I am a global health leader and nonprofit executive dedicated to building equitable, community-driven systems that save lives and strengthen local capacity. For more than 17 years, he has worked alongside partners across Latin America, Africa, and the U.S. to translate data into action and partnerships into measurable impact.
My journey in global development began in the highlands of Honduras, where in high school I had the chance to make friends over a short week. Upon return, soon after I was exiting a Starbucks parking lot with my $3 coffee (Honduras beans?) and rushing to an AP exam in my used 1990s Toyota Camry and I realized… my new friends were unable to buy a $3 coffee, were not driving their own car and not taking a test that would support a future filled with options. It was from that moment I realized how I had won a birth lottery. To be born today, in the US to awesome parents as a white-passing male, I had all the privilege in the world. And therefore I had all the responsibility to do something with that privilege that would make the world a bit less painful for as many people as I could.
What started as a volunteer experience became a lifelong commitment to community-based primary health care and to ensuring that local organizations—not outsiders—lead their own change.
Those early lessons shaped everything I’ve done since: hardcore compassion and focus on evidence, listen first, measure and evaluate constantly and consider the end.
Impact & Leadership
As Executive Director of Impact Global Health Alliance, I lead a network of organizations in Guatemala, Kenya, Togo, Bolivia, and Haiti that has collectively reached over 2.2 million people and have saved thousands of lives of women and children.
Our mission is simple but ambitious: create evidence-based sustainable health systems rooted in local leadership that demonstrate results.
Highlights of my leadership:
Designed and implemented two 5-year strategic plans and oversaw budgets up to $11 million annually.
Secured a $5.5 million NCDHHS contract in 2020 (extended to $11 million total) and coordinated the City of Durham’s community health workforce. With this, I directed a COVID-19 emergency response across 26 North Carolina counties—deploying 218 Community Health Workers, completing all deliverables under budget and ahead of schedule.
Built and grew the Hope Through Health Endowment to $3.6 million, ensuring long-term financial sustainability.
Diversified funding sources— developing a peer-to-peer fundraising network and major gifts achieving seven consecutive years of revenue growth.
Spearheaded a domestic services program reaching 200,000 people while implementing global partnerships with USAID, RMHC, and the CDC.
These results are by no means mine alone. I have contributed where I can but mostly these awesome achievements were made possible through the generosity of many faithful donors and volunteers, the guidance of dedicated supporters, and the heroic efforts of our local partners. Together—and since long before my tenure began in 1983—we’ve implemented programs that have saved lives, strengthened communities, and built community-owned/operated health systems designed to last.
I believe that lasting progress in global health begins with humility, data, and local leadership. My approach emphasizes partnership over prescription, measurement over rhetoric, and sustainability over short-term aid. He advocates for a shift from the “race for dollars” to the race for sustained impact—aligning resources around what actually saves lives.
When not working, Andrew enjoys running slowly, cycling, time with family, and exploring creative ways to bring sustainability home—from solar energy to community gardening. He lives in Illinois with his wife Laura and their spirited Chihuahua Jacky Boy.
To connect with Andrew for speaking engagements, collaboration, or interviews, visit the Contact page. You can also explore his latest essays on Writing, or join a public conversation on LinkedIn.