Leadership and Management Team take the reins of The Anna Trust

The Anna Trust Foundation announces its governing Board Members and now has an executive management team in place to begin the process of program development and sisters’ engagement in program implementation.

The Board is comprised of Catholic sisters and lay persons with a wide range of expertise in elder care, research, and management from across the globe.

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The Chair of the Board is Sr. Patricia Murray, IBVM who led the formation of the Trust in Rome and is currently Executive Secretary of the International Union of Superiors General. The Vice-Chair is Sr. Teresa Maya, CCVI, Senior Director for Theology and Sponsorship in the Catholic Health Association (USA). Sr. Patricia is also Chair of the Development Committee of the Board.

The Board includes:

• Sr. Dr. Carren A. Owuor, ASN, Senior Medical Officer at the Naivasha Subcounty Referral Hospital, Naivasha, in Kenya. Sr. Dr. Carren also holds an MBA in Healthcare Management.

• Norma Baker, Director at the Sisters of Mercy The Residence at Littledale in Newfoundland, Canada, a facility for independent sisters and sisters requiring assisted, long term, and convalescent care reside together with lay residents. Ms. Baker is also Chair of the Nominations and Governance Committee of the Board.

• Manuel Martin Carrasco, Ph.D., Vice President of the Spanish Society of Psychiatry. Dr. Carrasco’s specialty is in psychogeriatrics, specifically on caregiver overload, evaluation of care programs and psychopharmacological treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and depression in the elderly.

• Cristina Durante, Ph.D. Director of the Good Shepherd International Foundation developing and funding programs for the Good Shepherd Sisters congregation around the world.

• Fr. Thomas P. Gaunt, SJ, Director of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University. Under Fr. Gaunt’s leadership, CARA has established a base of research on Catholic sisters’ aging and is in the process of developing regional research centers in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Fr. Tom is also Chair of the Finance Committee of the Board.

• Sr. Maria Nirmalini, AC is the Superior General of the Apostolic Carmel and the President of the Conference of Religious, India. Sr. Nirmalini is an educator by training and has received a number of awards for educational leadership. She is Chair of the Program Committee of the Board.

• Stefano Peruzzotti, Ph.D. is Director of the Institute for the Support of the Clergy of the Diocese of Milan. He is a member of the Boards of Directors of healthcare companies and is a member of the Strategic Committee for securities investments of the Piccola Casa della Divina Provvidenza.

• Sr. Rosalia Sakayombo, RSHS is currently the superior general of her congregation and the president of the Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA). Sr. Rosalia holds her degree in education from the Charles Lwanga College of Education. is an educator by training.

• Elma van den Nouland is Palliative Case Manager for the Het Spectrum Foundation and Project Coordinator for the Elizabeth Foundation. She has sent a decade in health care in Ethiopia and in 2024 was named a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau by His Majesty King Willem Alexander in honor of her work on human trafficking.

• Sr. Jane Wakahiu, LSOSF Ph.D. is Associate Director of Program Operations and Head of the Catholic Sisters Initiative of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, Sr. Jane was the executive director of the African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC).

The initial Executive Management team of The Anna Trust brings strong management and technical expertise to the start of operations of the Trust.

Susan Raymond, Ph.D. is Senior Advisor to the Trust. She has decades of experience in program and institutional design for the World Bank, the Agency for International Development, the New York Academy of Sciences, and private consulting companies. She is extensively published on the demographic transition and the economic impacts on health financing of aging globally. Susan earned her BA Phi Beta Kappa from Macalester College, with a year at the American University in Cairo, Egypt and her MA and Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Sr. Siobhán O’Keeffe, SS.HJM is Director of the Cognitive Impairment and Support Initiative of The Anna Trust. She is a Registered General Nurse with a Hons Bachelor’s Degree in Health Promotion, a Master’s Degree in Applied Theology, Justice, Peace and Mission studies, and a Diploma in Dementia Care. She is a trained facilitator and offers Spirituality and Dementia Care Training to religious communities.

Miriam di Bartolo is Administrative and Communication Assistant of The Anna Trust. She earned her master’s degree in Communication, Evaluation, and Social Research for Organizations at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”. She also studied in Argentina and Crete graduating with honors. She was recognized as “Outstanding Faculty Graduate of the year” by the University of Rome “La Sapienza”.