Staff & Boards

Our supporters are often surprised to learn an organization with such far-reaching impact is run by such a small team. Learn about our Headquarters Staff, based in South Burlington, Vermont.

William Ryerson, MPhil
President

Bill oversees all PMC activity and travels around the world for current and new program development. Since 2008, Bill has also served as Chair and CEO of Population Institute in Washington, DC, which works in partnership with Population Media Center.  He has more than 40 years of experience working in the field of reproductive health, including two decades of experience using the Sabido methodology of behavior change communications.  He holds a Master of Philosophy in Biology from Yale University and a BA from Amherst College.

 

Kriss Barker, PhD., MPH
Vice President of International Programs

Kriss oversees all in-country PMC operations with responsibilities ranging from selecting and training PMC’s in-country offices to monitoring research results. Kriss has trained Sabido writers and producers for more than 30 TV or radio programs and has authored several chapters and articles. She has over 25 years of experience in health development and communications. She holds a BA from Stanford University, a Master of Public Health from the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and a PhD from the University of Cape Town where she now lectures on social change scriptwriting.

 

Joseph J. Bish, MS
Director of Issue Advocacy

Joe supports and oversees a number of advocacy activities, including the Daily Email, the Weekly News Digest, the News Media and Editorial Leadership initiative, and Global Population Speak Out. He also oversees PMC’s state chapters and has been instrumental in planning numerous PMC networking and population advocacy strategy meetings. Joe holds a Master of Science in Environmental Advocacy and Organizing from Antioch University New England.

 

Lillie K. Bleau
Office Manager

Lillie supports and oversees administrative operations to make sure the office operates smoothly, including fiscal operations, human resources, and IT. Lillie has over eight years of experience in a variety of administrative roles in non-profit and corporate fields. She holds a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management from the University of Vermont.

 

Scott Connolly, EdD, MPH
Director of Research

Scott oversees PMC research activities for each program and also conducts in-country training workshops to build research capacity. Sabido serial dramas involve many stages of research, monitoring, and evaluation. Scott has over 20 years of experience in the design, production, and evaluation of media-based public health programs. He holds a Master of Public Health in Behavior Science and Health Communication from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Vermont.

 

Fatou Jah, PhD, MPS, MS
Research Associate

Fatou supports and oversees PMC research activities for each program, focusing on program design, monitoring and evaluation, and quality control. Fatou has over 14 years of experience conducting policy-oriented research to evaluate the impact of population and educational policies and programs. She holds a Master’s in Food Science from University of Guelph. She also holds a Master’s in International Development and Population and a PhD in Demography and Development Sociology, with minor concentrations in Research Methods, and Teaching, Learning and Policy, both from Cornell University.

 

William J. Rider, CPA
Vice President of Finance

Bill oversees all financial budgeting, accounting and reporting for the overall organization and each individual program. He manages all audit, banking and insurance activity, and he prepares new program development proposal budgets. Bill has more than 25 years of experience in non-profit finance and accounting. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Vermont.

 

Wendi Stein
Senior Program Associate

Wendi provides administrative and information management support for PMC programs and has participated in PMC’s qualitative research studies and training workshops for writers overseas. Wendi has experience working for mission-driven organizations, including community foundations, higher education, the arts, and sustainable forestry. She holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Brandeis University.

 

Stephanie Tholand, MPA
Director, Program & Partnership Development

Stephanie supports and oversees new program development and partnership building at PMC. Prior to joining PMC, she worked in non-profit administration and donor development, as well as working in Kenya in 2010 to advise on internal management strategies as a Pro Corps Volunteer. Stephanie holds a Master of Public Administration from San Francisco State University and a BA from Wake Forest University.

 

Missie Thurston
Director of Marketing and Communications

Missie oversees all marketing and communication activities, advancing PMC’s brand and mission across a variety of channels. She has more than ten years of marketing and communications experience and spent the five years prior to joining PMC working in public health. Missie holds a BA from St. Michael’s College and a certificate in Marketing Management from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington.

 

Paul Ugalde
Director of Development

Paul oversees all individual and foundation development activities. Paul has over 20 years of experience as a non-profit fundraiser, for organizations in health care, arts advocacy, public television, and higher education. He holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Vermont.