Board of Directors, Ethiopian Family Fund
Dan Hodes, President
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, Executive Director
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, Director
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.
Advisory Board, Ethiopian Family Fund
Roman Kifle
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.
Dr. Rick Hodes
(Bio to come)