Staff

An expert in his field, Mr. Rosenthal has been invited to speak at the U.N. on Non-Governmental Organizations and gender issues. He is on the Executive Committee of the International Volunteer Programs Association and is the Chairman of the Building Bridges Coalition, a project of the Brookings Institution focused on expanding international volunteer service, improving service quality, and ensuring positive impacts in communities throughout the world. He has dedicated much of his time to communities throughout the world and is the Development Chief for the traditional area of Ziavi, Ghana, West Africa. He is the only non-African ever to have been given this honor. In May 2002, Mr. Rosenthal received the New York Senate Liberty Award "for selfless contributions during the terrorist attacks" of September 11th. Learn more about CCS' efforts at the World Trade Center site after September 11th.

Since that time, she has managed the Brazil, Peru, and CARE Corps programs, and then worked in the Strategic Development team, implementing strategies to continuously improve the volunteer experience. Currently as Executive Vice President, Farhana is responsible for all program quality and content worldwide, and works closely with all the Country and Program Directors.

He has served as president of two non-profit organizations concerned with international development. He has also traveled extensively and has lived in Japan on two occasions, in 1986 as a Fulbright Scholar and in 2006 as a visiting professor at Kyoto University. He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and has been a board member of several professional organizations including service as the accredited representative to the United Nations for the International Federation of Housing and Planning.

Cassandra Tomkin, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, graduated from Miami University with a degree in Economics. In August of 2003, she volunteered in Ayacucho, Peru, where she planned activities in a program for street children and observed practices at a local medical clinic. Her travel experience also extends throughout Europe and the Middle East, including a study abroad program in college. These experiences enabled her to gain a wide range of cultural perspectives, as well as to pursue her interest in skydiving and canyoning. After a career in banking, Cassandra followed her passion for international volunteerism by joining the CCS staff.

Lauren Brossy originally volunteered with Cross-Cultural Solutions in Costa Rica, and has also traveled to Brazil, Guatemala, and Morocco. Lauren plays a critical role with quality control of all Cross-Cultural Solutions programs, as well as ensures compliance with emergency and safety procedures. She provides daily support for the in-country staff, monitors the ongoing relationship between Cross-Cultural Solutions and over 250 Partner Programs, and supervises the efficacy of the Intern Abroad program. As Senior Manager, Lauren conducts the yearly review and assessment of the Intern Abroad Program and the impact of the volunteer work globally. Lauren works directly with the Executive Vice President.

Stephen Thompson hails from Mechanicsburg, PA. In 2002, he volunteered in Ghana with Cross-Cultural Solutions with his sister before leaving to study at Carleton College in Minnesota. His experience teaching Ghanaian children sparked an interest in West African Culture. At Carleton, he studied abroad in Mali, later returning on a Larson Fellowship to further explore West Africa, from the Gulf of Guinea to the desert of Timbuktu. In 2006, Stephen graduated as a History major focusing on West African oral traditions, and then promptly joined the Cross-Cultural Solutions team. He is most excited at the opportunity to learn about new cultures and places, and hopes he can help others have the same powerful volunteer experience he had.

Dava Antoniotti graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in communications and women's studies. Prior to graduation she was an intern with the YWCA Domestic Assault Program in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her domestic volunteer experience includes speaking on diversity education panels at the university level, working at a homeless shelter in New Hampshire, and teaching horseback riding to at-risk fifth grade students in Kalamazoo. She has traveled to Mexico and China, and volunteered with special-needs kids in Cross-Cultural Solutions' Lima, Peru program before moving to New York to join the CCS staff. Since joining CCS, she has also participated in the Brazil, India, Thailand, South Africa, and Morocco Programs. Dava adores living in New York, where the diversity and culture remind her of her travels around the world. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in nonprofit management at The New School.

