Friends of Nepal Board of Directors
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All Friends of Nepal board members serve on a pro-bono basis. Most are returned Nepal Peace Corps Volunteers ("N" denotes their cohort) though it is not a requirement. They meet every few months to discuss issues concerning finances, membership, and the newsletter. If you would like to get in touch with the board or an individual, please email info@friendsofnepal.
Dan Donaghue, N-47, President
Growing up working a dairy farm, Dan became a Livestock Volunteer posted at HMG's Veterinary Hospitals at Bhairahawa and Pokhara. He has had a full career ever since in poverty alleviation with international NGOs, the U.N, and bilateral aid organizations. He has worked on development projects and with refugees throughout Central, South and Southeast Asia. Dan has also spent quite a bit of time with Bhutan-Nepali refugees here where he lives in Rhode Island. In his retirement he is an advanced life support medic on community rescues, a firefighter, and drone pilot. "I am honored to be a Board Member of Friends of Nepal, a really fine organization!" -Dan
Elie Amkraut, N-202, Vice President
King Beach, N-60, Grants Director
King served as a Peace Corps education volunteer in Nepal from 1976-79. He is an alumnus of Columbia University and the City University of New York, where he trained in developmental psychology and cultural anthropology. King headed the graduate program in Sociocultural and International Development Education Studies at Florida State University and has been involved in various educational development efforts in Nepal and elsewhere for four decades. He is also the founder of Community Gönpa Education Initiative Nepal (CGEIN.org) which supports improvement in dharma and secular education among Nepal’s high Himalayan monasteries. King divides his time between the U.S. and Nepal where he and his wife, Betsy Becker, enjoy being grandparents to Phurtenzi, Amika, Arbin, and Yudin Tamang.
Joe Mannion, N-172, Treasurer
Brett Johnson, N-188, Secretary
Brett was a Soil Conservation Volunteer from 1999-2001 posted in Bhojpur District, where he also learned to speak excellent Nepali, studied Nepali music, and taught western music notation to youth. Post Peace Corps, Brett pursued degrees in music education and has been teaching band and music to middle school students for nearly twenty years. Brett continues his interest in, and commitment to, conservation issues as a co-founder and political chair of the Environmental Coalition of Pierce County. He resides in Tacoma, Washington with his wife and daughter. Word on the street is that Brett plays a mean saxophone!
Lauren is a mother, educator, and researcher. She is a Returned TEFL Peace Corps Volunteer (Costa Rica, 2013-15). She has a Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing Studies and is currently earning a Doctorate of Education in Literacy Studies. She is a college English instructor and professional writing consultant. Her husband is from Chitwan, Nepal, which connected her to the country, Nepali culture, and the Nepali diasporic community in the US. They live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with their two sons.
Christina served for two years as a food security volunteer in the hills of Syangja district, and then extended one year as a Peace Corps Volunteer Leader based in Pokhara. Some of her favorite projects she worked on included mushroom cultivation, fruit tree planting, and bee keeping. She has since lived in Montana, Colorado, and Thailand in addition to taking a hiking sabbatical in New Zealand, but maintains that Nepal is the most beautiful place in the world. She continues to do research and education related to sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation.
Duane Karlen, N-21, Newsletter Editor Emeritus
Duane was an Education PCV in the hills of Lamjung District. His career then meandered through a number of private and public settings, including university teaching, government contracting, and positions at Peace Corps and the Foreign Service Institute. He published the FoN Newsletter from 2019-2024 and continues to help FoN with the Annual Appeal and other special projects. He lives in western Massachusetts.
Suzie was a microenterprise development volunteer via the Agricultural Development Bank in Tulsipur, Dang/Rapti. She continues to assist in advising the board concerning donors and grants.
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Past Board Members
- Richard Sellars, N-42. Former Secretary
- Caroline Mahala, N-205. Former Social Media Manager