Foundation Board

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Mr. Matthew Lee, Jr.

Chair

Mr. Matthew Lee, Jr.

Chair

Matthew Lee, Jr., serves as the Chair of the Partners of the Americas Foundation Board. Mr. Lee is a long-time Partners member, dating back to 1989. He has served as President, Vice President, Treasurer and Board Member of the Georgia Partners for multiple terms. Mr. Lee is a member of Partners of the Americas/Kellogg Fellowship in International Development Group VIII, has served on the International Board of Directors and contributes to the organization at the Ambassador Level. Professionally, Mr. Lee was a Solutions & Services Executive and the resident Healthcare Specialist in the Atlanta area for the Xerox Corporation’s Southeast Operation. During his time at Xerox, Mr. Lee earned numerous President’s Club and Top Performer awards. He retired after a 32 1/2 year career with Xerox Corporation. Mr. Lee attended the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling the globe, volunteering, and staying fit.
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Ms. Beth Outterson

Treasurer (Portland, Oregon)

Ms. Beth Outterson

Treasurer (Portland, Oregon)

Beth Outterson has been a part of Partners of the Americas since 1993, when she received the Partners Kellogg Fellowship in International Community Development (IX). During the fellowship period, she conducted a health theater project on HIV and drug abuse with teens in Washington D.C.’s partner city of Brasilia, Brazil. After the fellowship, Ms. Outterson became involved with the Washington, D.C. Chapter, serving as secretary for two years and later as president for six years. Earlier in her career, after receiving her master’s degree in public health and Latin American Studies, Ms. Outterson served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo). Upon her return, she worked as a health educator in the U.S. migrant and seasonal farmworkers across the eastern shore states, and later moved to Washington, D.C. to work with a national farmworker employment and training program. She then served in training and advisory roles at the U.S. Peace Corps and several nonprofit organizations, including Family Health International, Save the Children, and Medical Teams International. Ms. Outterson is currently an independent public health consultant in Portland, Oregon.
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Dr. Paula Laschober

Director (Washington Chapter)

Dr. Paula Laschober

Director (Washington Chapter)

Dr. Paula Laschober serves as the Treasurer for both the International Board of Directors and the Foundation Board of Directors. Dr. Laschober has been a member of the Washington chapter of Partners of the Americas since 1989. She currently serves as the Chair of the Education and Social Development Committee and is an Executive Director. She has served in a variety of roles within the chapter since 1989 including the Chair of the Economic Development Committee, Vice President and President. She has also served on the Partners’ Interamerican Board of Directors and has attended more than ten annual international conventions since 1993. Previously, Dr. Laschober received the Kellogg International Fellowship in Community Development and has held the position of Chair of the Education and Social Development Committee.
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Dr. Ashish Abraham

Director (San Diego, California)

Dr. Ashish Abraham

Director (San Diego, California)

Dr. Ashish Abraham is currently the President of Abraham Strategic Health Consulting, providing clients with consulting services in the areas of organizational strategy, revenue optimization, health program design, operations, quality measurement, and improvement. Dr. Abraham is an entrepreneur and a seasoned healthcare management executive with more than 20 years of diversified experience in direct clinical care, healthcare operations, health technology, data analytics, and strategic consulting for government and commercial clients. Prior to his work at UnitedHealth Group, Dr. Abraham was a Principal and Physician-Leader at Mercer Consulting. In 2007, Dr. Abraham co-founded Altruista Health, a care management technology and solutions company, and served as the founding CEO in the formative years of the company’s existence. He then went on to serve as President and Chairman of the board and is still actively involved on the board of Altruista Health under its new ownership. Dr. Abraham completed his medical training from Christian Medical College in India and has also earned master’s degrees in business administration and health administration from Arizona State University.
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Mr. John McPhail

President & CEO

Mr. John McPhail

President & CEO

With almost three decades of experience in organizational leadership, John is a seasoned expert in partnership building, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement. He is passionate about community development in Latin America and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador. After his service, he remained in the country for a total of over fifteen years, marrying a Salvadoran doctor and raising their three daughters.   John brings significant experience as a country director for international nonprofits including Save the Children, World Vision, and Project Concern International. He has held leadership positions on the Boards of numerous local nonprofits and associations in El Salvador, providing operational and strategic direction. He coordinated or co-coordinated multiple national and regional networks in Central America in health, water & sanitation, and agriculture/food security. John received a BS in Civil Engineering from MIT and a Master’s in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign. He is fluent in Spanish and has a working knowledge of French.   John enjoys listening to music, playing volleyball and frisbee, and spending time with his family.