Sarah Dunstan was born and raised on the small island of Bermuda. She attended Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and graduated with an Honors degree in both Economics and English. Always interested in learning about different cultures through literature and her studies in world economies, Sarah decided to expand her cultural perspective by venturing abroad. After some research, she found that she was able to combine her passion for volunteering and travel through Cross-Cultural Solutions, and went on to volunteer in both Tanzania and Ghana. Upon her return home, she realized the profound affect the experience had on her, and felt compelled to apply for a job with the organization that facilitated some of her best life experiences. She has now moved to New York and works as a Program Enrollment Manager for Cross-Cultural Solutions.

Vanessa Shaw works to build relationships and establish partnerships with universities and colleges throughout the USA. Since joining CCS in 2006 she has volunteered in Guatemala, Morocco, and Costa Rica, and enjoys sharing her international volunteer experience with students, faculty and staff, encouraging them to incorporate international volunteerism into their own educational programs. Vanessa grew up in the San Francisco Bay area with parents who taught her the value of volunteering and embracing cultural diversity. In college she studied abroad in London and Mexico and volunteered with CCS in Bangkok, Thailand. She earned her BA in Community Studies from the University of California Santa Cruz, completing a portion of her coursework through an internship at the Seattle-based Community Coalition for Environmental Justice. She is a recipient of the Silver Award and Gold Award in Girl Scouting and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa National Honors Society.

Marge Rubin originally volunteered with Cross-Cultural Solutions' India program in February of 1996. Since returning from India and joining Cross-Cultural Solutions as a staff member in 1997, she has participated in nearly every Cross-Cultural Solutions volunteer program. She received her M.S. in Counseling from St. John's University, and has twenty years of experience working with organizations dedicated to the adoption and fostering of hard-to-place children. She is the mother of seven and the grandmother of three.

Kara Biland lived in Michigan, Tennessee, and Minnesota throughout her childhood and early adult life. Throughout high school, she spent much of her free time volunteering in elderly homes. In college, she decided that she wanted to take her volunteering and love for travel internationally. Cross-Cultural Solutions had everything she was looking for in an organization. In 2003, she volunteered in Brazil for six life-changing weeks. She fell in love with the mission, vision, and values of the organization and wanted to pursue a career with CCS. Kara left her small town in Minnesota and moved to NY where she began her career with CCS. Since joining the CCS team, she has participated in both of the Peru programs, and loves being able to share her personal volunteer experiences with prospective volunteers from around the world.

Summer Kuykendall is from the small town of Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. She attended college nearby at Shippensburg University where she obtained her Bachelors degree in Social Work. Upon graduation she moved to Philadelphia where she worked at an AIDS service organization. She developed a passion for women’s rights and later returned to school and earned her Master’s in Social Work at Temple University. In 2005, she volunteered in Bangkok, Thailand with Cross-Cultural Solutions. She was placed at a women’s rights organization where she learned about gender roles in Thai society. Summer returned from Thailand and immediately applied for a position with CCS in the hope of fostering and promoting growth and understanding of global issues and cultural understanding. Since joining CCS, Summer has also volunteered in Ghana.

Pete Bryan grew up in Franktown, Colorado. He participated in his first volunteer project at the age of 10, building boardwalks through the Colorado wilderness making it more accessible to senior citizens and the disabled. This project sparked Pete's lifelong love for volunteer work. He studied journalism at Colorado State University and volunteered abroad whenever his schedule allowed, traveling to places such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, the Bahamas, and Bolivia. His first experience with Cross-Cultural Solutions was in the summer of 2006 when he volunteered in Cartago, Costa Rica for 12 weeks. He was so impressed with Cross-Cultural Solutions that he jumped at the opportunity to move across the country and join the CCS New York staff.

Cate Dance is a native of Denver, Colorado. While attending Littleton High School’s International Baccalaureate program and considering her service project, she learned about Cross-Cultural Solutions volunteer opportunities.  After some serious fundraising, at the age of 17, she left for her volunteer project with CCS to Tanzania. Cate worked in an orphanage and an elementary school and fell in love with the people and the country. After graduating from the University of Oregon Honors College with degrees in physical and cultural anthropology, New York—and her three older brothers—beckoned to her to come East. Cate’s love of people, places, and diverse cultures come together in her commitment to CCS’ mission. She feels fortunate to be a Program Enrollment Manager at CCS and to play a part in international volunteerism and personal and cultural sustainability.

