About Advisory Council

Tom Ridington
M. Thomas Ridington is the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Eastern University in St. Davids, PA.  Over the past 24 years, Mr. Ridington has forged a lasting commitment to Eastern University’s incorporation of Faith, Reason and Justice into higher education. He has also assisted in the development of many community organizations including World Vision, ECHO, Good Works, Inc. and Young Life Outreach.  He currently serves as the Institutional Partnerships liaison for Eastern University and is on the Advisory Council of Esperanza College, a branch of Eastern University in Philadelphia, PA.  Mr. Ridington is currently completing his Ph.D. in Curricular Studies at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa.

David Bronkema
Dr. David Bronkema is the Director of International Development and the Associate Professor of International Development, Templeton Chair, at Eastern University. He has a strong blend of academic and practitioner background. His publications, writings, and talks have explored the intersection between religion and development. Dr. Bronkema earned a Ph.D. in Sociocultural Anthropology from Yale University. He is the co-organizer and co-chair of the Latin American Studies Association and the co-organizer and co-chair of the American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting. He has been invited to lecture at several conferences, including the Kairos Conference in Lima, Peru, University of Delaware, and Bryn Mawr College.

Sharon Gramby-Sobukwe
Dr. Sharon Gramby-Sobukwe is the Director of MA in the Organizational Leadership Program at Eastern University. Dr. Gramby-Sobukwe earned a Ph.D. in Political Science at Temple University. She has served as a special assistant to the Managing Director and the Deputy Director of the Minority Business Enterprise Council of the city of Philadelphia. In her current role, she is responsible for the academic quality of the SLD program and Eastern University’s institutional partnerships with World Vision and Habitat for Humanity.

Lon Fendall
Dr. Lon Fendall is the Director for the Center for Global Studies and Center for Peace and Justice at George Fox University. As the Director for the Center for Peace and Justice, he deals with many of the issues regarding transformational development around the world. He received his doctorate in the history of U.S. foreign policy. Throughout his career, Dr. Fendall has focused on academic administration, teaching, and the United States government.

Michael Pucci
Dr. Michael Pucci is the International Director of Academic Programs for Food for the Hungry, seeking to bring together the worlds of academia and development – a commitment that he envisions will bring greater reflection into the work of holistic Christian missions and deeper transformation into the lives of those serving. He has lectured on topics spanning from the Ancient Greeks to Globalization at colleges in the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong. He has also served in Singapore as Teaching Fellow at the National Institute of Education. Dr. Pucci is a Director of Springstart Education Groups, an academic and educational program start-up consultancy serving Asia and the Middle East. He and his wife, Adele, are members of the Eagles community in Singapore, participating in their work of evangelism, discipleship, leadership, and mediation in Southeast Asia.

Brian Fikkert
Dr. Brian Fikkert is an Associate Professor of Economics and the founder and Executive Director of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College. Dr. Fikkert earned a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University, specializing in international economics and economic development. He has been a consultant to World Bank and is the author of numerous articles in both academic and popular journals. Prior to coming to Covenant College, he was a professor at the University of Maryland-College Park and a research fellow at the Center for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector.

Bryant Myers
Dr. Bryant Myers, currently a professor of transformational development at the School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, is a lifelong activist dedicated to Christian relief and development work around the world. During his tenure with World Vision International, Dr. Myers worked for over 30 years in senior management roles and most recently as vice president for development and food resources. Dr. Myers’ recent books include Walking with the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development, as well as Working with the Poor: Insights and Learnings from Development Practitioners. Dr. Myers was one of the editors of a four-volume series of holistic ministry case studies from around the world. Dr. Myers’ courses at Fuller include “Poverty and Development,” “Globalization and the Poor,” “Relief, Refugees and Conflict,” and “Advocacy for Social Justice.”