Molly Abbruzzese, EMSc, MA, MPH has spent most of her career working in immunization and health systems strengthening. After volunteering with Amigos de las Americas (AMIGOS) in the Dominican Republic and Mexico, she was a member of the Peace Corps in Ecuador. Professionally, in addition to working as an independent consultant, Molly has worked with the World Health Organization and, more recently, as a Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  

Molly holds an EMSc in Behavioral Sciences from the London School of Economics, as well as an MA in Economic and Political Development and an MPH from Columbia University. She has a BA in International Affairs from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. 

A strong believer in youth leadership, Molly has served as the president of the Seattle Chapter of AMIGOS and is now a member of the AMIGOS Board of Directors. She is also the parent and aunt of AMIGOS volunteers. 

Stacy Keaton Alexander, J.D. is a former civil appellate attorney with nearly 30 years of experience. Amigos holds a special place in Stacy’s heart. After two decades of experience with AMIGOS through family, including joining in on numerous trips throughout Latin America, she gained a deep appreciation for the organization’s impact on both communities and young leaders. She joined the board because of her strong belief in the organization and its impact, and her desire to contribute to its ongoing success by leveraging her advocacy and fundraising experience on behalf of AMIGOS. 

Stacy obtained a law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law and is a licensed non-practicing member of the Texas bar. She is a trained mediator and former Adjunct Professor of Negotiations at St. Mary’s University School of Law, where she developed coursework on the role of gender in negotiation. She has published a textbook chapter and regularly presents on gender and negotiation topics for legal education programs. Stacy also holds a master’s degree in psychology from Pepperdine University and conducts clinical research on gender bias in the legal profession. Additionally, she is an author and illustrator of children’s books, combining her passion for law, psychology, and storytelling. 

Brian P. Austin volunteered with Amigos de Las Americas (AMIGOS) for the inaugural Brazil project.  He credits his AMIGOS experience with providing a transformative immersion in cross-cultural service and leadership, equipping him with key skills that have directly translated to success in the business world. 

Living with a host family and collaborating on community-led projects in Brazil immersed him in a new culture, far from familiar surroundings, building adaptability and resilience. The experience also included leadership development, decision-making, problem-solving under constraints, and motivating others. Working in a resource-limited context honed resourcefulness, creative problem-solving, and the ability to achieve goals with limited resources. The cross-cultural aspect fostered global awareness, cultural sensitivity, and strong interpersonal communication skills, particularly in multilingual or multicultural teams. In today’s globalized business landscape, these abilities have helped in international negotiations, client relations, diverse workplaces, and building partnerships. Overall, AMIGOS in Brazil pushed Brian out of his comfort zone, boosting confidence, self-reliance, and a sense of initiative—qualities that have stood out to employers and prepared him to thrive in collaborative, high-stakes professional environments.  

Brian is currently the Chief Operating Officer – East for Alliance Residential, overseeing all investment activities in the eastern part of the United States. Mr. Austin graduated from Texas A&M University with a BBA in Finance. 

Ambassador Arnold Chacon is a seven-year veteran of Amigos de las Americas (AMIGOS) which inspired and prepared him for a consequential 40-year diplomatic career with the U.S. Department of State. He was an AMIGOS volunteer and staff member in Nicaragua, Honduras, Ecuador and Mexico.  

In the Department of State, Ambassador Chacon served abroad as a Foreign Service Officer in nine Latin American and European countries, including as Chief of Mission in Guatemala, Acting Ambassador in Canada, and Director General of the Foreign Service. Ambassador Chacon credits Amigos with providing him with significant responsibility, leadership training, and the skillset to build and develop effective teams that get results.  

As a member of the AMIGOS board of directors, he serves on the Executive Committee and the Governance and Nominations Committee. A Boettcher Foundation Scholar and graduate of the University of Colorado, Ambassador Chacon is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Diplomacy. 

Adolfo E. Jiménez, JD spent four years in the field with Amigos de las Américas (AMIGOS), initially serving in Honduras, first as a volunteer and then as a field supervisor, followed by roles in Panama and Venezuela as Country Director. He also spent several years serving as President of the South Florida and Washington, D.C. chapters of AMIGOS. Adolfo credits his time in AMIGOS with preparing him for his internationally focused career. He works extensively with Latin American clients and participates as an advocate and arbitrator in international commercial arbitrations and investor-state disputes.  

Adolfo attended the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, with a concentration in International Politics, and subsequently received his JD from the Boston College Law School. He is Board Certified in International Litigation and Arbitration by The Florida Bar and leads the South Florida Litigation Practice Group and the International Arbitration and Litigation Team at the law firm of Holland & Knight.  

In addition to his service as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of AMIGOS, he is Co-Chair of the Council for the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution, Vice Chair of the Board of Regents of Georgetown University, and is a Director for both Easterseals South Florida and the Cuban American National Foundation. 

