Our Staff - Grounds for Health

USA-Based Staff

Kyle Engelman

Executive Director
kyle@groundsforhealth.org

In December 2023, Kyle Engelman became Executive Director after serving as Director of Philanthropy and Program Manager for Peru, Ethiopia and Kenya. She has a background in global women’s health with a focus on program design, management, and evaluation, and she recently received a nursing degree to explore firsthand the workflow and capacity issues that affect clinical healthcare delivery. She is passionate about women’s health, nonprofit management and governance, and brings energy and enthusiasm to the role of building and maintaining sustainable funding sources for Grounds for Health. Kyle holds a Master’s in Public Health from University of California, Berkeley, a BA from Dartmouth College, and a Bachelor’s of Nursing from University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is fluent in English and Spanish.

Heather White

Development and Strategic Partnerships Manager
heather@groundsforhealth.org

Heather White joined Grounds for Health as the Development and Strategic Partnerships Manager in 2024. She brings a decade of experience in the international nonprofit sector, primarily working for education, women’s empowerment, healthcare, and housing access organizations in Guatemala. Combined with her background in development and communications, Heather holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Northeastern University and a BA in Sociology and Spanish from Clark University. She is fluent in English and Spanish. Passionate about women’s rights and access to healthcare, along with her love for coffee, she looks forward to sustaining and building new partnerships through her role at Grounds for Health.

Sarah Annay

Communications Coordinator
sarah@groundsforhealth.org

Sarah Annay is the communications coordinator at Grounds for Health, developing their brand image, designing cause-marketing and event materials, engaging with partners in specialty coffee and managing their various web and social media platforms. Sarah is a photographer and educator, with a background in wedding photography and storytelling for nonprofits in India and Nepal. She spent four years teaching annual photography and therapeutic arts workshops to women and girls in Kolkata, India. She has a Masters in International Affairs from The New School, where she applied an academic lens to her arts development work. Her research background is in human rights in the garment industry, global health equity and community-centered design. She looks forward to combining her love for coffee and advocating for women’s health globally, through her work at Grounds for Health.

Patti Gannon

Director of Operations
patti@groundsforhealth.org

Patti Gannon began her career in higher education where she worked as an Academic Advisor and then as the Associate Director of the Undergraduate Office at the Boston University School of Management overseeing the day-to-day operations. After Patti moved to Vermont, she began working in the non-profit area in several administrative roles. Most recently she spent 7 years as the Associate Director for Global Campuses Foundation, a peer-to-peer lifelong learning opportunity for adults with intellectual and developmental disability. Patti facilitated and administered the daily operations for the organization. She is excited to join the team at Grounds for Health and feels strongly that she can contribute to the important work being done to improve women’s health on a global level. Patti holds a BA in English from Bates College and an MA from Boston College in Higher Educational Administration.

In-Country Staff

Dagmawi Iyasu - MSC/MCES

Africa Program Manager
dagmawi@groundsforhealth.org

Dagmawi Iyasu Eminetu spent his early days in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and lived in the United States for 12 years until his return in 2004. Dagmawi’s prior experience, spanning biochemistry, coffee and public health, was the ideal preparation for a career with Grounds for Health. Dagmawi has worked in the US and East Africa since 1998 and held multiple positions as Cancer Researcher, Country Program Advisor and Director, Public Health Consultant, and Master Coffee Roaster before joining Grounds for Health in September 2016 as Africa-based Program Manager. Dagmawi specialized in program evaluation and organizational development, with a focus on health rights and services for marginalized groups such as women, young people, and pastoral communities. Dagmawi has worked with teaching and research institutions, UN agencies, public donors, private foundations, NGOs, and private businesses. Dagmawi has also published articles and commentaries in international journals on diverse health and policy related topics such as DNA damage and repair, sexual behavior, and traffic safety. Dagmawi is fluent in English and Amharic.

