Dr. Dina Bangdel
Dr. Bangdel is Assistant Professor of Art History at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. A specialist in Indian and Himalayan art, she is co-curator of "Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art," an 2003-2004 exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Columbus Museum of Art. Dr. Bangdel is the daughter of writer and scholar Lain Bangdel, Nepal's leading modern artist who was a member of the READ Advisory Board in Nepal until his death in 2002.

Ms. Loretta Faye Cooper
Ms Cooper has had a distinguished career in the arts including positions as the Vice President of Development for the Scottsdale Cultural Council and the Director of Development of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Ms. Cooper has also held the position of Associate Director for the Nevada Museum of Art (NMA), where she helped to raise over $20 million to build the new, architecturally significant NMA. While Chief of Development at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, she directed a $100 million capital campaign to restore and enhance its historic home. Ms. Cooper has also owned her own art gallery in Houston, Texas.

Mr. Adnan A. Durrani
Mr. Durrani is Chief Halal Officer for American Halal Co, Inc., a socially conscious food brand, and also President of Condor Ventures, Inc., a venture firm devoted to strategic investing in natural food companies. Most recently, he was also a Venture Partner of Blue Chip Venture Co., with $600 million in managed funds, and has been an investment professional for 26 years.  Mr. Durrani is a serial entrepreneur. He serves on the Board, and is Finance Chairman of Social Venture Network, where he has been a pioneer in establishing quantitative proof that socially conscious and economically just business models can yield exponential triple bottom line profits for consumer product companies. He was the founder of Vermont Pure Holdings, the second largest bottled water company in the Northeast and the parent company of Crystal Rock Water Co.  Mr. Durrani was also a financial partner of Stonyfield Farms Inc, the leading organic yogurt brand whose private sale he led to Dannone, SA in 2003 . He was also a principal of Delicious Brands, Inc., a struggling regional brand whose growth he led, with the financial backing of Carl Icahn, through a strategic roll up strategy to become the fifth largest cookie brand in U.S.

Ms. Rachel Golden
Ms. Golden has a Ph.D in economics from Columbia University in NYC. She has worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of NY as well as taught at the University of Chicago. She was also chairperson on the Economic Commission for Europe committee on youth employment and entrepreneurship. She is currently an advisor to the World Bank/International Financial Corp, a group dealing with grass roots business organizations, and serves on the Boards or mentors for many international not-for-profit organizations and other social enterprises worldwide.

James J. Hodel
An investment professional for over 15 years, James Hodel is currently the Managing Director of Perkins Fund Marketing. Prior to joining Perkins Fund Marketing, Mr. Hodel was a Managing Director and Co-Head of the Institutional Equity Sales Department at SoundView Technology Group. He joined SoundView in 1993 and was a member of the firm's Management Committee, Investment Banking Commitment Committee and Stock Selection Committee. Mr. Hodel has held a variety of institutional equity and option sales positions  In addition, he previously was a member of the American Stock Exchange acting as a market maker in equity and index options. Mr. Hodel is a graduate of Fordham University with a B.A. in Political Science/Economics.

Mr. Lawrence Neubauer
Mr. Neubauer is a private equity investor living in New York. He has served on a number of boards and committees and is currently a member of the advisory counsel for the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and the visiting committee for the University of Chicago Law School. His background includes work with public policy formation as well as nonprofit entrepreneurship activities.

Sen. Omer L. Rains
With a Doctorate in Juridical Science, Senator Rains is an international attorney and venture capitalist, also noted for his diverse and worldwide humanitarian activities. Having previously served three terms as a California Senator and having traveled to over 120 countries, Dr. Rains brings a wealth of global business and cultural expertise to further the READ mission. He is a frequent lecturer on international business, politics and law, and is the recipient of numerous academic and professional awards. Senator Rains has made site visits to READ libraries in Nepal and is now also active in launching the READ program in India.

