Kennedy Leavens, President and Treasurer, Awamaki U.S., and Secretary, Awamaki (Peru). Kennedy moved to Ollantaytambo in 2007 to work as a volunteer. There, she met her good friend Miguel (see below), and they founded Awamaki in late 2008. Kennedy graduated from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where she studied Latin America and international development. Originally from Seattle, Washington, she first visited Ollantaytambo in 2001 on a high school trip. The trip inspired her interest in Latin America and international development, and set her path to Georgetown and back to Ollantaytambo. Kennedy loves the pace and quality of life in Ollantaytambo. She likes bringing her dog everywhere, never being in a car, living in a renovated Inca temple and not being able to walk to the store without running into a dozen good friends. Kennedy spends her free time hiking the mountains that rise above town and cooking favorite foods from home. She hopes to divide her future years between Ollantaytambo and the Pacific Northwest. Currently, she's trying out the Pacific Northwest thing, living in Seattle, spending some quality time with Mom and Dad, and studying for a Masters in Public Administration at the University of Washington. Kennedy is also the Executive Director of Awamaki.
Miguel Galdo, President, Awamaki (Peru). Miguel was born and raised in Ollantaytambo and still lives here with his wife, Zenayda, and their son. He speaks perfect Quechua and has worked with indigenous communities for six years. Miguel and Zenayda own a bustling pizzeria in town and every year Miguel stars in the Drama Ollantay, a play put on in the Ollantaytambo ruins, which re-enacts the story of the Inca general Ollantay for whom the town was named. Miguel is the star and comic relief of the show. Miguel is also the Community Relations Director of Awamaki.
Emma Hague, Treasurer, Awamaki (Peru). Emma first came to Ollantaytambo to work as a weaving project volunteer for CATCCO in 2008. With a background in anthropology, human rights and fair trade, as well as a passion for natural fibers and traditional textiles, she was easily persuaded to return and manage the project when it was started anew as Awamaki. Inspired by the rise in sustainable fashion and ethical consumerism, Emma aims to introduce Awamaki weavings to a wider international market by facilitating collaborative projects with retailers, designers and other non-profits working to support traditional artisans. As a result of this proposed expansion, Emma will be working in 2010/11 to extend the reach of Awamaki's programs to more isolated and rural communities. Emma is also the Executive Director of the Awamaki Weaving Project.
Kramer Gillin, Vice-President, Awamaki U.S. Kramer's first trip to Ollantaytambo was in 2001 with his longtime friend and Awamaki founder, Kennedy Leavens. Originally from Seattle, Washington, USA, he is currently living in Dushanbe, Tajikistan where he studies Persian, teaches English, and interns for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Though his recent endeavors have taken him to the Middle East and Inner and Central Asia, he will keep returning to the Sacred Valley. He spends his free time with music, fancy beers, fires, and laughing friends.
Annemarie Toccket, Secretary, Awamaki U.S. Annemarie was the textile program coordinator for CATCCO (Awamaki’s parent organization) in 2007-2008 before the organization handed over the reins. Before that, Annemarie worked for AmeriCorps in Puerto Rico for a year. She is currently studying at the University of Pittsburgh, working on a masters of international development , focusing on NGOs and civil society. Her research centers on Awamaki's and other textile associations’ work in the Cusco region, specifically how these organizations affect women's economic independence. She also continues to take Quechua classes! Last summer, Annemarie was back in Ollantaytambo working on a best practices analysis of textile orgs. In the summer 2010, she returned to do an analysis of Awamaki's programming. Annemarie can hardly stay away from Ollantaytambo, and we're looking forward to having her back again.
Annemarie is 26, which makes her old.
Paula Reiss, Director, Awamaki U.S. and Director, Awamaki (Peru). Paula is a former Awamaki volunteer who joined the project in September 2008. She has a love of textiles and of mountains, which is how she found her way to Ollanta where she worked for a year. She is a paralegal (probate, tax and charitable organizations) and currently resides in Albuquerque, NM, the second of three US cities she is testing out as possible places in which to settle. Paula weaves, dances and is a creative cook. She has been essential in our time of transition and choices, and is a wise, stabilizing presence on our board. We love her and wish she could stay in Peru with us forever.
Vicki Weeks, Director. Awamaki U.S. founder, Kennedy was a student in a high school group Vicki took to Peru in 2001. Since then, they have kept in touch and she is thrilled to see what Awamaki has become. Vicki runs the global programs at Lakeside School in Seattle; the signature program is a service learning program operating in eight sites around the world (China, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, India, the Makah Indian Reservation, Morocco, Peru and Senegal). Vicki is a Seattle native who studied at Bowdoin College and Harvard University; she has lived overseas in Germany, England, Peru, and Panama. Peru is a special favorite of hers, as she has been there 13 times over the past 30 years. She has family there and cares deeply about the region and its people. Vicki is thrilled to be on the Awamaki board, and looks forward to seeing where the organization goes.
Ashley Akins, Director. Ashley is from Fort Langley, BC, Canada and currently divides her time between Victoria, the Broughton Archipelago, and Peru. Ashley is the co-founder and director of Mosqoy: Sacred Valley Youth Fund, an education fund based in the Peruvian Andes, and is the founder and president of the Q'ente Textile Revitalization Society, a weaving project that partners with groups like Awamaki in the Cusco region of Peru. She is also a freelance photojournalist and writer, and uses communication as a means of educating about international human rights issues. She recently completed a photography internship in New York with National Geographic Adventure magazine. Ashley graduated from the University of Victoria in 2009 with a BA in environmental studies, Latin American studies, and professional writing in journalism & publishing. She will begin her master's degree at the University of Oxford in September 2010, studying International Human Rights Law.
Laura Chesnut, Director. Laura Chesnut grew up in South Strafford, Vermont. She received her B.A. in Economics and Global Development Studies from Grinnell College, where she also met her best friend, Kennedy, during their freshmen year. After college she moved to Namibia to complete a post-graduate Grinnellcorps Fellowship, where she ran the training and outreach program at the Gobabeb Center, an arid-ecology research and sustainable development NGO. She then joined the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia and developed and implemented a “whole-school approach” to energy efficiency and management in Namibian secondary schools in Windhoek, the capital city. During her time in Africa, Laura became interested in the business side of economic development, which motivated her to move back home to work for two years as a program coordinator at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
Laura is currently pursuing her MBA in Brand Management at the Wisconsin School of Business. Though she is currently pursuing a career in CPG brand management, she has a passion for NGO management, hopes to stay involved in development work, and loves working with Awamaki. She became involved as a board member after visiting Ollantaytambo in November of 2009.