US Board of Directors

Bonnie Clendenning, President

Bonnie spent more than forty years in the United States and Europe as a nonprofit executive and board member, and now is a volunteer consultant for charities in the area of fundraising, strategic planning and governance.  She had the privilege of first visiting Tanzania in 2008 and has returned several more times, including a family safari in 2014. She is eager to help FOTZC become an even more effective supporter of the wonderful people of Tanzania. Bonnie lives in Newton, MA, and is eager to help FOTZC become an even more effective supporter of the wonderful people of Tanzania

DEBORAH HORNBERGER, vice president

Seeing the animals in their natural habitats and meeting some of the Maasai people made Deborah’s 2015 visit to Tanzania her “best ever vacation!”  She remembers learning about 17 students sharing one book and funds for lunches running out at the end of the school year.  After reading about FOTZC’s important projects, Deborah joined the board in 2016 to help improve conditions for these radiant people.  Following marketing positions at Levi Strauss, Wells Fargo and Charles Schwab, Deborah was an independent management consultant for 23 years.  She has served on ten nonprofit boards, including officer positions for Hunters Point Family, Ohio State Critical Difference for Women Foundation and San Francisco Maritime National Park Association.

mary loeken, Clerk

Mary Loeken visited Tanzania with her family over the millennium New Year, 2000. Motivated by her visit to a Tanzanian elementary school, she joined the Board of Directors of FOTZC in 2000. Mary has also served as a Trustee at the Charles River School, Beaver Country Day School, and the Carroll School near Boston. Mary is a research investigator at the Joslin Diabetes Center and associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School. Mary lives in Boston and has three grown sons, who were 7, 5, and 2 when they first visited Tanzania over the millennium New Year. 

mARY POWNALL, treasurer

Mary received her degree from Tulane University in Biomedical Engineering and went on to become a Certified Prosthetist. While raising their family, Mary and her husband Steve co-founded and ran a software business from 1996 until they successfully sold it in 2009. Since then, Mary has volunteered at several non-profit organizations with most time spent at The Alzheimer’s Association as a Helpline Specialist. The Pownalls took a trip with Thomson Safari to Tanzania in early 2020 and were very impressed with the help FOTZC provided to the local communities. Mary recently joined the board in 2021. Mary loves spending time with her children and grandchildren. Her hobby is horseback riding and she enjoys being at the barn with her Friesian mare and learning and competing in Dressage. Mary lives in Chesterfield, MO.

Emily Bresnick Gardner

After moving from New York to Massachusetts to work for Thomson Safaris, Emily was able to fulfil her lifelong dream of seeing the Serengeti. On her first trip to Tanzania in 2016, she fell in love with more than just the animals: the people made a lasting impression on her, too. As soon as she returned home, Emily took on a role with FOTZC. Assisting with the donation process and managing administrative tasks has given her unique insight into the organization's operations in both Tanzania and the United States. After her third trip to Tanzania in 2022, Emily joined the Board of Directors so she can work more closely with other Board members and continue to support FOTZC's life-changing work in Tanzanian communities.

Catherine Halloran Cook

Catherine worked as an executive and Board member in the non-profit world for over 30 years, and now uses that skill set as a Board member serving charitable organizations. She joined the Board of FOTZC following a life changing trip to Tanzania in 2016. Catherine spends the bulk of her time with FOTZC working on fundraising and project coordination for the Christopher Halloran School, which she founded in memory of her brother, Chris, who passed away in 2015. The Christopher Halloran School is located near the Serengeti and serves the Maasai who live and work in the Orkuyene community. More information about the school can be found on the “Current Projects” section of our website. Catherine is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College (BA) and The University of Maryland (MSW). She and her husband Michael live in the mountains of Park City, Utah, where they ski and hike as much as possible with their three adult children. 

Karen Dial

Marion Martin

A trip to Tanzania in 2019 began with a desire to experience the magnificent animals and spectacular landscapes.  After meeting some of the Maasai people and visiting the school and medical dispensary, Marion was committed to becoming involved in some way.  She joined the FOTZC board in 2020.  Marion is a teacher, an adjunct professor, and an educational consultant who focuses on English Learner education in historically underserved areas.   She has three grown sons and lives with her husband John in Sea Isle City, NJ.

KENNEDY MMASI

Kennedy Mmasi is a Financial Analyst at Road Scholar, where he works directly with the Vice President of the organization in Tuition and Revenue Management.   Before Road Scholar, Kennedy spent two years as a Consultant at Novantas – a financial services consulting firm based in New York. He is from Arusha, Tanzania and holds a bachelor in Economics from Harvard University. 

WALT PRZYGOCKI

Walt and his wife Ann (also a FOTZC volunteer) had the wonderful experience of summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2008 and being on a Thomson Safari photographic safari afterwards.   Walt worked in the field of education for 40 years, holding positions as a teacher, coach (basketball for 23 years), principal and adjunct professor.   As Advanced Open Water Divers, they have completed over 100 dives in the Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, a two week paddle raft trip through 225 miles of the Grand Canyon and 10 Run Disney Half Marathons.  Team Ann and Walt live in Denver, NC, and are committed to providing opportunities for our Tanzanian partner communities.

