Dan lived in The Philippines for more than 10 years, just a few miles from a Badjao community. He was disturbed by the degree of suffering, much worse than any other poverty he had witnessed before in his travels.

After approaching large development organizations that could not adapt their programs to help, Dan founded Badjao Bridge in 2009.

Dan is conversant in Tagalog, Visayan, and is learning Badjao. His wife Hazel is from The Philippines and they have two children. He derives his income through personal donor support.

A pioneer and tireless advocate, Jelon has served Badjao communities for almost two decades. Since 2011, Jelon has partnered with Badjao Bridge and serves as our special advisor concerning tribal affairs.

Having grown up in a tribe in the rural Philippines, Jelon’s heart for Indigenous people was formed early on. In his 20’s, Jelon made the decision to live among the Badjao where he learned the language and befriended the tribal clan leaders.

Now, Jelon is a respected leader and mentor to many in the tribe. Over the years he has worked as a government liaison, often mediating issues between the tribe and the local authorities. Jelon advocates for educational opportunity and has worked to raise funds for the first three Badjao youth to attend college.  

Kim Huggett is president and CEO of the Hayward Chamber of Commerce and a longtime supporter of ministry in the Philippines. As the former director of government relations for California State University East Bay in Hayward, California, Kim spoke at universities in the Philippines to promote international student exchanges on behalf of the University’s Center for Filipino Studies.

Past career positions include working as director of public relations for the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District and as a reporter for the Sacramento Bee and Sacramento Union newspapers. He is an elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Hayward.

Joseph Lee is a technologist and entrepreneur with a passion for leadership development and serving under-represented people and communities.  He’s held varying roles in the corporate Telecommunications sector for 14 years and passionately serves as the CEO of a vertical-specific BPO in Manila, Philippines.  Having the opportunity to visit the Philippines regularly to meet with his team to promote and create new jobs for the local people and economy, Joseph brings valuable insight to culture, business and human resources.  He and his wife have three children, and they reside in the San Francisco Bay Area.

After graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in Biology, Suzanne earned her DDS from UOP in San Francisco. She and her husband Steve, also a dentist, raised two sons and together maintained a private practice in Castro Valley for 35 years. Suzanne volunteered for several years helping run, and reading aloud in the library of an underserved elementary school. She presently volunteers in a food pantry at South Hayward Parish and is involved in preparing breakfast for residents at her church’s homeless shelter. Her favorite thing is playing with her four grandchildren.

After earning his Masters in Agricultural Engineering, Wency coordinated international training on water management and taught high school before joining The Navigators, an international Christian ministry. He eventually became the Navigators’ National Director in 1998.

In 2007, Wency stepped down from that position to help oversee The Navigators’ work in six counties and serves as Director of Community Hope Alternatives, an organization he founded to help the rural poor in The Philippines.  

Janet Tsuchiya was born in Chicago, Illinois. She received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Colorado State University and an MBA - Finance from UC Berkeley. In 1983 she became an enrolled agent. Janet left engineering to become a full-time homemaker while working as a part-time tax preparer. She has been involved in various community activities, including board member of a women’s shelter and treasurer of several youth organizations.

She and her husband, Gordy, have two adult children and reside in Oakland, California.

Christoper currently serves as Controller for the San Francisco Opera and formerly served as their Senior Accountant. He has a BS in Accounting, Peace and Conflict Studies from Chapman University.

A Certified Public Accountant with an MBA, Jonar has an extensive background in finance management, Human Resource development, and systems and processes improvements. He has expertise in business planning, forecasting, budget management, product development, project evaluation and auditing.

Having served in various capacities for 15 years at World Vision, Jonar has been equipped with both leadership and people management skills in diverse settings. This combination of extensive professional experience and education in finance and accounting has equipped him with a strong command of operations, administration, and system and finance management in an organization gearing for growth.

Marie is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in development and relief work. She has significant knowledge and experience in non-profit management. 

Based in Manila, Marie has served Badjao Bridge as a volunteer utilizing her gifting in the following areas: 
➢ Strategy management
➢ Human Resource Administration
➢ Training and Development
➢ Coaching and Mentoring
➢ Christian Commitment and Integration
➢ Change Management, Program and Project Management

Licensed Civil Engineer – Agricultural
MA in Urban and Regional Planning
PhD Candidate in Public Administration
 
In 2018 Ronnie Saguit was installed as the National Director for The Navigators, Philippines. Prior to this he served as a coordinator overseeing multiple ministry areas in the Visayan region. He also served Badjao Bridge as the Interim Executive Director, Philippines in 2016-17. 

Kevin is a technical writer and editor at an international printing/imaging R&D company in Cebu. He studied psychology in college, where he met Dan through the Navigators student ministry.

Kevin has done research and documentation work with a few local and national NGOs in education and rural development programs for about three years before starting a career in copyediting and technical communication.

Bobot is a former National Director for The Navigators, Philippines and currently serves the organization on the leadership council. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering.