Amizade Staff
Brandon Blache-Cohen serves as Amizade's Interim Executive Director. Cohen first began experimenting with social entrepreneurship and service-learning while an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh. After sailing on Semester at Sea in the fall of 2003, he combined his passions of travel and social justice by helping to create a student-initiated NGO, FORGE. As Associate Director of FORGE he worked in three refugee camps in Zambia and Botswana on a slew of small-scale development projects. Since then, Cohen has worked in development for the Tahirih Justice Center in Washington, DC, as a researcher and program assistant for aids2031 in Worcester, MA, and as a consultant for several other small nonprofits and foundations. From 2007 - 2009, he was a Social Change Fellow at Clark University, where he earned an MA in International Development and Social Change. To date, Cohen has worked, studied, or traveled in over 55 countries on five continents.
Birgit Progar is Amizade's Service-Learning Manager in the West Virginia University (WVU) office. Before coming to the United States, Birgit Progar studied business administration at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany, and earned the equivalent of a Masters of Business Administration.
While still a student she was appointed as the human resource manager in a marketing student association (MTP). Birgit has also worked with students at WVU, and studied abroad herself at the University of Westminster in London.
Rebekah Harlan is Program Coordinator for Amizade in the West Virginia University (WVU) office. Originally from Mechanicsburg, PA, Harlan attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she received a bachelor's degree in visual communications with a minor in development. During her junior year, Rebekah traveled to Tanzania where she connected deeply with the people and culture of East Africa. Her experience in Tanzania sparked a passion to work with people around the world to meet basic needs and help bring about global equality. Harlan has visited and served with community partners at Amizade’s Tanzania and Navajo Nation (Tuba City) sites.
Valerie Hess and Nathan Darity jointly serve as Amizade's Santarém, Brazil Site Directors. Hess and Darity were raised in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, where they graduated together from Lancaster Mennonite High School in 2000. For the summer months following graduation, they lived with host families in Vitória, Brazil, and grew their interest in public health and nursing. Hess received her BSN at the Univerisy of Pittsburgh in 2004, and focuses on oncology and community health. Darity traveled to Santarém for the first time in 2002 during a three-week service-learing course facilitated through Amizade. In 2003, Hess and Darity returned to Amizade, this time participating in a program in Tanzania. In 2008, Darity finished a dual masters program in public health and international development at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2009, Darity and Hess began their transition into Amizade's joint site-director position in Santarém. While in Brazil, they live at the headquarters of Amizade's principal local partner, Fundação Esperança, a health and education non-profit institution in the heart of the city. While in Pittsburgh, Hess and Darity live with generous friends in the east end neighborhood of East Liberty.
Daniel Weiss, Ph.D., is Amizade’s founder and currently serves as a consultant.
He began Amizade in 1994 to provide opportunities for individuals and groups to be able to take part in educational, environmental, health, welfare, and other service projects around the world.
He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota. He worked full time with Amizade until 2001 when he became executive director of Amazon Africa Aid, an organization he helped co-found that was dedicated to supporting the work of the Fundação Esperança, a nonprofit health and education organization. In 2008, he moved to Vila Velha, Brazil, to work for the PCLB Foundation establishing a health clinic in an impoversihed region of that city.
Weiss teaches service learning courses in international development for Amizade, including our semester course in Brazil. He is also involved in strengthening the Amizade Auschwitz program. Over the years, Weiss has been very active in other causes including serving as the president of the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North (MI) and helping found Abraços, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting youth at risk in Rio de Janeiro. Weiss has been honored by the US State Department, Arab Gulf Fund of the United Nations, Firestone Company, Volvo USA, the Points of Light Foundation, and Giraffe Project. He currently lives in Vila Velha, Brazil with his wife Geli, Amizade Brazil Site Director.
Mr. John Matthias Brown has been working in community development for the past 35 years. He is the founder of the 25 year old Petersfield Sports & Community Club (PSCC) which he served as President for the first 2 years. Three years later, he co-founded the old Association of Community Based Organizations Ltd (AOCBO), formerly Association of Clubs (AOC), which is the umbrella organization for seven community based organizations in the parish of Westmoreland, Jamaica. Mr. Brown has been the Facilitator of the AOC from its inception. Through his commitment, influence and guidance, the AOC won the 2007 Michael Manley Award for Community Self Reliance which is one of the most prestigious awards in Jamaica.
Mr. Brown also serves in his parish as a Justice of the Peace. He sits as Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and as Community Representative on numerous school boards and organization committees. He takes pleasure in counseling young people to help them boost their self-esteem and ways to work harder towards achieving their goals. He has served as Amizade's Site Director since 2004.
Eric and Tracy Kee are the Navajo Nation (Tuba City) Site Directors. They have been working with Amizade since fall of 2007. Eric is full Navajo and born in raised in Tuba City, AZ. Tracy is from Tennessee and has lived in FL, AL and AR. Eric and Tracy both attended Harding University which brought them to Florence, Italy, where they met and worked from 2002-2007. Eric and Tracy share a passion for cross cultural exchange and learning through service. When not working with Amizade groups, they own and operate and art gallery in the Verde Valley that hosts many works of Native American art by Eric. They are proud parents to their little boy and love exploring the beautiful Northern Arizona region.
Ms. Jean Carla Costas
Bolivia Site Director
Mr. Nathan Darity
Santarem, Brazil Site Director
Mr. Chris Nyame
Ghana Site Director
Ms. Tamara Haspels
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