Adrienne Mael comes from Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Bloomsburg University in May, 2008, with a B.A. in anthropology and a minor in racial and ethnic minorities. Her studies in anthropology were focused on Africa and globalization. Ghana was a major interest in her studies, and she tried to study there several times unsuccessfully.  Then, when she came across Cross-Cultural Solutions she knew it was a perfect fit. Adrienne went to Ghana in August of 2008. She spent 10 weeks volunteering in schools and orphanages and got to know the local community. Adrienne loved her experience with CCS so much that she applied for a job with the organization before she even left Ghana.

Andrea Bray lives in Leicestershire in England and formerly worked in sales in the airfreight industry, allowing her to travel extensively throughout the world. As a trained Aromatherapist, with a general interest in alternative and preventative medicine, Andrea decided to use her skills and her passion for travel by volunteering internationally. In January 2002, Andrea volunteered for three weeks on the CARE Corps Peru program in Ayacucho, using her experience in sales to help local artisans and her aromatherapy skills to treat elderly people living in the local residential home of Asilo de Ancianos. Upon returning to England, Andrea made the decision to leave the airfreight industry and concentrate her efforts on developing an aromatherapy business, which she continues to run successfully. In her new capacity as a Program Enrollment Manager, Andrea enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for international volunteering and travel with others.

Linda Pentland lives in West Sussex. In her previous role as a Support Worker, Linda worked within the voluntary sector to assist families caring for relatives on the Autistic spectrum. Linda was born in Uganda, East Africa and from an early age developed a desire to travel and volunteer abroad. In March 2003, Linda fulfilled this ambition by volunteering for three weeks on the Cross-Cultural Solutions Delhi, India program. Using her skills and experience of working with special needs children, Linda volunteered at Mother Teresa's Orphanage for Disabled Children and Tamana Special School. Since returning to England, Linda has continued her work in supporting families with Autistic relatives on a voluntary basis. In her new role as a Program Enrollment Manager, Linda enjoys working with prospective volunteers to help them fulfill their dreams of volunteering abroad.

Debbie Marlow was born and raised in Cambridge, England, and lives there today with her 18 year old son. Debbie worked for the British Government for 19 years as an employment advisor at a job center. She fulfilled a life goal by volunteering in Brazil during the Spring of 2005. After volunteering for 6 weeks at Mother Teresa’s daycare center in Salvador, Debbie was inspired to take a job with Cross-Cultural Solutions. As a Program Enrollment Manager, Debbie now has the opportunity to speak to prospective volunteers and share her enthusiasm for her own volunteer adventure and provide information on the experience that lies ahead for them. Debbie has also volunteered in China since joining CCS.

Emma Rockett was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. She obtained her Bachelor of Commerce degree at Ryerson University, and then spent two years working in the financial services industry. After volunteering locally with various environmental programs and an international fair trade organization, Emma decided to volunteer abroad. She spent four weeks volunteering with Cross-Cultural Solutions in Ghana as a teacher's assistant at an orphanage in the Volta Region. She instantly fell in love with Ghanaian culture, and the experiences she had as a volunteer motivated her to apply for a job with Cross-Cultural Solutions in Canada. Emma is thrilled to have the opportunity to talk to other Canadians looking to volunteer abroad.

Aisha Davis is from Chicago, IL. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at Washington University in St. Louis, MO where she majored in African American Studies. While at WashU, she traveled to France and Italy during a study abroad program in Göttingen, Germany which sparked an interest in international travel and learning about other cultures. After college she began a career in higher education administration and earned her Master of Science in Education at Northwestern University. She has worked as Director of Admissions at Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago and in multicultural affairs at Cornell University. In spring 2008, Aisha took a break from her successful career in higher education to pursue a life-long dream of volunteering in Africa and she was thrilled when she discovered CCS. She volunteered with a women's empowerment organization in Bagamoyo, Tanzania and had a life-altering experience. She was so moved by her experience with CCS that instead of returning to her career in higher education, she joined CCS as Director of Program Management just a few months later. Since joining CCS, Aisha has also traveled to our program in Morocco.

