Board of Directors

Sister Rose Wangui, VHM - Founder

Sister Rose, VHM was born and raised in the impoverished district of Lare, Kenya. She joined the Sisters of Visitation of Holy Mary and came to the United States from Kenya in 1994 to join the community at the Georgetown Visitation Monastery in Washington DC. She began her quest for donations for her home village of Lare during the drought of the late 1990's. In 2001, she and three other local Kenyans founded Mercy Project Lare and registered the organization as a 'self-help' organization under the Kenyan Ministry of Social Services which is equivalent to a US non-profit organization. Her vision is that one day, Mercy Center would become a center for community development, organization and empowerment so that the people of Lare can emerge from the burden of poverty and disease and become self-reliant.

Mercy Center Foundation, USA

Brian J. Doherty

Brian serves on the Development Committee where he is the special liaison to Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School.  Brian has worked for the President of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC). He was a consultant and auditor for the AFL-CIO from 1995-1996, an organizer with the Masters, Mates and Pilots from 1993-1995, and a Vice President and pension fund Trustee for the Seafarers International Union from 1983-1993. He has been a Labor Commissioner on the Labor Advisory Board for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor. He is currently the Marketing Director for the Union Labor Life Insurance Co. which provides insurance to unionized workers in the U.S.A. He is a graduate of George Mason University and holds an MA from the University of Massachusetts. 

Julie Waddell, J.D.

Julie Waddell is an attorney-advisor at the U.S. Surface Transportation Board with over three decades of experience providing legal counsel on regulatory and policy issues in the transportation sector and network industries. Before joining the Board in 2018, Ms. Waddell practiced law at Harkins Cunningham LLP for nearly 20 years, served as counsel at two national trade associations, and was an associate at major law firms in Washington and Philadelphia. Ms. Waddell is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Aidan Montessori School and has been active for many years in various youth and community service programs. She is a graduate of Kalamazoo College (B.A., summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1981) and Michigan Law School (J.D. 1984). Her daughter graduated from Visitation in 2013.

Adrianne V. Doherty

Adrianne has an extensive background in international development and democracy programs. Serving the Committee for Free Trade Unionism, AFL-CIO for two years on assisting Cuban dissidents and exiled trade union leaders..  She also has eighteen years at the American Center for International Labor Solidarity, AFL-CIO, where her work centered on program management and development and strategy - supporting, developing and implementing programs with trade unions and NGOs in Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans and Asia. Her work includes campaigns for women and labor rights and programs to support worker rights, democratic elections and transitions, international labor standards, human rights, inter-ethnic cooperation and dialogue, international exchange programs and women’s leadership. She is currently working to build and support girls secondary education in rural Kenya with the Mercy Project.  She serves as Alternate Chair of Zambia Orphans Aid (ZOA US) where she helps to support programs for girls education and job skills training.  Ms. Doherty has worked in Latin America for Freedom House and the Center for Free Cuba.  Ms. Doherty holds a B.A. from George Mason University and an M.A. from the American University in Washington, D.C.

Nicholas A. Guglielmo

Nicholas (Nick) Guglielmo is a financial and operations consultant who works with associations and non-profits. With extensive finance, operations and business development experience, Nick has worked at and successfully led finance and operations teams at large and small companies as well as non-profits. Nick holds an MBA in Finance and a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Manhattan College in NY. He is a Board member for the American Cancer Society, Mercy Center Foundation USA and Dandelion Meadow and an avid volunteer at numerous initiatives especially those in support of children and the elderly.
 

Tony DeCarlo

Tony DeCarlo, is an accomplished, graphic designer, web design expert, illustrator and college instructor with over 25 years of experience providing marketing services to Metro D.C. clients. Tony's focus is on winning business for clients through marketing strategies supported with visual and written content creation. Tony is honored to help the Mercy Center USA tell it's story and gain a larger reach by creating and maintaining the website and printed materials.