In addition to a formal Board of Directors, One Small House has several other volunteers who are integral to its operation. From coordinating trips to organizing fundraising events, these members work selflessly to ensure that One Small House continues to effectively help those in need. Each of these members has a unique set of skills that has facilitated the incredible growth of OSH over the recent years. United by an incredible atitude and desire to help those in need, these members are owed a great deal of thanks for their work. And since we don’t pay them, we decided to let them have a few moments of glory on the website. Meet our Board of Advisors (in no particular order)…
Born and raised in the Bronx, Sushmitha (Sush) Reddy currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, where she attends medical school. As a doctor, Sush hopes to become an advocate for the less fortunate and has been an incredible leader for One Small House. Despite having an intense workload at school, she has been an incredible leader for One Small House and has managed to help lead three OSH in her first year! Sush enjoys swimming, jewelry making and of course, a good glass of wine!
Alex Langley is from a small town near Syracuse, NY. He attended the University of Rochester and earned a Masters in Public Health degree from Tufts University. He is drawn to the “general awesomeness” of One Small House and has been an incredible asset organizing trips. His “Spanglish” skills are not only a valuable skill, they also earned him the “Rosetta Stone Award” during the clinic build in December 2010. Above all, his great attitude epitomizes One Small House.
A dedicated music teacher by profession, Eric Katz is a self-described “tool man.” Beyond the tacos, developing his Spanish skills and using power tools, Eric embodies the sense of community that One Small House is built upon. Whether it be his brother, mother or own children, Eric’s entire family has been a part of helping the lives of less fortunate families. He is also heavily involved in expanding One Small House’s reach by organizing projects within the United States.
Born a Midwestern-er, turned New York-er and wanna be Mexican-er, Craig Ness has been involved with One Small House since his return to the States from teaching high school in Mexico for two years. His enthusiasm for speaking Spanish, tacos and listening to Banda music is matched only by his sincere desire to help the disadvantaged. Currently pursuing a joint MD/MPH degree in Brooklyn, Craig hopes to continue working to address health disparities around the world.
Ankur Srivastava was born in Kanpur, India and immigrated to the US in 2001. His experiences growing up in India and the US made him appreciative of health disparities in the developing world, and this shaped his desire to pursue a career in medicine. After completing his bachelor’s degree at Stony Brook University, Ankur matriculated at Downstate College of Medicine, where he met Rob Katz and joined One Small House in their project to construct the community health center in Ejidos Lazaro Cardenas in December 2010. He was so taken in by OSH’s commitment to address health disparities and provide decent housing to this community that he attended a second build in March 2011, and continues to be very supportive of OSH’s goals and projects.
Gail Saetta has been a huge contributor the work of One Small House. A native of Long Island, Gail works managing a global application development team for the Neilsen Company, when she’s not busy building homes in Mexico, Haiti or Mississippi (to name a few). Her sense of humor, attention to detail and ability to swing a hammer, make her a huge asset on all fronts.
A jack of all trades, Dave Dobson is a recent addition to One Small House and couldn’t be more qualified. A self-described motor-head (currently working on a 1972 TR6), Dave is also incredibly busy on the non-profit homebuilding front. He has worked re-building homes all around the world from Sri Lanka to Louisiana. In addition to helping One Small House, Dave is a National Responder for the American Red Cross.
Kevin Steffens (RN, MBA and soon to be MPH) has been with One Small House for over eight years and done a little bit of everything. From delivering insulation through the mud to directing the annual dessert party fundraiser (stay tuned for this year’s), Kevin has been an important part of One Small House over the years. When he’s not busy with us, he works as the Director of Nursing, Prevention and Outreach at a Community Health Center in NYC.
In addition to the biographies above, Joe Zidanic and Andrei Assa are also members of our Board of Advisors.