Cliff Bersamira - President

Cliff Bersamira served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo, West Africa from 2005 to 2008. While in Togo, Cliff served as national co-organizer for Camp UNITE and completed several projects in the domains of gender equity, life skills development, behavioral health promotion, and HIV/AIDS prevention. In addition to his experience with the Peace Corps, Cliff has worked in substance abuse research in San Francisco and in the social work, mental health, and education sectors in Chicago. He holds a BA in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and an MA in social service administration from the University of Chicago. Currently, Cliff is a Research Analyst with the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors in Washington, DC.

Cliff can be reached at cliff.bersamira@unitefoundation.org

Debbie Lithander – Vice President

Debbie loved serving as a Girls’ Education and Empowerment Volunteer in Kpatchile, Togo, from 2005-2007.  As a co-organizer of Camp UNITE, she witnessed the incredible transformation of young women and men when they are given important life skills education and the opportunity to develop this knowledge into usable skills and capacities.  She taught these life skills in her local schools as well, and campaigned with community leaders to end the practice of forced marriage. Debbie earned an MA in political science from Baylor University following her Peace Corps service. She currently lives in Washington, DC, and works in business development for a global health organization.  Unable to stay out of the education sector, she also teaches professional business English. 

Debbie can be reached at deborah.lithander@unitefoundation.org

Jeff Finkelman

Jeff was a Peace Corps Volunteer from 2005 through 2007 and was a co-organizer of Camp UNITE 2007.  As a Girls Education and Empowerment Volunteer, Jeff was tasked with promoting gender equity and helping to increase the rate of school attendance among young girls. Jeff saw no more effective program than Camp UNITE in giving girls the confidence they need to stay in school and achieve their academic goals.  After returning home from Togo, Jeff earned a graduate degree in International Finance and Development from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.  He is now a Presidential Management Fellow with the U.S. federal government.

Jeff can be reached at jeff.finkelman@unitefoundation.org

Bonnie Brett

Bonnie Brett was a Peace Corps Togo Volunteer from 2006 - 2008 and a Camp UNITE organizer in 2008.  Upom returning the United States, she worked as a teacher at a DC public charter school for two years and is currently in working towards her PhD in developmental psychology at the University of Maryland. She remains dedicated to Camp UNITE and the opportunities for growth that camp attendance affords West African youth each year.

Bonnie can be reached at bonnie.brett@unitefoundation.org

Jeff Locke

Jeff Locke was a community health volunteer in Peace Corps Togo from 2005 to 2007, where he was a counselor and co-organizer of Camp UNITE.  Upon his return to the US, Jeff worked as a legislative policy analyst with an NGO in Washington that works to promote family planning issues internationally.  Most recently, Jeff has undertaken a concurrent degree program with Harvard Kennedy School and Boston College Law School, studying the intersection of national security and environmental issues.

Jeff can be reached at jeff.locke@unitefoundation.org

Connor Hannigan

Connor realized the value of UNITE after volunteering as a camp counselor in 2007 and co-coordinator in 2008.  A native Washingtonian who moved west following his Peace Corps service, Connor is a Case Manager at the Colorado AIDS Project in Denver.  During his time in Togo working with HIV+ friends, Connor became passionate about improving the lives of those living with HIV.  He enjoys skiing and snowboarding in the fresh "pow" of the Rockies, trying not to pull a hamstring playing soccer, and travelling to new & exciting locales which happen to be near friends' weddings.

Connor can be reached at connor.hannigan@unitefoundation.org

Emily Malkin

Emily was a Girls Education and Empowerment Volunteer in Wassarabo, Togo, from 2008-2010. While in Togo, Emily served on the Camp UNITE national organizing team for two summers and worked with a group of Togolese non-profits to establish a national umbrella organization for UNITE. In addition to her work with camp, Emily started a reproductive health training program for Muslim female leaders and taught life skills and English in the local schools. She is a graduate of Wesleyan University and currently lives and works in Washington DC. 

Emily can be reached at emily.malkin@unitefoundation.org