Meet Our Team
We are proud of our leadership committed and driven by the common goal to produce educated ethical and excellent leaders.
Dr. Peter Carlos Okantey, Founder & President
Peter holds a Doctorate Degree and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Strategic Leadership from Regent University’s School of Business and Leadership, Virginia, USA. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration both from Warner Pacific College. He also holds a teaching certificate from the Presbyterian College of Education in Ghana, West Africa and a Public Administration Diploma from the University of Ghana Business School. In 2009, Peter received the Young Alumni of the Year Award from Warner Pacific College. He has several years of professional work experience including, founding and managing a consulting business and non-profit organization, working within the private and non-profit sectarian leadership positions in Ghana and the United States. He is the Founder and President of Palm University College and the Palm University Foundation.
Matt Storer, Board Chair
Matt is a regulatory compliance professional with decades of experience working for large U.S. and global banks including HSBC, Capital One and Wells Fargo. With a specialty in the privacy discipline, Matt is a certified information privacy professional and is also experienced with information security, IT, AML and lending compliance requirements. Matt holds a BS degree from Eastern Oregon University with a concentrationin Marketing and Management, and a MS degree fromWarner Pacific in Organizational Leadership. Outside of work, Matt enjoys boating, fishing and snowboarding.
Lee C. Nusich, Emeritus Board Member
Lee holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University Of Oregon School Of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Engineering from the University of North Dakota. He has practiced law in Portland, Oregon for the past 33 years and is currently affiliated with the law firm of Lane Powell, PC. His current practice emphasizes commercial litigation and representation of financial institutions. He has been an active volunteer with several nonprofits over the past 20 years and in that capacity has traveled to Romania, Russia, China, The Philippines, Mongolia and Vietnam.
Matthew S. Essieh, Member
Matt is the President and CEO of EAI Information Systems with offices in both U.S and Ghana. Since founding EAI in 1989, Matt has worked with some of the leading financial institutions in the United States, applying leadership in strategy and in the areas of technology management. EAI’s reputation for excellence in its products and services is a direct result of Matt’s personal commitment to the values of honesty, leadership, integrity and responsiveness to customers. Matt’s career in banking and finance spans over 20 years. Prior to EAI he was the Chief Financial Officer of Westmark, a financial services firm catering to national and community banks. Matt is active in leadership roles in a number of industry and public service organizations, and has been a speaker and writer on banking technology. He is a founding board member of a community bank in Oregon, a former board chair of The World Affairs Council of Oregon, and current board member of Portland Opera. Matt has actively sponsored and founded community projects in education and healthcare in Ghana. Through his charitable work, he has built social and infrastructure services in rural Ghana. Among the projects he has commissioned and managed are the construction of a dormitory to accommodate over 100 girls at a Senior Secondary School and the construction of a 40 bed hospital ward and a maternity ward to service a district population of about 78,000. He has also actively sponsored students in higher education in Ghana and the U.S. Born in Ghana, he holds BA and MBA from Southern Oregon University.
Beth Okantey, Member
Beth holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work with a minor in Sociology from Pacific Lutheran University (1996) and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Walla Walla University (2001). Beth has been working in the area of social work for more than 20 years. Within the US, she worked with homeless adults assisting in an employment and work readiness program, with chronically mentally ill adults assisting them to live semi-independently, in the area of child welfare and in public health providing counseling for low income pregnant women and helping to implement a grassroots community development project. She also spent 2.5 years in Malawi, S. Africa and 1 year in Ghana, W. Africa as a US Peace Corps Volunteer and 1.5 years in London, UK working within child welfare. Currently, she teaches social work courses online for Portland State University, Ashford University and University of Alabama. She also developed and coordinates a program for social work students to complete their practicum hours in various organizations in Ghana. She has supervised 47 students participate from 13 universities.
Caleb Pilling, Member
Caleb works for Geffen Mesher & Company P.C. providing audit, tax and consulting services for clients in the manufacturing, software and construction industries. Caleb is a licensed certified public accountant and a member of the Oregon Society of Certified Public Accountants. Before joining Geffen Mesher, Caleb was an equity analyst intern at Chinook Capital Management. While at Chinook Capital Management, he assisted senior equity analysts in managing the Chinook Emerging Growth Fund, including building valuation models, monitoring buy opportunities and writing buy recommendations for equity analysts. He earned a BA degree in Accounting and a BA degree in Business Administration from George Fox University where he graduated magna cum laude in 2007. Outside of work, Caleb is active in youth ministries at Sunset Presbyterian Church and enjoys hiking, fly-fishing, and golfing.
Brenda McLaughlin, Member
Brenda, a pediatric nurse by profession, retired from Portland State University Foundation in 2014 where she supported the Chief Financial Officer and the Accounting Team. At PSU Foundation much of her time was spent managing the scholarship module. This proved to her what a difference a scholarship could make to a student’s life.