Natalie Novak is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She studied International Studies and Political Science at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Natalie first volunteered internationally in 2002 with Cross-Cultural Solutions in Lima, Peru. She had an extraordinary experience working alongside Peruvian friends at an after-school program in Villa El Salvador. Natalie came to work for Cross-Cultural Solutions in January 2004, and has since also visited our programs in Ghana, Peru-Ayacucho, China, and Costa Rica-Cartago. She is delighted to be able to share her experiences with international volunteers.

Sharon N'Diaye was born and raised in New York and got her taste for traveling abroad at the age of 10, when she traveled with her grandparents to Israel, India, Morocco, South America, and Europe. She received her degree in Spanish, Portuguese and Linguistics from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst. Her greatest passions are learning new languages and studying different cultures. In June of 2003, Sharon volunteered in a teenage girls' shelter in the San Carlos program, and felt so inspired about the philosophy of Cross-Cultural Solutions, that she knew she had to work for the organization. She joined Cross-Cultural Solutions two months later.

Alex Brandt was born in Scotland, but is proud to be known as a true Oregonian. He had his first experience as an international volunteer, at the young age of 17, in Peru with Cross-Cultural Solutions. He then attended Southern Oregon University, where he participated in two study abroad programs; Australia and Germany. He graduated with a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Philosophy. After college, he served in the United States Peace Corps Bulgaria program, where he worked as a Community Development Volunteer. His primary project was to work with the local government writing grants and preparing for Bulgaria’s accession into the European Union in 2007. He is now excited to be at CCS, where he is eager to share the importance of cultural exchange through international volunteering.

Andrea Corbo grew up in New Jersey where she often sang in different performances. In 2007, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication. She worked in the field of TV Production for preschool shows before deciding to volunteer abroad. In 2008, she enrolled in a CCS program in New Delhi, India, where she enjoyed being immersed in Indian culture as well as volunteering with children. Her experience working with children in India had such a huge impact on her that she decided to change career paths and join the CCS staff. During her life, she hopes to visit every country in Asia.

Fiona Yeh was born and raised in Southern California. She attended the University of California, San Diego where she graduated with both a Bachelor of Science degree in General Biology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Development. Raised with parents and grandparents who emphasized the importance and value of cultural awareness and travel, she has always been passionate about volunteering and traveling. She has volunteered in her local community, as well as internationally, in Mexico and Salvador, Brazil. After graduation, she worked in clinical research at UCSD where she worked closely with children of various ages and their families. In 2008, Fiona decided to pursue her passions for international volunteering and traveling by participating in the CCS Volunteer Abroad program in Brazil. During her time in Salvador, she worked at a daycare, an orphanage for people affected by HIV/AIDS, and with the elderly. After her time in Salvador, she continued to travel throughout South America, visiting Peru and Argentina. She was so impacted by her experiences abroad that she decided to relocate to New York and join CCS. Since joining CCS, Fiona has also traveled to our programs in Thailand.

Ileana Font-Soloway grew up in New Rochelle, NY. Upon her graduation from high school, she embarked on her first independent international experience with CCS in San Carlos, Costa Rica where she worked in a special needs and hearing imapaired classroom and with a women's empowerment recycling cooperative. This experience awakened her love of travel, Latin America, and the Spanish language, and she went on to major in Hispanic Studies at Oberlin College in Ohio. During and after her studies, she spent a year abroad in southern Spain and some time traveling around Peru, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Eastern Africa, and the Middle East. She began working as a Program Manager at CCS for the San Carlos, Costa Rica and Cape Town, South Africa program sites during the summer of 2008. She is grateful to have the opportunity to prepare volunteers worldwide to become a part of the global community.

