I volunteered for Lalmba from 1988 to 1990, serving as Medical Director in Matoso. Just three years out of my family medicine residency, I felt well-equipped to provide a broad spectrum of care, including obstetrics. At the clinic, we treated 70 to 100 patients daily, and once a week, we traveled to a remote village to vaccinate and offer consultations, often seeing over 150 patients in a single day. It was an exhausting yet transformative experience, with long days and 24/7 call responsibilities that shaped me in profound ways.

I returned to Matoso in 2019 with Tembea Na Mimi, walking alongside my son, Dan. When we arrived after 10 days of hiking, I was amazed by the transformation. In 1990, Matoso had two jeeps—virtually the only motorized vehicles in town—no electricity, and very few businesses. Fast forward 30 years, and the saplings we planted had grown into trees providing shade and swings for children. Cars, motorcycles, and electricity were everywhere. A cell tower offered better reception than I have at my rural home in California.

Where there was once just one school, there were now many, including high schools. The clinic had doubled in size, and Lalmba had introduced programs to address the devastating impact of AIDS, including an orphanage and the RCAR program for children at risk. Women’s cooperatives, a library with computers, a learning center, and thriving local businesses—from textiles to boat builders to restaurants—were flourishing. Most inspiring of all, the staff I worked with 30 years ago had become the leaders of these efforts.

This incredible progress is a testament to Lalmba’s investment in the people of Matoso. This will be my fourth trip back, and I look forward to seeing even more development and reuniting with old friends.

I am a (retiring) family physician and urgent care physician currently living in Honolulu, but originally from The San Francisco Bay Area. I have a long history of charitable work, starting with my involvement in The Amigos de las Americas vaccination program during my high school and college years, and continuing with my work as a family physician serving the low-income mostly native Hawaiian population on Oahu. I also have a love of hiking, backpacking and international adventure travel, and in the past few years completed a trek of the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal and an attempted through-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. 

I found out about the Lalmba Association from a long-term friend of mine who is an Emergency Medicine physician, and who helped to set up the Matoso Clinic in Kenya in 1988. He has since participated in numerous Tembea Na Mimi fund-raising walks, and shared his stories and photos of the walks and Matoso clinic with me, which piqued my interest. Participating in the 2025 Tembea Na Mimi fund-raising walk for me is a perfect marriage of my love for charitable work and my love of adventure travel, and I hope it is the start of a long relationship between me and the Lalmba Association.

This will be my sixth Tembea Na Mimi walk. Each journey has been an incredible adventure, offering not only the chance to experience the beauty of Kenya but also to witness firsthand the impact of Lalmba’s mission in action.

As the Chairman of the Board for Lalmba, I’m passionate about empowering local leaders to create sustainable solutions in healthcare, education, and economic development for rural communities in Kenya and Ethiopia. My work focuses on fostering self-reliance and prosperity through innovative, community-driven programs.

With a background in aerospace engineering and leadership, I’ve spent much of my career advancing groundbreaking technologies in the space and defense sectors. While that work has been rewarding, the meaningful change brought about through Lalmba’s efforts has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my life.

I’m honored to be part of the Tembea Na Mimi 2025 team and to walk once again in support of Lalmba’s life-changing work.