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STAFF
Merith Basey
Director of International Operations
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Merith Basey first joined AYUDA in 2004 following her postgraduate studies on Latin America at La Universidad Complutense in Madrid. The UK native went on to serve as AYUDA's first Country Officer in Ecuador, later joining the headquarters in Washington DC as Global Program Director, where she was responsible for growing AYUDA's country programs and strengthening local capacity in Ecuador, Bolivia and Belize. Following a Masters degree in Public Health in Developing Countries at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, she worked with the Constituencies team at the World AIDS Campaign in Amsterdam. Merith returned to AYUDA in June 2010 to help lead the organization through its next stages of development.
Maria C. Velasquez
Volunteer Coordinator
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Maria Velasquez was born in Medellin, Colombia and moved to the United States in the year 2000. She has a Bachelor of Science in Human Services with a concentration on Administration and Public Policy. She first volunteered for AYUDA in the 2008 Bolivia program. She joined the AYUDA staff in August 2010 as the Volunteer Coordinator. She aims to recruit skilled, qualified and passionate volunteers that will promote change in local diabetes communities in countries like where she grew up. Prior to accepting AYUDA's Volunteer Coordinator Role, Maria led the non-profit organization Voices Without Borders in Wilmington, DE, which advocates for Latinos in Delaware by seeking social justice and institutional change on their behalf.
Molly Lepeska
Communications Consultant
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After trying out the fields of business, government, academia and television production, Molly Lepeska has spent nearly ten years working in the field of health communications. She worked in a communications capacity for over five years for the World AIDS Campaign in Amsterdam and focused on creating communications tools and materials for AIDS campaigners around the world. She is currently working as a communication consultant for AYUDA. She has a Master's Degree in Life Science Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Paul B. Madden, M.Ed.
Sr. Director of Development; Volunteer Recruitment, Education & Training
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Paul works with his colleagues and key international medical, academic, foundation, government and business leaders to develop initiatives that support individuals and families to more frequently make more balanced, lifestyle choices, helping people realize healthier, more productive, lives.
Paul has served and developed numerous new leadership roles. At Joslin Diabetes Center a Harvard Medical School Affiliate he served as the Special Assistant to the President; Behavioral Medicine, Exercise and Education Faculty; Senior Corporate Development and Major Gifts Officer; Director of Advocacy, Camp Administrator/Director, etc… With the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute and Children with Diabetes he serves on the Clinical Faculty and served as the Director of Medial Affairs and Professional Relations with the Johnson & Johnson Companies and more recently with the PepsiCo Companies as the Director or Advocacy, Education and Empowerment. In each of these roles Paul developed new and helped enhance existing education and business opportunities for the corporations he represented and the health care professionals and educators he teamed with to enhance the lives of individuals and families. These programs continue to positively influence the health and well-being of people throughout the world. He has designed and implemented award winning, revenue generating programs for kids, adults and families.
Paul is an accomplished author and speaker serving in numerous leadership roles on national and international boards over the years including: the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE), Chairs the AADE Education & Research Foundation, the Diabetes Exercise and Sports Association, the Diabetes Education and Camping Association, Chairing, the first International Diabetes Federation’s Young Leaders in Diabetes Program, the American Diabetes Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators, the Children with Diabetes Faculty, etc...
Creating new winning solutions that create value and growth for organizations and the people being served is what Paul does best. He empowers, educates and inspires people to explore and adopt healthier lifestyles. Paul touches the soul of the people he works with enabling them to address the challenges of life more fully and positively!
Jessie Kaplan
Assistant Volunteer Coordinator
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Jessie is from Boston, MA. She recently graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Spanish and Political Science and is now pursuing a graduate certificate in Spanish Translation at American University in Washington, DC. Jessie has had Type 1 Diabetes since 2009, diagnosed at age 19. Jessie is thrilled to have joined the AYUDA team after volunteering for the first time in Dominican Republic the summer of 2011. Working for AYUDA perfectly combines the things that she knows best- Spanish and Diabetes. AYUDA has truly inspired Jessie, helping her turn negative feelings towards this disease into positive action and deepening her appreciation for how fortunate she is.
Volunteer Mentors
Julie Burke
(Ecuador)
Julie, a Louisiana native, has been involved with AYUDA since 2005. She has traveled to Ecuador four times for Campo Amigo Ecuador and has a Masters of Public Health with a concentration in health promotion and disease prevention, from Florida International University. Before that, she received her BA in Communications from Loyola University New Orleans. She now resides in Maryland.
Anna Floreen
(Bermuda)
Anna is a Boston native. She currently works full time for the American Diabetes Association running youth and family programs for families across New England. She has had type 1 diabetes for more than 20 years and first volunteered with AYUDA in 2008 when she traveled to Belize. For the last three summers, Anna has traveled to Bermuda to assist the Bermuda Diabetes Association in the production of Camp Honeybee.
Corey Greenblatt
(Ecuador)
Corey is from Manhattan, New York. He originally volunteered with AYUDA as a 16-year-old in 2008 and has had diabetes since his freshman year of high school. Currently, he is studying at the University of Miami and hopes to eventually go to Medical School to study endocrinology. He has been to Ecuador three times with AYUDA and each year not only has his Spanish improved, but so have his responsibilities. He is excited to continue working with AYUDA.
Ali Stein
(Dominican Republic)
Ali Stein has been volunteering with AYUDA since 2007 when she participated in Campo Amigo Ecuador. The following year, she traveled to Bolivia to help initiate AYUDA's first national leadership camp. Most recently, Alison traveled to the Dominican Republic as a Volunteer Advisor where she worked with the local diabetes foundation to organize and coordinate AYUDA's first diabetes camp in the country. Alison received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Cornell University, and is currently a third year medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine where she served as the Vice President of the University's Global Health Interest Group. She is hoping to specialize in pediatric endocrinology largely due to her experiences with AYUDA. Ali is passionate about global health, especially in Latin America.
Jon Stein
(Dominican Republic)
Jon is currently in his fourth year at Colorado College, where he studies biology on a pre-med track. He volunteered with Ayuda three years ago in the Dominican Republic, and helped establish the country’s first diabetes camp, working closely with local foundations and medical students. Jon is interested in medicine, global health, and social and political ecology. He has volunteered as an EMT in Colorado, and has studied and traveled abroad in several developing countries in Central America, Africa, and Asia. Jon is very excited to return to the Dominican this summer as an experienced volunteer mentor.
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