THANK YOU Project - Board of Directors
Charles Okorie graduated with a Masters degree in Architecture from Abia State University in Nigeria. Upon graduation, he worked for a firm in Lagos, Nigeria before setting up his own Design/Build firm- CBD Nigeria limited in 1998. Shortly after, he moved to the United States with his wife and daughter in 1999. Currently, he is the President/Chief Consultant of CBD Designs – a design firm based in Nashua, New Hampshire.
In college, he was an active member of the Christian Union. He is also a member of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship international.
In his local church – First Church of Nashua, NH. UCC, he is on the board of the property management committee, an Usher, a Deacon, and a Reader.
Charles is married to Dr. Mrs. Ijeoma Okorie (nee Igbogbahaka). They are blessed with 4 children – 2 boys and 2 girls.
Akin Ayi was born in Ondo state in Nigeria. He began his career as both an elementary and high school teacher in the 1970s before he came to the United States in 1976.
Attended the University of Michigan and graduated with a BS degree in Engineering in 1979, and a BS degree in Computer Science from Eastern Michigan University.
In the 1980s, he moved to New Hampshire and worked at various levels of software engineering development at Wang Labs. In the early 1990s worked at Cabletron as Development Manager for the IBM connectivity group. He later worked as Director of Software Engineering at a number of startup companies in the New England area including, Opticom, Wavesmith, and currently at Nextchoice.
Akin has lived in Nashua for over 30 years. He has volunteered with the interfaith group here in Nashua working to end homelessness and through his church volunteers at the Nashua Soup Kitchen.
Akin is a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Nashua, NH and is married, father of 2 sons and grandfather of 2.
James Chaloner graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a BA degree in history in 1970. Jim worked in the Human Resource Department at the J.F. McElwain Company for five years following his graduation from college. In 1976 Jim enrolled at Bangor Theological Seminary. In 1979 Jim earned a M. Div. degree and was ordained in that same year. He was called to the First Church of Nashua, NH UCC as an Associate Minister in 1979. In 1984 Jim was called to be the church’s twenty second Senior Minister. Today, Jim continues to serve as the Senior Minister of the First Church of Nashua UCC. Jim is married to Lisa and has three grown children.
Ken graduated from the University of the Pacific in his home state of California where he earned his bachelor's degree as well as his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry. After working in the R&D lab of companies like Biogen on various potential drugs for ranging from cancer to congestive heart failure, he moved to the business development side of the pharmaceutical industry. He has been the Director of US Sales and Business Development for Flamma (which is based in Italy) since 2010.
Together with a small group of concerned owners, he led an effort to secure a settlement valued at over $24M in order to restore and refurbish the Bluebeard's Castle Resort (located in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.) and get the Board of Director's in owner's control.
Ken is a member of First Church in Nashua where he has served on the Board of Deacons and the Board of Christian Education. Ken is married to Natasha and has 3 active & lovely children.
Nzenalu Obinelo has lived in Nashua, NH for 16 years now with her husband, Izuh and 3 very active children, who are ages 11, 15 and 16. She was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and is a Nigerian Canadian, who has travelled many times to Nigeria during her childhood and as an adult, along with her husband and children. Nzenalu lived in Nigeria for 2 years during her childhood. She graduated from University of Windsor, where she received both her Bachelor and Masters degrees in Social Work.
Nzenalu has been the Director of Family Services at Gateways Community Services in Nashua for 15 years now. She is an active member of Immaculate Conception Parish and volunteers with a number of community groups, such as: Nigerian Association of Merrimack Valley, Okpu Mbaise Women's' Group, Nashua High School South, Anne Marie House, Nashua Soup Kitchen, Avon Breast Cancer Walk and Komen Breast Cancer Walk, to name a few. She is an avid runner and loves outdoor activities such as skiing and especially hiking and backpack camping with her family and friends.
Matt and his wife of thirty years, Leslie, have lived in Nashua for 25+ years, and raised two children, Kate and Matthew. Matt is a graduate of St Lawrence University, Canton NY (BS Economics) with an M.B.A. from Rivier College, Nashua, NH. He is President and Founder of Find Me Faster, an online advertising and marketing agency in Nashua.
Matt is a member of First Church First Church Congregational (UCC) Nashua, NH, and has been active in its music and stewardship ministries. He served in leadership roles for two successful capital campaigns (2001, 2014) and works with church communities across NH to inspire generosity in support of their missions.
An active musician, Matt has always enjoyed playing trumpet and singing (tenor). With his twin brother, Tom, he established a trust fund to support instrumental music in Ewing NJ public school system to help ensure get into the hands of any student who expresses an interest. Matt also serves as a trustee of Symphony NH.
Matt chairs the public relations and fundraising commitee for Building Dreams for Marines, an all volunteer organization that provides adaptive home improvements for NH Marine veterans.