About: Board of Directors

Roberto Masferrer
Carrie Sterr
Sara Morrissey
Brent Bellamy
Monica Melgar
Katie Masferrer
Nadia Bashar, Exec. Dir.

Roberto Masferrer, Director and President

Roberto Masferrer is the president of MEJORC. He also serves as a director.

Born in 1980 in Denver, Colorado, Mr. Masferrer grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. While in College at Whitman in Walla Walla, Washington, he began a martial arts club, a translating program for the local medical offices, and organized a spirituality room for the college.

He graduated in 2004 with a bachelor of arts degree, majoring in Spanish literature, and minoring in chemistry. Following his graduation, Katie and he married in Walla Walla.

Roberto joined the Peace Corps in 2004 with his wife. They were sent to Cajamarca, Peru, to live for two years in the rural, poor pueblo of Salacat. While in the Peace Corps, he focused on nutrition, hygiene, and family values. Specialized projects included constructing more-efficient wood stoves, training youth health promoters, and small animal raising for increased protein intake.

Mr. Masferrer earned his Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from the Oregon School of Oriental Medicine and is now a licensed acupuncturist practicing in Portland, OR.

Despite his hectic schedule, Mr. Masferrer has made community service a priority. Current and past affiliations include: Catholic Charities, Helpline, and the Knights of Columbus. His hobbies include karate, reading natural healing books, and cooking.

Roberto Masferrer may be reached at roberto@mejorc.org.

Carrie Sterr, Director

After a childhood in Illinois and Washington state, Carrie graduated with a bachelor of arts in film and video studies from Marlboro College in southern Vermont. She has spent several years as a freelance filmmaker.

In 2006, she spent four months in Peru making a documentary with La Casa de Panchita, a center for domestic workers in Lima. She was moved by the many people she met in Peru, inspiring her to change career paths and pursue education.

In 2007, she met Katie and Roberto and was excited by their plan to implement low cost educational projects in rural places. Carrie is thrilled to be a member of the board of directors, and to prop up the east coast wing of MEJORC with Robin Rotman. She currently lives in Burlington, Vermont.

Carrie Sterr may be reached at carrie@mejorc.org.

Sara Morrissey, Director

Sara grew up in the small town of Astoria Oregon where she graduated as a valedictorian and class president from Astoria High and traveled across the country to attend Williams College in Massachusetts. At Williams she ran cross-country and spent a semester abroad in Madrid Spain. Sara graduated in 2007 with two B.A.'s in Spanish and Economics. Sara now lives in Portland and is working towards a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning at Portland State University. She plans on specializing in transportation planning with a focus on bicycle and pedestrian networks. Sara has a strong interest in working with rural areas in developing countries on health, energy and transportation issues. In her free time she likes to go backpacking, biking and running in beautiful Oregon. Sara is excited to be a member of MEJORC board of directors and looks forward to the development and growth of the organization.

Sara may be reached at sara@mejorc.org.

Brent Bellamy, Director

Brent is a recent addition to the Board of MEJOR Communities. Brent served as our community volunteer for our 2010 project in San Francisco, Peru. He is inspired by community development and motivated to continue working for the improvement of rural communities.

Brent has spent time in several developing countries volunteering for an array of humanitarian aid organizations. He studied International Development at Portland State, and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Political Science. Right now Brent is focusing his efforts on education in order to have a deeper understanding of the way the world works and how to address global inequalities.

Brent may be reached at brent@mejorc.org.

Monica Melgar, Director

Monica became a director in early 2011 after serving as a community volunteer for six months on our project in San Francisco, Peru. Monica grew up in California and has been living in Portland, Oregon for four years. She is inspired by youth empowerment and is currently specializing in Youth Work at the Portland State University School of Social Work. Monica's father is from Lima, Peru and she holds a very special place in her heart for the country's magnificent people and breathtaking lands. She is enthusiastic about perpetually updating our model to suit the changing needs of youth in rural Peruvian communities. Monica will continue to center her educational and career goals on improving the lives of adolescents, both locally and globally.

Monica may be reached at monica@mejorc.org.

Katie Masferrer, Founder and Outgoing Executive Director

Born in 1981 in Portland, Oregon, Katie Masferrer grew up in Tillamook, Oregon. She graduated from Whitman College in 2003 with a bachelor of arts degree, majored in psychology and minored in art and geology. She married Roberto Masferrer (MEJORC Director) after his graduation from Whitman in 2004.

Following Roberto's graduation they joined the Peace Corps. She and Roberto were sent to Cajamarca, Peru, to live and work in a poor, remote community called Salacat for two years. While in the Peace Corps, Katie focused on nutrition, hygiene, and family values. Specific projects included school health classes, community health fairs, growing community gardens, constructing improved wood stoves and organizing a group of 30 women artisans. Katie founded Managing, Executing and Joining Opportunities for Rural Communities (MEJORC) February 5, 2007, after returning from her Peace Corps experience.

Katie also spent a year studying chinese medicine at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, and has taken classes in nonprofit administration. Her top priorities include strengthening MEJORC as a successful nonprofit, while also being a great mother to her 2-year old son, Teo.

Katie may be reached at kati@mejorc.org.

Nadia Bashar, Interim Executive Director

An Oregon native, Nadia stuck close to her roots to complete her undergraduate studies in biology at Lewis & Clark College. Since then, she has been involved in various health education and promotion projects and has volunteered abroad in both Honduras and South Korea. Nadia is passionate about health and improving the lives of those living in disadvantaged communities. She joined MEJORC as a grant intern and is excited to continue her partnership with the organization as it continues to grow.

Nadia may be reached at nadia@mejorc.org.

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