The solution to post-war reconstruction challenges lies in tapping the tremendous energy of the people that the infrastructure will serve. Tree of Life is a politically neutral, not-for-profit business that supplements the efforts of the international community in meeting the urgent material needs of a region’s inhabitants.
Responsive, locally engendered design and construction yields the most successful construction projects, affording a more efficient return on the investment of donor organizations and other institutions.
Organizational Principles
Tree of Life’s vision is that the world is populated by stable, self-determined and sustainable communities.
Tree of Life’s mission is to coach professionals in communities in need in the planning, design, and construction of their own infrastructure.
Tree of Life’s goals include:
- Develop local firms and individuals as capable practitioners
- Involve local stakeholders in project definition and implementation
- Foster financially sustainable business operations
- Foster and cultivate environmentally sustainable practices
- Develop partnerships and alliances with universities and other organizations that are natural allies in the work of creating self-sufficient professional communities in post-conflict regions
- Offer Tree Of Life’s employees and volunteers satisfying and fulfilling opportunities to serve communities in need
Tree of Life values:
- Collaborative interaction that promotes empowerment and capacity building
- Project prioritization, design, implementation and evaluation that is driven by the beneficiary/end user, based on a “listen-and-understand” approach
- Training and technology transfer through personal interaction
- Corruption-free work environments
- Recognition in principle and in practice of the inherent dignity and equality of every human being
- The principles of non-discrimination
- The principle of self determination
- Freedom of information and expression and transparency
- Water, food, and energy security for all people
Governance
Board of Directors
Governance is provided by a Board of Directors and a team of technical advisors. Board responsibilities include:
- Devising and establishing policy
- Advising the Executive Director
- Fundraising
- Cultivating key relationships with technical, financial, and political advisors, as needed
General Counsel
Tree of Life requires legal expertise in a range of legal issues. We receive legal counsel on issues ranging from international relations and non-profit management to engineering and contracts.
Executive Director and Staff Support
Tree of Life’s Executive Director is responsible for advancing Tree of Life’s program on a day-to-day basis.
People
Tree of Life’s Board of Directors and panel of distinguished technical advisors provide guidance and support in contracts, engineering and engineering consulting, project management, non-profit management, risk management strategies, and hostile environments. Tree of Life’s Technical Advisory Board* includes:
Founders
- Maysoon I. Tawfik, Jacobs
- Lonnie Coplen, McKissack Group
- Porie Saikia-Eapen, AIA, CH2MHill
- Birchard H. Ohlinger, P.E.
Board of Directors
- Maysoon I. Tawfik, Jacobs
- Porie Saikia-Eapen, AIA, CH2MHill
- Birchard H. Ohlinger, P.E.
- Stephan E. Butler, President-Elect, American Society of Civil Engineers, NJ Chapter
- Colonel Peter A. DeLuca, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Robert A. Bennett P.E., Rabco Engineering, P.C.
- Robert M. Beinstein, P.E., CH2M HILL
Legal Advisor
- Ann G. Kayman, Esq., CEO, NY Grant Company and Law Office of Ann Kayman (General Counsel)
Advisors
- Connie Crawford, P.E., Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer, MTA New York City Transit
- Thomas Bach, PE, Chief Engineer, MTA Bridges and Tunnels
- Colonel Roger Gerber, P.E.
- Ayad Alkaisi, Construction Management Specialist
- Fares Abdulrazzak, P.E., Structural Engineer
- Sharif Abou-Sabh, P.E., Vice President, HNTB Corporation
- Thomas Rancich, Retired Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy, Founder and President, Vrhabilis
- Dr. Michael Likosky, PhD, Lecturer, International Economic Law School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
- Laurie Hensley, CPA, CFA, Ward & Meyers LLC
- Dr. Leonard Bernold, P.E., Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, South Korea
- Steven Schroeder, P.E., B&H Engineering, PC
- Joan Coombs, President and CEO, Noble Work Consulting
- Chuck Davidson, Advertising Executive, Creative Director, Citizens Watch Co.
- Kate Dwyer, AIA, Project manager, Tishman Construction
- Richard Hartz, VP, International Sales and Retention, Citigroup Global Consumer Group
- Mark Cosmedy, P.E., Senior Bridge Engineer, McKissack Group
- Ruth Eldridge, Esq.
- Jawdat Tashan, Structural Engineer
- Jessica Kavoulakis, Esq., MTA Bridges and Tunnels
- Shauna Bona, President, McKinnon-Mulherin
*Technical Advisors are not Board members and bear no personal or professional responsibility for decisions, work products or any other activity undertaken by or related to Tree of Life Professional Development, Inc.
Opportunities
Paid positions
- English/Arabic translators and editors needed. Click Contact Us and use the Contact Form to request a full description.
- Pedagogical expert with experience in cross-cultural and multi-lingual technical instruction to serve as a technical advisor to on mixed delivery training. Click Contact Us and use the Contact Form to request a full description.
Volunteer opportunities
- Seeking technical subject matter experts and editors for nominal shifts on our Technical Forum.
- Seeking individual to manage Tree of Life’s fundraising mailing efforts.
