Staff

CVT staff are dedicated professionals who work in locations in Africa, the Middle East and the United States to heal the wounds of torture and to bring an end to its use in the world. We bring our commitment, expertise, skills and specialized training to the locations where we can reach the greatest number of survivors of torture possible.
Are you interested in joining the CVT team? Check out our careers page. Note to job seekers: CVT extends an offer of employment only after a multi-step, personal interview process. The complete list of open CVT positions is located here.
Executive Staff
- Ruth Barrett Director of Global Operations
- James Behnke, CPA (Inactive) Chief Financial Officer
- Fawn Bernhardt-Norvell Director of Development
- Betsy Brown Communications Director
- Peter Dross Director of External Relations
- Craig Higson-Smith, Ph.D. Director of Research
- Mike Nation Director of I.T.
- Andrea Northwood, Ph.D., LP Director of Client Services
- Neal Porter, MA, MPPM Director of International Services
- Scott Roehm Washington Director
- Allyson Therien, MNM, SPHR Interim Director of Human Resoures
Administration
- Mwamini Bundi Office Coordinator
- Lucinda Pepper Executive Assistant
- Alexandra Sevett, MPP Risk Management & Facilities Coordinator
Atlanta
- Alia Azmat Post-Doctoral Fellow
- Dorothy Gakii, BSPH, MSP Outreach Coordinator & Community Health Navigator
- Adaobi Iheduru, Psy.D., LP Clinic Manager and Psychologist
- Darlene Lynch, Esq. Head of External Relations for CVT Georgia
Capacity Development
- Mitchell Alli eLearning Coordinator & Developer
- Emily Beltmann-Swenson Project Officer
- Sara Bracewell Website Administrator
- Ann Lundberg Logistics and Communications Coordinator, National Capacity Building Project
- Huy Pham, MPH National Capacity Building Project Manager
- Ruth Yeo-Peterman Resilience Programming Trainer
Client Services – Minnesota
- Mathar Abdullahi Bilingual Community Educator
- Naomy Abdurahman, DNP-PMHNP Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
- Charissa Cable, MSW, LGSW Social Worker and Behavioral Homes Health Navigator
- Shruti Dasgupta, Ph.D Psychotherapist
- Jill Davidson, MSW, LISW Social Worker
- Molly Drew, MSW, LICSW, JD Psychotherapist
- Anne Eichmeyer, MSW, LICSW Psychotherapist
- Rosa E. Garcia-Peltoniemi, Ph.D., LP Senior Consulting Clinician
- Amal Hassan, MS Community Educator
- Lisa Ide, MD Physician (Independent Contractor)
- Novia Josiah-Isaac, MSW, LGSW Psychotherapist
- Amy Kamel, MSW, LICSW Psychotherapist
- Emily Manaen, MSW, LSCW Psychotherapist
- Amanda McDonald, MSW, LICSW Social Worker & Targeted Case Management Supervisor
- Esther Muturi, MSW, LICSW Psychotherapist
- Annah Nguyagwa, RN Nurse
- Jenna Nomeland, MSW, LICSW Psychotherapist & Intake and Referral Coordinator
- Kathleen O'Donnell Burrows, MSW, MPP, LICSW Healing Hearts & St Cloud Project Manager
- Sara Phillips, LICSW Mental Health Care Manager/Social Worker
- Shalya Rajathurai Client Services Coordinator
- Jennifer Scofield, MSW, LICSW Social Worker
- Brynn Smith, MSW, LICSW Clinic Manager
- Mimi Starks Client Services Insurance Coordinator & Interpreter Manager
- Elizabeth Sullivan Electronic Health Records Administrator
- In-Zu Tuan, MD Psychiatrist (independent contractor)
- Jackie Tuohy Client Records Coordinator
- Jesse Valentin, MSW, LGSW Social Worker
- Ehtataw Zar Client Services Coordinator
Communications
- Grace Ogihara Graphic Designer
Development
- Shelby Ankrom Donor Engagement Associate
- Adele Broberg Grants & Contracts Specialist
- Patrick Flood Database Administrator
- Sarah Hembree-Nygaard Development Associate
- Laura Kuhlmann Donor Engagement Officer
- Dana Mach Grants & Contracts Specialist
- Sarah Novack Grants & Contracts Specialist
- Elana Schwartzman Digital & Direct Mail Fundraising Specialist
- Stanton Wood, MFA Head of Institutional Development
Finance
- Jim Breitfeller Senior Accountant - Operations
- Michael Checko Senior Finance Analyst
- Patricia Evans Senior Grants Accountant
- Melinda Hampton Accountant
- Tracie Huhn-Carr Grants Accounting Manager
- Debbie Hunt Payroll Administrator & Accounting Associate
- Elaine Kanara Senior Grants Accountant
- Mary Kinder Controller
