FOUNDERS

Rob James
A native of middle Tennessee, Rob graduated with a degree in history from Yale University in 2005 and the University of Cambridge in 2008. As an undergraduate, he helped lead numerous service initiatives. In the field of infectious disease, Rob helped organize the Yale Prison Health Project, a collaborative effort by college, medical, and law students to assist Connecticut prisoners with HIV/AIDS. In addition to holding leadership roles in a food recovery program, prison reform initiatives, and a relief drive for Iraqi civilians, Rob also served as managing director of Yale AIDS Watch, a large student-run group that supported the improvement of AIDS treatment in the United States and abroad. Rob received a Beinecke Scholarship and a Gates Cambridge Scholarship.

Michael Lamb (pictured above, second from left, with FINIDP leaders)
Reared on a family farm in Chapel Hill, Tennessee, Michael graduated from Rhodes College with a degree in political science. At Rhodes, Michael served as President of the Honor Council, Student Representative to the Board of Trustees, and President of Habitat for Humanity. He volunteered weekly at a student-run soup kitchen, tutored elementary school students, built houses in Mexico, and worked for a Tennessee state senator. In 2004, Michael edited Transformations: Stories of Service, a collection of non-fiction stories and poems from students who were transformed by their service experiences. Following graduation from Rhodes, Michael studied philosophy and theology as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He has worked with Friends in Need Integrated Development Project in Uganda and co-taught courses on politics and ethics at Rhodes College. Michael is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in politics, ethics and religion at Princeton University.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jessica Anschutz
A native of Cabot, Arkansas, Jessica earned a degree in Religious Studies from Rhodes College. After graduation, she pursued her passion for social justice as Rhodes’s Community Service Coordinator. She advised the Rhodes Chapter of Habitat for Humanity and the Kinney Program for Community Service, facilitated a leadership and service scholarship program, and led international service trips. Following her work at Rhodes, Jessica attended Yale Divinity School where she was actively involved in the Yale Committee for Social Justice, YDS Peacemakers, and the Methodist Society. As the Child Advocacy Intern at the Capitol Region Conference of Churches, she engaged and empowered faith communities to address the needs of Connecticut’s homeless children. Having earned a Master of Divinity degree from Yale, Jessica is currently the Associate Pastor at Park Avenue United Methodist Church in Manhattan, where she coordinates mission and outreach programs and shares in all aspects of ministry.

Scott Phelps
Scott Phelps, from Nashville, Tennessee, graduated from the College of William & Mary in 2004 with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies. An Ambassadorial Rotary Scholar, he earned the degree of M.St. in Science and Religion from the University of Oxford in 2005. Scott spent the following summer in Malawi assisting with medical anthropological research on AIDS conducted by the University of Pennsylvania with a grant from the National Institute of Child and Human Development. In 2005-2006, he worked for the National Institute of Mental Health on issues relating to ethics and medicine. Scott is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the History of Science at Harvard University with the support of a Beinecke Scholarship and a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship.

Kenneth Townsend
A native of Kosciusko, Mississippi, Kenneth Townsend graduated from Millsaps College in 2004 with a degree in English and political science. As an undergraduate, Kenneth was President of the Student Government, Co-Chair of the Campus Ministry Team, and a Ford Foundation Teaching Fellow. He also helped start a tutoring program for local Sudanese refugees. A 2003 Truman Scholar and a 2004 Rhodes Scholar, Kenneth studied at Oxford University, where he received an M.Phil. in Political Theory. While at Oxford, he served as Junior Dean at Trinity College, played on the varsity basketball team, and coached the women's varsity team. He spent two years teaching political science and public policy in the Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi. In 2007 Kenneth traveled to South Africa as the university’s faculty leader for an exchange course that focused on racial reconciliation and global leadership. He currently attends Yale Law School and plans to pursue a career in public service.

ADVISORY BOARD

Alliance Africa is currently recruiting leaders and advisors to serve on our Advisory Board. More information will be posted soon.