About - ILAD

ABOUT ILAD

Equipping communities with tools for native language literacy & sustainable livelihoods

International Literacy and Development is a 501c3 promoting human flourishing in mind, body and spirit. Since 2011, we have partnered with marginalized language communities, including refugees, to create access to literacy, livelihoods, and services in their own language, with dignity and sustainability.

Across the world, language can be a wall. When services, schools, and markets don’t speak your language, opportunity stays out of reach. ILAD exists to change that. We partner with low-resourced language communities, including refugees, co-create accessible native language materials, build resilient small businesses, and strengthen local agriculture.

ILAD’S RESULTS

Families access healthcare, education, and financial services in their own language; household incomes grow; and programs continue under local leadership. Because people are made to flourish—and when language includes rather than excludes, communities thrive.

EXECUTIVE ILAD

Brenda Holland, President and CEO of ILAD, spent 12 years in Togo, Africa where she worked with various development projects including women’s empowerment and literacy. Adding to her international experience, Ms. Holland received her master’s degree in International Community Development from Eastern University and a life-coaching certification from CoachNet International. Her education and extensive cross-cultural experience gives Ms. Holland a balanced approach to economic development among under-resourced language communities. Ms. Holland has served in this role since 2014.

Mandy Chankin is the Director of Communications for ILAD. She holds a BA in Human Resources from Harding University, an MS in Secondary Education, and an MS in Missions from Abilene Christian University. Mandy lived and worked in Burkina Faso for 8 years during which time she became acutely aware of the devastating impact of poverty.

In 2015, Mandy joined ILAD as a part-time grant writer and over time became Director of Communications. Her cross-cultural experience, dedication to poverty alleviation, and desire to see all people flourish enables her to effectively communicate the vision of ILAD across sectors.

Lawrence Turner is the Director of Global Business Development Centers at ILAD, overseeing transformative business training initiatives aimed at uplifting impoverished communities. With a decade of expertise in cross-cultural business training, Mr. Turner plays a pivotal role in leading teams of business professionals to facilitate impactful training sessions. His extensive career spans over 35 years and encompasses diverse roles in sales, marketing, banking, and finance.

Mr. Turner holds a BA in Marketing from National University and an MBA in Management from Johnson University. He is committed to fostering positive change through business development in communities around the globe.

Abel Ortiz, JD, MSW; Mr. Ortiz has extensive expertise in public agency program development, implementation, budgeting, and organizational change management. Mr. Ortiz served in Utah’s Human Service system and as Senior Policy Advisor for Governor Perdue of Georgia. After leaving public service, he joined the Annie E. Casey Foundation as Evidence-Based Practice Group Director. In 2012, Mr. Ortiz relocated to Moscow, Russia, where he developed and implemented small business incubation projects in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Mr. Ortiz join ILAD in 2022, where he leads new project development planning.

Dr. Kelsey Daniels is an educator turned evaluator who holds a BA in English, Spanish, and TESOL, an MA in linguistics, and an EdD in educational program evaluation. Her work has taken her from rural villages in Papua New Guinea to college classrooms in Australia and back. She currently helps ILAD teams develop and implement monitoring and evaluation systems that prove and improve program progress and impact.

Laté Lawson is a Togolese national who holds a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Lomé. Laté is responsible for the vision and execution of the Togo Development Program which includes agricultural training, literacy, education, clean water, business development, and a host of smaller initiatives. Through Laté’s work, many lives have been changed and expansion of programs have begun in other West African nations.

OUR BOARD

Mr. Kotlan is a Professional Engineer and former city manager of Montgomery, Texas. He has over 20 years of experience in the planning, design, and construction of public works and development projects ranging up to $15M in construction cost. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University where he has a Bachelors in Civil Engineering.

Ms. Cleveland is a practicing attorney who operates her own firm in Ft. Worth, TX. She is also a Certified Public Accountant. She obtained her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the South Texas College of Law and her LLM in Taxation from Southern Methodist University. She is a member of a number of bar associations and CPA chapters and brings extensive legal and accounting expertise to the organization.

