Our Mission
We will stand together to lead, act and inspire change in our communities to help build a more just and peaceful world.
President/Board Chair Venkat Memula
Term Ending 2027
Venkat worked for nearly 30 years in the Silicon Valley technology sector, including 27 years at Apple, Inc. Over the years, he led many different teams and organizations, leveraging his CISV experience to build teams and drive projects forward by analyzing and identifying areas of risk, bringing people together to find solutions, and providing direction.
Venkat’s first involvement with CISV was in 1982 as part of the San Francisco Greater Bay Area Chapter’s first village delegation. He was fortunate to participate in the different CISV programs at the time. He was deeply involved in the junior branch at the local, national, and international levels. As an adult, he served on the local board as President and Risk Manager and on the National Level on the Executive Committee and the board of trustees.
As Venkat concludes his professional career, he is eagerly looking forward to supporting CISV. His focus will be on bolstering chapter development and nurturing leadership within the organization, a testament to his enduring commitment to CISV’s mission and values.
Valerie Maurais
Term Ending 2027
Valerie is a retired high school Family and Consumer Science teacher of 19 years. She is presently working with elderly clients with home assistance. She has been a member of the Maine Chapter since 1989. She served in several board positions including being the president for 5 years. She directed and staffed 12 villages along with serving as a National Trainer for 5 years. Her national involvement continued as the National Village Chair to her most recent position as National Program Coordinator.
Valerie lives in Old Town Maine with her husband Owen and they have four grown children and one grandchild.
Jude Albukhari
Term Ending 2027
Jude Albukhari is a psychologist currently working with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. Her professional experience while obtaining her doctorate degree in psychology has allowed her the privilege of working with children, adolescents, and families from all walks of life.
Born and raised in Amman, Jordan, Jude’s first taste of CISV came as an 11-year-old Jordanian delegate attending a Village in Darmstadt, Germany. Since then, Jude has joined two different National Associations, participated in several international programs, and taken on various roles, including National Leadership Trainer and JB Advisor. Jude became a founding member and President of CISV Southern California before leaving the warmth of SoCal to move to the East Coast. Jude is excited to join the Board and actively work towards upholding CISV’s mission, particularly within the context of important societal issues, including accessibility, diversity, and equity.
Mae Cooper
Term Ending 2027
Mae Cooper is a learning and development professional with over 15 years of experience and expertise in leadership development, experiential learning, and systemic problem solving. She is a Senior Manager of Leadership Development at Capital One where she leads a team that delivers learning experiences for leaders at all stages of their career.
Before joining Capital One, Mae served as a Learning and Development Manager for the Division of Development and Alumni Relations at George Washington University. Prior to that, she worked in non-profit and political consulting and received a Master of Education in Community Development from Vanderbilt University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Communication from George Washington University.
Mae’s involvement with CISV began when she attended a village as an 11-year-old. Since then, she participated or staffed in seven different programs and held volunteer roles at the chapter, national, and international level. Her roles have included leading CISV USA’s national leadership training, serving as an international trainer, and being the Regional Coordinator for Educational Programs. She is very excited to join the board and help the organization evolve our practices to further reflect our values of inclusiveness, engagement, and cooperation.
Tom Wilten
Term Ending 2028
Tom is a senior technology executive, with a focus in finance and strategy. He brings significant experience in leadership, strategy, mergers and acquisitions, finance and accounting, financial planning, and commercial partnership creation. Most recently, Tom is serving as the CFO of Centrilogic, the largest independent IT service provider in Canada. Previously, Tom served as the interim CEO of Otava, a managed cloud services business, ranked number 16 in the MSP 500 and wholly owned by Schurz and prior to that, Tom was the CFO of Otava. He’s run the corporate development teams at both Maxar (fka DigitalGlobe) and Qwest Communications (now Lumen). In these capacities, he’s completed over 50 M&A and strategic partnership transactions in his career with total deal value in excess of $24 billion. He’s also run strategy teams with a focus on market opportunity development and business process improvement. In his spare time, Tom is a father of three and an avid outdoorsman.
Brian Summerfield
Term Ending 2028
Brian C. Summerfield is an attorney practicing law at Schenk & Bruetsch, PLC in Detroit, Michigan, where he helps commercial, employment, real estate, and construction issues. Brian began his legal career serving as a trial attorney with the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG). During his service in the military, Brian represented service members in courts-martial procedures, clinical privilege hearings, and administrative discharge boards. He received several awards and decorations while in the Navy, including the National Defense Service Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals and the Navy Achievement Medal.
Shelly DiFiore
Term Ending 2026I am a Certified CQI Change Champion and Mentor, a graduate of LEAD Tennessee Alliance 13, and a Silver CQI Champion. In addition to her state service, she previously served as our National Risk Manager and currently serves as a board member for CISV Chattanooga. Shelly is also actively engaged in mentoring, diversity and equity initiatives, emergency preparedness, and leadership development.
Luke Bowen – JB Director
Term Ending 2027
Luke Bowen is an incoming law student with a background in natural resource management and environmental impact assessment. He has participated in several CISV programs both as a participant and staff with his first CISV experience taking place in the United Kingdom in 2013 when he has 11. He has held a number of roles in the Junior Branch at the local, national, and international level. Luke believes in CISV’s mission and is especially excited by the opportunities CISV can provide to positively impact our local communities. He is eager to continue contributing to the organization in his role on the Board of Directors.
Laura Ripberger – Executive Director
Laura Ripberger has been with CISV USA for 15 years, she was promoted to Executive Director eight years ago. She holds a certificate in non-profit management from the University of Illinois. Laura has completed the AFP Fundamentals of Fundraising course and is an EXCEL Leadership Training class graduate.
In her role as Executive Director she oversees all operational aspects of the organization and she is continually amazed and honored to work with the army of dedicated volunteers across the country.
Laura had the privilege of becoming a CISV mom when her son was selected by the Cincinnati Chapter to attend a Village in Mexico City. She has welcomed home stay participants from Guatemala, Mexico, and Spain. Both experiences cementing her passion for the mission of CISV to educate and inspire action for a more just and peaceful world.