Jody Stein is from Lookout Mountain, TN. In high school she went on a French summer study program with the American Field Service (AFS) and became an international travel addict. Her four years at Boston University only fueled her desire to travel and learn about other cultures, and after graduation she decided to try international volunteering. She participated in the Volunteer Aborad program with CCS in South Africa where she volunteered at an center for young children and loved it. Having already decided to move to the New York area, Jody decided to act on her newfound passion for international volunteering and pursue a career with CCS. She is excited to be working in an area focused on helping volunteers participate in the same kind of culturally-oriented volunteer experience that she enjoyed in South Africa.

Nataline Gutierrez, originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, discovered her passion for international travel and volunteering when she had the opportunity to visit CCS in Lima, Peru in 2007. Prior to volunteering abroad, Nataline developed an interest in working with at-risk children and their families in the field of social work. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in social work from Texas A&M Kingsville and a master’s degree in social work from University of Texas Pan America. Before joining CCS, Nataline worked with Court Appointed Special Advocates of the Coastal Bend and Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas. She is excited about the opportunity to combine her love of international travel with her passion for working with people to share her experience with CCS volunteers.

Sejal Mehta grew up in Central New Jersey - daughter to Indian and Filipino immigrants. Coming from a diverse background has lead to a deep interest in cultural differences and understanding. She graduated from New York University with a degree in Finance and Information Systems. Throughout her life, she has enjoyed travels through Asia, Europe and Latin America. In 2006, she took a leave of absence from her job in order to volunteer in Brazil through Cross-Cultural Solutions, which was a great combination of her love of volunteering, travel, and culture. In Brazil, Sejal worked at a community daycare center with children who will always hold a special place in her heart. The eight weeks spent in Salvador, Brazil impacted her so much that she decided to completely change her career path and work for CCS.

Stephen Thompson hails from Mechanicsburg, PA. In 2002, he volunteered in Ghana with Cross-Cultural Solutions with his sister before leaving to study at Carleton College in Minnesota. His experience teaching Ghanaian children sparked an interest in West African Culture. At Carleton, he studied abroad in Mali, later returning on a Larson Fellowship to further explore West Africa, from the Gulf of Guinea to the desert of Timbuktu. In 2006, Stephen graduated as a History major focusing on West African oral traditions, and then promptly joined the Cross-Cultural Solutions team. He is most excited at the opportunity to learn about new cultures and places, and hopes he can help others have the same powerful volunteer experience he had.

Quinn Sidon is from Eugene, Oregon, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in French and Psychology from the University of Oregon. He spent two years working and studying in France, and has always had a passion for inter-cultural and international education and exchange programs. He has also traveled throughout Europe and Central America. Before moving to New York to work for CCS, he worked for an inter-governmental organization where he provided research and professional staff support to a county criminal justice committee and evaluated projects involving prevention and juvenile justice, adult corrections, and school safety. Prior to that, he worked for over six years in intervention programs for at-risk youth. Originally having volunteered with the Cross-Cultural Solutions Thailand Program, he also managed Peru programs for two years, and volunteered in Brazil.

Kam Santos was born and raised in New York City, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in American Civilization. After an insightful and amazing Study Abroad program in Melbourne, Australia, she was inspired to move to California to experience life on the West Coast. Kam worked in the Bay Area for several years as a marketing professional, promoting cultural and educational exchange programs and exploring the world in the process. Today, back home in New York, she continues a career of inspiring people to go abroad and experience another culture. Recently, she volunteered in Guatemala with Cross-Cultural Solutions at a day care center for low-income children.

Li Quach is originally from the Bronx, NY. She is a recent graduate of Skidmore College where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Management and Business. During her time in college, she embarked on a year of traveling while studying abroad in London, England and Melbourne, Australia. This is where she discovered and explored her love of different cultures as she met and studied with many local people. Post-graduation, she was interested in a career in Marketing and Communications. After learning about Cross-Cultural Solutions, she fell in love with the organization's mission and values, and immediately joined the Communications team. She recently traveled to Lima on the CCS Volunteer Abroad program and is now fascinated by the people, the culture, and the land of Peru!

Ilise Reznick is originally from Maryland and a graduate of the School of Journalism at the University of Maryland. She brings over four years of experience in Online and New Media marketing to the Communications Department, with a special focus on Search Engine Marketing. Ilise joined Cross-Cultural Solutions to apply the online marketing skills and experience she's gained toward a mission she believes in. She is looking forward to her upcoming volunteer abroad experience in Costa Rica with Cross-Cultural Solutions.

