Ward Brehm, President and Chief Executive Officer

Ward Brehm is the President and CEO of the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF), an entrepreneur, and a dedicated public servant focused on humanitarian efforts and advocating for African relief and development. He is also the Founder and Chairman of The Brehm Group, a Minnesota-based insurance consulting firm. In recognition of his contributions to Africa, Brehm was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President George W. Bush in 2008. He is the author of four books, including Life Through A Different Lens and White Man Walking, both reflecting his personal experiences in Africa.

Mathieu Zahui, Managing Director, Finance and Administration

Mathieu Zahui, a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM), joined USADF in 2010. Prior to USADF, Mr. Zahui worked for the Veterans Administration as a Budget Analyst for five years. He also served as a Logistics/Combat Support Chief as a U.S. Marine for 10 years. At the completion of his military service, he taught at Palomar Community College, San Marcos, CA as an Adjunct Professor of Economics for eight years.  Mr. Zahui is an active member of the Association of Government Accountants (AGA), the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), and the American Association for Budget and Program Analysis (AABPA).

Elisabeth Feleke, Chief Program Officer

Elisabeth (Liz) Feleke has over 20 years of experience in international development management, public private partnerships, and policy reform in Africa. She previously served as Resident Country Director and Deputy Country Director for the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact in Ghana, and as Deputy Country Director for the MCC project in Namibia, these two MCC projects each exceeded $300 million. In addition, Ms. Feleke worked as the Regional Program Manager for West Africa for the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in Dakar, Senegal, spearheaded programs with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and U.S bilateral missions in the region on security and economic issues. She earned a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She speaks French, Amharic, and Spanish.