Professor Brad K. Blitz BA (Hons), MSc (Econ), MA, Ph.D
Trustee/Consultant
Brad joined DEVRA in 2006, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organisation. Brad’s field work and research experience includes projects in Albania, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, FYR Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom; focusing on statelessness.
George Goldstein BA (Hons), MSc Econ (LSE)
Trustee/Project Director Nepal
George was one of the founding members of DEVRA, after World Jewish Relief and UKJAID merged. His development interests cover South & Southeast Asia, focussing on small & micro development projects and small scale, grass-root commercial enterprises. George was also Trustee & Chair of the UKJAID ‘Project Group’ (1996–2003), Member of executive committee & Chair ‘Project Group’ WJAID (2003 to present), and reported on UKJAID work in Sarajevo. His research interests include migration and development, Nepal (MSc Dissertation).
Dr. Dan Ozarow BA (Hons.), MSc (UCL), MPhil, Ph.D
Trustee/Fundraising Coordinator
Dan worked as the Trust Fundraising Manager and overseas volunteer Programme Coordinator within the World Jewish Relief before joiningDEVRA in 2006. Having volunteered in Argentina to support local communities recover from the economic crisis in 2001 and acting as an advisor to NGOs on the development in the Southern cone of Latin America; Dan brings a wealth of experience to the organisation.
Michael Safier BSc Econ. (LSE)
Trustee/advisor
Michael was formerly research fellow at Makerere Institute of Social Research, Kampala and has conducted studies on national urban policies for the Government of Uganda, the East African Community and ECA. He has served as a consultant to the World Bank Urban Sector Study of Iran and has held research and advisory assignments in East Africa, South Africa, Indonesia, China, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Tonga.
Mel Cash
Advisor/Project Director Ethiopia
Mel Cash is most well known in the massage and soft tissue therapy world where he has been a leading authority for nearly 30 years. He has written 4 books and runs the largest private school on the subject in the UK. He is very keen traveller and trekker who has visited many of the most remote and under-developed parts of the World. He has been closely involved with “Seeing Hands Nepal” and been there many times teaching young blind Nepali’s to make a living as massage therapists.
It was on a trekking holiday in the Simien Mountains in Northern Ethiopia in 2007 that he met Tilahun Alemu (Tim) and this project began.
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Hayley Blitz
Interim Director
Hayley has extensive experience across commercial and charitable sectors with a 20 year Sales and Marketing career, including 4 years heading up Marketing and Fundraising for a children's charity. Hayley also sings and records with a semi-professional band, Los Desterrados and has performed in the UK and Continental Europe, at the Royal Festival Hall, Jazz Cafe, Royal Albert Hall, LSO St Lukes, the Roundhouse and Womad to name a few. The band has produced four studio CDs, was twice nominated for a Songlines World Music Award.
Claire Manson
Director, Events Organiser
Claire is another founding member of DEVRA. She has worked for over 35 years in the arts and arts therapy. After working in psychiatric hospitals she co-founded 'Studio Upstairs', a working arts studio and therapeutic space with a focus on Health, Education, Arts & Community www.studioup.org. Having spent 9 years as a trustee, she is now an ‘Elder’ of the Studio.
For 10 years Claire donated her time as a therapist at the Medical Foundation for Victims of Torture (now Freedom From Torture), and currently volunteers as an art psychotherapist at The Baobab Centre for Young Survivors in Exile. (www.baobabsurvivors.org)