Meet The Board

Kristen (she/her) has been partnering with the Macha community for  the past 11 years in mostly community organizing and community building, but has stepped into the President role for Project1151 in 2019. She currently works in Philadelphia as an Organizational Development Training Specialist for the Department of Behavioral Health & Intellectual Disabilities. She has received her Bachelor's in Cognitive Behavior Psychology from West Chester University and a Dual Master's degree in Master of Social Work and Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership & Management from the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, Kristen has also completed a certification in Organizational Leadership in Social Work from The Wharton School. 

Kristen's experience is in start-ups and nonprofits specializing in strategy, social impact, organizational effectiveness and development, and human capital development. She believes in holistic perspective thinking and creating tailored solutions that catapult organizations towards social impact by cultivating growth while surfacing organization's strengths and fostering employees’ well-being.

Christie is Vice President of Red Rock Landscape Inc.  Prior to joining Red Rock, Christie worked in the nonprofit sector in organizations both large and small as a Community Center Coordinator, Executive Director, and Campus Minister. Christie’s educational background is in Psychology and Nonprofit Management. Christie lives in South Central PA where she makes her home and a living with her husband and three kids. She currently engages in the volunteer work of her church and a local anti-human trafficking organization. She loves the energy and accomplishments of working with a good team and supporting others to be able to do the same.

In 2022, Corie stepped into the role of Executive Director for Project1151 following 8 years working as co-director of Macha Sport + Learning Project. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Eastern University. Outside of her time spent working in Zambia, Corie’s background includes time spent in faith-based institutions and social service organizations.

Corie and her husband, Eric, are raising Charlotte, Reece, and Luca in their Harrisburg, PA, home. Outside of raising her children to be Philadelphia sport fans, Corie is studying public policy at Elizabethtown College and substitute teaching at the local school district.

Chilobe is the president and managing director of Kalambo
Consulting, a full-service accounting, tax, finance, and consulting firm
that services clients across a number of industries. Prior to founding
Kalambo Consulting, Chilobe worked in industry, consulting, and a Big
Four accounting firm, gaining experience in finance and information
technology. Chilobe has lived and worked in various countries in Europe,
Asia, South America, and Africa.

Chilobe was born and raised in Zambia but moved to the United States,
where he earned a B.S. in accounting from Messiah University and an MBA
in finance from Eastern University. A certified public accountant (CPA)
and certified information systems auditor (CISA), Chilobe also holds a
master’s in biblical studies and theology from Dallas Theological Seminary.

Chilobe and his wife, Megan, are the proud parents of Caleb, Eliana,
Naomi, and Levi. They live in Houston, TX, where Chilobe both practices
public accounting and serves as a teaching pastor. He also serves on the
boards of Hope International, Ten Thousand Villages, No Borders Houston, and the Global Initiative for Better Health.

Eric was born and raised in the rural hospital community of Macha, Zambia. He returned to Dillsburg, Pennsylvania to complete his schooling and graduated from Messiah College with a degree in Sport and Exercise Science.

Eric married Corie in 2010. Further, in 2013, their family moved to Macha to work with the sports ministry organization; Push The Rock. In an effort to create more locally empowered programming, Macha Sport + Learning Project was then born.

In 2022, Eric, Corie, and their three children (Charlotte, Reece, and Luca) moved back to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania  to begin the next chapter of life. Eric is excited to maintain his connection to Zambia by serving on the Board.

 “It is a true privilege and honor to lift up others’ voices and enable ministry efforts on the other side of the world.”

Larry retired in 2024 from a career of teaching and leading students in laboratory research at Messiah University. He now teaches part time and continues to lead student trips to Macha.

Larry graduated with bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry and Biology from Messiah College in 1980. He worked in basic research at the Penn State College of Medicine and in Product Development at Hershey Foods before earning a Ph.D. in Biological
Chemistry from the Graduate Program at Penn State Hershey studying the regulation of GAL gene transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

He went on to conduct research in Cellular Immunology (T lymphocyte recognition of tumor antigen targets) as a post-doctoral fellow and later a non-tenured faculty member in the Department of
Microbiology and Immunology before joining the Biological Sciences faculty at Messiah
College.

Larry first visited Africa in 2006 when he helped Dr. Phil Thuma (MIAM/MRT founder)
lead Messiah College students in a three week “Healthcare in the Developing World”
May term course that was taught at the MIAM (now MRT) facilities in Macha. He continued to co-lead and then teach the course (limited to science majors) for over 20 years in alternate May terms while also developing (with Dr. Wanda Thuma-McDermond) a second version of the trip that was open to students majoring in any discipline. Larry deepened ties with the people around Macha when he spent 3 months at MRT during the rainy season of 2015 developing locally appropriate methods to culture and
cryopreserve the causative agent of severe malaria (Plasmodium falciparum) in the
MRT laboratory and training the research staff in how to carry out the techniques.

More recently he has collaborated to facilitate research on infections by antibiotic resistant
bacteria of patients presenting at the Macha Mission Hospital.

Larry looks forward to facilitating projects and programs that benefit the people around
Macha through continued travel to Macha and by serving as a member of the Project1151 Board of Directors.

Born to missionary parents in Zimbabwe, Chris’ values and career path were significantly informed by his developmental years.

Chris graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Religion from Messiah College. He then obtained a Masters Degree in Education with a concentration in agriculture mechanics from Kansas State University. While at Kansas State University, he met Marlys Schoneweis through involvement with Intervarsity Christian fellowship. They were married in July 1981.

In 1982, Chris and Marlys accepted a three-year assignment under Brethren in Christ Missions at Sikalongo Bible Institute, Choma, Zambia. Upon completion of three fulfilling years at Sikalongo Bible Institute, they accepted an invitation in 1985 to return to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where they joined the community at Paxton Street Home (now Paxton Ministries). Initially, serving as Maintenance Coordinator, Chris then accepted the position of Administrator in 1987 where he served until 2010.

While at Paxton Ministries, Chris and Marlys’ two children, Kendra and Trevor, were born and grew into young adults. In 2010, Chris and Marlys accepted an invitation to return to Zambia where he took up the position of Administrative Director at Macha Research Trust. He continues in that role today.

Born in the village in northwest part of Zambia, Gerald grew up loving sports but just doing it for fun.

In 2000 God changed his life.  Wanting to know more about Jesus he joined a pastoral leadership training with AFMIN (now EMIT), in South Africa. 

Passionate about children and youth, he  served in his local congregation as the youth pastor and as the Chairperson for Children in the northwest part of Zambia. In 2011 Gerald joined was inspired to join the  sports movement and was sent to the International Sports Leadership School in South Africa to be further equipped and prepared for a life in sports ministry.

Since 2022, Gerald as served as Managing Director at Macha Sport + Learning Project, while also having the privilege of being a member on the pastoral team at Macha Praise Center.

​

Gerald, or 'Coach G' as he is known by most people, is married to his wife Evelyn. Together they have been blessed with five children: Mercy, Patience, Gerald(Junior), Emmanuel and Wanna.

​