Judd Holzman is Executive Director of Link Community Development USA.  Judd is responsible for providing overall leadership and management to LCD USA.  He became involved with LCD in 2003 while living in England and then led the initiative to establish and launch LCD in the U.S., opening LCD USA's first office in Chicago in 2008.

Judd has a Masters degree in Anthropology and Development Studies from the London School of Economics where he studied African development issues including poverty relief efforts, HIV&AIDS policy, education, and reconstruction efforts in post-conflict countries.  He wrote his dissertation on the challenges facing HIV&AIDS education efforts in Botswana.  He has a Bachelors degree in Religious Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he studied comparative religion.  During his junior year he studied at the University of Oxford as a Visiting Student and Chad Lobdell Scholar.  He has also studied in India as a Ford Foundation Scholar.

Judd's major areas of interest include global education, advocacy, and leadership training.  He is a volunteer advisor to Youth United for Darfur, a non-profit youth organization that advocates for ending the genocide in Darfur.  He is also a member of the Chicago Transformational Leadership Exchange, an organization for Chicago business and civic leaders.  He previously worked for Facing History and Ourselves, a non-profit organization that engages students in an examination of history, genocide, racism, and anti-semitism in order to promote ethical citizenship.  Judd believes that education is instrumental for ending extreme poverty in Africa and around the world. 



Ernest Cheruiyot is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Link Community Development USA.  Ernest has been involved with LCD USA since 2006 and has served as Chairman of the Board since 2008. He is a CPA at KPMG, LLP where he is a Manager in the Transaction and Restructuring group. 

Ernest is actively involved in community service and is passionate about the role of education in improving the lives of children.  Originally from Kenya, he and his family founded Chelsea Academy, a boarding school for over 250 children located in the Bomet District in Kenya.  The school has been one of the best performers in the Bomet District since it was founded. He has also been active with the Heart to Heart Foundation, Chicago Cares and March of Dimes.

Ernest has a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelors degree in Economics from the University of Nairobi in Kenya. 



Lindsay Baran is a member of the Board of Directors of Link Community Development USA.  Lindsay has been involved with LCD USA since 2003 and has served as a consultant to the growth of LCD USA's programs and operations.

Lindsay specializes in working with people with disabilities to achieve empowerment, independence, and access to necessary services.  She is currently a Disability Specialist at the Disability Resource Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) where she works closely with university students.  Previously, she worked at the Center on Health Promotion for Persons with Disabilities and at Avenues to Independence, a non-profit organization that provides residential and vocational services for adults with development disabilities.

Lindsay has won several awards for her leadership and service related to her work with disability rights, community service and international development. She is currently a candidate for a Masters of Science in Disability Studies at UIC, and has a Bachelors degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Kinesiology with a focus on disability.



Steve Blunden is a member of the Board of Directors of Link Community Development USA.  He is also Chief Executive Officer of Link Community Development International, which is based in Centurion, South Africa.  He is responsible for the strategic management and operations of the LCD group, providing management support to the nine LCD member countries. He specializes in non-profit strategy, program design and delivery, finance, and relations with governments and donor agencies. Steve has served as CEO of the LCD group since 1994 and has led LCD's global expansion.

Previously, Steve was the Director of SOS Children's Village UK, a non-profit social development organization that assists children around the world.  Prior to working in the non-profit sector, he was an Accountant at Somers Baker Chartered Accountants where he specialized in auditing non-profit organizations.  He has a Bachelors degree in Economics from Hull University in England.



Adam Smith is a member of the Board of Directors of Link Community Development USA.  Currently, Adam is a J.D. candidate at Nova Southeastern University Law School.  Previously, he was a Senior Tax Accountant at Berkowitz Dick Pollack & Brant and an Accountant at KPMG, LLP where he was an associate for three financial statement audit engagements. 

Adam has a Masters of Accounting Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and Bachelors Degree in Accountancy at UIUC.  He was an active member of the Link Community Development University student group at UIUC.  He has conducted extensive research on non-profit management and accountancy, and was a member of the National Honors Fraternity for Financial Information Professionals. 





Mary Ann Manley is a Volunteer Program Advisor for Link Community Development USA, providing consultation and advice to the Link Schools Program.  She is currently Interim Principal at Francis Parker's Lower Grade School in Chicago.  Mary Ann has spent more than 30 years working in both suburban and urban Chicago area schools.  She has served as a teacher, assistant principal, curriculum coordinator and pre-service coordinator.

Mary Ann believes in the goal of schools to provide opportunities for young children to explore diversity and learn how to become global citizens.  She is passionate about LCD's work to bring students from different cultures together to learn about each other and better understand the world in which they live. She enjoys helping LCD match the schools in Africa with schools in the U.S. in order develop meaningful partnerships.