Leadership Team
For bios of the founding directors, William Keepin and Cynthia Brix, click here.
Desireé English
Desireé English, B.A. is a Senior Trainer and GERI Director of Training, and is Chair of the Board of Genderworks, GERI’s affiliate in South Africa. Desireé has conducted GERI programs in South Africa, Kenya, India, Egypt, and the United States. She has over 20 years’ experience facilitating healing and empowerment of women and youth in communities. She is a Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) Certification Trainer, Integrative Trauma Healing Practitioner, and independent learning and development consultant. Desireé is also a contributing author to Gender Equity and Reconciliation: Thirty Years of Healing the Most Ancient Wound in the Human Family
Garrett Evans
Garrett Evans, B.S. is International Program Officer and Trainer for GERI, where he has worked full time since 2017. He has contributed greatly to developing the GERI infrastructure, programs,research, marketing, and was instrumental in developing GERI online programs and training. He received his degree in conflict resolution from Portland State University. Garrett began intensive practice in the Zen Buddhist tradition in 2011. Through GERI, he feels called to combine his love for the world’s contemplative spiritual traditions with healing and reconciliation work. He is a contributing author to Gender Equity and Reconciliation: Thirty Years of Healing the Most Ancient Wound in the Human Family
Karambu Ringera
Karambu Ringera, Ph.D, is a Senior GERI Trainer and GERI Coordinator for Kenya and East Africa since 2006. She founded International Peace Initiatives and the Tiriji Foundation based in Meru, Kenya, which empowers orphans, women living with HIV/AIDS, survivors of violence, and other vulnerable community members via education, advocacy, and leadership development. Several Tiriji orphans have grown up to become leaders in their communities. Karambu has received many awards, including the 2022 Kenya National Diversity and Inclusion Awards & Recognition (DIAR). She earned her Ph.D. in Intercultural Communication from the University of Denver, and M.A. in theology from Iliff School of Theology. She is a contributing author to Gender Equity and Reconciliation: Thirty Years of Healing the Most Ancient Wound in the Human Family
Ansar A.
Ansar Anwar, B.A, is a GERI Facilitator and Program Coordinator for GERI in India, where he organizes and delivers GERI programs to youth and young adults in India. Based in Bangalore, Ansar is Manager of Strategic Initiatives at Dream a Dream, a youth training organization where he has 15 years of experience training and mentoring young people. Earlier Ansar managed ten learning centers for holistic development of young people, and training facilitators at Makkala Jagriti. He executed a research project on rehabilitation of minority communities, and presented the report to a judge on the Supreme Court of India. He is also a contributing author to Gender Equity and Reconciliation: Thirty Years of Healing the Most Ancient Wound in the Human Family.
Silvia Araya-Fischer
Silvia Araya, Psy.D. is a GERI Trainer and the GERI Latin America Lead. She received her degree in clinical psychology from Universidad Fidélitas in Costa Rica, and practices as a Clinical Trauma Professional, specializing in anxiety and panic attacks. She is a certified practitioner of Family Constellations and a Trauma Informed Yoga Teacher. Silvia is author of three books including Trust and Live without Panic, and her new book entitled, Is This What I REALLY Want?: How to Go Beyond Trauma into the Relationship You Deserve. She is also a contributing author to Gender Equity and Reconciliation: Thirty Years of Healing the Most Ancient Wound in the Human Family.
Tristan Johannes
Tristan Johannes is a GERI Trainer and the LGBTQ+ Project Lead, and serves on the Board of Genderworks, GERI’s a!liate in South Africa. He trained youth for over ten years, and served as an administrator and trainer at Chrysalis Academy. He holds an Advanced Diploma in Adult and Community Education Training from the University of Cape Town, and is an ordained minister in the Pentecostal Church of Africa, and a certified Integral Yoga and Mindfulness Teacher. Tristan was selected for the ‘Leading for Humanity’ program of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation in 2023. He is also a contributing author to Gender Equity and Reconciliation: Thirty Years of Healing the Most Ancient Wound in the Human Family.
Myra Kinds
Minister Myra Kinds is a GERI Trainer and BIPOC and Intersectionalities Lead, based in Boston, MA. A licensed American Baptist Minister, she serves as the Minister to Youth at the Peoples Baptist Church, and serves on the advisory board at Gordon Conwell’s Campus for Urban Ministerial Education (CUME). She is a recognized leader in underserved communities, specializing in youth programming, addiction and recovery, mental health, and domestic violence.She holds numerous training certificates in Mental Health First Aid, Recovery Coaching, and Trauma First Responder. Myra collaborates with The Black Ministerial Alliance and MENTOR, and consults with faith-based groups around women in ministry, youth, and gender-based violence. She is also a contributing author to Gender Equity and Reconciliation: Thirty Years of Healing the Most Ancient Wound in the Human Family.
Hugo Sanchez
Hugo Sanchez is a GERI Facilitator based in New Jersey. He is a yoga teacher and the Founder of Pacha Yoga, and has a background in men’s work as a co-facilitator for the ManKind Project’s (MKP) New Warrior Training Adventure, as well as being a member of peer-facilitated men’s groups and support for men to lead lives of integrity, authenticity, and service. Hugo is passionate about activating, facilitating, and sustaining a profound collective change, and he strongly believes Yoga and community practice groups are a vehicle for that change. Hugo holds a BA in Communications from Universidad del Zulia, Venezuela.
Máire Callan
Máire Callan, M. Div. is a GERI Facilitator and serves as administrative support with both GERI and Satyana Institute. She is a certified spiritual director, yoga teacher, and graduate of the Iliff School of Theology. She is an intern facilitator with GERI and a facilitator of the Alternatives to Violence Project, where she has served as Volunteer Coordinator for many years.