Suzy Benson Gillies is the Founder and President of African Promise Foundation. She is the wife and mother of five children, but many children in Uganda also fondly call her mom. Suzy has an Elementary teaching degree from Brigham Young University and currently works as a substitute teacher.
Suzy is an avid soccer player and coach. She was the co-coach for the first American girls soccer team to go to Uganda (2009). Suzy has a deep love for the vulnerable children and feels a responsibility to help make their future brighter.
Shawn works professionally as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in 1998 and has worked in that field since then. Shawn spent his first 10 years out of school in the administration of a large family services organization. He has since founded his own private therapy practice, where he works with people suffering from a variety of mental health challenges.
Shawn has always believed deeply in the “power of one.” As a mental health professional, he has spent his life lifting and strengthening the downtrodden. His desire to help lift people out of poverty and his belief in each person’s ability to make a difference drives his commitment to the APF mission. His sincere desire is to provide hope to the people of Uganda, one person at a time.
Shawn has been married to Suzy for sixteen years, and they have four children. When he’s not working, you’re likely to find him with a wrench in his hand, rag in his pocket and under the hood of a classic Mustang – his hobby since age 15. More than anything, however, Shawn enjoys spending time with his family, attending sporting events, playing racquetball, hanging out with his children and spending time being active outdoors.
Compelled by the plight of the many Northern Ugandans left in the wake of a bloody and lengthy civil war, Suzanne Burke-Wiggins is profoundly grateful to be able to help give them a voice through her work with African Promise Foundation.
Suzanne graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in Humanities and began her professional career in business management for retail giant Gap, Inc. However, she soon realized that her passion truly lay in making a difference in the lives of underprivileged families and children. With that desire, Suzanne returned to school to obtain the education and skills necessary to make this desire a reality.
Suzanne graduated cum laude from the Seattle University School of Law in 2001. While in law school, she reconfirmed her commitment to disadvantaged families and children by donating her time and legal skills to children caught in the often endless web of the juvenile court system. Since then, Suzanne has been practicing law in the Seattle area, focusing her practice on trust and estate planning.
Suzanne is married with five beautiful children. When she is not on an adventure with them, you will find her drafting estate documents or advancing the goals of African Promise Foundation. In her spare time, Suzanne enjoys traveling, reading, theater and the arts. She is also an avid runner.
Having been inspired by the dedication of her co-workers in the foundation, MaryKai Boulton joined African Promise in 2010. She cannot think of a better way to spend her time than in support of this cause and of the people in Uganda.
MaryKai earned her bachelors degree in 2001 from Utah State University with majors in Marketing and Accounting. She went on to spend two years working as a small business auditor for the IRS, before leaving to focus on starting a family. She has since worked part time preparing taxes for individuals and small businesses and is currently co-owner with her husband of C & M Tax and Accounting Services.
She is married with two wonderful children. She enjoys running and reading, but most of all spending time with her family.
Jason Carson is a passionate believer in the power of determined, compassionate and optimistic individuals to change the world. Moved by the power of the written word, Jason knew that awareness of the situation in Northern Uganda was not enough. Having been blessed richly in his own life, he feels a call to leverage his means and capabilities to make a difference in Uganda.
Jason earned his Bachelor of Arts in communications and his Master of Business Administration from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He has represented and worked for several multi-national and start-up technology companies over the past 10 years, work which has taken him to many countries in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions. He also lived in Austria for two years as a church missionary, where he learned to speak German.
Jason enjoys being with his wife of 13 years and his three handsome and talented sons. He also enjoys photography, flyfishing, reading, traveling to new places, meeting new people and change in many forms.
