The Board - Bios
Michael Haslett, President
Michael has spent many years working toward global change in different venues. As a student he made several trips to Southern India to help build the effectiveness of a small school for the region's Dalit and other children. He has continued his support to the school throughout the past decade and has recently founded an NGO, the D. deVoe Foundation, to expand and continue the school's work by providing academic scholarships. After finishing his university studies, Michael worked with ABT Associates for their International Health Division.
Currently Michael is a Sr. Associate on the Communications Team at InterAction, the largest coalition of U.S.-based NGOs focused on the world's poor and most vulnerable people. Collectively, InterAction's more than 165 members work in every developing country. Members meet people halfway in expanding opportunities and supporting gender equality in education, health care, agriculture, small business, and other areas.
Danielle Allatta, Vice-President
Danielle is an artist and metalsmith currently working in Northern New Jersey. Upon receiving a Masters in Metalsmithing from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2007, she returned to India to reintroduce herself to the energies and colors of the country.
Danielle’s studio work addresses growth, life and death through an investigation of natural materials and the body. Rhythm, Ritual, and Memory are concepts that began to occupy her mind while in Andra Pradesh and her work has responded to those concepts regularly since her return.
Danielle also works as a commission artist and co-owns two companies, Group Hug Quilts and Merzatta Design. Her teaching experiences include Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Peters Valley Craft Center, and the St. Peter’s English Medium School in Southern India.
Richard Haslett, Treasurer
Richard is a Senior Financial Analyst for Berger Group Holdings (BGH), Inc. BGH is a global engineering consulting firm involved in nation building, environmental engineering, infrastructure design, civil engineering, and program management. He has over thirty years of experience in a wide variety of Financial and Information Technology positions. Richard has over twenty years experience with the Boy Scouts. He also has twelve years church lay leadership and twenty five years as a church school teacher and youth group mentor. Richard has spent eight years as a board member of non-profit organizations and has fundraising experience for religious and fraternal organizations.
Caryl Gwyneth Munn, Ph. D, Secretary
Dr Munn is a Medical Scientist currently working as a Director in research and development in the Pharmaceutical industry. She has previously held academic, teaching and research positions at New York University and the University of Texas. She is the author of over twenty peer reviewed articles and book chapters. Dr Munn has traveled extensively, including two visits to the underprivileged areas of South India. She has spoken on the concerns of poverty, lack of education and caste persecution in India. An active member of the group responsible for fund raising for the building of the school in Kothapallimitta she is committed to this community and raising awareness of the problems in the third world and raising funds for education.
Jebaroja Singh, Ph.D
Roja Singh is President of the Dalit Solidarity Forum in the USA. She has a PhD in Comparative Literature from Rutgers University, New Jersey. She taught in the Women’s Studies Department at William Paterson University in New Jersey. Her research field is primarily based in South India engaging with Dalit women’s oral narratives, songs, life stories, and memoirs. She is particularly interested in the complex co-existence of Dalit women’s struggles, leadership capacities and their role of sustaining Dalit culture and history. Singh travels widely in the United States creating awareness among various groups of people about Dalit struggle, culture and history. Singh’s articles have been published by SAGAR, Cambridge University Press, and The Dalit International newsletter. She is currently working on her book, Spotted Goddess: Dalit Women Re-caste-ing Identity.
Michael Poland
Coming Soon!