PENNY WEEKS

Penny Weeks is a Certified Financial Planner and has spent her career in financial services; she is currently a nonprofit lender with Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank in Boston.  Her volunteer board leadership experience has been focused primarily in the education and social services sectors and committed to empowering members of under-resourced communities. 

Currently, she is a Board member and DEI Committee Co-chair of The Philanthropy Connection, and the Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair of the Board of Empower Success Corps. She enjoys traveling with her daughter and ever since her first, life-changing trip to Tanzania, she has been committed to engaging with and supporting the work with Tanzanian communities.

Judi Wineland

As a pioneering entrepreneur, philanthropist, and adventurer, Judi Wineland has founded several successful adventure travel companies and organizations, and she continues to serve as co-director of the award-winning Thomson Safaris. In 2007, the Adventure Travel Trade Association honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her lasting influence and inspiration in the international adventure travel community. Among her proudest philanthropic achievements is being one of the founding members of Focus on Tanzanian Communities.

Tanzanian Board of Directors

Lashku T. Lashku, FOTZC Tanzanian Board Treasurer

Lashku is a born entrepreneur, originally from the south of Tanzania, who currently lives with his family in Arusha. He has worked in multiple east and central African countries in the financial and construction sector and is the founder and managing director of Tanzanian-based companies Praxis Financial Accounting and Tax Consultancy and Lashku LTD, dealing with construction and real estate. Now, he wants his success and knowledge to contribute to projects that help remote communities gain greater access to education and healthcare. For that purpose, he joined FOTZC as the Tanzanian Board Treasurer and functions as an important advisor in FOTZC construction projects

Rosa Sigi Ngilishi, FOTZC Tanzanian Board Secretary

Rose has been with Thomson Safaris since the early days and has played a critical role in the company’s success. She brings a unique skill set to the team, having studied both hospitality and accounting, which gave her the tools to develop a small camping department of 7 tents to the extensive system of camps we have today.

Having learned the business from the ground up, and being a native of Arusha, she has a deep understanding of what makes the business, and the team successful. Rose is now the General Manager of Thomson Safaris operations in Tanzania. She leads with confidence and compassion, which has helped create an exceptionally dedicated team.

SEPH MORRIS BADI, THOMSON SAFARIS GUIDE

Seph Morris Badi was born and raised in Arusha. His uncle was a guide and, with his support, Seph decided to follow in his footsteps. As soon as he started attending guiding college he fell in love with guiding.  After college he worked as a guide for numerous organizations, where gained vast experience of the Serengeti.   

Seph has been at Thomson Safaris since 2022. He is a hit on all kinds of groups as he loves sharing his knowledge and always with a smile on his face. But he is especially a big hit on photographic safaris as this is a passion that he is diligently in pursuit to learn and become an even better guide. His other passion is ornithology. He can talk about birds all day; big or small.  His favorite is one he has not seen; the Narina Trogon.  

He resides in Arusha with his family. In his spare time, he is into fitness, a little soccer, a little kick-boxing, jogging, reading and listening to music.

Lotte Peeters, FOTZC Tanzanian Board Country Manager

Lotte is a cultural anthropologist specializing in Gender, East Africa, Human Rights and Maasai Customary Law. She was born in the Netherlands, and visited Tanzania for the first time in 2013, to start her research on Maasai women property rights and inter-legalities. Over the years, she has conducted multiple ethnographic studies and worked with various NGOs in northern Tanzania on topics of gender, (Maasai) customary law, property and inheritance law, domestic violence, and human rights. She found love in Tanzania and settled with her family in Arusha, where she founded Praxis Anthropology, providing administrative and project management consultancy services in the development sector. She currently holds the position of FOTZC country manager.

Daniel Yamat, FOTZC Tanzanian Project Coordinator

Beginning his career as a veterinarian, Daniel has worked on conservation and community projects in Tanzania for nearly a decade.  He graduated from the College of African Wildlife Management in 1999.  Growing up the son of a traditional Maasai elder outside of Arusha, Daniel has long straddled between a traditional Maasai and modern Tanzanian life, further allowing him to develop community-based conservation efforts that draw from both of those worlds.  He is married with three children.

Daniel is also an employee of Tanzania Conservation Ltd., owned by Rick Thomson and Judi Wineland.  Its mission is to protect wildlife and provide services to tourists and the local community.  In addition to managing their farm in Sukenya, Judi and Rick dedicate a portion of Daniel’s time to work for FOTZC.

Bonnie Clendenning serves as Chairperson of both the FOTZC US board and the FOTZC TZ board.  Catherine Cook, Kennedy Mmasi and Judi Wineland serve as directors on both boards.