BOARD OF TRUSTEES
2023-2024
The AISM
2023-2024
AISM Board of Trustees
Mr. Monie Captan- Chairman
Mr.Barton Pogue - Vice Chair
Ms.Vernice Gutherie -US Ambassador’s Representative
Mrs. Annemarie van Duinen
Mr.Babel Singh
Mr.Sean Boda
Dr. DieulaTchoualeu
Mr. Joe Barber
Mr. Kevin Dougherty
MEET the Board Chair
Monie R. Captan was born in Monrovia, Liberia on May 28, 1962 and educated both in Liberia and the USA. He is an Alumni of ‘ACS’ now known as the American International School of Monrovia. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of San Diego in San Diego, California in 1985 and a Master of Arts in International Relations from the same university in 1987. Mr. Captan participated in an Executive Education Program on Leading Economic Growth at the Harvard Kennedy School in 2013.
Mr. Captan has lectured at the University of Liberia since 1992 and is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor at the IBB School of International Relations. He has taught courses in political economy and development, negotiations, and foreign policy decision making. Mr. Captan has published a book entitled, An Introduction to Liberian Government and Political System (2015), and co-authored the Liberia Economic Constraints Analysis (2013).
Mr. Captan is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia Electricity Corporation. Mr. Captan’s wealth of experience demonstrates an excellent synergy between public, private and academic interests. He is married to Mrs. Ade Jones-Captan and has 2 daughters and several foster children. He is an avid golfer and member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
Mr. Barton Pogue
Barton Pogue is Vice Chair of the AISM Board of Trustees and father of a first grader at AISM. This is his second year serving on the board. He is also an Education Officer with USAID Liberia. This is his second tour with USAID after previously serving in Guatemala City, Guatemala. He is originally from Peoria, Illinois; went to college in Missouri; served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Morocco; and worked in international education for nine years before joining USAID's foreign service. He is joined in Monrovia by his spouse, Sarah, a practicing psychotherapist and two kids, the first grader and a preschooler. He loves to read, spend time with his family outdoors, play sports, and watch good shows and movies. He looks forward to working with the board again this year and celebrating progress with the AISM family.
Mrs. Annemarie van Duinen
Hi, I'm Annemarie van Duinen, our family moved to Monrovia in August 2022, when our 4 children started to attend AISM. AISM has been a warm welcome to our family and we have enjoyed becoming part of the community, so it was an honor to be asked to participate in the board. This academic year we have 1 enrolled in high school and 3 in middle school.
I am from the Netherlands but was raised abroad. I attended the IICS (Istanbul International Community School) of which I have good memories. From my own experience I know the importance of international schools and good education.
I have a master in Business Administration from the University of Maastricht and in the past years I have worked for several NGOs in organisational and finance capacity. Currently I am the finance manager for Mission Alliance in Liberia.
For 2023/2024 I am looking forward to making a contribution to the further development of AISM both as a board member as well as a parent.
Ms. Vernice Guthrie
Ms. Guthrie is a graduate of Howard and Georgetown Universities and a native of Washington, DC. She has spent her career committed to international development and has extensive multilateral and private sector development experience. Ms. Guthrie has served in leadership capacities in large US-based professional organizations, NGOs and Foundations. She has also worked with a wide range of multilateral development agencies including UNDP, UNODC, and UNICEF.
Ms. Guthrie is a dynamic program manager with over 30 years of global experience leading peacebuilding, justice sector reform, civil society, and governance programs across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Ms. Guthrie has successfully designed and implemented sustainable and transformative programs in challenging and post-conflict environments. She has effectively forged strategic alliances and partnerships with donors, external agencies, and decision makers. Vernice has been described as a unifier and collaborative leader— connecting diverse groups with large-scale organizational vision. Ms. Guthrie currently serves as the Country Director for Peace Corps, Liberia.
Dr. Dieula Tchoualeu
Dieula Delissaint Tchoualeu, PhD MPH
Dr. Dieula Delissaint Tchoualeu arrived in Liberia in December 2022 from Atlanta. Georgia to assume her new role as the Senior Advisor for Public Health Science and Programs at the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(US CDC) country office, where she leads US CDC technical activities of the Global Health Security Agenda. Dr. Tchoualeu has over a decade of experience in global health, leading public health programs, multi-site operational research,
program monitoring and evaluation, disease outbreak response, and strengthening health systems through workforce development/capacity building of healthcare workers in developing countries on field epidemiology, laboratory,
and routine immunization. Prior to her current role in Liberia, Dr. Tchoualeu was an Epidemiologist with US CDC’s Global Immunization Division, where she conducted operational research on immunization workforce development related topics and supported developing countries with immunization campaigns, planning and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Tchoualeu was deployed to the US CDC Emergency Operations Center on numerous occasions and in different capacity to help with outbreak response, notably the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2018 Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Dr. Tchoualeu is a proud wife and mother to three children (2 daughters, 1 son). Her first two children 1 st and 3 rd grader) are enrolled at AISM. She likes to travel, spend her spare time with friends and family, explore various type of cuisine, hike, and swim. Dr. Tchoualeu is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Mr. Sean Boda
Sean Boda is a career Foreign Service Officer currently working as the head of the Public Diplomacy Section at U.S. Embassy Monrovia in Liberia. Previously, he has served as the press attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan, and in La Paz, Bolivia as a political officer covering internal politics, indigenous issues, and human rights. He has also served in Dhaka, Bangladesh and in Washington, D.C.. Before joining the State Department, Sean worked for a publishing company in New York, and taught middle school in Arizona as part of the Teach For America program. Sean is a native of Ohio, received a bachelor’s degree from Miami University (Ohio) and a graduate degree in secondary education from Arizona State University. He speaks Spanish, Italian, Russian, and (rusty) Bengali.
My name is Babaldeep Singh and I was born in Monrovia, Liberia. I completed my studies in the United Arab Emirates. Currently, I reside in Liberia and have been here since 2010. I am the COO of Sethi Brothers Pvt Ltd which was formed in 1970 by my father. I have worked in finance, manufacturing and trading business for more than 10 years. Therefore, I feel as though I am able to contribute my experience and expertise to the AISM Board. As a board member I want to do my part in assisting AISM to continue, to provide, a great education for our students.
Mr. Babaldeep Singh