GPBF is supported by an exceptional governing board, comprised of members dedicated to grassroots peacebuilding around the globe.
mark etzel
After completing his Bachelors Degree from Duquesne University, Mark moved to Mulanje, Malawi where he taught English and Music at a secondary school. After living in Africa for the year, he spent a month in Katerinice, Czech Republic, teaching English to youth and adults and leading music rehearsals with the handbell group he helped to create and train over the past decade. He has traveled to 24 countries throughout Europe, North America, and Africa. He currently works for Apple, Inc., connecting business customers to the products and services they rely on to run their businesses. He resides in Pittsburgh this with his wife, Katie, and their two dogs, Major and Lucy.
Gavin byrum
Gavin learned the importance of global connectedness at a young age, spending the large majority of his childhood living between France, Zimbabwe, and Senegal. After his family returned to the US where he attended middle school and high school, he graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, studying Psychology, Economics, and French. As a young adult, he worked with Apple, Inc. where he helped small business owners optimize their companies in the ever-evolving technological landscape. In the hopes of traveling more and working with kids, he has continued the international interests of his childhood by participating in the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) in Auxerre, France. He has also spent time volunteering in youth soccer programs and hospice care facilities. He currently resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his girlfriend Julie.
Eva krah
Eva has been deeply concerned about global inequality from a young age. Her journey to address these issues began with her studies in cultural anthropology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. She later pursued a PhD in human geography at the University of Dundee in Scotland, where she focused her research on the lives of street children in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. After two years in academia, she joined Mensen met een Missie, an NGO that supports locally led peacebuilding initiatives around the world. As programme director and monitoring & evaluation specialist, she contributed to peacebuilding efforts in Colombia, South Sudan, and other countries.
In early 2024, Eva joined an international consultancy firm, where she provides advisory and evaluation services for projects and policies of the Dutch central government, including international development projects. She finds it fulfilling to use her expertise and insights to shape effective strategies.
Eva currently lives in a rural area of the Netherlands with her husband, four (step)children, two alpacas, and a flourishing vegetable garden. She enjoys traveling, reading, and doing yoga.