Our Team
Team
President
Georges Budagu Makoko
Georges is the founder of Ladder to the Moon Network and co-founder of Amjambo Africa. Georges was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and moved to Rwanda in 1994 due to political unrest in his country. He graduated from National University of Rwanda with a degree in Business Administration, and moved to the United States in 2002, where he sought and received asylum. He is the author of Ladder to the Moon: Journey from the Congo to America, a book about his life. Georges worked as Senior Property Manager with Avesta Housing for 15 years. In 2012, he was awarded Site Manager of the Year, a joint award from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service and Maine Rural Development. He is currently the Director of Residential Services at Serenity Residential Care, LLC. He serves as a motivational speaker and professional interpreter, and speaks more than six languages, including English, French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Lingala and Kinyamulenge. He strongly believes in advocating for peace, reconciliation, and justice for all.
Vice President
Jeffrey Thaler
Jeff is a long-time environmental, energy, and litigation attorney in Maine, and currently works at Preti, Flaherty in Portland. Jeff is a graduate of Williams College and Yale Law School, and is proud to support the endless efforts of Georges Budagu Makoko. He created and directed a program for Williams College students entitled “Resettling Refugees in Maine.” The program, which ran from 2006-2014, placed Williams College students in the homes of refugee or immigrant families for four weeks at a time. He ran the same program for two years for Colby College students, and for two years for Waynflete seniors. He gave a TEDx talk about “Resettling Refugees in Maine” and helped create and teach a course at the University of Southern Maine named the “Refugee Experience: From There to Here.” He was an early Advisory Board member for Ladder to the Moon Network before joining the board.
Treasurer
Betsy Mayberry
Betsy worked as a social services consultant in New York until her retirement in 2011. Previously, Betsy served as the Executive Director of Louise Wise Services, a child welfare agency; Director of Services at the Children’s Aid Society, in New York City; and as the Administrative Director of Operations of New York City’s public child welfare organization. She is a graduate of Cornell University and Columbia University. She served on the Board of Directors of the Camden Conference for over 10 years, and chairs the Camden Conference Southern Maine Initiatives Committee.
New Board Member!
Walid Hamzi
Walid is a community builder, organizer, and multicultural advocate who has dedicated his career to creating spaces where people feel seen, heard, and empowered. A connector by nature, he is known for showing up for his neighbors, for local initiatives, and for the collective work of building belonging. With an extensive background in building bridges between individuals, organizations, and cultures to strengthen Maine’s diverse communities, whether through language access, cooperative development, or community engagement, Walid has helped amplify immigrant and newcomer voices, ensuring they play a central role in shaping Maine’s shared future. His work with Ladder to the Moon reflects his belief that lasting change begins with trust, dialogue, and collective empowerment.
Community Engagement Committee
Belyse Ndayikunda
Belyse was born in Burundi and grew up there. She moved to Portland, Maine, in 2012 and works in finance at Unum as an information project analyst. Belyse graduated from Deering High School, has a bachelor’s degree in math and statistics, and a master’s degree in applied statistics. She is part of the executive committee of the Burundian Community Association. Belyse speaks Kirundi, French, Swahili, and English. She loves singing, cooking, and spending time with friends, and is pleased that her participation on the Ladder to the Moon Board allows her to make a positive impact on her community and on the state.
Community Engagement Committee
Laura deDoes
Laura was born and raised in Maine. She lived out west for eight years and moved back several years ago to raise a family. She works at Maine Medical Center as a Radiologic Technologist and just recently became a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ambassador. Laura is a mom to three boys. She cares deeply about equality, the environment, and human and animal rights. In her free time Laura loves to spend time doing things in the great outdoors, discovering new places, and just enjoying time with those dear to her. She has been a distributor and photographer for Amjambo Africa since joining the board in 2018.
Community Engagement Committee
Mathilde Micomyiza Mamy
Mathilde has a bachelor’s degree in management, and works as a mental health professional. She speaks four languages – English, French, Swahili, and Kinyarwanda. She loves to travel, watch movies, read, and spend time with friends and family. She joined the board because she wanted to contribute to an organization whose main purpose was keeping immigrant communities informed. She says that when she moved to Maine in 2018 it was very difficult to access the information she needed. Joining the team has brought her a deep appreciation of Maine’s immigrant community, and a feeling of pride in knowing she is doing something to help others.
Secretary
David Greenham
David Greenham is the Executive Director of Viles Arboretum, and an arts and cultural consultant. He is the former Executive Director of the Maine Arts Commission and has also worked as the Associate Director of the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine. David has been involved with theater and community arts in Maine for more than 40 years, including 14 years as the Producing Artistic Director of The Theater At Monmouth, the Shakespearean Theater of Maine. David lives in Gardiner with his wife, Amie, and is a contributing theater reviewer for the Boston-based online newsletter The ArtsFuse (artsfuse.org). He is a lecturer of drama at the University of Maine at Augusta and is a member of the board of Senior College at the University of Maine at Augusta. He is proud to be involved with the Ladder to the Moon Network.
Finance Committee
Mike Rurenza Mfashingabo
Mike has a diverse background in international trade and healthcare services. At present he is a Partner at Standard Care LLC in Portland, and leads Quality Assurance and Licensing efforts with the Office of Aging and Disability Services. In the past he worked at Pokémon Company International and Amazon, where he developed, implemented, and maintained analytics and reports as part of his responsibility for ensuring compliance with customs laws and regulations and cross-border initiatives between European and North American markets.
In his free time, he likes to read nonfiction books, hike, and ski. His current project is mastering the guitar.
Executive Director, Leah Hargrove
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Leah joined Ladder to the Moon Network in October 2025. A native of Robeson County, North Carolina, she spent a decade navigating the welcome and integration of immigrants and refugees in North Dakota, founding and creating a leading nonprofit tackling issues around immigration, belonging, and opportunity. She is driven by values of inclusion, growth, hope, and practical results for stronger communities.
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She is currently purusing an MBA from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND; she is a graduate of UNC-Asheville with degrees in International Studies and French; a former North Dakota Change Navigator; and the Humanitarian of the Year for the city of Bismarck (2018). She speaks French, English, and some Spanish. She and her husband have 3 wonderful kids and are delighted to be in Maine.