Board
Njoki Muwarumba
Njoki Mwarumba Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Management and Disaster Preparedness at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Dr. Mwarumba’s scholarship, pedagogy, volunteerism and community engagement lies at the intersection of global public health disasters, social vulnerability in disasters and building of social capital for resilience. Her dissertation was an examination of select indicators of social vulnerability and determinants of health, and their impact on the global community during the H1N1 2009 pandemic. The dissertation encapsulates Dr. Mwarumba’s interest in the role of social vulnerability during public health disasters for purposes of engaging and bolstering social capital and indigenous knowledge towards more resilient communities.
Shawntal M. Mallory Smith
Shawntal M. Mallory Smith, Esq. is a native of Omaha and an alumna of Creighton University and Creighton School of Law. Shawntal is employed as Vice President of Talent Development & General Counsel for Omaha Home for Boys and is also self-employed a licensed practicing attorney specializing in adoption, juvenile and family law, and employment law. Shawntal is extremely proud of her role as one of very few African American women licensed and certified by the Nebraska State Bar Association to represent hundreds of abused and neglected children in the foster care system as a Guardian ad Litem and Adoption Attorney, many of which are black, Latino and native children, over the past twelve years.
Gorod Daful
Gorod Daful has extensive experience in program building and implementation, quality assurance, and community organization related to distaster relief and refugee services. Gorod has rich experience in volunteering with UNHCR, United Nations Volunteers, American Red Cross, and CARE which included contributing to UN sustainable development goals. Gorod holds an MBA with a concentration in organizational leadership from Brandman University and MA in International Relations from Staffordshire University. Additionally, Gorod completed an advanced certificate course in Humanitarian Response to Conflict and Disaster from Harvard University. He has certifications in Project Management, community protection, child psychology, and monitoring and evaluations. Gorod was a former refugee who once lived in one of the world’s largest refugee camps in Kenya.
Abdi Abdinoor
Abdi Abdinoor was born in Somalia but raised in Kenya. He is a father of four boys and two girls. Abdi is an immigrant entrepreneur and owner of Eagle Eye LLC, a tax and accounting firm based in Des Moines, IA. For the past 10 years, he has worked with Des Moines Public Schools as a Community Liaison. Abdi earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the Upper Iowa University. Currently, Abdi is attending Drake University to obtain my Master’s in Education. His hobbies are reading fiction books and watching soccer. Abdi is a family man and spends most of the time with his children and the community he serves.
Tee Shee Ku
Tee Shee Ku is an immigrant entrepreneur. She Co-owns and runs Osuha Home Health Care. Prior to that, she worked at Karen Society of Nebraska as a community outreach coordinator and case manager helping refugees get assistance with applications and navigation of public benefits. Tee Shee Ku graduated from University of Nebraska Omaha with Bachelor of Arts in General Studies and Minor in Sociology. Tee Shee Ku worked with Lutheran Family Services as a Case Manager between 2017 to 2019. She has passion to help the Karen Community as well as all refugees and immigrants from Omaha and surrounding suburbs.