Board of Directors, Ethiopian Family Fund

Dan Hodes, an attorney at Hodes Milman Law Firm in Orange County, California. Dan Hodes is the brother of Dr. Rick Hodes. He lives with his wife Marla Hodes, and three children in Laguna Beach, California.

Marla Hodes, Founder and Executive Director of EFF, lives in Laguna Beach, California with her husband, Dan, and three children, Dean, Matthew and Carly.  Marla holds a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana and has worked in the health field for 22 years.

Marla’s passion is children.  She traveled to Ethiopia with her close friend, Melanie Robbins with the goal of creating a pictorial book of her amazing brother in-law Dr. Rick Hodes, who has lived and worked there for nearly three decades, saving children’s lives.  She and Melanie returned to the United States, not only with pictures and a film but most importantly, a passion to help destitute children and families in the world.

Marla can be contacted at mhodes@mac.com.

Teresa Bruno lives in Reno, Nevada with her husband Tony and her two sons, Michael and Anthony. She received a Bachelors of Science Degree in Business/Marketing from Moorhead State University. Teresa worked for General Electric in Anchorage Alaska and in Denver, Colorado as a Sales Engineer and Project Manager.

Upon moving to Reno to start a family, Teresa became involved in several organizations where she advocated for children in education. She has mentored with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, sponsoring a child through Children’s Cabinet. In partnership with the local community, Teresa created an Enrichment Program for a local school, thereby adding depth, real world experiences and critical thinking to the education process. Teresa serves a co-chair of the Visionary Committee at a local school, bringing 21st century learning platforms to the educational community.

Teresa’s has channeled her passion for understanding and advocating for children into her generous efforts with EFF.

(get resume or statement from Melanie)

A few words from Maria: I feel incredibly fortunate to serve on the Board of EFF, an exceptional organization whose mission is to serve women and children live more ennobled lives. Through EFF’s efforts, many sick children have received life-saving surgeries, HIV+ mothers have been given the skills and support to become independent entrepreneurs, and bright young girls are being transformed by education, and will have the opportunity to create better futures for themselves, their families, and their communities. I am grateful to be a part of EFF, whose mission is aligned with  my own passion and purpose. My hope is that the skills I’ve cultivated in Real Estate and Marketing and my current studies in Law can serve EFF towards better achieving its noble mission.

Roman Kifle,  EFF coordinator of the Roman’s Girls program, is an Ethiopian educator whose passion is to inspire girls to become leaders in life. Wholly involved in the process of screening and selecting the most financially needy students, Ms. Kifle serves as the liason between the families, the girls, and their school, creating a safe and nurturing connection among them. Ms. Kifle is key in ensuring that the girls are thriving educationally, emotionally, and physically. Roman Kifle received her masters degree in Science in the United States and then returned to Ethiopia to live, raise a family and help those in need.

(Bio to come)