Brenda has had the opportunity to live in many countries in the world and her interest in Ghana stems from her daughter’s experiences there. In retirement she continues to volunteer for local non-profit organizations.
Patricia Asante-Frempong, Member
Patricia Asante -Frempong is a seasoned Food Safety and Quality professional with 15 plus years of experience. She is a Senior Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager at Stella and Chewy’s. Patricia has a vast knowledge in Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory Compliance. A cross-functional leader deeply committed to building a culture of enquiry, continuous improvement and statistical or science-based decision-making. A professional with demonstrated ability to inspire/mentor quality assurance teams and to implement latest QA programs for maintaining industrial best practices. She is passionate about mentoring young graduates and helping to connect people in her network for professional and personal development and growth. Patricia is self-driven and enjoy serving others and making a positive impact in any community she may find herself. She holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Biology.
Oscar Rodriguez, Member
Oscar serves as the Vice President of Data Analytics at Citigroup Bank, a role that demands both expertise and strategic vision. Holding an MBA and currently pursuing a Doctoral degree in Strategic Leadership and Business. Oscar exemplifies a commitment to continuous learning and academic excellence.
Additionally, he is the visionary founder behind Avec Pay, the pioneering cryptocurrency payment platform in Latin America, showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit. Oscar’s impact extends beyond borders; he has personally engaged with students in Ghana, conducting sessions and workshops at Palm University, reflecting his dedication to education and mentorship.
Prior to his financial career, he served as a Pastor in his home state of New York having an M.Div, underlining his profound commitment to service and community.
Currently residing in South Carolina, Oscar balances his professional achievements with personal passions. He finds solace and joy in playing the guitar and writing, showcasing his artistic side. Above all, he is driven by a deep-seated passion for learning, a desire to serve others, and a commitment to making a positive difference in the world.
Dr. Stephan M. Wilson, Member
Dr. Stephan M. Wilson is an Emeritus Regents Professor and former Dean
of both the colleges of Human Sciences and of Education at Oklahoma
State University, which together were about four hundred faculty and
staff, four thousand students, and a $40M budget. His PhD and MS are
from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in Family Science and Lifespan
Development. His bachelor’s degree is from Wabash College where he
double majored in Philosophy and Biology. He has published more than
one-hundred books, chapters, and empirical articles, as well as myriad
popular press pieces most of which deal with cross-cultural families,
parenting, and adolescent development. He has collaborated with
colleagues in Kenya, China, Mexico, Ethiopia, etc. and has shepherded
scores of international students across his 40+ year career in higher
education.
Professor Wilson has received many awards for his scholarship and
service as well as for his teaching. He has worked as a volunteer and on
Boards for Domestic Violence shelters, United Way, Big Brothers/ Big
Sisters, various local faith communities, state, national, and international
Boards such as National Council on Family Relations and on the Board on
Human Sciences. He lived and worked in East Africa for four years, early
on as a high school teacher and principal in rural Kenya (Peace Corps);
decades later, he returned to Kenyatta University as a Fulbright Senior
Visiting Scholar. He is married to Kathleen Ambrosio Wilson who he met,
courted, and married while he lived in Kenya; they have three adult
children and currently live near Seattle, Washington in USA.
Eugene Osei-Bonsu, Member
Eugene Osei-Bonsu is a Senior Director and Franchise Head of the Neuroscience Business for Europe and Canada at Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Zurich. A seasoned Pharma Professional having worked in the industry for over 25 years, he has demonstrated successes through execution of marketing strategies and operational plans, across various geographies working in countries, regional and global marketing, and commercial teams.
His experience spans across many different therapy areas, majority of which has been spent working in Neuroscience with products for Depression, Alzheimer’s, and ADHD.
Eugene is strong communicator with a proven track record for achieving results through teams and a passion for making a difference in patient’s lives.
In the last year Eugene co-led the establishment of an Employee Resource Group, The Black Leadership Council at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, seeking to support the companies DE&I initiatives and to raise awareness of the diverse contribution employees of African Ancestry bring to the organization. Through the recognition of unconscious biases, and cultural awareness, he hopes to foster greater inclusivity and equity throughout all levels of the organization.
Eugene holds a BSc Hons Biological Sciences from the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi Ghana and MSc. In Biophysics and Bioengineering from the University of London UK.
Advisory Board
- Jay Barber, President Emeritus, Warner Pacific College, Portland, OR
- Roger Martin, Assistant Professor, Warner Pacific College, Portland, OR
- Richard White, Professor, Portland State University, Portland, OR
- Darrell Brown, Professor, Former Dean, Portland State University, Portland, OR
- Karen Howells, President & Founder, The Howells Group Inc., Portland, OR
- Susan de la Vergne, President, Liberal Arts Advantage for Business, Los Angeles, CA