Philip C. Johnson, MD, FACP is an eight-year veteran of Amigos de las Americas (AMIGOS). He initially served as a volunteer and later on staff, culminating in the role of Country Director of Guatemala and, later, Regional Director of Central and South America.  

Dr. Johnson graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Economics and Spanish and was a founder of the AMIGOS Nashville Chapter. He later attended medical school and did an internal medicine residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, prior to completing a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at UT Medical School Houston. He is currently a Professor of Internal Medicine and a Vice Chair of Internal Medicine at McGovern Medical School, part of UTHealth Houston.  

Dr. Johnson has served on the Board of AMIGOS in a variety of capacities, including Medical Director, Board Chair and member of the AMIGOS Foundation Board. He is the father of an AMIGOS volunteer. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors and serves as the volunteer Medical Director of Faith in Practice, an organization which conducts medical mission trips to Guatemala.  

Jorge A. Ortega was a volunteer and subsequently a chapter-based instructor for Amigos de las Américas (AMIGOS), and he currently serves on the AMIGOS Board of Directors.  

Jorge has extensive experience working with nonprofit organizations. In addition to AMIGOS, he has worked with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as well as the Dallas Regional Chamber’s award-winning COVID-19 vaccination campaign, and he has provided counsel to global humanitarian organizations such as Mercy Ships. 

Professionally, Jorge has more than three decades of experience in strategic communications and leadership development. He has held senior executive roles and led cross-border initiatives at two of the world’s leading public relations and marketing consultancy firms, Edelman and Burson. He has also served as interim Chief Communications Officer at three publicly traded companies. Jorge is currently the Executive Vice President at ChangeMakers, a reputation management, marketing, and social impact advisory firm serving clients across multiple sectors.  

In addition to his work on the AMIGOS board, Jorge is the co-founder and past board chair of the International Kids Fund, which raises funds and coordinates life-saving medical care for critically ill children from underserved regions across Latin America and the Caribbean. He also serves on the Corporate Advisory Board of ALPFA (the Association of Latino Professionals for America). Additionally, Jorge is a former board member of Camillus House, a nonprofit serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Miami-Dade County. 

Born and raised in Miami, Jorge holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from American University in Washington, D.C. 

Lisa R. Pieper, MD, MBA is a 5-year veteran of Amigos de las Américas (AMIGOS). She initially served as a volunteer and later on staff, culminating in Country Director, Ecuador. Graduating from Lewis & Clark College with degrees in International Affairs and Spanish, the AMIGOS experience in public health projects influenced her to redirect her academic and career aspirations, deferring admission at The Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies to pursue post-baccalaureate studies at UCSD in math and science, in order to apply to medical school.

Dr. Pieper subsequently spent a decade at UCSF, where she attended medical school and completed a residency in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. Following a decade of clinical practice, she pursued an MBA at UCLA, after which she became a consultant to healthcare and life sciences organizations, initially with global search firms and later in her own boutique advisory firm.

Following a fellowship at The Distinguished Careers Institute at Stanford University, Dr. Pieper joined the board of directors of AMIGOS, and she currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee and the chairperson of the Governance and Nominations Committee.

Toby Spoon was first exposed to AMIGOS as a 12-year-old.  His parents were missionaries in an area of Guatemala where AMIGOS had chosen to work. Right then and there, he decided he wanted to be an Amigo when he grew up. A few years later, he became a volunteer. Toby ultimately participated in AMIGOS for 5 years in various capacities, both in Latin America, ultimately as Country Director in Ecuador, and also later in the international office in the U.S.. 

Toby credits his AMIGOS experience with giving him all of the important tools he has used throughout his adult life and career. The combination of cross-cultural experience, leadership opportunities, and the need to overcome significant challenges later helped him excel in various areas of responsibility. He spent 35 years working for a manufacturing company, TECMA, ultimately as Executive VP, working in Mexico managing all Mexico in-country issues for 95 clients, who collectively employed 17,000 employees. 

Toby has remained a strong believer in the AMIGOS organization and its impact, and he currently serves as Chairman of the AMIGOS Board of Directors. 

Dra. Krisa Van Meurs participated in Amigos for 5 years, and she had the honor of being appointed the first female Country Director. Her AMIGOS experience was the inspiration for pursuing a career in medicine.  

After medical school and residency on the east coast, as well as research at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Van Meurs spent over 30 years as a faculty member in the Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and a neonatologist at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. She has been actively involved in clinical care, clinical research, program administration and mentoring, and she has published over 200 manuscripts and lectured internationally. Dr. Van Meurs was named the Rosemarie Hess Endowed Professor in 2012. 

Currently, while no longer in clinical practice, she continues to be active in clinical research, serving on Executive Committees for two large clinical trials, as a research mentor to young faculty, and as a member of the international Newborn Brain Society.  

Dr. Van Meurs joined the Board of Directors of AMIGOS in 2025, after serving on the AMIGOS Bay Area Advisory Council for several years. Dr. Van Meurs’ daughter was an AMIGOS volunteer as well.