Our Dedicated Team

Our passionate and talented staff work tirelessly to provide programming to the communities and people that need it most.

Rise Headquarters Staff

  • Executive Director

    Mara Lee Durrell joined Rise in 2024 as its Executive Director, whose mission is to educate, heal, and empower children by embedding trauma-informed, play-based programs in vulnerable communities around the world. For nearly a decade she was the CEO of the PeaceWorks Foundation and the OneVoice Movement, which received the prestigious Skoll Award in 2008. Mara previously served as a political appointee in the Obama Administration as the Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. Before that she was Congresswoman Doris Matsui’s Deputy Chief of Staff & Communications Director. A campaign veteran, Mara has served in leadership positions on behalf of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Jeanne Shaheen. While in DC, she had the honor of being an adjunct professor in politics at George Washington University for six years. Mara lives in New York with her husband, Jack Durrell, and two daughters.

  • M.S., CCC-SLP/TSSLD

    Speech & Language Pathologist and Rise Program Consultant

  • Chief Operating Officer

  • Development & Administrative Coordinator

  • Chief Program Officer

    Melissa Middaugh serves as Rise’s Chief Program Officer. With more than 20 years of experience in International Development, she has designed and implemented projects in early childhood education, family strengthening, and community development globally. Her journey began with the Peace Corps in West Africa (2002-2004). After joining Worldwide Orphans (WWO) following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Melissa spent four years in Haiti developing programs and became the Chief Program Officer in 2014. Currently residing in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, she is passionate about strengthening education and protection systems for children, both through her work with Rise and as Chairman of the Delta Regional Child Advocacy Center Board. Melissa holds a Master's in Business Administration and is a PhD candidate in International Psychology.

Dean Bruns

  • Chief Development Officer

    Dean Bruns serves as Chief Development Officer at Rise Alliance for Children, where he helps grow support for children facing adversity around the world. With more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and fundraising, Dean has led teams and campaigns that have significantly expanded revenue and impact. Before joining Rise, he served in senior leadership roles at organizations focused on children and families. Dean is passionate about building lasting partnerships and donor relationships and believes deeply in Rise’s mission to bring healing and hope through trauma-informed care, especially in the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Colin Campbell

  • Marketing & Communications Coordinator

    Colin serves as Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Rise Alliance for Children, helping deliver the powerful story and impact of Rise as it works to improve the lives of vulnerable children around the world.

    He brings over 15 years of experience to the role, having served in a variety of roles across agencies, nonprofits and freelance efforts with the aim of improving the lives of underserved and marginalized people. He is based in Alabama.

Rise Bulgaria Staff

  • Rise Bulgaria Country Director

    Rossi joined Rise in 2015, starting as a Program Manager before becoming Country Director. With a career in child protection and welfare spanning since 1999, she has worked with organizations such as the European Children's Trust, EveryChild, Lumos, the Municipality of Plovdiv, and the Ombudsman of Bulgaria. Rossi was a key figure in pioneering the deinstitutionalization of children in Bulgaria, advocating for legislative changes that will lead to the closure of all children's institutions by 2025. She has held leadership roles in numerous organizations, driven by her mission to provide every child with the opportunity to thrive. Rossi lives in Sofia with her family and cat and is an avid reader and traveler.

  • Program Coordinator

  • Early Childhood Development Coordinator

  • Early Learning Manager

Rise Ethiopia Staff

  • Rise Ethiopia Country Director

    Hannah serves as the Rise Ethiopia Country Director. She has a strong background in Public Health and Clinical Nursing, bringing extensive experience in healthcare, project planning, budgeting, coordination, supervision, monitoring, and staff management. Since joining WWO in 2012, she has made significant contributions, leading to her promotion to Country Director in 2022.

  • Element of Play Teacher

  • Element of Play Teacher

  • WWO Ethiopia Early Childhood Development Director

  • Element of Play Teacher

  • Accountant

  • Driver

  • Element of Play Teacher

  • Psychologist & Element of Play Trainer

  • Cleaner

  • Secretary, Cashier & Logistics

  • Driver

Rise Haiti Staff

  • Rise Haiti Country Director

    Jacqueline Cadeau is the Country Director of Rise Haiti, having joined the organization in May 2012. She began as a bookkeeper and logistician for the Camp program, later advancing to program manager, camp director, and ultimately, country director. Before Rise, Jacqueline worked at Food for the Hungry, managing financial tasks such as verifying accounting records and managing petty cash. She also served as the Sales and Administration Manager at Big Mango Caribbean Trade, where she handled sales, staff management, and payroll. Jacqueline holds a degree in Accounting Science from the University of Port-au-Prince and has studied Administrative Management at BIWI. She lives in Haiti with her husband and daughter.

  • Preschool Supervisor

  • Learning Space Supervisor

  • Program Administrator

  • Program Manager

  • Program Support Officer

  • Learning Space Supervisor

  • Data Officer & Camp Coordinator

  • Camp Supervisor

Rise Ukraine Staff

  • Rise Ukraine Country Director

    Khrystyna serves as the Country Director of Rise Ukraine since 2022. With nearly 25 years of experience as a child psychologist, she has been instrumental in launching and expanding Rise’s programs for children in Ukraine. In addition to her role at Rise, Khrystyna consults with the Juvenile Police on child abuse cases and provides family relationship counseling at Lviv’s Hospital of Children’s Medicine. She holds a degree in musical pedagogy and a master’s degree in clinical psychology, bringing over two decades of expertise in working with children and families.

  • Finance Manager

  • Program Manager

Rise Vietnam Staff

  • Rise Vietnam Country Director & Internal Consultant

    Thuy joined Worldwide Orphans (WWO) in 2011 as the Country Director in Vietnam. With nearly three decades of experience in the non-profit sector, Thuy has held leadership roles at Swisscontact VN, Handicap International VN, and WWO. Her work spans various programming areas, including Positive Youth Development, Inclusion and Early Childhood care for children with different abilities, and camps for children with serious illnesses. In addition to her leadership role, Thuy oversees Networking and Fundraising, Communications and Social Media Management, CSR project design and implementation, Internal Talent Management, and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) systems.

    Thuy holds an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from LaTrobe University in Australia, a postgraduate degree in International Management Consulting from Ludwigshafen, Germany, and a B.A. in Vietnamese Literature Pedagogy from HCMC University of Pedagogy. She has also received training in NGO Strategic Management from AIT in Bangkok, Thailand, as well as internal training from Swisscontact, Handicap International, and Rise.

    A mother of two, Thuy is also a proud grandmother and enjoys reading, listening to music, and baking in her spare time.

  • Medical Director, Element of Play Trainer, Camp Leadership

  • Senior Accountant, Camp & Life Skills

  • Program Coordinator, Element of Play Coordinator, Camp Leadership

  • Program Officer, Case Management, MiM, Camp Leadership

  • Operations Director & Trainer

  • Program Officer, Camp Leadership

  • Medical Advisor, Speech Language Therapist, Camp Leadership

  • Finance Director, Training

  • Community-based Manager, Camp Director

  • Project Site Manager

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

—Nelson Mandela