Mr. Mal Warwick
Mr. Warwick is a leading author, consultant and public speaker on fundraising, and an advocate for socially and environmentally responsible policies and practices in the private sector. Founder and chairman of Mal Warwick & Associates in Berkeley, California, he spends most of his time traveling where he teaches fundraising to non-profit organizations. Warwick has written or edited 17 books for nonprofit managers. A recent book of his focuses on values-driven business and was co-authored with Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. Warwick was co-founder of Business for Social Responsibility and currently serves as Chair of the Social Venture Network.

READ GLOBAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Ms. Dorothy Adamson
Ms. Adamson is an instructor at The American School of The Hague in the Netherlands, where she’s lived for 20 years. There she developed and continues to coordinate the Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) Program, designed to involve students in hands-on service activities. Several years ago, Dorothy’s students adopted READ as their project and regularly sponsor events to raise funds for Nepal libraries. Dorothy and her students have made several trips to Nepal, spending time at READ libraries and in the Kathmandu office, and look forward to returning.

Ms. Arlene Blum
Arlene Blum has played a groundbreaking role in women’s mountaineering and has played a leading role in more than 20 mountain expeditions worldwide. Blum holds a doctorate in biophysical chemistry, and has taught at Stanford University, Wellesley College, and U. C. Berkeley, where her research was instrumental in banning tris and Fyrol, two cancer-causing chemical that were used as a flame retardant on children's sleepwear as well as the pesticide DBCP. She plans to continue this research to facilitate the regulation of similar chemicals and help protect our health and environment. Blum currently designs and presents informative and inspiring keynote lectures, leadership workshops, and cross-cultural seminars. She has given highly acclaimed classes in Mongolia, Uganda, Nepal and India, as well as across the U.S.

Mr. Marvin A. Brustin
Mr. Brustin is president and owner of a Chicago law firm, Marvin A. Brustin, Ltd., which specializes in jury litigation (primarily catastrophic injuries, business-related matters). An Honorary Royal Consul General of Nepal, Brustin was also the recipient of an Outstanding Leadership Award from India for promoting closer relationships between India and Nepal. He is an ardent trekker and outdoors enthusiast, and a long-time member of the Adventurers Club in Chicago. For many years, he served as the chairman of the Chicago Transit Authority citizen’s advisory board.

Mr. Jeffrey P. Lindtner
Mr. Lindtner is the former director of government relations for Cigna Corporation and former executive director of the Cigna Foundation. He also is on the Board of Directors of the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Economy League, and the Wilma Theater. Jeff kayaked the Trisuli River in Nepal in 1980, and returned seven years later, hiking to Everest Base Camp.

Ms. Janet Morgan
Ms. Morgan is President of Morgan Amadeo LLC, an international consulting firm focusing on strategic planning, brand development and project implementation for NGOs, nonprofit organizations, governments, start-up companies and social venture enterprises. Ms. Morgan was the Director of Not-for-Profit Consulting Services for RSM McGladrey in New York and developed a dedicated “social sector” consulting practice at American Express Tax & Business Services which was acquired by McGladrey in 2005. Ms. Morgan was Managing Director of Media Minds Group and a Founding Partner of Zink Communications in New York. Ms. Morgan studied in Europe, Latin America and China to receive a global executive MBA from Duke University, Fuqua School of Business. She serves on the Board of Trustees of Antioch University and is a member of the Social Venture Network, the Women Donors Network and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges.

Dr. Uma Mysorekar
Dr. Mysorekar is the founder and President, of The Hindu Temple Society of North America, in Flushing, New York. She manages the daily operations and coordinates major Hindu celebrations and events, making her the voluntary equivalent of a CEO running an organization with annual revenues of $3 million, 30 full-time staff members, and serving 20,000 devotees in the United States. She is the President of Heart and Hand for the Handicapped, an organization dedicated to raising funds for institutions caring for handicapped children in New York and India. Dr. Mysorekar is a Gynecologist with a practice in Queens.

Mr. Utpal Kumar Sengupta
Mr. Sengupta is the CEO of Crossflow Nepal Trust, a charity organization working in Nepal and India. He was Vice President and General Manager of Shangri-la hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara, Nepal. Mr. Sengupta also launched Kathmandu’s leading destination management company, Shangri-la Holidays, and Himalayan Exchange, a Franco-Nepali social services organization in Nepal.

