Staff Bios
Program Specialist Carly Tucker explains why she joined GLA
At GLA, we take extra care in selecting the best possible staff. But our staff members also have unique backgrounds and experiences that made running a GLA program the perfect fit for them. Here are some of their stories:
Ryan Feinstein
Ryan is a facilitator and leadership development coach residing in Bali, Indonesia. For the past several years he has been running service-learning and educational trips for Universities and High School groups from around the world, including as International Director for GLA Bali. Prior to moving to Bali, he was the Teen Director at the Jewish Community Center in La Jolla, CA. Ryan received his BA in International Studies from UC San Diego.
Meet International Director Ryan Feinstein
Anne-Claire Benoit
Anne-Claire was raised in California and studied French and Political Science at Simmons College. She served in Niger, Africa in the Peace Corps and also worked as a youth facilitator in California. She has her master’s degree in International Development from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Anne-Claire has traveled to over 30 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. She is excited to share her passion for travel, culture, and meaningful service with GLA students.
Dave Addison
Dave holds a BA from the University of the State of New York in International Relations and a PhD in Global Sustainability from Argosy University. Prior to working with GLA, Dave was a US Navy Seal and a financial analyst on Wall Street. Having raised three children, he now lives in the Dominican Republic working on environmental sustainability and humanitarian projects with high school students. Dave loves sharing his knowledge with students and inspiring them to build a healthy, habitable planet for future generations.
Meet Local Director Dave Addison
Annabel Smith
Annabel holds a BA in International History and MS in Human Rights from the London School of Economics. She has taught in the UK, the US and East Africa, and is currently the Director of Global Studies and Community Partnerships at the American School in London. Her passion for human rights education led her to join GLA. She has directed GLA programs in India and South Africa.
Esther Simba
Country Director for GLA programs in Tanzania, Esther has a wealth of experience in education and volunteer programming. She has taught primary school and secondary school, trained teachers at multiple teacher training colleges, consulted for the US Peace Corps, and was the founding Country Director for Cross-Cultural Solutions Tanzania. She also co-facilitates international women’s empowerment workshops. Through the development of her own organization, Experience Tanzania, Esther has partnered with local and international organizations working to be the change.
Meet Country Director Esther Simba
Orlando Arizandieta
Orlando studied Business Administration and is trilingual in Spanish, English, and Norwegian. In addition to having over a decade of experience facilitating service-learning programs for youth, Orlando has also worked for the Guatemalan government and with high school students and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. He has worked to eradicate poverty, produce green energy, and promote multiculturalism and ethnic diversity. He finds sharing his culture and language with GLA students very rewarding.
Our 21-day Flagship programs provide the ideal amount of time to satisfy every dimension of the GLA Experience.