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.
Arnold Miller
Term Ending 2026
Arnold served as CEO of one of the country’s largest independent school & camp photography companies for over twenty years, where he continues as Chairman of the Board. Prior to that he was a marketing executive for major New York advertising agencies and packaged consumer goods companies.
He has been vigorously involved with the CISV-NY chapter for over forty years as a parent, grandparent and board member. His proudest achievement has been the founding of the CISV Faces of New Your Mosaic Camp which has operated for thirteen years.
Arnold also serves on the board of Aaron Copland House and the Ethiopian School Readiness Initiative.
His interests include outdoor activities, world travel, raising chickens and goats and collecting old group photographs. Arnold grew up in Baltimore and is happily married with two sons and four grandchildren.
Sam Taussig
Term Ending 2026Jamila Daniel
Term Ending 2026Jamila is the founder of ‘Being Earthlings,’ a purpose-driven consulting company with a mission to ‘help beings thrive.’ Being Earthlings fulfills this mission through various avenues, including grant writing and fundraising strategy, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consulting, as well as health and wellness initiatives. Fundraising work often focuses on international development, collaborating with partners for impacts in global agriculture, data and technology for development, global education, and more. As a certified yoga instructor, Jamila integrates the principles of yoga and wellness into all aspects of her work, promoting physical and mental well-being as essential components of personal and organizational growth. Trained in Systems Thinking Leadership, she has a unique approach to addressing complex challenges, ensuring that her impact is always strategic and sustainable.
Jamila became involved with CISV in 2017, staffing a Village in Turkey and currently serves as the Co-Director of CISV New York’s local Mosaic camp. She is dedicated to creating positive change and empowering individuals and communities to thrive and is honored to continue this work as a member of the Board.
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 2025
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 2025
Laura Ripberger – Executive Director
Laura Ripberger has been with CISV USA for 13 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.
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