Mr. Elliot Shelkrot
Mr. Elliot Shelkrot is President and Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia, where he's launched a host of innovative programs to increase library services. Before joining the Free Library in 1987, Mr. Shelkrot served as State Librarian for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A leader in civic affairs in Philadelphia, he serves as a board member for the Allegheny West Foundation, the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Council and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. In 2003, Mr. Shelkrot was honored with a Special Achievement Award by the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations.

READ GLOBAL STAFF
Ms. Carol A. Erickson, Executive Director
Ms. Erickson has dedicated her professional career to improving access to information for researchers, students, and the general public.  She spent over 15 years working in and traveling throughout the former Soviet Union, administering Fulbright programs and assisting PhD candidates and post-doctoral researchers to get access to library and archival material throughout that region.   As a Senior Program Officer with the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX), Ms. Erickson helped to establish one of the first American non-profit offices based in Moscow.  Ms. Erickson was the Director of International Relations of the American Library Association, where she worked to establish a number of programs to improve information access to immigrant communities in the United States, including formal partnerships with the Guadalajara International Book Fair and Zimbabwe International Book Fair.  As a Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation she directed efforts to provide public access computers and Internet access in public libraries serving low-income communities throughout Canada, Chile and Mexico.

Mr. Robert Reno
Mr. Reno is the Asia Managing Director who oversees READ’s multiple offices throughout Asia and coordinates their efforts with the US headquarters.  He has over ten years experience in the international development and education arena and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in one of the first groups to serve in Ukraine.  He has been the director of regional offices for the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) in Belarus, Moldova & Ukraine, as well as their Central Asian offices, managing programs in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.  Mr. Reno has a BS in Marketing and an MBA from Drexel University.

Ms. Kate Fenner, Social Investor Relations
Ms. Fenner is Social Investor Relations Coordinator.  She oversees all inquiry/donor/potential donor interactions including communication, record keeping and follow-up.  She is also involved with database management, development and operations support.  Along with these roles, Ms. Fenner is involved with grant researching and writing process.

Mr. James Hammerel, Information Systems and Finance
Mr. Hammerel is in charge of READ Global’s Finance and Information Systems Operations.

READ NEPAL ADVISORY BOARD
Mrs. Manu Bangdel
Mrs. Bangdel is the wife of the late writer, scholar and artist Lain Bangdel, a charter member of READ’s Advisory Board in Nepal. She studied nursing in India and England, at the Royal College of Nursing, and worked in Kathmandu’s maternity hospital for more than 30 years. Former President of the Nepal Nursing Association, Mrs. Bangdel volunteers her services to a variety of social service organizations in Nepal.

Dr. Shanti Basnyat
Dr. Basnyat is a Professor of English Education at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu. She is the recipient of many academic awards, including a Fulbright Fellowship to the U.S. and the 1991 Education Award in Nepal. She also studied in the U.K. and in India, and is an academic advisor and founding member of the Triyog Girls' School in Kathmandu.

Mr. Hem Raj Gyawali
Owner and publisher of Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post, Mr. Gyawali is a former civil servant, and a writer and authority on the Hindu religion. He is a recipient of the Gorkha Daksin Bahu award from King Birendra for promoting journalism in Nepal.

Dr. Shanker Raj Pathak
Dr. Pathak is the founder of Saraswati College in Nepal, and the Chairman of the Nepal Disabled Association. He has served as Vice Chancellor of Tribhuvan University, and Vice Chairman of the Nepal National Commission on Population.

Dr. Mohan Man Sainju
Dr. Sainju is president of the Advisory Board. At present, he is the Executive Director of IIDS. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Sainju was the Ambassador to the United States from Nepal. He has also served as Planning Minister and as Rector of Tribhuvan University.

Professor Suresh Raj Sharma
A former teacher, Dr. Sharma is presently the Vice Chancellor of Kathmandu University. He also serves as the Executive Director of the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training.

