Board of Directors
Founder & Visionary
Phd,. RD, Professor of Nutrition, Texas Tech University
Chancellor: Daystar University in Kenya Africa, Adjunct Professor: Hawassa University in Ethiopia
Board Chair
Andrew is a tax and accounting professional at a Fortune 500 company and passionate about education and empowering those who desire to succeed.
MS, BBA, University of Houston
C.T. Bauer College of Business
Assistant Professor, Texas Tech University. PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Governance & Overall Strategy;
Global expert on skills, the future of work, and future-proofing companies and their employees; Co-founder and Executive Director of Degreed; Coauthor of The Expertise Economy.
Co-Founder & Executive Chairman at Degreed
Treasurer
Kate is an accountant at a Big Four Accounting firm based in Texas.
She has a passion to bring high quality educational opportunities, and avenues for wealth and better health, to young women across all of East Africa.
MBA, Louisiana Tech University
BA, Grambling State University
Secretary
Brenda brings decades of experience in Communication and Bookkeeping to the service of the board. She’s responsible for coordinating logistics of all the on-going activities.
BA, Texas Tech University
Project Management
Phd., Texas Tech University, MPA, University of Southern California
Marketing Strategist
BA, Texas Tech University
Legal Affairs
“While I take the law seriously, I don’t take myself too seriously. The law is too scary to be scared of your attorney, too.”
Partner at McMillion & Saltzman, PLLC. JD, Texas Tech School of Law MA, BA, Texas Tech University
Education/Curriculum Planning
With a bachelor of Science in Education, and a Master of Science in Educational Psychology, Ms. Njoki works for the Ministry of Education where she specializes in assessing the Quality of Education as well as Monitoring and Evaluation. She is Based in Nariobi, Kenya MS, Kenyatta University.
BS, University of Nairobi
Marketing & Outreach
MBA20, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
Marketing
Goodwill Ambassadors
Charity is a native of Uganda and Rwanda but currently resident of Northern California. Her professional back ground is both in software Engineering and Risk Assessment with a BS in Computer Science and an MBA. She believes utilizing technology and empowering women, with a passion of volunteering with different organizations that support women and families to sustain themselves.
Charity is enthusiastic about being a Goodwill Ambassador for Top of The Hill Girls Secondary School as she is passionate about girls’ education and she believes that a THGSS education will make an impact in Africa.
Diane is passionate about lifelong learning. This passion has led her to pursue a wide variety of personal and professional interests focused on the emotional and spiritual well-being of individuals and communities.
After receiving a BS in Psychology and a BFA in Acting, she went on to work and volunteer with various non-profits. She currently works as an Education Specialist for Girls with Grit, an Austin-based organization working with teens to prevent sex trafficking through education. She also teaches Mindfulness Self-Compassion classes in the community.
Diane is thrilled to amplify the work and voice of Mary Murimi in any way she can. She is passionate about the mission of Top of the Hill Girls Secondary School, and the impact – both local and global – it will have.
I had a chance encounter with Dr. Mary Murimi in 2004. We now know Dr. Murimi as the founder and visionary behind THGSS. However, at that time, to me she was a Professor of Nutrition at Louisiana Tech University. She graciously allowed me to work with her as an undergraduate assistant. Little did we know this would be the start of a something much greater.
For the next 11 years, Dr. Murimi would mentor, push, and help me fulfill my potential. After earning my PhD under the direction of Dr. Murimi, I am now living my dream as a registered and licensed dietitian and Assistant Professor at The University of Alabama. I am also the Assistant Chair for our department and the Director of our Human Nutrition Master’s Program.
Through my experiences, I understand firsthand how a single, divine appointment can alter a person’s life. I believe this is what THGSS will be for the next generation of Kenyan girls. Through this opportunity, I am confident they will be equipped with the tools necessary to better their lives and change their world.
Misti has an MS in nutrition and dietetics from Louisiana Tech University. She enjoys working in the community and is currently employed by a nonprofit organization that assists students with removing obstacles from achieving secondary education. She is wife to Alan and mother to Ella and Logan and resides in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Dr. Murimi was my major professor and undoubtedly the greatest influence on my education and professional career. She was my gateway into the field of education. She taught me what it means to question and discover, and that education is paramount to changing the world. When I met Dr. M, I was a stumbling student trying to find my way. After working with her and learning under her wing, I entered the field equipped, confident, and committed. And I know I am not an outlier, as the lives she’s changed are many. I know this school will be no different. Empowering young women is just one of Dr. Murimi’s many gifts. I am honored and thrilled to be a part of her vision for THGSS.
Phrashiah Githinji is a Doctoral student at Texas Tech University. She was born and raised in Kenya and she previously worked as a lecturer before living Kenya to pursue her Doctoral studies in the United States.
Dr. Mary Murimi is my graduate advisor and mentor. She is my ‘academic mama’ and is walking with me to fulfill my PhD studies in Community Nutrition. I continue to learn from her that we have a higher calling to influence people and change lives for the better. She has a great vision for the Top of the Hill Girls and as a fellow Kenyan I am excited because I know the school is greatly needed. I am honored to be a Goodwill Ambassador for THGSS and to help fulfill her vision.
Above both the entrance and exit to my school is a plaque that simply says “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve”, and I have tried my best to remember how fortunate I was to be educated in a place where all people are valued and respected.
Remembering from Luke’s gospel…”To whom much is given, much is expected”.
It is my sincere desire to strive to give all young people the same opportunities I was given.
BS, Political Science The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
JD, Dedman School of Law, Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
MBA, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University Chicago, IL
Practice Oil & Gas Law in Dallas TX
Advisory Board
- Mr. Joshua Irungu, Former Governor of Laikipia County
- Mr. Kanyutu, Chairman of the Local Committee
- Mr. Dominic Kimata, Founder and CEO of Kimata legal firm
- Mr. Joseph Kiuna
- Ms. Beatrice Wanjiku Runanu
- Ms. Jane Gathoni Runanu
Partners