- Esther Moo International Grants Accountant
- Ka Thao Senior Medical Billing Specialist
- Christopher White Senior Grants Accountant
Human Resources
- Sara Neu, PHR Human Resources Coordinator
- Leon Tazel, MA, PHR, CP Recruiter/Generalist (Independent Contractor)
International Services
- Carlos Aceves Clinical Advisor for Mental Health
- Elizabeth Dirksen Temporary Online Learning Assistant
- Liyam Eloul, MA Clinical Advisor for Mental Health
- Ilona Fricker Clinical Advisor for Physiotherapy
- Sonali Gupta Clinical Advisor for Mental Health
- Justin Hett Clinical Advisor for Mental Health
- Leora Hudak Staff Wellbeing & Mental Health Specialist
- Pam Kriege Santoso, MPH PATH Program Manager
- Veronica Laveta, LCSW, MA Clinical Advisor for Mental Health
- Kasumi Maeda, MS Program Coordinator
- Luca Modenesi Clinical Advisor for Mental Health
- Paul Orieny, Ph.D., LMFT Sr Clinical Advisor for Mental Health
- Patrick Robbins International Services Program Manager
- Delphine Sherwood, MPA International Services Program Manager
- Leslie Tou International Services Program Coordinator
- Leng Yang, MA International Services Program Coordinator
Ethiopia
- Medhanye Alem Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Sandra Githaiga Clinical Program Director
- Elizabeth Mbatha-Muli Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Firew Mekonnen Country Director
- Ephrem Mengistu Zonal Manager for Gambella
- Isaie Mihigo Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Bereket Tadesse Zonal Manager for Tigray
Kenya
- Amrita Chudasama Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Winnie Gacheru Psychotherapist
- Edna Gicovi Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Michael Kamau Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Nimo Khalif Ali Operations Coordinator
- Jepkemoi Kibet, MSc Physiotherapist/Trainer
- Yuvenalis Omagwa Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Samuel Orangi Kakuma Field Coordinator
- Mohamed Said Athman, MA Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Abdullahi Sheikh, MA Dadaab Field Coordinator
- Pablo Traspas Country Director
- Joseph Wesonga, MA Physiotherapist/Trainer
Middle East
- Reem Abbasi, Ph.D Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Islam Al-Aqeel Resilience Programming Trainer
- Yusra Al-Kailani Resilience Programming Trainer
- Ahmad Al-Shouly Social Services Manager
- Moath Asfoor, MA Senior Manager for Program Development
- Mohamad Bny Salameh, Ph.D. Psychotherapist/Trainer
- April Gamble, DPT Physiotherapist/Trainer
- Randa Haiwafi Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Samrina Jones Senior Manager for Clinic Services
- Sinem Koytak Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Mousa Naffa, MBA Jordan Country Director
- Sara Pearce Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Twana Rahim Iraq Country Director
- Simone van der Kaaden, MSc Regional Representative
Uganda
- Martha Amulen Associate Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Charles Komakech Bidi Bidi Field Coordinator
- Gabriele Marini, MA Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Martin Muli Kunga Associate Psychotherapist/Trainer
- Kizito Wamala Psychotherapist/Trainer
New Tactics in Human Rights
- Shaden Al Ajarmeh MENA Trainer
- Haya Al Jouhari MENA Trainer
- Omar Altabakha MENA Training Manager
- Emily Hutchinson, JD Program Manager
- Ayman Malhis MENA Digital Media Coordinator
- Nancy Pearson, MSW, LISW Training Manager
- Lisa Peterson-de la Cueva Training Officer
- Sydney Stead, MSW, LGSW Program Coordinator
- Noor Zada MENA Director
Public Policy
- Alison Beckman, MSW, LICSW Senior Clinician for External Relations
- Andrea Carcamo-Cavazos Senior Policy Counsel
- Yumna Rizvi Policy Analyst
Research
- Jennifer Esala, Ph.D. Research Associate
- Shannon Golden, Ph.D. Research Associate
- Lisa Hattori, MPA Program Evaluation Specialist
- Laurel Lunn, Ph.D. Research Associate
- Sarah Peters, Ph.D. Program Evaluation Advisor
- Sabrina Roowala, MPH Program Evaluation Specialist
- Urmy Shukla Program Evaluation Advisor
Technology
- Joseph Moore Technical Support Specialist
- Kao Yang IT Generalist/Systems Administration
Volunteer Services
- Beth Wickum Director of Volunteer Services







