Our Staff

"We take great pride in the fact that you can rely on us to be there for you. We believe that the communities where we work, and the volunteers that make it all possible, deserve nothing less than our best effort."

Steve Rosenthal, Executive Director & Founder

Administrative Staff

From the moment you contact Cross-Cultural Solutions to the day you return home from your volunteer experience, our administrative staff is working behind the scenes to ensure you have the experience of a lifetime. The first person you’ll speak with at CCS is a friendly and knowledgeable Program Enrollment Manager.

Since we firmly believe you should speak with people who truly understand the CCS Experience, all of our Program Enrollment Managers are former volunteers. That means they can answer all of your questions, big or small.

Once you have enrolled in a program, you'll speak with one of our U.S.-based Program Managers (also CCS alumni). These individuals have extensive knowledge and an intimate understanding of the community, local culture, and CCS programs — all because they’ve been there.

We encourage you to contact any member of our staff at any time. The better prepared you are as a volunteer, the more successful your experience will be.

Executive Director
Steven C. Rosenthal, Executive Director Steven C. Rosenthal was born in New York and attended George Washington University and the University of Colorado. He founded Cross-Cultural Solutions in 1995 and as its director has traveled extensively throughout the world, making frequent trips to the field. He has worked with at-risk youth in the United States and been a consultant for numerous international volunteering organizations in the U.S. and abroad. 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.

Executive Vice President
Farhana Rehman-Furs, Executive Vice President Farhana Rehman-Furs was born in Pakistan and raised in England, UK. After graduating from Bath University with a degree in Business Administration, she spent a number of years working for Lloyds Bank in London. In December of 2000, she began four months of volunteering with Cross-Cultural Solutions' Peru program and soon after completing her stay, she moved to the United States to coordinate our CARE Corps partnership. 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.

Programs
The Programs Department oversees the operations of Cross-Cultural Solutions programs worldwide. The team focuses on maintaining and improving program quality and content, as well as fiscal management. The Programs staff are all alumni of Cross-Cultural Solutions programs and are dedicated to upholding the highest standards of excellence for all our volunteer programs.

Senior Manager of Programs - Lauren Brossy
Manager of Programs - Stephen Thompson

Program Enrollment
Program Enrollment staff are all Cross-Cultural Solutions Alumni, and trained to know about all of our countries, regions, and programs. They provide you with the information that you need, and answer any questions that you might have before you decide to enroll in a Cross-Cultural Solutions program.

U.S.-Based
Director of Program Enrollment - Dava Antoniotti

Program Enrollment Managers
Summer Kuykendall - Regional Team Leader
Georgie Murphy - Team Leader
Marge Rubin
Jessica Schoolman
Pete Bryan
Sarah Dunstan
Kara Biland
Carrie Specksgoor
Alyssa Delafield

U.K.-Based
Andrea Bray
Linda Pentland
Debbie Marlow

Canada-Based
Emma Rockett
Kevin Doyle

Australia-Based
Sally Simpson

Program Management
Program Managers are alumni of Cross-Cultural Solutions, and are the experts for their assigned countries. They work with our volunteers as they prepare for their experience abroad. They are in close communication with in-country staff, and they are familiar with the local culture and day-to-day life in our programs. They also serve as the main contact person for your friends and families back home.

Director of Program Management - Jill Peckenpaugh

Senior Program Managers
Natalie Novak - Ghana & Costa Rica
Sharon N'Diaye - Morocco, Russia & Tanzania
Janelle Cole - Thailand & Guatemala

Program Managers
Farrell Weiss - Peru & Tanzania
Stephen Thompson - South Africa
Caroline Hood - Peru, Russia & South Africa
Vanessa Shaw - Guatemala, Morocco & Thailand
Marisa Annunziata - India, China & Costa Rica
Laura Fortinsky - Tanzania
Libby Stanton - Tanzania
Sejal Mehta - Brazil & Ghana
Brooke Barnum - Peru & Costa Rica
Sarah Pole - Costa Rica & India
Alex Brandt - Costa Rica & Brazil
Emily Shedletsky - Peru

Recruiting and Alumni Development (RAD)
The RAD Department manages employee recruiting efforts for our New York headquarters and UK team, aiming to bring professional individuals who are passionate about volunteering abroad into our organization. RAD is also the primary point-of-contact for CCS alumni, supporting alumni in various ways after returning home from their volunteer experience. RAD helps to provide resources for alumni, coordinates special events such as fairs and open houses, and more.

Director of Recruiting and Development - Quinn Sidon
Alumni Relations Coordinator - Laura Fortinsky

Partnerships
The Partnerships Department handles education, corporate, travel industry and other institutional partnerships with Cross-Cultural Solutions.

Director of Partnerships - Cassie Hayes
Partnerships Manager - Carlton Rounds
Partnerships Coordinator - Joss Ellams

Communications
The Communications Department handles the communications and marketing for Cross-Cultural Solutions.

Director of Communications - Kam Santos
Senior Manager of Communications - Brandon Wick
Communications Manager, Brand Specialist - Li Quach
Communications Manager - Anthony Lofrisco
Communications Manager - Ilise Reznick
Communications Manager - Matt Koltermann

Finance
The Finance Department coordinates the collection of program fees and donations, provides information on the financial aspects of fundraising, and advises on CCS refund procedures and policies.

Director of Finance - Kelly Ann Kirkpatrick
Senior Manager of Finance - Tina Cancellieri
Accounts Payable Coordinator - John Botero

Information Technology (IT)
The IT Department is responsible for ensuring that CCS' technology is functioning efficiently and smoothly. This team manages the organization’s databases, software, hardware, phone systems, and co-manages the website with the Communications Department.

Senior Manager of IT - Volodymyr Zharyy
IT Manager - Adam Getis

Support Services
The Support Services Department is responsible for supporting all of the daily operations of the organization, including office and facilities management. This department provides administrative support to the Executive Director and coordinates mail, telephone, and reception for the headquarters. Support Services responsibilities also include the management of several Human Resources functions, including benefits administration and employee relations for all US, UK, Canada, and Australian staff.

Senior Manager of Support Services - Madeline Rodriguez
Support Services Coordinator - Damien Bamberg
Receptionist (US Office) - Jessica Fraser

Office of the Executive Director
Senior Manager of Operations - Cassandra Solderitsch