NBHF Board Members

Barbara Land - Founder

Barbara Land, Executive Director and Board President of the Nevada Building Hope Foundation has been working in Iquitos, Peru, and in the Peruvian Rainforest since 2007. She has worked with several NGOs in both the USA and Peru in providing educational programs, humanitarian aid, and relief to this remote part of the world. Working in collaboration with the Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana, in 2017 Barbara will complete a full ethnographic study of the area. This text will be written in four languages and all the proceeds from this book will fund both the international and national Nevada Building Hope Foundation Projects. After being recognized by the Ministerio de Cultura, Peru and the City of Iquitos for her research and her humanitarian projects since 2007, in 2016 Barbara Land formed the Nevada Building Hope Foundation (Peru) and the Nevada Building Hope Foundation (USA).

Shawna Zorio RN, BSN - Vice President

Shawna is a practicing RN in Northern Nevada for over 20 years and has spent the last 15 of those years in the ER.  She is currently pursuing an advanced degree in Family Nurse Practitioner licensure. Her deep passion for humanitarian aid work and international travel has allowed her the opportunity to participate in international medical missions spanning over 10 countries over the past decade. This passion and commitment to serve using her medical skillset naturally led her to Nevada Building Hope Foundation, where under the leadership of executive director Barbara Land, she has developed an annual comprehensive wellness exam for the Villagers of Ayacucho, San Juan Yanayacu and Junin locates in the remote regions of the Peruvian Amazon. We strive to continue to evolve and expand with our medical capabilities and services, in our everlasting commitment to the Villagers of these remote regions. 

Erinn Richards - Founding Member

Erinn is honored to be one of the founding members of the Nevada Building Hope Foundation. She has been a Client Success Executive for 20 years helping public and private entities in the US and internationally to put people, culture, and our interconnection with one another as the center focus. A California native and Reno, Nevada transplant at a young age, Erinn now lives London. She is so proud of the families in and around Ayacucho Village, proud of how hard the kids work in school, and grateful to all those who help provide for their education and well-being.

Julie Miller- Board Member

Julie’s first visit to the Peruvian Amazon was in 2004.  From the moment she began her journey on the majestic Amazon River into the rainforest, she was enamored with the animals, the forest and the local people.  She found herself returning to the Amazon two to three times a year, to capture more photos and videos, and to learn more about the flora, fauna, and villages to continue to share with others the beauty and importance of conserving the Amazon.  As a public school science teacher, Julie knew this was an experience to be shared with students and adults while also finding ways to help people in the Amazon.  Thus, Julie joined the Nevada Building Hope Foundation to help support their educational mission in remote villages.

Jennifer Martin - Board Member

Jennifer Martin is a board member with The Nevada Building Hope Foundation and greatly enjoys supporting this growing organization. Martin is proud to be a native Nevadan and an active community member in Reno. She is the co-owner of Satori Movement; the only locally owned boutique for all Yoga, Dance, and Wellness needs. She studied Dance and Business Management at the University of Nevada, Reno, and is a Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Teacher that offers classes around Reno and Sparks. Martin offers a monthly donation-based yoga class with proceeds going to NBHF and loves to share her craft with others. 

Kasey Dunn - Board Member

Kasey is a board member for The Nevada Building Hope Foundation and loves seeing the transformative work being done by this group. After visiting Peru in 2014, Kasey fell in love with the people, the area, and life within the jungle. As a support to the group, Kasey helps update their website, social media pages, and supports students in the area. While being on the board, Kasey is the operations manager for a Reno physical therapy group and enjoys problem-solving and public relations. Kasey hopes to make a difference in the area to help bring educational opportunities and humanitarian aid to those in the Peruvian Jungle.

Maksym Taran and Bailey Ahn - Board Members

Maksym Taran and Bailey Ahn are board members of The Nevada Building Hope Foundation since 2021. They first visited the Peruvian jungle on their honeymoon in 2019 after getting in contact with Barbara. Moved by the situation of the villagers there, they were excited to support the community by funding construction of the Ayacucho High School and starting the adult education program. Bailey and Maksym are both software engineers and believe in making the world a better place through education and problem-solving. They look forward to being able to bring their young daughter Vera to the jungle with them when she's older!