Executive Team
James E. Copple
Colleen K. Copple
Founding Partner
Expertise: Community Policing, Systems Development, Strategic Planning, Grant Writing, Coalition Building, Training and Facilitation, Public/Private Partnerships, Non-profit Capacity Building Content Knowledge: Gangs/Youth Violence Prevention, Criminal Justice, Substance Abuse Prevention, HIV/AIDS, Youth Mentoring, Methamphetamine, Crime Prevention, Education, Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, Asset Building Ms. Copple oversees the facilitation of training and technical assistance for SAI domestic […]
Jason R. Drake, MBA
Chief Operations Officer
Expertise: Fundraising, Research, Business Management, Social Media & Email Marketing, Event Planning, and Database Administration. Jason R. Drake is a management professional with a career in marketing, financial services, and new business development. Currently, Mr. Drake holds the position of Chief Operations Officer for Strategic Applications International & Servant Forge. […]
Jessica Drake, MS
Vice President
Expertise: Volunteer Engagement, Development and Fundraising, Non- Profit Management, Training, Advocacy, Community Networking, Corporate Social Responsibility, Faith Relations, Board Management, Partnership Development Content Knowledge: Public Policy, Housing Policy, Violence Intervention, Youth Employment, Poverty/ Homelessness, Parliamentary Procedure Jessica Drake has worked in development and volunteer engagement for over 12 years. Specializing in youth and corporate engagement, Jessica […]
Irene Kimani, CPA
East Africa Director
Expertise: Financial Management & Accounting Irene is a professional accountant with over five years’ experience in financial management. Her expertise includes Budgeting and forecasting, taxation, project funds management and general financial management. She has been involved in USAID-Kenya Horticulture Competitiveness Project (KHCP) funds management, accounting, and reconciliation of donor-funded projects. Irene is a qualified […]
USA Staff
Christopher Smith
Logistics and Financial Officer
Expertise: Event Planning, Computer Hardware & Software (Mac/PC), Administrative Duties, Problem Solving, Bookkeeping, the Food Service and Hospitality Industries
Christopher Smith comes to us from the University of Maryland, Global Campus’s Networking and Cybersecurity program fresh off of five years as a stay-at-home father of two. Christopher brings a multitude of skills to the table as the result of a widely varied background which is highlighted by a 17-year career in the event planning and hospitality industry, the last six of which were spent as either a sous or head chef. He has vast experience in the planning and execution of events and fundraisers, has served as the face of companies at trade shows and conventions, provides a strong backbone as support staff, and very much looks forward to utilizing these skills on behalf of SAI. […]
Amarie J. Russell
Executive Assistant
Amarie recently retired from teaching after 30 years in both private and public education. During that time, she served as a Union Representative, was a member of the Building Leadership Team, Climate and Culture Team, and Positive Behavioral Interventions Systems (PBIS) leadership team. Amarie wrote grants for the reading and counseling departments at her local school. She wrote and facilitated training for paraeducators in student safety, problem-solving techniques, and social and emotional development. Amarie also helped develop and participate in a pilot intervention reading program for primary grade students. […]
Robert G. Russell
Executive Assistant
Robert is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene. He recently retired following 42 years of pastoral ministry, serving as Lead Pastor in churches across California and Washington. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Systematic Theology from Point Loma Nazarene University and an M.Div. from Nazarene Theological Seminary. Robert has led his local church in community outreach and service, working with others to feed hungry and homeless people. He has administered his local church, leading it through relocation and building programs. […]
Our Consultants (USA)
Kristen Albert, BA
Consultant
Kristen Albert will be graduated from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in May 2018, with a bachelor’s degree in Intercultural Studies and a concentration in TESOL and Spanish. During her years in undergrad, Kristen has explored her passion for cross-cultural reconciliation; which has led her to various cross-cultural work in the Dominican Republic, London, Ecuador, Kenya, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Throughout this time, she developed experience in effective mentoring, servant leadership, conflict resolution, program coordination, language acquisition and instruction, and community empowerment. […]
Joelene Boccaccio
Graphic Design
Joelene just returned to the states after spending the past decade serving overseas in Kenya and Indonesia with the Nazarene Mission Corps and the Network of International Christian Schools. During her time with the Nazarene Mission Corp, she served as an Administrative Assistant and was one of the managers of the Mt. Carmel guest house in Nairobi. While serving with the Network of International Christian Schools in Kenya and Indonesia she was the Member Care Coordinator and the Admissions Coordinator. Previous to going overseas, Ms. Boccaccio was an Administrative Assistant at the Woods Church. She also volunteered at the Woods Church, ReEstablish Richmond, and designed an English program and taught language and culture to non¬native speakers.[…]
Karina Fassbender
Consultant
Working at the intersection of design thinking, innovation, and entrepreneurship in emerging markets, Karina Fassbender exudes a passion for developing and implementing needs-driven solutions that contribute to sustainable development. The focus of her work is to design and facilitate workshops, pieces of training, and processes and pursue innovations through participatory research and co-creation. […]
Shannon L. Nagel, MA
Consultant
Shannon L. Nagel has committed her time and energy to the areas of education, advocating for social justice, and the empowerment of American Indian individuals, families, and communities. For the past nine years she has worked for the Albuquerque Public School District as a Behavioral Specialist for the Special Education Department. She is also a […]
Mary-Jo Robinson, MA
Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Program Consultant
Mary-Jo Robinson recently graduated from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, with a Master’s in Public Administration and an Advanced Certificate in International Conflict Resolution. Prior to completing her MPA, she completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Policy Studies from Syracuse University. […]
Erik Rodriguez, BA
Tribal Affairs Consultant
Eric Rodriguez has several years of public service employment with the Yakama Nation and Pojoaque Pueblo Tribal Police Departments. Eric was a Firefighter/EMT at Yakima County Fire District 5 and Wapato Fire Departments. Eric is a graduate from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)/Indian Police Academy […]
Dylan Sellers
Community Engagement Consultant
Dylan was born and raised in Cleveland, OH, and is the oldest of five children. He attended Kent State University where he majored in Pan African Studies, served as President of Black United Students, and co-founded the New Abolitionists Association, under the umbrella of Children’s Defense Fund. […]
Subject Matter Experts
Fabienne ‘Fae’ Brooks
Law Enforcement Subject Matter Expert
Fabienne “Fae” Brooks retired as Chief of the Criminal Investigations Division with the King County Sheriff’s Office (Seattle, WA) after over 26 years of service. She is the President and CEO of Brooks S-A-C, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in training and building community partnerships. […]
Chris Cognac
Law Enforcement Subject Matter Expert
Chris Cognac is a 26 year veteran of law enforcement recently retiring as a sergeant from the Hawthorne Police Dept in Los Angeles County California. He worked a multitude of assignments including, patrol, detectives, undercover Narcotics and community relations. […]
Anthony J. Coulson, BS
Law Enforcement Subject Matter Expert
Anthony Coulson recently retired from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) where he was the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Tucson District Office and directed the Federal Government’s drug enforcement strategy in Southern Arizona. They partnered with other Federal, State, Tribal, County, and Municipal law enforcement organizations ensuring that there was a cooperative […]
Nicola Erb, PhD
Law Enforcement Subject Matter Expert
Nicola has built a career as a leader in law enforcement and community change; serving the public sector, non-profit community and contributed as a contracted consultant. Dr. Erb has risen to the level of a law enforcement leader, an owner of her consulting group, and a non-profit manager in her career. From these diverse roles, Nicola has gained a comprehensive and unique background in leadership, advocacy, strategic planning, grant and proposal development, program direction and education. Her deepest passion is to improve the quality of life for victims and families facing social challenges such as violence, substance abuse, homelessness, behavioral health, and poverty through guided by the leadership of law enforcement. […]
M. Whitney Fry, DrPH, MPH
International Program and Global Health Subject Matter Expert
Whitney Fry, DrPH, MPH has over a decade of professional engagement in global health initiatives, with a particular focus on male engagement in gender-based violence prevention. Applying strengths-based methodologies such as Appreciative Inquiry to facilitate positive change, Whitney has steered vision to improve the public’s health in Uganda, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Jordan, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, and the United States. […]
Darryl A. Jones, Sr.
Law Enforcement Subject Matter Expert
Mr. Jones was the President & CEO of Maryland Nonprofits from 2008 until 2011, when he had to retire due to an injury. During his tenure, Mr. Jones increased membership by more than 20%, expanded member programs, and services, increased leadership development programs, and transformed how the association delivered information and educational offerings. He partnered with the Schaefer Center to create statewide leadership certificate programs and he collaborated with non-profit leaders throughout the state to craft an ambitious yet practical and achievable strategic plan for the future. Prior to coming to Maryland Nonprofits, Mr. Jones served as Executive Director of Communities In Schools of the Nation’s Capital. […]
Andrew Kessler, JD
Behavioral Health and Public Policy Subject Matter Expert
Andrew D. Kessler has over fifteen years experience in public policy, including work on Capitol Hill and at national non-profit associations. In addition to working on policy, he has organized and managed grassroots campaigns on the local, state, and national levels. For the last decade, he has specialized in behavioral health policy[…]
Our Consultants (East Africa)
Linnette Muga
GBV Program Officer
Linnette Muga graduated from University of Nairobi in December 2016 and received Second Class Upper Honors. She participates in AYLF’s leadership program and has been the recipient of their mentorship for the last two years. She didn’t just sit back and let that mentorship stay with her. She decided to participate in SEMA’s mentorship program for over a year and dedicated her time to mentoring high school students nearing graduation. She also got the opportunity to intern with SEMA and has dedicated her skills to ensure the program runs smoothly. We are thrilled to have someone who took part in SEMA’s activities now play a key role in its leadership! To her, SEMA “is a program that invests in the youth, encouraging them and creating awareness on issues affecting them in our society. […]
James Ngugi
Logistics Assistant
Expertise: Logistics James grew up in Lunga Lunga, one of Nairobi’s slum neighborhoods, and has overcome a variety of odds in his young life. Starting off as a driver for SAI, James quickly displayed loyalty, diligence, and potential. As the first-hired Kenyan SAI staff person, James assisted the company in its early days of partnership […]
Flora Mwikali, MDiv
Consultant
Flora Mwikali graduated from Scott Theological College with a bachelor’s degree in theology, in response to God’s call to enter the ministry. She initially served in church ministry as the head of her area’s Christian Education department, concentrating on youth ministry: writing materials, counseling, and public speaking. During those years, Flora co-founded an evangelism and […]