Ms. Rita Thapa
Ms. Thapa has spent more than 15 years initiating and supporting institutions related to women's empowerment in Nepal. Her involvement includes the establishment of small scale entrepreneurial and service organizations, the management of gender programs for international NGO's, and service on boards of national and international women's support organizations. Ms.Thapa has worked with the United Nations Development Agency, OXFAM, and Agro-Forestry Basic Health Cooperative. In 1984, she founded “Women's Work,” Nepal's first wholly woman-managed hand knit project.

READ NEPAL STAFF
Mr. Sharad Babu Shrestha
Mr. Shrestha serves as the Country Director for READ Nepal. He oversees operations in READ's office in Kathmandu. Sharad has served as Senior Program Officer with USC Canada and as Project Manager and Deputy Program Officer for Save the Children. He is a member of the Advisory Board for Educate the Children, Inc, Chairperson for the Nepal Chapter of the World Organization for Early Childhood Education, a foreign correspondent with Asian Breeze, and chairperson for HOPE (Himalayan Organization People and Environment.)

Ms. Sanjana Shrestha
Before joining READ in June 2004 as a Program Officer, Ms. Shrestha held Project Coordinator and research positions with the Manushi for Sustainable Development organization in Nepal. Her academic background includes both Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees from Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu. Proficient in four languages—English, Nepali, Newari and Hindi—Ms. Shrestha served as a volunteer in a variety of capacities for the Cancer Care Center at Om Hospital in Kathmandu.

Mr. Chin Kaji Shrestha
Mr. C. Shrestha served as a volunteer in the Kathmandu office for over two years before becoming Field Coordinator in December of 2000. More than half of Mr. Shrestha's time is spent in the field. In addition to monitoring and supervising library sites and providing technical assistance and training to librarians, Mr. Shrestha also distributes Sachetana, a bimonthly Nepali newsletter published by READ for the community libraries and other organizations.

Mr. Raju Babu Shrestha
Mr. R. Shrestha served as a volunteer in the Kathmandu office for almost two years before becoming Assistant Field Coordinator in January of 2004. His duties include providing field technical support, training, monitoring and supervision to READ libraries. Mr. Shrestha holds a B.A. degree and is working on a Masters Degree in Sociology. Prior to joining READ, he worked as a Marketing Officer for Anish Enterprises.

Ms. Abha Gautam
Ms. Gautam is the Administration Finance Coordinator. Her duties include all aspects of bookkeeping, and maintenance of records for staff, volunteers, office supplies, and library supplies. In addition, Ms. Gautam visits each new library to provide training in the financial policies and bookkeeping procedures of READ.

Ms. Devi Maya Rai
Ms. Rai is the Office Aid. She handles miscellaneous duties to ensure smooth operation of the office.

READ Nepal Volunteers
Basanta Devkota, Field Supervisor
Narayan Pokhrel, Assistant Field Coordinator (Library Support)
Sirjana Shrestha, Assistant.Program Officer (Reading Campaign)
Sumitaa Bhatta, Program Assistant (Library Support)
Chitta Ranjan Chaudhari, Program Assistant (Library Support)
Anu Baba Shrestha, Program Assistant (Program Reports)
Sabita Bimali, Program Assistant (READ Newsletter)
Pranjana Shrestha, Program Assistant
Vibek Pande, Program Support Assistant (Logistics)
Rina Dangol, Program Support Assistant (Program Reports)
Renuka Shrestha, Program Support Assistant
Sashi Shrestha, Program Support Assistant
Pampha Shrestha, Library Support Assistant (Children’s Section)
Punam Shakya, Administrative Assistant (Reception)
Nima Futi Sherpa, Admininstrative Assistant (Petty Cash, Secretarial)
Shushmita Khanal, Admininstrative Assistant (Reception, Model Library)
Hariram Dhimire, Administrative Support Assistant (Logistics)
Mina Rai, Office Aid

READ India Advisory Board
Jai Vikram Bakshi
With over 16 yeas experience in finance, media and marketing, Bakshi is president of DIGIQOM, a company that provides digital communication solutions. Previously he was head of Marketing for Nokia Enterprise Solutions, and vice president of Communications for HSBC.

