Our mission is to cultivate community development and economic capacity by empowering families through education, health, and income generating activities.

Our Story
Three Roots is building on existing relationships with the local community in Ethiopia. The Leadership Team has nearly fifteen years of experience working in the same communities with many of the same people. We began Three Roots International to support and expand the work of the local church, while providing skilled partnership to free families from the suffering of extreme poverty. We are highly committed to building local leadership capacity, and 100% of our field staff are nationals.
We are Christian. 
We are Christ-followers who are shaped and motivated 
by our belief in the value of every person.

We are responsive. 
We are driven by the expressed needs of the community, 
and seek to communicate and act with efficiency.
We are focused.  
We are intentional in relationships and strategic 
in execution. 

We are partners. 
We value collaboration and we desire to work and 
learn with others.
Meet Our Team
Susan Conway
Founder and Executive Director

Susan grew up in Great Falls, Virginia, and first traveled to Ethiopia in 2007. Since 2007, Susan has returned to Ethiopia every year and has built strong partnerships with the local church, which has facilitated the foundational work of Three Roots. She has lived in Africa, led short-term teams to Africa, Europe, and Asia, and holds a Master's degree in International Education and Development, focusing on marginalized communities. Having worked in the education and nonprofit sectors for fourteen years - at World Vision, World Relief and International Justice Mission - Susan now leads the Three Roots team by developing organizational vision and operational strategy, and works collaboratively with the Three Roots Country Director on programmatic implementation in the field. Susan enjoys traveling and photographing the people and places she sees along the way.
Demissie Tilahun
Ethiopia Country Director
​
Demissie was born in Central Ethiopia, a few hours south of the country's capital. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Biblical Theology, a Master's degree in Theology, and an MBA from St. Mary's University. He has held several senior leadership positions with the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church (EKHC), the largest Protestant church in Ethiopia. These positions included serving as a missionary in India for three years and serving as a National Board member for the EKHC for six years. Most recently, Demissie was the General Secretary for the Central Zone, responsible for the oversight of every EKHC church within the Central Zone of Ethiopia. He is now the Country Director for Three Roots, accountable for the strategic implementation of programs and the oversight of operations in Ethiopia.  
Mekdes Yohannes
Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Officer and Care Group Supervisor

Mekdes was born in Halaba Kulito, a town outside of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Mekdes holds a Bachelor of Science degree as a Public Health Officer from Jimma University and a Master’s degree in General Public Health from Adama Hospital Medical College. She has held roles as a Senior Public Health Officer, a Training and Capacity Building Officer, a Project Manager, a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, and a Project Coordinator at numerous government and non-government humanitarian organizations. Mekdes is now the MERL Officer and Care Group Supervisor for Three Roots. Mekdes is inspired to work with Three Roots because she wants to support the community in their fight to end extreme poverty. ​
Holly Downing
Communications Lead
​
Holly grew up in the midwest and holds a Bachelor's degree in Public Relations and Biblical Theology from the University of Northwestern. During her undergraduate time, she spent four months living in east Africa where she fell in love with the people and the culture. She has spent her professional career working for international nonprofits that are fighting violence and poverty all around the world. Holly is the Communications Lead for Three Roots, working on strategy and messaging for all external communications. 
Dereje GebreMichael
​Project Coordinator
​
Dereje was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, and grew up in the town of Deberezeit/Bishoftu. Dereje holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from Admas University College. He has also earned a diploma as a Medical Laboratory Technician from Jimma Health Institute. Dereje has served as a Senior Project Coordinator for a variety of international NGO-funded projects and is currently working as a Project Coordinator for Three Roots. Dereje is grateful to work with Three Roots because he has a passion for empowering individuals and communities to end the cycles of extreme poverty.

Robel Tafere
​Social Worker

Robel was born in Bahirdar, in the northern part of Ethiopia, and grew up in the town of Deberezeit/Bishoftu. Robel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Social Anthropology from Admas University College. Prior to joining Three Roots, Robel worked as a Social Worker with the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church on a number of development projects. Robel is inspired by the relevant and holistic approaches of the Three Roots programs and wants to impact the communities he is serving.
Courtney Taylor
Editorial and Social Media
​
Courtney grew up in Herndon, Virginia, but she is no stranger to East Africa. Prior to her first trip to Ethiopia in August 2012, Courtney led trips from her church in North Carolina to Kenya four times. She has returned several times since, not liking to be away from Africa for too long! In her current role, she manages social media accounts, maintains brand consistency, communicates with and cares for partners and supporters. Courtney loves to play guitar, chat over buna (coffee), and go on adventures with her husband and two young children.
Samantha Cave
Operations and People Care Lead

Samantha claims Seattle, Washington as home, but her early years were spent in the Middle East, which cultivated in her a love for languages and cultures other than her own. In 2009, she joined the staff of McLean Bible Church in Washington, DC, where she served as the Associate Director for Global Impact World Missions, coordinating and caring for dozens of short-term teams and long-term missionaries serving all over the world, and later as Director of Membership Services. Sam most recently worked at the Slingshot Group, overseeing NextGen candidate recruitment, CRM updates, and administrative services. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Human Services. Samantha is the Operations and People Care Lead for Three Roots, overseeing operations management, coordination of trips to the field, and donor support.
Sarah Erath
Administration
​
Sarah has lived in several different places in America, growing up mostly in Alexandria, Virginia, but her first trip overseas was to Ethiopia in 2012. She uses her planning and organizational skills from her full-time job as a fifth grade teacher to help with administrative tasks for the organization. One of Sarah's favorite memories was from one of her recent trips to Ethiopia where she was able to pray with a group of Ethiopians about the need for clean water in their community. She uses that memory to remind her to stop and pray for others daily in America.
Makeda Berhane
Finance, Human Resources & Operations Coordinator

Makeda was born in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. She holds Bachelor's degrees in both Accounting and Management, as well as a Master's degree in Business Administration. She is currently pursuing a second Master’s degree in Community Development from the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology. Makeda has over 8 years of experience working in the fields of finance and management and currently serves as the Three Roots Finance, Human Resources and Operations Coordinator for the Ethiopia office.

Board of Directors

Andrea Wells
President, New Hope Foundation

Lori Cress
Executive Director of Operations, KPMG, LLP

Susan Conway 
Founder and Executive Director, Three Roots International

Amber Corson
General Manager, Valcourt Building Services

Christine Conway, PhD, CPC
Owner, By Still Waters

Dawn Stitzer
Recruiter, Hilton

Dennis Mwangwela
Global Director for Integral Mission, World Relief