Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Cynthia Robbins Cynthia Robbins, Esq. Cynthia Robbins is Chief Strategist of Consult GR Team, a multifaceted Washington, DC-based consulting group with a broad range of projects including advocacy on domestic issues like voting rights and equity, to consulting international start-up businesses and advising international nongovernmental organizations. Robbins has helped to build, lead and support successful, enduring organizations since she was a student at Harvard and Stanford. She recently concluded an 18-month RWJF-funded fellowship for racial healing and racial justice. (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) and is completing a course to become a certified Coach. A well-traveled advocate, she grew up in a United Nations-founded village and worked at the UN. Conversant in French and Spanish, she is dedicated to tapping the resources, expertise and innovations of the Diaspora to meet health needs across Africa.
Robbins is a skilled board leader with experience in offering vision, perspective and guidance on governance, finance, resource gathering and other activities. Her work has taken her from winning in the courtroom on behalf of low-income clients to serving as a successful consultant, advocate, funder, executive and board member, ever in pursuit of justice and better outcomes for communities in crisis, particularly where dense poverty can hide their promise. Cynthia Robbins majored in Economics and earned her AB cum laude from Harvard University and a JD from Stanford Law School. She is licensed to practice law in California and the District of Columbia.
Secretary of the Board of Directors, Dr.Jabu Dube Jabu heads Corporate Compliance at a multinational corporation headquartered in Wisconsin. Dr. Dube previously served in executive compliance roles within the financial and health sectors and has executive-level experience in governance and corporate strategy. Dr. Dube studied law at Kings College, University of London where he graduated with honors. He holds an MBA from the University of Massachusetts and a Doctorate in Law and Policy at Northeastern University in Boston. Dr. Dube serves on various boards and is a founder of a fintech startup.
Director Dr.Herbet Oye Dr. Oye graduated from the Univ of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Med in 1991. He works in Beckley, WV and specializes in General Surgery and Vascular Surgery. Dr. Oye is affiliated with Raleigh General Hospital and Beckley ARH Hospital.Dr. Herbert Oye is a Board Certified Endovascular and Vascular Surgeon, specializing in invasive and non-invasive treatment of vascular diseases. His General Surgery residence was performed at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, an affiliate of Albert Einstein Medical Center.Dr. Oye completed his fellowship training in advanced vascular and endovascular surgery at the Arizona Heart Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.
Director ( Student ) Amy Ruth Gyang Amy joins the Uzima board as student director.Amy is currently an undergraduate at Duke University and has a passion for philanthropy. In high school, Amy excelled winning several awards including the 2023 Barkley Forum at Emory University — 5th place in Program Oral Interpretation, 2021 Cavalier Invitational Durham Academy— 2nd place in Dramatic Interpretation,2021 Florida Blue Key—4th place in Program Oral Interpretation, 2021 Congrés (French Poem Competition) and she ranked as a 2022 Quarterfinalist at National Speech and Debate Tournament (Top 30 in Nation). She was President of Bread and Backpacks, a club dedicated to providing healthy foods to kids in public schools. Ms. Gyang is also a TedX speaker - advocating against hair-based discrimination. She began a service project to raise funds and donate clothing to help girls who work in a market in Accra Ghana. She is passionate about universalizing healthcare to create a more equitable world and represents the future of the Uzima Foundation.
Director Dr.Theodora Fynn Dr. Fynn is a Pulmonary and Sleep Specialist at Christiana Care Hospital in Maryland. She has served on critical care committees at her current Hospital and has also served on the Educational Committee of GPSF organizing continuous medical education conferences in Ghana and North America. She is currently involved in the post-graduate sub-specialty training of internal medicine residents of the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital through virtual platforms. Dr. Fynn is passionate about equitable and sustainable health care delivery in Africa with a diasporan input to transform Africa.