Sohini Battacharya
As the Director for Partnerships for South Asia, Ashoka Innovators for the Public, Sohini handles all strategic partnerships furthering the cause of social entrepreneurship in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal, and assists the global development team in institution building and other development related work. Earlier, as the director for Venture in India, she expanded Ashoka's program and fellowships in the country, provided leadership to the venture team and created a platform for Ashoka and social entrepreneurship in the country. Prior to joining Ashoka in 2000, Sohini worked in the field of economic development with a special focus on women. She began with Child In Need Institute (CINI), a premier Mother and Child Health organization in India and later helped launch a new income generation and micro-credit program for rural women. As a program officer with Dastkar, a society for traditional craftspeople, she worked with craft groups to understand markets, production issues and the artists’ struggles.  From 1996-1998, as a consultant with an Ashoka Fellow, Sohini set up reporting and accounting systems for micro-credit and trained women's groups across the country on gender rights and micro-credit. In 1996 she helped a second Ashoka Fellow set up Sanhita, a Gender Rights Center, in Calcutta, working as the program coordinator and Trustee for the crucial first two years of the launch. She sits on the board of CREA, an organization working to enhance women's leadership, that focuses on sexuality, reproductive health, violence against women and social justice.

Kalpana Dasgupta
Ms. Kalpana Dasgupta has a Post Graduate degree in Political Science from Patna University, India and Master of Science in Library Science from Syracuse University, New York State, USA. Her career as a librarian started in 1965 and she has worked in the largest libraries in India. She began as a library assistant and eventually became Head of the National Library of India. Ms. Dasgupta is presently the Director of the Central Secretariat Library of the Department of Culture, Government of India, and has also acted as Director of the Delhi Public Library,  the largest public library system in India. With 35 years of professional experience she acts as a technical advisor to the government, and is also consultant to the Prime Minister's Office for its library development. With her vast experience in management and library technical development, she has served on various government committees, has written more than 30 professional articles and has authored and edited several books in the field of library information science. She served as President of the Indian Library Association (ILA) from 2000-2002 and is currently the library committee chair for the government’s Knowledge Commission.

Ms. Shonali Datta
Ms. Datta is the Managing Director of Pierce and Leslie, a luxury tour and travel company, based in Delhi. She has a long-term relationship with Myths and Mountains, READ Global’s corporate sponsor, and considerable experience working in the Indian social sector.

Arundhati Deosthale
Arundhati Deosthale is a journalist by training, critic and translator published in English, Hindi, and Marathi. She has done a two year stint with Unesco on two projects, and has served as contibuting editor in Sahitya Akademi's Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature (1986-98). She has been Director Publishing & Book Clubs in Scholastic India (1998-2005). She has nine books for adults published to her credit and has translated nearly 50 books for children into Engish and Hindi.

Arvind Kumar
Arvind Kumar has given nearly four decades to the publishing industry starting with Radha Krishna Prakashan. He served as the Director of National Book Trust (1986-97) and then moved on to be the founder mangaing Director of Scholastic India (1997-2005). He has widely travelled around the globe for book promotional activities and International book fairs. He has set up Arvind Kumar Publishers to serve the unprivileged children in rural India and publish meaningful books for adults.

Haresh Shah
Haresh Shah is a valued advisory board member of READ India. Decorated by the President and recipient of the French Republic "Knight of the Order of Merit" in May 2004, Mr. Shah is the Occupation Member of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission as well as the Chairman of Confederation for the Promotion of Khadi and Village Industries. He is also on the board of such prestigious organizations as the Yusuf Meherally Centre, Vaikunthbhai Mehta Research For Decentralized Industries, PlaNet Finance India, and Motilal Mulji Charitable Trust. Mr. Shah is an artist, professionally qualified fashion designer, and highly creative individual

READ India Staff
Smita Anand Rai, PGDIB (Post Graduate Diploma in International Business):
Smita joined READ India in June 2007. She is responsible for operations and communications as well as assisting the country director in all her programs. Prior to joining READ, she was working with PlaNet Finance India, an affiliate of international micro financing institution. In India they have been working in the field of Technical Assistance and Capacity Building. Prior to this, she worked in HSBC Retail banking as a customer relationship officer.