Our team

Ethiopia Reads’ programs are managed by Ethiopians who live and work in Addis Ababa and the regional capital of Hawassa (Awassa). Without the on-the-ground expertise and oversight of our staff in Ethiopia, Ethiopia Reads would not exist.

Ethiopia Reads offers its employees the opportunity to develop their skills and gain experience in the fields of library science, publishing and design, project management and NGO administration. We offer a competitive wage and employee benefits as well as continuing professional development, such as workshops and trainings with volunteers from around the world.

Addis Ababa Office

Yemisrach Worku
Country Director

Yemisrach is currently the Country Director for Ethiopia Reads. She initially joined us in 2011 as a Project Officer and then as Program Coordinator. She has successfully worked on many Ethiopia Reads library, training, educational and books projects. Previously, Yemisrach worked as a training facilitator with the Digital Opportunity Trust, a youth and technology-focused international nongovernmental organization. Her true passion has always been to engage herself in community work involving education and children. She has a MBA in Project Management from St. Mary’s University. She completed her bachelor degree in Agriculture from Alemaya University. Yemisrach knows from experience that having books to read and increasing literacy change lives.

Tewodros Dagnachew
Head of Finance & Administration

Sintayehu Dugassa
Government Relations Officer

Birhanu Girma
Program Coordinator

Eleni Negash
Project Officer

Ejigu Tefera
Assistant Project Officer

Kalkidan Abebayehu
Finance Officer

Birkinesh Kebede
Office Manager

Tsige Gebremedhin
Custodian

Senait Alemu
South Project Officer

Rahel Arega
Librarian

Fikirte Moges
Cleaner

Tariku Legiso
Security Guard

Demisie Dera
Security Guard

Gebeta Library

Selam Geremew
Librarian

US Staff

Scott Wolf
Director of Operations

Board Members

Malcolm Clark
Board Chair

Malcolm currently serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors. He has been an active supporter since 2002 and is a longtime Board Member. Malcolm is the Managing Director of Glendevon Advisors, a firm advising private equity investment firms on developing relationships in Asian markets. Previously, Malcolm was an economist before becoming an international investment banker in London, New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong. He grew up in Scotland and studied law at Edinburgh University. His wife, Azeb, also an active supporter, grew up in Ethiopia. Malcolm has been visiting Ethiopia with his family many times since 1998. His daughters have also volunteered at Gebeta Library in Addis Ababa.

Ann Porter
Secretary

Ann grew up in the Kansas City area and received a BS in education from the University of Kansas. She has a Master’s and Doctoral degree in educational leadership from the University of North Dakota. Before retiring in 2004, she was an elementary teacher and principal in the Grand Forks Public Schools.

Matt Andrea
Board Member

Matt is an investment banker who lives and works in Washington, DC. During the day, he does financing for hospital construction projects. He is also an amateur photographer. In his free time, he has become very involved in volunteer work for Ethiopia Reads and other non-profit organizations dedicated to the improvement of education and health in Ethiopia.

Tida Violante
Board Member

Dr. Tida Violante initially fell in love with Ethiopia during a visit with her Ethiopian-born husband, Electron. She later worked as an Expert in Evaluation for UNICEF Ethiopia’s HIV/AIDS Office while completing her Doctor of Public Health degree at the University of California, Berkeley. Tida is aware that health outcomes improve with literacy and has been a long time supporter of Ethiopia Reads encouraging children to read. Tida has traveled throughout Ethiopia and enjoys sampling tej, Ethiopian Honey Wine, throughout the country. She has volunteered in Kindergarten classrooms to help teach children to read and taught English to immigrants in the U.S. Currently, Tida also helps to edit the Ethiopian Journal of Health and Development.

Laurie Curtis
Board Member

Dr. Laurie Curtis has over 35 years of teaching experience and currently serves as the Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Program Manager in the Division of Learning Services at the Kansas State Department of Education. She previously served as director of the Reading Specialist program at Kansas State University where she was a faculty member after spending fifteen years as a classroom educator. She served over five years as the Executive Director of the Association of Teacher Educators in Kansas and is actively involved in issues surrounding teacher quality. She has served as an international literacy consultant and currently serves as Committee Chairperson of the Book Centered Learning of Ethiopia Reads. Laurie believes that literacy is a part of social justice – a country with a literate population is a more informed, more stable and equitable country.