Ashenafi Argata - BSCHO/MPH

Country Director
ashenafi@groundsforhealth.org

Ashenafi Argata has 28 years of technical and managerial experience in the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia. His previous experience includes heath center staff nurse, health center technical coordinator, head of a district health office, program coordinator for zonal health department and tropical diseases consultant for WHO. Ashenafi is committed to working with the rural communities and believes that they are the primary change agents for any health intervention. Ashenafi holds a Master of Public Health in field epidemiology from Addis Ababa University and a BA in public health from Dilla University and nursing diploma from Jimma University. He is fluent in English, Amharic and Sidamigna.

Amare Assefa - MSCFA

Finance Manager

Amare Assefa comes to Grounds for Health with 14 years of accounting experience working with non-profits in Ethiopia. Along with his knowledge of finance and administration, he possesses a strong background in award and budget management and in donor compliance. He holds a Masters degree in Accounting and Finance from Hawassa University. He is fluent in English, Amharic and Sidamigna.

Evah Muendo - BSCN-KRCHN/MPH

Kenya Program Coordinator
evah@groundsforhealth.org

Evah Muendo is from Kenya and holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing and Public Health, a Master’s degree in Public Reproductive Health, and postgraduate diploma in project management. She comes to Grounds for Health with seven years’ experience as a nurse and nursing manager with both private and public health facilities and national and international NGOs.

Patrick Mbugua - BSCN-KRCHN

Clinical Specialist
patrick@groundsforhealth.org

Patrick Mbugua is a trained Kenya Registered Community Health Nurse with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. He has worked with the Ministry of Health as nursing service provider and as a nurse manager. From 2005 until 2018, he coordinated reproductive health services in Nyeri county. When Grounds for Health came to Nyeri county in 2016, he supported the program as the County Reproductive Health Coordinator and was among the first health workers to be trained by Grounds for Health. From then on he has been participating in cervical cancer screening and treatment exercises including medical camps and outreaches until he retired from the government employment in 2018. Since then he has been volunteering in providing screening and treatment services at Nyeri town health centre every Wednesday of every week.

Mesfin Wana - BSCN/MPH

Clinical Specialist
mesfin@groundsforhealth.org

Mesfin Wana is an experienced health professional, who has over 13 years of experience in leading and managing health-related program. He has in-depth knowledge of issues related to maternal, neonatal and child health, HIV/AIDS/PMTCT, immunizations, reproductive health and disease surveillance. Mr. Wana is also an expert within the fields of infection prevention and family health care. Mr. Wana is a skillful clinician and manager who brings an excellent focus on supportive supervision and clinical quality assurance and improvement.

Demis Berhan - BSCN/MPH

Clinical Specialist
demis@groundsforhealth.org

Demis Berhan is an experienced Senior Clinical Nurse with over 16 years of experience in public health. Through the years Demis has assumed various technical and managerial responsibilities, including HMIS Focal Person, Admission and Discharge Officer, Head Nurse for multiple departments, Matron and ART Nurse. Demis also has extensive experience in coordinating and facilitating different outreach programs with the health sector authorities at various levels. Demis has Bachelor Degrees in Nursing and Sociology and Social Work from Haromaya and Jimma Universities, respectively. He also has a Diploma in Project Management from Alison University in Ireland and has completed all the requirements for MPH from Jimma University via Addis Continental Institute of Public Health. Demis is curious to learn and practice in clinical activities and participate in communication, research and capacity building areas. Demis speaks Affan Oromo, Amharic and English.

Aster Tilahun - BSCN/MPH

Clinical Specialist
aster@groundsforhealth.org

Aster Tilahun is a Nurse Practitioner with over 15 years of experience in both clinical and non-clinical settings. Aster has worked with both local and international NGOs in Ethiopia as a Clinical Nurse, SRH Service Provider and Counsellor, Project Supervisor, and Head of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Facility. Aster is passionate about increasing primary healthcare services and has special interest in SRH rights and access to the needy and underserved populations. Aster holds a Diploma in Public Health Nursing and Bachelor Degree in Nursing from Haromaya University and MPH from Debre Markos University. Aster currently works as a Clinical Specialist in Grounds for Health in the Cervical Cancer Prevention Project in Oromia, Ethiopia. Aster speaks Affan Oromo, Amharic, and English.

