Bob Anderson is president and founder of IRIS, Inc. and a former Iowa Lieutenant Governor, legislator and high school journalism teacher. He was a founding board member and first executive director of the Iowa Peace Institute. He has managed several State Department and United States Information Agency programs in countries which include Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mongolia, Thailand, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Indonesia, Armenia, China and Korea. For the last 25 years, he has directed nonprofit organizations devoted to international understanding. Bob is also president of Global Ventures, a private enterprise involved in international education. He holds BA and MA degrees in journalism from the University of Iowa.

Founder

Staff

Del Christensen is the Executive Director of IRIS Inc. Christensen has been involved with IRIS programs since 2002. He has led groups to Armenia, Georgia, Tanzania and Nigeria. A graduate of Iowa State University in Aquatic Ecology, he has also worked as an environmental consultant with local, state, and international environmental groups. Prior to working with IRIS, he had been involved in the development, review, and/or pilot testing of more than 10 different educational curricula and programs. In addition to his work with IRIS, Christensen has also helped to develop several Rotary International World Service projects in West Africa and serves on the Iowa-Yamanashi Sister State Committee.

E-mail: del@iris-center.org

Martha Pope is the Operations Manager of IRIS, Inc. A graduate of Iowa State University, she holds bachelors degrees in Political Science and International Studies. Martha served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kazakhstan for two years working in non-profit development.

E-mail: martha@iris-center.org

Christelle Enega is the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Coordinator and is originally from Cameroon, Africa. She graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Political Science in the spring of 2008. Christelle's main goal in life is to promote peace in Africa by means of cultural understanding and tolerance and reduce poverty in Africa by promoting education and political stability. In her free time she enjoys scrapbooking, gardening and political conversations. She speaks French and Spanish.

E-mail: cel@iris-center.org

Interns & Volunteers

Kelsey Hartnett is our newest public relations intern as of September. She is currently a junior double majoring in International Studies and Journalism & Mass Communication at Iowa State University. If you are interested in volunteering for IRIS, please contact Martha Pope at martha@iris-center.org, and we will be in touch with you when there is work available.

Executive Director

Iowa Resource for International Service ● 600 5th St., Suite 301, Ames, IA 50010

info@iris-center.org ● phone: 515-292-7103 ● fax: 515-292-7105

IRIS is a nonprofit, non-religious 501(c)3 organization.