SEEKING PURPOSE?

Our Board of Directors and Advisory Council are united by at least two elements. The first is our belief that education is, as Nelson Mandela often said, the most powerful weapon we may use to change the world. We believe education empowers and provides a sustainable pathway to economic and personal freedom. The second is our compassion. We hear people’s stories and work to bring opportunity to those who have been long-denied. Some of us know well the experiences of those we serve in South Africa; others of us are learning each day. We all, however, recognize the structures that have systemically subordinated others, and we are working to eliminate those in the name of equity.

Please contact us to learn more about joining our team.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BOARD COMMITTEES

FUNDRAISING & MARKETING
Chair Martha T. Cummings
Member Meg Pickering, Susan Wolf Greene

GOVERNANCE, AUDIT & FINANCE
Chair Mike Fontaine
Members Kim Finnerty, Zuki Mbuli

PSYCHO-SOCIAL SUPPORT & EMPOWERMENT
Chair Siyabulela Rabie
Members Aphiwe Ntloko, Berenice Arends, Martha T. Cummings, Zuki Mbuli

BOARD CHAIR

Meg Pickering was born in Washington, DC and grew up in a diplomatic family, living in Europe, East Africa, and the Middle East. She retired in 2022 after 38 years of federal government service, mostly as an attorney at the Department of State where she worked on numerous issues including UN affairs, ethics, foreign assistance, and refugees. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College (A.B.), Harvard Law School (J.D.), and the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium (LL.M). 

BOARD SECRETARY

Susan Wolf Greene, MD, a native of New Jersey, is a Reproductive Endocrinology & Fertility expert who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Bryn Mawr College before completing her medical degree at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Susan finished her OB/GYN residency at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City and completed her REI fellowship at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark, New Jersey. Susan, who is fluent in Spanish, specializes in vitro fertilization (IVF), recurrent pregnancy loss, infertility, reproductive endocrinology, menopause, and minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopy and hysteroscopy).

BOARD TREASURER

Kim Finnerty was raised in the suburbs of Boston and lived in Southwestern Connecticut for 30 years before heading south to Virginia. After earning degrees from Yale College and Harvard Business School, Kim spent most of her career building consumer brands at both manufacturing companies and marketing services agencies. She recently founded her own strategy consultancy, DataBards, which is dedicated to helping marketers create inspiring stories from the data they collect.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Martha T. Cummings is a native of Southboro, Massachusetts, and an alumna of Bryn Mawr College, the Università Italiana per Stranieri in Perugia, Italy, and the Dante Alighieri School in Florence, Italy. Upon her graduation from Bryn Mawr in 1980 with a degree in Anthropology, Martha entered the field of education. For 42 years, she served as an administrator, a teacher, a coach, and a tutor. Martha won the Anti-defamation League's Golden Teacher Award and is a published author, including two books and several articles and speeches. Martha is the UP founder and Executive Director.

BOARD MEMBERS

Aphiwe Jackson Ntloko, a native South African and a registered Social Worker, earned a Bachelor of Social Work, a B.A. Honors in Development Studies, and a Master of Social Work research, all from Nelson Mandela University. His Master’s topic, Student Hunger within Institutions of Higher Learning, exposed the myriad challenges students face in their quest for academic excellence and the role of hunger in compromising their chances for success. He is currently reading towards his Ph.D., and his research will contribute to the Decolonial and Afrocentric discourse in social work. A product of marginalized communities himself, social activist Nkqubela is acutely sensitized to these communities and to structural issues and is a catalyst for the transformation and the development of people and their lives. Nkqubela has worked as a Mentoring Coordinator, Facilitator, Student Development Advisor, Student Support Officer, Lecturer, and Project Coordinator. He is also a certified Life Coach and a Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner who enjoys devising alternative interventions for youth and student development programs. Nkqubela currently works at the North-West University as a lecturer in the Department of Social Work. Nkqubela’s Board Committee assignment will be forthcoming.

Berenice Arends is a native South African who is fluent in Afrikaans, English, and isiXhosa. She completed her secondary school years at Sandisulwazi High School in Paterson, a small town in the rural Eastern Cape. In 2018, Berenice went on to earn a Higher Certificate in Information Technology (IT), and in 2022, she earned an Advanced Diploma in the same field. While pursuing that distinction, Berenice also began working as an Educator Assistant in 2020 at the start of the global pandemic. In 2022, she served as a Field Worker Supervisor for the South African census before finding employment at Sandisulwazi High School as a Learner Support Agent in 2023. There Berenice helped vulnerable learners by focusing on those without school uniforms and shoes, sufficient food, birth certificates, and identification documents. In 2024, Berenice secured a position at Nelson Mandela University as an Intern and Lecturer Assistant, assisting learners who struggle with twenty-first century technology. Berenice is a role model for youngsters and lives by example. She works hard, stays focused, and is compassionate in her efforts to uplift others who are seeking quality education and a fair chance. Berenice’s Board Committee assignment will be forthcoming.

