Mikaela Keepin

Secretary

Mikaela Keepin lives in Vermont. She is a mom, a nurse, and has been visiting Maher and following / supporting their work for over 15 years. Mikaela feels eternally grateful to Maher for the incredible social change they are enacting, and for being able to witness their work, and become dear friends with so many members of the Maher family.

Jere Zimmerman

Treasurer

Jere Zimmerman is a consultant in organizational culture and safety, with a track record of teaching and empowering grassroots safety leadership with a variety of organizations. After spending time at Maher in 2017 she was moved by the work they do, and the integrity with which they do it, to improve the lives and provide opportunity for impoverished people in India. She has served as an officer on many non-profit boards, supporting women, children, and promoting safety, in Africa, India, and in the US.

Darcy Cunningham

Chair

Darcy Cunningham, MBA, lives in Maine. For years she consulted to NGOs regarding vision, teams, and management. She currently owns her own business focusing on Yoga Therapy & Bowenwork. She has published two books on Maher: From Dignity to Despair: Step by Step Guide for Transforming the Lives of Women and Children – Successful NGO Creation Using the Maher Model; and Rising to New Life: Stories from Maher. She is inspired by Sister Lucy and Maher for their amazing capacity to love and to creatively rise to challenges on behalf of others.

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Alex Gramps

Board Member

Alex Gramps first visited Maher at the age of 17 and her time there inspired her to begin a career in nonprofit work. She holds a Master's in Public Administration with a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Evans School of Public Policy in Governance. She has worked and volunteered in fundraising/communications, operations, and direct program support at several nonprofits in Washington State, and is currently Operations Manager for End of Life Washington.

Sharon Atkinson

Board Member

My name is Sharon Atkinson and I live in Omaha Nebraska. I first became interested in Maher when my sister, Lynda King, told me about this amazing orphanage in India. I met Sr Lucy when she came to the US in 2018 and it was then I knew Maher was a place I wanted to visit and be a part of. My sister and I went to Maher for their 22nd anniversary celebration in 2020 and I have been involved ever since.

Chaya Pamula

Board Member

Chaya first discovered Maher over 20 years ago when she met Sr. Lucy. She was so touched and inspired by Lucy’s story and the work Maher was doing. She has been a volunteer and board member ever since. Professionally, Chaya is the President and CEO of PamTen, an IT Staffing and Solutions company. Currently living in California, Chaya’s philanthropy had guided her to be the founder and director of SOFKIN in India, which follows in Maher’s example. She also founded SheTek, which supports and promotes women in the tech field. Chaya is a  mentor, technologist, philanthropist, a visionary, an entrepreneur and an inspiring, passionate person. She brings this insight and positivity to everything she does, including her support of Maher.