 

Mary Spor
Board Member

Mary earned a Bachelor of Science in English from the Pennsylvania State University and master’s and PhD degrees in reading and literacy from the University of Pittsburgh. She has worked as a public school teacher and administrator, a university professor and administrator, and currently serves as a reading and literacy consultant. She served as the Chief of Party and Program Director of a $14.2 million Presidential initiative under President George W. Bush. In this role Mary worked collaboratively with the Ministry of Education, teachers, administrators, and others in Ethiopia to develop English as a Second Language text books and related learning materials for grades 1-8. She continues to be dedicated to the improvement of reading and literacy in Ethiopia.

Elizabeth Taylor
Board Member

Elizabeth Taylor is an international literacy specialist and award-winning children’s book author holding a BS in Elementary Education, MS in Reading Education, and TESOL certification. Her passion for teaching literacy is demonstrated by her extensive experience in the classroom, teaching both children and adults. Her expertise is in primary grades literacy which serves her well in writing the curriculum guides for teachers for books published by Open Hearts Big Dreams, Ready Set Go Books. Elizabeth has assisted in the assessment, development, and implementation of literacy programs in the US and overseas. She has worked in different literacy-related capacities throughout the country since 2006. Elizabeth has had the good fortune to work alongside Jane Kurtz to create a number of OHBD-RSG children’s books intended to improve literacy for Ethiopian children. Ethiopia holds a special place in Elizabeth’s heart. Her career highlights include providing active support to children’s book authors, teachers, and librarians in Ethiopia through collaboration, mentorship, resource material development, and training sessions.

Lulit Bezuayehu
Board Member

Lulit is an Ethiopian born computer engineer who resides in California. She is currently a User Experiences Researcher at Google. Lulit obtained a bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and another in math and computer science, as well as, an MBA. However, her passion involves teaching Amharic to young children in the US as an extension of her interest in children’s education and literacy. For the past two decades, Lulit has volunteered as the lead fundraiser and web master for Alem Children Support Organization in Ethiopia. She has been involved in supporting many Ethiopia Reads projects.

Carol Settgast
Board Member

Carol Settgast has enjoyed 29 years in education as a classroom teacher. 20 of those years she served as a library media specialist and established the Integrated Library Program at her school. She has a BA and MA in Elementary Education plus a Library Media Specialist endorsement. Carol’s involvement with Ethiopia Reads began in 2010. As a founding member of the Book Centered Learning Committee, she is dedicated to the development of library skills training. Some of her students created a book titled “Help!”,one of the Open Hearts Big Dreams, Ready Set Go Books with the support of Jane Kurtz. Her passion is encouraging curious learners to launch by bringing literacy initiatives and cross-cultural experiences to children around the world.

Advisors & Supporters

Jane Kurtz
Advisor

Jane Kurtz was one of the founders of Ethiopia Reads and has served on the Board as well as the Chairperson for many years. She is an author of children’s and young adult books. Jane is also on the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in children’s and YA literature. She learned to read in rural Ethiopia where she spent most of her childhood and where the circle of life has come around to give her Ethiopian-American grandchildren. Jane is the creative director and one of the driving forces behind OHBD- Ready Set Go Books – working to create books that inspire young Ethiopian children who are just learning to read. Jane continues to be an important and invaluable supporter and advisor of Ethiopia Reads.

Electron Kebebew, MD
Goodwill Ambassador

Electron Kebebew is a native of Ethiopia and grew up in the United States. Dr. Kebebew is an eminent surgeon and scientist, book lover and longtime supporter of Ethiopia Reads. He completed his medical studies at University of California, San Francisco and, today, is a leading researcher and surgeon in endocrine oncology. Dr. Kebebew is a Board Certified General Surgeon by the American Board of Surgery. He was the inaugural Chief of Endocrine Oncology Branch at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Currently, Dr. Kebebew is the Harry A. Oberhelman, Jr. and the Mark L. Welton Professor at Stanford University and Chief of General Surgery at Stanford Health Care. Additionally, he is the Editor-in-Chief for the scientific journal Thyroid. Dr. Kebebew shows our young people that readers can be leaders!

In Memoriam

Richard Male
Advisor

Richard Male was a brilliant long-time supporter and advisor of Ethiopia Reads. We are grateful for Rich’s valuable wisdom and the direction that he provided to the Board of Directors of Ethiopia Reads. As the Founder and President of Rich Male and Associates, he has worked nationally and internationally with nonprofit organizations, associations, private foundations, corporations, local governments and schools to find practical solutions to real-life problems for more than 40 years. Rich helped author and steward public policy reform on the national level including the Community Reinvestment Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

He passed away on December 31, 2022 while with his family in Denver, Colorado.