Our Board

Kat Hendrix is a freelance medical writer with over 18 years of experience communicating complex scientific and medical information to professional, regulatory, and public audiences. After graduating from Drew University in 1985, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer (Group 85, TEFL-Crossover) teaching English and Agriculture at two schools in northwestern Thailand near Chiangmai. Working with her Thai counterparts, she helped design and build a chicken house and fishpond project that supported a free lunch program for students. She also taught safe pesticide and fertilizer handling practices. After Peace Corps, she moved to the US Virgin Islands where she worked as a florist at Caneel Bay resort and lived aboard her sailboat. Returning to the mainland US in 1991, she earned an MS in Journalism from Boston University and a PhD in Public Health from the University of SC. Kat currently lives in Charleston, SC, with her dog Pearl, where she writes, teaches yoga, and enjoys the beauty of the Carolina coast. She joined the Friends of Thailand Board in 2009.

J.M. served in Thailand from 2012 – 2015 with Group 124, first as an education volunteer in Banluang, Nan, and for a third year at Prateepsasana Islamic School in Nakhon Sri Thammarat City. He misses the people and their mountain harvests and islands, arai gaw dai, grace and reciprocity. He lives in Washington, DC, and advocates for America’s foreign aid budget.

Bill Knowlton (Thai 98) was a volunteer with the Department of Agriculture Extension (DOAE) – Nutrition, in Wapi Pathum District, Mahasarakam Province, from 1991-94. His work centered on income generation projects with village mothers’ groups and 4-H groups. He was the technical trainer for the DOAE PCVs in group 102 and extended to a third year of service. He’s lived in Thailand and remained active in Peace Corps work after COS, most notably acting as Cross-cultural Coordinator of Thai training group 116 (2004), and Project Coordinator for the Crisis Corps’ Asian Tsunami Relief efforts in 2005-6. He currently lives in Bangkok and works in the regional Learning and Development Group of DKSH, a market services provider with operations across Asia. Being a member of the board since 2008, he continues to enjoy working as a bridge between American and Thai ways, bringing together the best of both worlds.

Joe Sciacca (Group 43 – TEFL 1973-76) taught English at Ayuthaya Teachers Training College. He met his future wife and married in Thailand following his COS in1976 and remained in Thailand one additional year teaching at Srinakarinwirot University, Bangkhen. For his mid-service summer project, Joe joined with students and faculty from Khon Kaen U to construct a school in Ban Na Tabaeng, Mukdahan.
Joe and Mayuree returned to the US in 1977. He earned a M.S. in Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, while Mayuree earned a M.A. in Education, and a PhD in Educational Policy Studies, also at UIUC. Joe worked as a Reference Librarian in Urbana, IL, as a Branch Library Director in El Paso, TX, and as a Library Development Consultant in Champaign, IL where he promoted library cooperation and managed a wide area network in a multi-type library consortium of public, school, academic and special libraries located in East Central Illinois. In 1993 Joe returned to Thailand as a USAID/American Library Association Library Fellow to help PULINET, a consortium of university libraries outside Bangkok, establish their first shared automation system. Joe currently serves on the Board of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Illinois. Joe retired in 2010 and lives with his wife Mayuree in Champaign Illinois. They return to Thailand to visit family and friends almost every year, and continue to seek volunteer opportunities there.

Laurie Allen served as an education volunteer in Phitsanuloke in the early 70’s. She extended her service in the Ministry of Education to teach a series of seminars for elementary school teachers. She taught EFL in Europe for several years and then earned an MLIS at Simmons College in Boston. Her career led her to run a major university science and engineering library, and the libraries of 2 major architectural companies and several high-tech engineering research firms. She is a Past Chair of the Engineering Division of the Special Library Association.

A few years ago, her former students tracked her down through the RPCV office and invited her back for a class reunion as an honored guest. She is in touch with not only these students but a few of their children, as well. Laurie lives in Boston where she has studied Thai language at the local Thai temple and works with Masters degree students from Thailand.

Scott Scherquist began his lifelong career in education teaching piano at the age of 16. Upon graduating from New York University with a degree in Music Education, Scott joined the United States Peace Corps (Thailand Group 113) and served in Srisaket and Ubon Ratchathani. Upon returning to the US, Scott taught within the New York City public school system, eventually becoming a school administrator, and now serves as a principal in Chicago, Illinois. Scott holds two masters degrees in Education, and is currently completing his doctoral studies in Education. Scott maintains a professional website describing his leadership values.

Bradford served alongside his wife Cadi Duncan in Group 134 from 2023-2025. Serving as a TESS (education) Volunteer in Sisaket Province, Bradford taught English to over 300 students. In addition to his service at site, Bradford was the Service Improvement Committee (SIC, formerly VAC) president for his cohort helping to usher “Peace Corps 2.0” into Thailand as the first full group after COVID-19. Bradford misses his students, friends, and the best noodle shop in Thailand right around the corner from his school. Originally from Libertyville, IL outside of Chicago, he is pursuing his MA online in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies from The University of London and will be in Tajikistan with Cadi as she has accepted an English Language Fellowship from the US Department of State for the 2025-2026 school year.

Bianca served as an Education Volunteer in rural Ubon Ratchathani from 2023-2025 (Group 134). Alongside her two fearless counterparts, she taught English to over 300 students, coached competitive Scrabble, and organized English camps focused on cultural exchange and functional language acquisition. She also represented her program on the Small Grants Volunteer Committee, working closely with the country staff to teach project design management and grant writing to fellow Volunteers and their counterparts. After service, she remained in Thailand and currently lives and works in Tak province as a Programme Management Fellow for Karen Human Rights Group. In her spare time, she puts her Peace Corps skills to work by teaching free English classes for refugee children from Burma. In the near future, she will follow up her B.A. in International Studies from Elmira College with a Master’s in Global Human Development at Georgetown University.