Mr. Bross is a project development manager for a major resource production company. He has worked in numerous areas around the world and managed significant projects for both his present and prior employer. He now manages the early framing and assessment of development opportunities for major projects company wide. He has a Bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Charles is a successful businessman with experience in the for-profit and non-profit sectors. He has spent nearly two decades involved with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization and has filled a variety of roles for them. Charles has also worked as the President of Frog Street Press, an early childhood curriculum provider. He has a love for serving people and for helping them reach their potential.

Mr. Fuller is a highly skilled senior executive who recently completed a 30-year career with Walmart. He began his career as a store associate and retired as Senior Vice President. During his career, he held positions in property management and maintenance, global sustainability, and real estate acquisition and disposition. He has a good understanding of the challenges faced by growing companies, and the governance needed to ensure future growth and is deeply committed to the development of strong organizations.

In addition to his extensive career with Walmart, Mr. Fuller owns and operates a 250-acre cattle farm with his sons. After a brief retirement, Mr. Fuller was hired by the Barnabas Group to provide executive coaching, venture consulting, and new business start-up and development oversight. In November 2020, Mr. Fuller was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of BioHiTech Global, a technology services company focused on providing cost-effective solutions that improve environmental outcomes.

Mr. Fuller has served on the Board of Directors at ILAD since 2019.

Dr. Jason Butler is a certified specialist in cross-cultural communication and cultural intelligence. He holds doctorates in intercultural studies and non-profit leadership, with additional degrees and specializations in sociology, entrepreneurship and human resource management. He is an entrepreneur at heart and loves to start and lead transformational ventures whose bottom lines are economic, humanitarian, social and environmental. He has co-founded and co-leads several global networks dedicated to identifying and training entrepreneurs and business leaders to start businesses that have positive community impact.

Mr. Caraway is a Professional Engineer who has been actively involved for over 35 years in the electric power generation, delivery, and marketing business, serving in a wide variety of technical, commercial, and executive roles. He holds an associate’s degree in automotive and diesel technology from Universal Technical Institute in Houston and a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering with a focus in power engineering and an MBA from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Mariam is a bridge-builder at heart, connecting technology with humanity across corporate boardrooms, nonprofit missions, and global initiatives. As Chief Operating Officer at Avodah, she orchestrates the delicate balance between business efficiency and genuine human impact, bringing warmth to data-driven decisions and purpose to digital transformation. On the ILAD Board, Mariam brings more than strategies and systems—she brings a passionate belief that education and literacy are fundamental human rights that unlock potential across generations. She approaches governance not as a bureaucratic exercise but as a sacred responsibility to steward resources that transform lives.

Dr. Johnson has an extensive and unique background as an educator, attorney, banker, business consultant, and entrepreneur, both domestically and internationally. His work includes the dynamic use of business and banking to holistically transform communities economically. He has an array of academic credentials including masters and PhD degrees in public administration, bank management and economic development which allow him to bring both a practical and academic perspective to his work, writing, consulting and teaching.

OUR VALUES

“Our Core Values: PEOPLE“ 

We are PEOPLE—and that defines how we work: 

Partner with Communities: We listen first, design together, and honor community leadership.

Equip through Local Language: We create tools and training in the languages people already speak.

Overlooked No More: We elevate the voices and leadership of those the world has ignored.

Persons of Integrity: We do what we say with transparency, humility, and honest reporting.

Local Solutions through Innovation: We co-create context-fit solutions using technology and proven methods.

Enduring: We design for transition so communities sustain progress long after we step back.

our

VISION

A world in which language and location are not barriers to accessing information and opportunities 

our

MISSION

ILAD promotes human flourishing through educational, economic and social development in communities that are under-resourced. We do this by partnering with communities to facilitate local solutions to local problems through our four core competencies; Agricultural Development, Educational Development, Business Development, and Human Language Technology.