Leadership and Board of Directors

Executive Leadership

Cristina Sáenz de Tejada, PhD

President

Cristina Sáenz de Tejada is a Spanish teacher at an independent school in Baltimore and joined OCHO in 2007 as a translator. Since then, she has served several roles in the organization from translator to medical coordinator to logistic director of the annual brigade. As President of OCHO she is involved in recruiting young volunteers, serving as the main contact with our partners in Honduras, and continuing her passion for designing cross-cultural, mutually-beneficial partnerships.

Howard Hauptman, MD

Vice President

Howard is one of the original team members and a veteran of 15 consecutive trips, where he functioned in many capacities. He helped in organizing pre-trip planning and arranged for vital equipment to be loaned for use in Atima. While in Atima, he treated internal medicine and rheumatology patients, and was responsible for the pharmacy. He remains committed to the work that continues to be done by OCHO, for the benefit of the people of Honduras.

Kristin Brockmeyer-Stubbs,

MS, OTR/L

Secretary

Kristin Brockmeyer-Stubbs is an occupational therapist (OT) who joined OCHO for the 2012 brigade and who now considers Atima and its community her summer home/family. The primary goal of OT is to enable people to participate in activities of everyday life. She is excited to partner with the Honduran teachers and the OCHO team to continue to eliminate barriers towards independence, to promote participation and engagement in childhood occupations and routines, and to advocate for the unique needs of children and families with special needs. She helps to identify, collect, fit and modify the therapy equipment donated each year.

Susan Emrich

Treasurer

Susan Emrich joined the OCHO Board of Directors in late 2019 as Treasurer. She has 25 years experience in commercial banking at JPMorgan and looks forward to assisting to organization and operating communities with financial planning and fundraising initiatives.

Board of Directors

Ali Allen

Ali Allen is a foreign language teacher at Gilman, and is currently completing her masters in Spanish at Middlebury College. She joined OCHO in 2016 as an interpreter, translator, and co-leader in running workshops on public health and healthy relationships to the youth of rural communities in Honduras. She is an active member of the Fundraising and Marketing Committee.

Fatima Salem, MS,CCC-SLP

Fatima Salem is a Bilingual (Spanish/English) Speech and Language Pathologist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism and Related Disorders (KKI/CARD). She grew up speaking Spanish with her family who is Cuban-American, but really improved her skills when she started working with bilingual families. Currently, Fatima leads group and individual treatment for children on the Autism Spectrum and over the past year has been a part of a diagnostic team that specifically serves Spanish speaking families. She has been involved with OCHO for 4 years, and has gone to Honduras with the brigade 3 times. She has lived in the neighborhood of Canton in Baltimore City for 8 years

Ken Tellerman, MD

Dr. Ken Tellerman is a pediatrician in Baltimore City and has been participating in the medical brigade to Honduras since 1999. As medical director he is involved in the recruitment of medical personnel for the brigade and the organization of medical supplies and equipment that is shipped to Atima. He has also been actively involved in the development of the water treatment facility and new medical center in Atima. He is currently coordinating the effort to build a school in Atima for developmentally disabled children.

Madeleine Phillips

Madeleine Phillips is a proud public school educator and East Baltimore resident. Following a decade in teaching and administrative roles in the schoolhouse, she spent 2 years living in the Western highlands of Guatemala, learning Spanish and teaching English along the way. Also an experienced yoga teacher, she is currently pursuing her doctorate in Urban Educational Leadership at Morgan State University.

Administrative Team

Annemiek Wilms-Floet, MD

Dr. Anna Maria Wilms Floet is a behavioral/developmental pediatrician in Baltimore and has participated in OCHO brigade since 2014. She has joined the efforts of the outreach clinic team that visits children with special needs in and around the Atima. She coordinates the educational program that allows Honduran teachers and medical professionals to visit Baltimore as part of knowledge exchange. She is interested in finding ways to create sustainable services and healthy environments for children with special needs.

Bo Brand

Bo Brand is a therapeutic assistant in a hospital in Baltimore and is an aspiring medical student. She has been a participant in the OCHO Medical Brigade since 2013. She has been the administrative assistant for OCHO since January 2020. As administrative assistant she is involved in preparing the brigade for the annual trip and facilitating communication with OCHO members.

Veselina Mineva

Veselina Mineva graduated from Towson University, double majoring in International Studies and Spanish, with a minor in Italian. She joined OCHO as a Social Media intern during her senior year at TU and following graduation, was employed as Social Media Administrator. Amongst many things, her duties entail facilitating communication between OCHO members and followers and keeping our social media platforms and website updated.

Former Board Members

Cathy Bennett

Patrick Ercole, PhD

Robert Ercole, Esq

Pat Hauptman, RN

Marc Honig, MD

Yves Joseph, PT

Peter Kirchgraber, Esq

Mike Linnan, DDS

Hal Malone

Will McConnell, MD

Dan Medani

Rev. Cristina Paglinauan

Jim Rice, MD

Rev. Paul Tunkle

Helen Walker, MD

John Wogan, MD

Elsy Vice