Officers

Yolande Fanjanirinarivo Akins

Yolande Fanjanirinarivo Akins/ PFM President

Yolande grew up in one of the poorest villages on the western edge of the endangered southeastern rain forest, in what is known as Betsileo country, the second largest people group in Madagascar.

She moved to the capital, Antananarivo, in 1992, and as a single mother, worked in the sweat-shop factories as a team leader, while maintaining her integrity as a woman in an oppressive context. She has lived the life of the poorest of the rural and urban poor of Madagascar and she knows how to counsel people in maintaining their integrity while struggling for a better life.

Ira C. "Sam" Bass

Sam Bass / Secretary

Sam has worked as a U.S. government contractor on many overseas projects. He is a licensed technician in communications and electronics. His hobbies include acting in Civil War re-enactments. Sam worked for the NASA tracking station in Arivonimamo, Madagascar for several years and it was during this time that Sam gained his knowledge of Malagasy life and history. Sam resides in DeFuniak Springs, Florida.

Jeannette Ravelojaona Herndon

Jeannette R. Herndon/Treasurer

Jeannette is a native of Madagascar and is now a resident of Fort Walton Beach, Florida. She is a Certified Nurse's Assistant and has worked in the medical field for many years. She has been on a mission through her church to Uganda.

Jeannette's family in Madagascar comes from the Sihanaka region where most of the rice is grown. It is an important agricultural area.