LHAF Board Of Directors 2007 - 2008

The Lotus Humanitarian Aid Foundation Advisors is a collection of individuals who have broad experience and proven philanthropic interests in helping the poor and disadvantaged of Viet Nam.

Paul Duffey
Richard N. Gariepy
Larry Hammer
Dick Hunter
Le thi Quynh Trang
Diane Jung
Arden Norvald
Eric Rasmussen
Mark Stewart
John Ward

Paul's career has focused on operating and managing a small, independent machine shop since his early 20s. He?s married and has one son. A self-taught artisan as well, Paul's machine shop is full of beautiful and unique metal art objects that are his private passion.

Richard and his wife Kathy have lived in Ketchum/Sun Valley, Idaho for the past 25 years where they have raised 2 boys. He served in the Army with MACV in Viet Nam in 1970-71.Richard practices law and graduated from the University of San Diego Law School and obtained a postgraduate degree in International Law from New York University. Before moving to Idaho he practiced law in New York, California and Washington D.C.

Richard returned to Viet Nam in 2003 with co-director Mark Stewart who was then CEO of East Meets West Foundation and spent time with both Mark and John Ward in Danang and Quang Tri Province observing the positive and impressive results that both Mark and John (along with his assistant Le Trang) had obtained in helping the Viet Namese people. He believes Lotus is truly fortunate in having Mark, John and Le Trang play such an active role in Lotus based on their past experience doing Humanitarian work in Viet Nam.

Larry has had a private practice as a Speech-Language Pathologist in Santa Rosa, CA for 16 years. He was the Director of Rehabilitation Services for two acute hospitals in Santa Rosa, California, for 5 years. Currently he practices as a clinician in an acute rehabilitation unit of a trauma hospital in Santa Rosa.

Larry’s first exposure to Viet Nam was in 1968 as he served with the U.S. Marine Corps in the Quang Tri Province. In 2000 he visited the National Institute of Otolaryngolgy in Ha Noi to learn about services for communicative rehabilitation of the laryngectomee. He discovered there were none available. Upon his return to the U.S. he contacted colleagues, laryngectomee groups, and businesses associated with medical care of laryngectomees to see what type of response he could generate for donated educational materials and speech-aides. He then started the Viet Nam Laryngectomee Humanitarian Project , a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization.

Dick is currently serving as Chairman of the Board of Washington Wine and Beverage Company, a Washington State Winery with Silverlake and Glen Fiona brands. He is the past President of COB Technology, Inc. and past President and CEO of Pace International.

Dick served in Viet Nam with the United States Marine Corps during 1966 and 1967. He returned to Viet Nam for the first time in 1997. He and his wife, Saunie, have been going back one or two times a year ever since. They are actively involved with the Bru hill tribe village of Lang Vei 3 near the Laotian border and Khe Sanh in Quang Tri Province. The have worked on a safe water system for the village and provided clothing to the 41 children of the 115 inhabitants of the village. They are also active with the Quang Tri School for Blind Children in Dong Ha. He is very interested in the LHAF heart program.

Diane Jung, Secretary

Diane is a 32-year career employee of the National Park Service (NPS.)  She served in diverse jobs and locations before settling in Anchorage, Alaska in 1993.  Diane is currently the NPS liaison with numerous partner organizations including government agencies, private sector businesses, and nonprofit organizations.

Although she has never been to Viet Nam, Diane states that she has “felt a connection to the country and the Viet Namese people for many years, beginning in high school during the 1960s.  I have friends who served in Viet Nam and friends who moved to the U.S. from Viet Nam and left families behind.  Each person has a story to share, and those stories have shaped my impressions of the country and its people.”

Diane volunteers for youth organizations in Anchorage and has a special interest in LHAF programs that benefit young people. As a member of the LHAF board, she hopes to put her M.A. in Philanthropy and Development to work in the fundraising arena.     

Arden Norvold, Fund Raising

Le thi Quynh Trang. Program Consultant

Trang is a Viet Namese national currently working for Finland’s Rural Development Program in Quang Tri.  Prior to her employment with Finland’s program she was a Ford Foundation Fellow and earned a Master’s Degree in International Development and Social Change at Clark University in Massachusetts.  She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Hue University in Viet Nam.

After obtaining her bachelor’s degree Trang worked for the Quang Tri Trade and Tourism Department full-time.  In her spare time she translated documents for PLAN International.  From the beginning of 2001 until the middle of 2004 Trang worked for the East Meets West Foundation and served as the Project Coordinator Assistant in their Quang Tri Office.  In that role she was responsible for all interpretation and translation. She assisted in selecting contractors, writing contracts, and monitoring construction projects.  Trang also managed the Healthy Heart and Family Emergency Relief Programs for the QT office.  In addition she helped negotiate several clean-water projects.  Before leaving EMW for her Master’s Degree Trang was instrumental in the office's expansion into Quang Binh and Nghe An Provinces.

Trang is providing assistance in program development and fund-raising efforts for LHAF.

Eric Rasmussen, Web Services

Eric has recently joined the Board after travelling to Viet Nam for the first time in 2006 where he assisted John Ward in support activities benefitting LHAF. He has masters degrees in Economics and Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Arizona and an AB in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Eric has been a consultant in the real estate industry in the United States for 28 years and is the principal of a consultancy named Development Economics, specializing in large-scale community planning and development.

Eric is also involved as the Board President in a New Mexico-based youth environmental non-profit group called Talking Talons Youth Leadership. He is single with two adult children and resides in Arizona and New Meixco depending upon the comparative ambient temperature between the two.

Mark Stewart, Fund Raising

Mark’s involvement in Viet Nam goes back to 1967-68 where he served as a Marine infantry officer with the 2^nd Btln 1^st Marines. He was wounded and medically retired in 1969.  Through SABAH, the non-profit humanitarian organization they founded, Mark and his wife Margaret have dedicated themselves to work in Khartoum, Sudan, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Southern Mexico, and Viet Nam – primarily supporting women and children through education and health programs.  From 1996 to 2003, Mark served as the Executive Director of the East Meets West Foundation – one of Viet Nam’s oldest and most successful non-profit humanitarian organizations.  Mark received a Master’s in Education from USC and a postgraduate degree in School Administration from the University of Utah.  Mark lives with his wife Margaret of 29 years in Ketchum/Sun Valley, Idaho.

John has been involved in humanitarian work in Viet Nam since 1994.  He first re-visited the country as a team member with the Veterans' Viet Nam Restoration Project (VVRP) and then served on their Board of Directors for five years.  From October 1999 until November 2005 he lived in Quang Tri Province while working for the EAST Meets WEST Foundation and serving as the liaison for the VVRP.

John has been working as the Director for the Kids First Rehabilitation and Career Training Center in Dong Ha, Quang Tri since March 2006.  He is one of the 9 founders of LHAF and, as an in-country resident, will be managing their programs as an unpaid country director.