Board of Directors

Colin Salisbury Chairman of the Board

As the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Volunteer Network Colin Salisbury has an intimate understanding of our programs needs. He has extensive development experience both locally and internationally with time spent in Ecuador, Ghana, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, The Philippines and Thailand. His background in Community Development and achieving a Masters Degree in International Development has enabled him to not only launch the extremely successful Global Volunteer Network but also co-found The GVN Foundation. Colin brings extensive management, business, and development experience to the Foundation. We are ecstatic that he is the leader of our Board of Directors.

Barbara Courtney Secretary of the Board

Barbara Courtney is committed to assisting those in need and has raised thousands of dollars in donations to end poverty and educate children. With a Master's Degree in maternal/child health Barbara understands the physical repercussions of poverty and malnutrition. For the past 25 years she has owned and operated several extremely successful retail businesses in a seasonal resort community. Barbara brings enthusiasm for The GVN Foundation's mission and a high degree of business acumen.

Leslie Plomondon Treasurer of the Board

Leslie Plomondon has a Masters Degree in International Management and has utilized her skills and experience as Colorado Governor Bill Owen's Director of Development for Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Her position with the Governor has allowed her to facilitate large-scale domestic and international business projects. In addition, Leslie is a Professor of International Relations at Regis University Graduate School for Professional Studies. With over 15 years of experience in international development/ relations Leslie offers a wealth of expertise in both private and public sectors.

Courtney Montague Executive Director

Courtney runs The Global Volunteer Network Foundation, the American fundraising branch of GVN and the branch responsible for Eat So They Can. Courtney Co-Founded GVN Foundation and Eat So They Can and is dedicated to seeing GVN Foundation grow into a major agent of change in the international development community. Courtney’s favorite GVN Foundation event is Eat So They Can because she believes that it is much more than a fundraiser- it is a way to engage the global community in discussions about child poverty and a way to encourage communities around the world to help end extreme poverty.

In addition to being the Executive Director of Eat So They Can Courtney is also the GVN Foundation representative to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Courtney is currently working towards a Masters in Public Administration at New York University and is a fellow in the Catherine B. Reynolds Program in Social Entrepreneurship. Courtney loves to eat… write, read, hike, relax with friends and family and watch movies.

Chris Bryan

Chris Bryan has an Agri-business and export marketing background. He is currently involved in property and funds management, with financial interests. He is a director in a number of small NZ companies, including Global Volunteer Network. He has traveled and worked extensively abroad, particularly in Western Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. His local charitable and community interests include convening the Orphans of Nepal Trust, which supports children in orphanages in and around Kathmandu. Chris has a keen interest in community development in LDC's, and in micro-enterprise.

Mike Cornish

Mike Cornish brings to The GVN Foundation, a wealth of commercial business and marketing knowledge. He has 30 years of experience owning and directing successful companies. Mike is involved in his local church and has successfully raised funds for a number of causes over the years. After having witnessed the enormous need faced by those in developing countries, he is passionate about effecting positive change in their lives. He has a visionary perspective and is able to see beyond the details to help empower people to improve their communities.

Nadine McNeil

Nadine McNeil, a Jamaican author and humanitarian, has extensive experience working for the United Nations in a variety of operational roles. She joined the United Nations in 1986 and worked in Headquarters New York prior to her first overseas assignment to Kuwait, where she arrived 13 days after the cessation of Operation Desert Storm in 1991. In addition to her professional career at the United Nations, Nadine McNeil is the founder of the Jamaica Reads Foundation (JRF), which was launched in Jamaica in 2002. JRF collects books and reading material for orphanages and women's prisons in Jamaica. During its inaugural year, JRF donated in excess of 2000 books to institutions in Jamaica.