northfield Minnesota, majoring in American Studies with a heavy focus on cinema and media. In addition to photography and web design, she is also interested in social justice Issues design. She recently completed her first website that displays her work and explores particular political and economical areas of interest.

Louisa Gilbert

Louisa Gilbert is the Co-Director of the Social Intervention Group (SIG).  She is currently a Co-Investigator on two NIMH funded studies and two NIDA studies, which address the overlapping problems of intimate partner violence, drug use and HIV risk.  She has worked at SIG for the last 17  years conducting intervention research, which addresses the co-occurring problems of HIV, drug use and intimate partner violence.  

She has co-authored more than 40 articles from this research. Ms. Gilbert also serves as a member of the Clinical Advisory Committee at Sanctuary for Families and a member of the practice research network of  the New York State Office of Substance Abuse and Alcoholism Services.

l.gilbert at subayo.org