The hard-working and dedicated US Staff who maintain the vision, train and supervise our Myanmar staff, raise the funds, and spread the word to continue Shanta’s important work.
Wade Griffith - Executive Director
Wade Griffith is a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College and Vanderbilt University. While in graduate school at Vanderbilt, he was chosen for a Lilly Endowment program in Nicaragua. Specifically, the Lilly program funded research on successful economic development projects initiated by members of local communities rather than NGO's. This new approach to humanitarian assistance captivated Wade. As a result, he spent the next twenty-two years of his life (and 30+ trips to Nicaragua) re-educating churches on how to do development and humanitarian work in a manner that doesn't weaken communities by fostering dependence or undermining the self-reliance of the beneficiaries. His projects in Nicaragua involved medical clinics, clean water, housing, and education. An ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church, Wade has led three churches and served on staff in three others. His experience in church leadership has afforded him a wealth of experience in fundraising, volunteer recruitment, staff leadership, board development, and marketing. More importantly, his ministry experiences only deepened his desire to impact the lives of people living in extreme poverty. Wade has a wife, Julia, and two boys, Wade III and Haines. In his spare time, Wade enjoys golf, backpacking, fishing, reading, exercise, college football, and gardening.
Margery Poitras - Development Coordinator
Margery is a passionate member of the Durango community with experience helping various clients with their administrative needs before joining the Shanta family in 2019. Prior to administration, Margery worked in the culinary field as a caterer, recipe tester, restaurant chef, and all-around food entrepreneur. She has three kids, a loyal pooch, and enjoys travel, food, and the great outdoors.
