NUDF Executive

Chairman – Dr. Chris Opio
chris@nudf.org
Dr. Opio, a Canadian citizen, is a professor at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. He was born and raised in Kamdini Parish, Oyam District, Northern Uganda (a war-torn, poverty-stricken region). Dr. Opio’s parents were peasant farmers and very poor. His mother never went to school (she could not read and write); and his father stopped in Grade 4. Dr. Opio and his nine siblings grew up in abject poverty. Like all other children in his village, Dr. Opio and his family had nothing by the Ugandan standards: they walked bare foot, had to drink dirty water full of parasites, and suffered from bilharzia and many other water borne-diseases. Dr. Opio, together with his siblings and mother, spent considerable amount of time traveling long distances to collect dirty water for drinking. However, Dr. Opio’s parents were dedicated Christians and knew the value of education. They sacrificed all they had to send their children to school. Dr. Opio did his early education in Uganda and worked briefly there before immigrating to Canada in 1982. In Canada, he attended and graduated from the Universities of New Brunswick, Fredericton; Calgary, and Alberta.

Manager, Uganda – Geoffrey Odongo
geoffrey@nudf.org
Geoffrey Odongo who is an Alumni of University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) was born and raised in Kamdini, a village in rural northern Uganda. Before joining the graduate school at UNBC, in the College and Science and Management Program in 2001, he held a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Management from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. While at UNBC, he remained a permanent advocate for the plight of people in northern Uganda following a devastating civil conflict which lasted well over two decades. His views and passion for the people facing untold suffering in his native northern Uganda greatly contributed to the founding of Northern Uganda Development Foundation (NUDF).

NUDF Communications Coordinator  – Glen Montgomery The NUDF Communications Coordinator provides the information flow that keeps all of us up to date and connects everyone involved in NUDF: the Executive, Donors, Volunteers, Project Managers, Contractors, and our Ugandan Constituents.  The Communications Coordinator is the ‘go to’ person for people, project, and status information, keeping track of and publishing everything that is going on in and around NUDF.  The CC provides the glue that enables NUDF to be effective at accomplishing its Mission.Glen currently works at the University of Northern British Columbia as the Manager of Enterprise Infrastructure. Prior to starting at UNBC in 2002, Glen developed his experience in the field of Information Technology by working in various positions within two forestry companies in northwest British Columbia. In addition to holding a bachelors degree in Computer Science, Glen has obtained several professional certifications in the technology field and has been trained in accounting and business leadership. However, his career training pales in comparison to the amount he has learned by raising two children. In addition to striving for continuous education, Glen works toward the holistic health of the mind, body, spirit, and community. Glen grew up in a very small town and has lived in several cities and towns in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and New Zealand.

NUDF Treasurer – Dave Nielsen
Bio coming soon.

NUDF Director At Large – Ted Renquist
Ted likes to say he was raised in beautiful downtown Burnaby. He came to Prince George in 1974 for a teaching position and adventure for just a couple of years; he retired from the school district in 2007 as a school administrator. Ted has never lost his interest in history. While studying at Simon Fraser University he became interested in African history. In later years he continued his passion for history and was presented the Jeanne Clarke Memorial Award for his research into the history of local education in Prince George. His interest in Africa, especially Uganda has also developed because his wife Janet is from northern Uganda. Ted continues to serve his community in retirement. Besides being a director for NUDF he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Caribou Action Training Society, and an active member of the African Heritage Society and the College of New Caledonia Black History Committee. As Director at large he takes on projects that need considerable time which other directors who work full time cannot fulfill.