Matt Koltermann earned his bachelor’s of business administration degree in Marketing and Psychology from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, and also studied abroad in Brisbane, Australia during that time. After graduating, he served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya where he provided basic business skills training to micro-entrepreneurs, learned to speak Kiswahili, and even competed in an international camel derby. Matt pursued his deep interest in sustainability after the Peace Corps with a pair of consulting firms specializing in environmentally responsible consumer product marketing, and provided emergency aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina in rural Louisiana through Crisis Corps. His most recent role, managing international outreach campaigns and leveraging new technologies in project management and problem-solving at Idealist.org, gave him a solid foundation for his responsibilities in Communications at Cross-Cultural Solutions.

Ashlei Bobo is originally from the Greater Philadelphia area. She is a recent graduate of the University of Richmond, where she received a bachelor of arts degree in Journalism and Rhetoric and Communication Studies. Ashlei has always had a passion for international travel and during her undergraduate career, she studied abroad in Argentina to complete her Spanish minor. Both during and after college, she worked as a journalist and also specialized in marketing communications writing and editing at the University of Richmond. Ashlei saw a career with Cross-Cultural Solutions as a perfect combination of her skills and interests. She recently traveled to Lima, Peru on a CCS program and vounteered at a center for abandoned and under-resourced elderly people. The remarkable experience only strengthened her inspiration to contribute to the mission of CCS to connect people from different cultures around the world through international volunteering.

Kelly Ann has over 10 years of experience in finance and administration supporting small businesses. She leads a team of six who oversees finance, benefits administration, facilities, and support services to headquarters staff; supports organizational audits, statistical analysis, and financial analysis of expenses worldwide; and supports volunteers and sponsors with financial questions; and develops policies and procedures for accurate financial documentation. While her undergraduate studies were focused on Criminal Justice, she has a true passion for statistical analysis and finance. She is a certified bookkeeper for NY State and has taken several finance-related certification courses, such as NYS Tax Assessment and Law, Not for Profit Accounting Best Practices.

Luis worked for over 25 years in the transportation business as a cash manager. At CCS, he works closely with vendors to support our US, UK, Canada, and Australia offices. The focus of his work is to ensure timely payments, accuracy of billing, and reconciling of outgoing funds in US and Canadian dollars, and Great British pounds. His work also supports the overarching goal of the Finance Department, which is compliance with all financial procedures and solid accounting practices.

Damien Bamberg was born and raised in the ethnically diverse borough of the Bronx in New York. Damien has experience in business operations management having worked for several large service organizations. His experience extended to the non-profit sector as well working with organizations such as AFS. Damien continues his service at CCS overseeing all aspects of mail and facilities management. Damien volunteered in Bahia, Brazil in 2008.

Jessica Fraser was raised in Bronxville, NY and in this same village attended Concordia College, a Mecca for international students. While completing her Bachelor of Science in Social Work and Business she traveled to New Zealand and Brazil where her pace slowed drastically from the usual “New York Minute.” She has volunteered with numerous non-profits in the New York area, including The LIVE Foundation Inc., which serves individuals and families in Stamford, CT dealing with the impacts of HIV, and Amnesty International’s Day of the Dead Alternate Vigil. From her travels and degrees she felt compelled to join the vision, mission, and values demonstrated by CCS. In the coming year, she will continue in her position as Secretary at The Live Foundation Inc. and volunteer in Guatemala-City with Cross-Cultural Solutions.

Volodymyr Zharry received his bachelor’s degree in IT in 1994, and has over 15 years of IT experience from a variety of professional settings. Volodymyr is instrumental in setting the organization’s IT strategy and overseeing its implementation. He serves as Administrator for our CRM, CMS, and financial applications, and works closely with professionals and consultants to manage our web development and telecommunications needs. Volodymyr and his team also provide general desktop support for hundreds of CCS staff worldwide.