Director Dr.Ernest Carter Dr. Ernest Carter, Director, Uzima Foundation* is passionate about improving healthcare, especially in underserved areas. He is the former Health Officer for Prince George’s County, Maryland (PGC), with 40+ years in patient care, 29+ years in telemedicine and health IT, and 10+ years in public health and population health management. . At Howard University, Dr. Carter was director of the Telehealth Science and the Advanced Technology Center, creating telemedicine applications for domestic and international use. He was also an assistant electrical engineering professor and associate director of Howard’s Material Science Research Center of Excellence. In private business, he owned retail-based clinics in four states. In addition, Dr. Carter was Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Washington Adventist Hospital and Mercy Philadelphia Hospital. Dr. Carter has an AB degree in Physics from Harvard College, an MD degree from Harvard Medical School, and a Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, Dr.Olu Sangodeyi Olu Sangodeyi is the owner, President and CEO of Med-Surg Physician Group Inc. in Beckley,WV. USA. His main specialties are General Adult and Pediatric Surgery, Trauma and Wound Care. He is also extensively involved in the practice of Addiction Medicine. He is certified in Global Health. His training as a Physician is broad and comprehensive. Dr. Sangodeyi has held many leadership roles in Health Care. These include but are not limited to the Director of Trauma and Wound Care at Raleigh General Hospital and chairperson of the Surgery Department at Beckley Appalachian Hospital, UPMC (North Hills) Pittsburgh. President of Medical Staff Heritage Valley Health System, Vice President Raleigh County Medical Society.
Treasurer of the Board of Directors, Yareka M`Hango Yareka is currently Chief Financial Officer for Phoenix Houses of New York responsible for all the organization’s financial functions including accounting, audit, and treasury. Her career spans more than 20 years of vast accounting and leadership experience in healthcare and non-profit sectors. Yareka is passionate about developing community-based organizations and helping women entrepreneurs grow their businesses and to gain access to business resources, enabling them to start over and succeed.Yareka holds two Masters of Science degrees in Accountancy and Healthcare Management from California State Los Angeles.
Director Dr.Don Vereen Dr. Donald R. Vereen, Jr., M.D., M.P.H., directs Community Engaged Research activities as a faculty member of the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR) and Senior Academic and Research Program Officer at the University of Michigan School of Public Health (UMSPH). Dr. Vereen oversees the development and use of the power of equal partnerships between community-based organizations, academic institutions, and health agencies to address health issues in communities with an emphasis on mental health. He is a past Director of the University of Michigan Substance Abuse Research Center. Dr. Vereen’s fifteen years of federal government service, prior to joining the University of Michigan, includes work at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he served as Medical Officer and Special Assistant to the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the White House where he served under two Presidents as the Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Dr. Vereen’s government work engaged multiple agencies and departments as well as local communities to address public health challenges associated with mental health, including drug abuse and addiction. He served as the first U.S. representative to the World Anti-Doping Agency and was the inaugural Chair of the Ethic and Education Committee. My experiences in developing partnerships to address health concerns are pledged to Uzima.
Director Kerry Clem Kerry Clem is a seasoned Biopharma C-Suite executive with over 25 years of experience in the industry, specializing in building commercial organizations. Currently serving as Chief Commercial Officer at Solaxa, Kerry is responsible for securing funding, refining corporate strategy, and leading the launch preparations for innovative treatments targeting rare neurodegenerative diseases.Kerry is a founding board member of The Just Society and a member of the Life Science Cares New York board of advisors. He was honored as one of Savoy Magazine’s 2022 Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America. Kerry hopes to leverage his experience as a business executive, board member, and strategic advisor to support the mission of Uzima.
Director Jackie Greene Jackie Greene serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Consult GR Team, a consulting group based in Washington DC. With a background in journalism, real estate, and business consulting, Mr. Greene is dedicated to enhancing the lives of communities, particularly those in the African Diaspora and across the Continent. He focuses on sustainable improvements in education, healthcare, and technology. Mr. Greene played a significant role in the establishment of USA TODAY, the first national newspaper in the United States, and held various management positions within the newspaper and its parent company, Gannett Co., Inc. He has a B.Sc. in Management Studies from the University of Maryland and completed a fellowship on "Managing Change" at Harvard Business School. Mr. Greene has been actively involved in journalism organizations, serving on the executive board of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and being elected as the first president of UNITY Journalists of Color, Inc.
Executive Directors
Dr. Theodora Fynn
Executive Director
Program: EmpowerHer Health Initiative
The EmpowerHer Health Initiative is a comprehensive program designed to address cervical cancer and other critical women’s health issues in West Africa. The program aims to reduce the burden of cervical cancer through prevention, early detection, and treatment while promoting overall women’s health and well-being.
Dr.Fynn serves as the Executive Director and has oversight of this program.
Dr. Olu Sangodeyi
Executive Director
Program: Strengthening Hypertension Control and Prevention in West Africa
The program is designed to combat the growing burden of hypertension in the West African region. The program focuses on raising public awareness, promoting prevention through healthy lifestyle adoption, and strengthening healthcare systems for effective detection, treatment, and management of hypertension.
Dr.Sangodeyi serves as the Executive Director and has oversight of this program.
