Board Members 2023
Getzen lives and works in Windhoek. He grew up in the region of Otjozondjupa, Namibia. Getzen works as the Deputy Director in the Ministry of Education. He owns and manages a large cattle farm in the Otjozondjupa Region. He builds the bridge between the farming community where Oruuua Primary School is located and education. He is passionate about family, community, education, and farming. I am a confident, highly driven graduate with a practical hands on approach to customer service and service delivery. I served the Education Fraternity for 15 years to date. I am a holder of the following academic qualifications: Diploma in Commerce, B-Accounting Degree and Masters in Business Administration. Getzen will be serving as the President of Namibian Rural Education Fund.
I am a bachelor of Education (Hons) graduated and various sports management qualification ranging from diplomas to certificates, with great emphasis on Community Development which relates well with charities. My passion for charity work started at a very young age. My referee career stretch over a period of 22 years and in 2008 I was voted as the Women Referee of the Season, in 2013 I become a Technical Instructor, Commissioner and Assessor, trained, accredited and certified by NFA/FIFA/CAF. . I am into women football and constantly sourcing for sponsors to keep the girl child of the street and keep them fit by playing football. What motivates me to join NREF is the passion and love I have for charitable organization of just making my small contribution in order to make the lives of the less fortunate a bit easy. Knowing and seeing happy faces despite all odds really motivates me and gives me more strength to continue to make my small contribution. Also, with the assistance of my home village councilor, I am busy setting up a community based programme for school drop outs and people who struggle with drug addiction, in order to bring them back to full stream society by keeping them busy with sports activities and as well as community projects. I am a self-motivated person, hard worker with a strong focus on delivery of results. I have learned and acquire proven leadership skills from my parents, lecturers and my colleagues, who had prepared me very well for any challenges that I might find in my chosen fields. In many respects, my goals are to add some tangible value to the operations of any charitable organization.
Erin Hangero is a children's author, artist, and social justice advocate. With a master’s degree in social work and a bachelor’s degree in fine art. Erin helped found NREF and build a bridge between two communities. Erin lives with her husband and daughters in Wisconsin, and works at the University of Wisconsin in the counseling department. She believes in the importance of community and education.
Dr. Middleton is a retired professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He taught geology and paleontology for 29 years. He did his undergraduate work at Dartmouth and his graduate degree at the University of Colorado. Michael is interested in all aspects of the natural world, particularly the earth sciences and biology. He’s an avid bird watcher, having traveled extensively overseas in Central and South America, Europe, Africa and Australia. He enjoys meeting people and learning about their cultures wherever he travels. Michael is also on the board of the international non-profit, All About the Light. He lives with his wife, Mzia, in Boulder, Colorado surrounded by their 3 daughter’s families, including their 5 grandkids.
My name is Greg Springer and I live in Minnesota in the United States. I’m happy to be involved in an organization that focuses on growth and education. This will be my second position with an NGO, the other also being in the Treasury capacity with an organization called Inspiring Connections Outdoors. My career and background are in a variety of financial and analytical roles. I hope that I can help the group develop a vision and requisite tools to get to work. I’m personally passionate about environmental education and hope to learn about the techniques and practices being developed to address agricultural challenges in Namibia. I have only spent one month in Namibia but look forward to spending my time building a stronger connection to it as best I can. Greg will be serving as the Treasurer of the Namibian Rural Education Fund.
Jada Wollenzien works for Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS). Since 2014, she has been managing the planning, facilitation, communication and logistics of leadership development programs for school and district leaders as well as managing the SPPS Board of Education policies. Prior to joining SPPS, Jada taught English as a Second Language in Costa Rica and Colombia in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Jada has a B.A. in Justice and Peace Studies from the University of St. Thomas and a Master of Public Policy from DePaul University. Jada is passionate about social justice issues and using education as the way to create equitable change. She lives in Saint Paul, MN with her three dogs. During her down time, Jada enjoys hiking, biking, cooking and spending time with family and friends. Jada will be serving as the Vice President of the Namibian Rural Education Fund.