Red Sweater Project

Staff | Board of Directors | Advisory Board

Ashley Holmer
Founder & Executive Director
In 2005, Ashley Holmer moved from Portland, Oregon to Tanzania to work as an English teacher and soccer coach in a Maasai village. Toward the end of her yearlong post, the leaders of a nearby village offered her 20 acres of donated land on which to build the community’s first secondary school. Eight years later and fluent in the local language of Swahili, Holmer has opened two secondary schools in rural areas of the country and serves as an advocate for girl’s education throughout Tanzania.

As Co-founder and Executive Director of the Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania (IEFT), Holmer oversaw the fundraising and construction of Orkeeswa Secondary School outside Arusha, which opened in 2008 and today educates over 140 students. In 2011, she partnered with community members near the town of Mto wa Mbu, who donated 15 acres of land in their village. After construction commenced in January 2012, Mungere Secondary School opened in September with its first 40 students.

Ms. Holmer obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Willamette University (2002) and served as the
Chapter Advisor of her philanthropic sorority, Alpha Chi Omega. She received the university’s “You’re Doing WHAT
With Your Degree?” Award and was recently inducted into Willamette’s Athletic Hall of Fame for Women’s Soccer.

Ada Banasik

Programs Director, Volunteer

As Programs Director, Ada Banasik manages the organization's volunteer and sponsorship programs. She also serves on the Board of Directors. An environmental engineer with over 9 years of experience in stormwater treatment, remedial design, low-impact development, construction management, and field investigations, Banasik oversees the design and implementation of all water and sanitation projects.

As member of the Portland Professionals Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB), Ms. Banasik was involved in the design and implementation of composting toilets and rainwater harvesting projects in both Ecuador and Tanzania and currently serves as a liason between EWB and Red Sweater Project.

Ms. Banasik received her Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from Southern Illinois University (2001) and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Oregon.

Junior John Lukumay
Project Manager

Tri-lingual in the languages of English, Swahili and Kimassai, Junior John Lukumay serves as an organizational representative and community liaison for all the organization’s programs. He has held previous posts as a secondary school teacher and project officer, as well as served under management of the Longido District Council, providing IT support to its various offices.

Lukumay plays an intricate role in ensuring the efficiency of the project’s communications with the communities in which it serves. He also assists with the development and implementation of organizational education and health initiatives. A Maasai from Tanzania, Mr. Lukumay also establishes and retains relationships with all development stakeholders and investors, providing sound feedback for future campaigns.

Mr. Lukumay received his High Diploma of Information Technology from the Institute of Accountancy of Arusha and his Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education at Makumira High School.

Michael Eneza Justo
Construction & Operations Manager

With over seven years of experience, Michael Eneza oversees the operations of Mungere Secondary School as well as facilitates all campus construction. Having grown up in rural Tanzania and fluent in Swahili and English, Mr. Eneza’s intimate knowledge of construction management and material acquisition, as well as his experience working in rural schools make him an invaluable teammember.

For the Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania (IEFT), Eneza was responsible for much of the construction and building improvements of Orkeeswa Secondary School. He was also responsible of its daily school functions and operations, working intimately with both staff and students for over 5 years.

Most recently, Eneza is responsible for the reconstruction of Ng’iresi Primary School in Arumeru District, made possible through a partnership with Red Sweater Project and General Electric.

Lindsay Pour, MSc
Entrepreneurship & Sustainability Coordinator, Volunteer

With over six years of experience in program administration and management, Lindsay Pour is responsible for spearheading the creation of developmental models focused on sustainability and entrepreneurial concepts. This includes financial sustainability planning as well as revenue-generating program development.

For the American Red Cross, Ms. Pour has served the organization in numerous capacities, currently as a Business Operations Specialist, where she is responsible for the development of in-depth financial trending analyses, which includes management of financial controls, liaising and operations management. She has also served as Research and Pricing Specialist, which included conducting market assessments of potential program expansions strategically over 13 states. As Project Manager and Operations Supervisor, Pour oversaw operational and budgetary strategy as well as superivising staff with regards to metrics development and process improvement.

Ms. Pour received her Bachelor of Arts from Reed College (2004), and her Masters of Science in Globalization and

Development from the Institute of Development Policy and Management in Manchester, UK (2009). She is currently

working toward her Certificate of Nonprofit Management from the University of Illinois Chicago (expected 2013).

Julia Dickey
Creative Director, Volunteer

Julia Dickey joins the staff of Red Sweater Project having worked with some of the most prominent designers and firms in the industry. She handles organizational design related to print and web, including event planning and execution, branding, and promotional materials.

At Wieden+Kennedy, Dickey designed for clients such as Nike, Laika, EA, and Levi's. She created unique pieces of art used for guerilla advertising as well as working in print and digital design. Ms. Dickey has worked as Design Assistant alongside John Jay, WK's Global Executive Creative Director, doing research and creating multimedia presentations for international audiences. Currently working for Nike Inc, she works as a Graphic Designer and Copy Writer for Women's Training.

Ms. Dickey obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia from the University of Oregon (2009) and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from The Art Institute of Portland (2009).

Tim Sexton

IT Director, Volunteer

With over 17 years of experience in various technology roles, Tim Sexton oversees and consults to the technological direction of Red Sweater Project. In addition to this role, he serves Mungere Secondary School as a hands-on health professional to both students and local community members. Sexton currently manages his technology consulting business, Databridge Solutions, which has been operating for the past 10 years.

Mr. Sexton received his Bachelor of Arts in Applied Physics from Rutgers University (1995) and is currently finishing his clinical work for Medical Assisting in Portland, Oregon.

Rachel Clark
Ambassador Program Liaison, Volunteer

With over 15 years of experience in relationship development and program management in the biotech sector, Rachel Clark's role as Ambassador Liaison is to align supporters with the mission and goals of the organization. Clark's additional area of interest is in public health.

In 2012, she worked in Tanzania with the organization as a Community Health Officer, where she conducted public health resources assessments and also taught health and hygiene classes at Mungere Secondary School. Clark has delivered hundreds of scientific lectures on various infectious disease topics and is a member of the American Public Health Association, Infectious Disease Society of America, American Society of Microbiology and Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

Ms. Clark received her Bachelor of Arts in History from Susquehanna University (1996), her Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Cardinal Stritch University (2002), and her Graduate Certificate in Public Health Disparities (GCPH) from Oregon Health Sciences University (2012), where she is also currently a student in the Master of Public Health program. (MPH)

Tessah Joseph

Office Administrator & Executive Assistant, Volunteer

Tessah Joseph heads office operations in the US office with duties ranging from administrative management, marketing, event planning, and communications. Her interest in assisting Red Sweater Project followed an International Development education program in Dakar, Senegal with Suffolk University, which focused on economics, development of West Africa and the Wolof language.

As the Outreach of Volunteer Coordinator for Hostelling International, Ms. Joseph is responsible for the coordination and oversight of volunteer and intern recruitment, training and development, as well as establishing partnerships with community organizations. She also handles the company’s media platforms and frequently writes articles for local publications.

Ms. Joseph received her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with a focus in Communications, Media & Journalism from the University of Oregon (2009).