Michael Fontaine grew up in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, earned a Bachelor’s in business at Johnson & Wales University, received his MBA at Northeastern University, and has spent the last 25+ years as a Human Resources executive at IBM, Raytheon and KPMG.  Mike is currently a Partner at KPMG and serves as the Chief People Officer for KPMG International: leading the People & Culture function to bring exceptional career experiences to the 2,000+ colleagues. Mike is a dedicated husband, father, and sports dad and an avid saltwater fisherman, boater, guitarist, and musician. 

Siyabulela Rabie was born in Slagboom, South Africa, and grew up there with his Xhosa grandmother, aunt, three uncles, and cousins before relocating to Addo with his grandmother in the mid-1990s. There Siya attended school, including Vusumzi Primary School and Samkelwe Senior Secondary School, the very schools with which Universal Promise has partnered over the years. Denied a proper education herself, Siya’s grandmother, a major force in his life and an unwavering advocate of education, lived to see her grandson enroll at Nelson Mandela University (NMU) in 2010 and complete his Bachelors in Social Work degree in 2014. He subsequently worked in the Social Work Department at NMU, Cape Town Child Welfare Society, and the Department of Social Development in Cape Town. Siya now works as a Forensic Social Worker (Captain) at the South African Police Service.

Zukiswa (Zuki) Mbuli grew up with her grandmother, grandfather, and cousins in the rural village of Healdtown in the former Ciskei, South Africa. Zuki’s grandfather and mother were passionate about education, which inspired Zuki to pass her matric before heading to University of Fort Hare, the alma mater of Nelson Mandela. Zuki ultimately earned her degree, a Bachelors of Arts, majoring in Education, at The University of South Africa (UNISA) in 1993. Zuki worked at Fort Hare for 19 years, first as a fee clerk, and then as an Admissions Officer, a Senior Officer in Academic Administration, and a Faculty Manager, until she was offered an admissions position at Nelson Mandela University, where she now serves as a Senior Manager in Admissions.

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Our Advisory Council was founded out of respect for the progressive mindset of the younger generation, as we saw twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings, in South Africa and the USA, think, plan, and act to achieve and sustain equity. Our goals include enhancing our social media presence, expanding our fundraising methods and totals, redesigning our volunteer program to be more laser-focused and inclusive, and expanding the Advisory Council membership to include others who are devoted to the mission and vision of Universal Promise.

Ally Marrinan is a graduate of the University of Richmond with a Bachelors in Healthcare Studies and Psychology. Ally is currently enrolled at Pace University, where she is pursuing a PsyD in School-Clinical Child Psychology. Ally has served as a Psychological Assessment Intern at Four Winds Hospital, a School Psychology Intern at Rye High School, and a Research Assistant in The Digital Media and Psychology Lab. Ally is a four-time volunteer with Universal Promise in South Africa. Throughout her volunteerism, Ally focused on counseling, education, female empowerment, and healthcare assessment.

Alyssa Kohler graduated from University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelors of Science: Public Health Science with a minor in Global Poverty. Alyssa also participated in the Pathway: Global Fellows Program, which equipped participants with the knowledge and skills required to address global challenges. Alyssa was employed at UCSF as a Clinical Research Coordinator and is a one-time volunteer with Universal Promise in South Africa. Throughout her volunteerism, Alyssa focused on healthcare assessment.

Maggie Stark graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelors of Science: Human Development & Family Science. She then earned a Masters of Science in Developmental Science. Maggie is currently employed at the Boston Children’s Hospital Trust as a Development Assistant on the Planned Giving Team. Maggie is a three-time volunteer with Universal Promise in South Africa. Throughout her volunteerism, Maggie focused on education and counseling. Maggie is also the Universal Promise Social Media Coordinator and is responsible for co-creating the content for Facebook and Instagram and for scheduling the posts.

Nora Collins, a one-time volunteer with Universal Promise in South Africa, agreed to join our Advisory Council in January 2025, and we are thrilled! Nora’s bio is forthcoming.