Independent Consultants

Ellen Starr - MSN, WHNP

Clinical Advisor
ellen@groundsforhealth.org

Ellen Starr recently retired as Grounds for Health Executive Director after serving 5 years in the role and many more within the organization. She started her relationship with Grounds for Health as a volunteer preceptor for clinical training in Tanzania and ultimately became Tanzania Program Manager. Before becoming Executive Director, she acted as Clinical Director, providing oversight and direction in the clinical practices of Grounds for Health.

She is a Nurse Practitioner with over 30 years’ experience working in women’s health with a focus in gynecology and family planning. During this time she has worked as a provider at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England where she moved through the management ranks and ultimately became Vice President of Health Center Operations. In these roles, she developed strong leadership and management skills while continuing her clinical practice.

Ellen holds a BA from Middlebury College and an MSN from Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions.

Susan Hollinger - MSN, WHNP

Susan Hollinger is a certified nurse practitioner who has been providing clinical services in women’s health for 25 years. She was educated at Boston College and received her Master’s degree from the University of California, San Francisco. She spent 10 years living and working on the south island of New Zealand where she certified as a midwife, and taught nursing. In that role she developed curriculum and taught primary care, physical assessment and community case management skills. With an expertise in reproductive health care, she has provided direct clinical services in non-profit and private practice, and has held both leadership and management positions. She is an active member of ASCCP and AUGS.

Susan began as a volunteer with Grounds for Health in 2009 when she was involved in teaching, mentoring and campaign organization. She currently works as a Clinical Consultant providing clinical oversight during screening and treatment campaigns in Ethiopia and Kenya.

Erica Liebermann - PhD, WHNP

Erica Liebermann is a nurse practitioner with over 15 years experience in women’s health care. At Planned Parenthood in Massachusetts, both as a nurse practitioner and as Health Services Director, she focused on providing high quality family planning and abortion services. She trained and supervised nurses and nurse practitioners, precepted students, and lectured on medication abortion to students and practicing clinicians. In her current gynecology practice she performs colposcopy and has developed a growing interest in HPV and cervical cancer. She is a member of the ASCCP and serves as a resource to her colleagues regarding abnormal pap management.

Since 2011, Ms. Liebermann has worked as a clinical trainer with Grounds for Health, on several cervical cancer prevention projects in Mexico and Nicaragua. She currently works as a Clinical Consultant. Ms. Liebermann is fluent in Spanish and French.

Elisa Vandervort - MSN, FNP, CNM

Elisa Vandervort is a nurse practitioner with 15 years experience as a primary care provider. For more than 20 years, Elisa has also worked internationally and domestically with community-based organizations engaged in issues of social justice. She is passionate about increasing primary health care access for underserved populations, and has a particular interest in reproductive health care equity and access. Elisa currently lives in central Tanzania where she is training student midwives and nurses with Peace Corps and Seed Global Health at the University of Dodoma. She holds a BA from Cornell University and a MSN from the Yale University School of Nursing.

Elisa worked as a senior member of Grounds for Health’s program team from 2009-2012, focusing on programs in Tanzania, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. Her current role is as a consultant with an emphasis on high quality clinical training. Elisa is fluent in Spanish.

Justin Mool

Auction / Website Manager
justin@groundsforhealth.org

Justin works as a contractor for Grounds for Health and manages the Grounds for Health Coffee Auction as well as the website. Justin has been working with Grounds for Health since 2010. Prior to Grounds for Health, Justin spent three years as a content manager at outdoor gear retailer Backcountry.com. Mr. Mool graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Northwestern University. He currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife and son.