Expedition Leaders
Community Development Expedition in Thailand

Jill Walker - Country Director - Thailand

Jill is the Country Director for GVI Thailand and is responsible for all GVI’s activities and personnel within the country. Jill has been living in Thailand for 4 years prior to joining GVI where she has been teaching English as a foreign language at a government high school and has completely fallen in love with the culture of Thailand and the vibrant colors and culture of Southeast Asia. Jill is fluent in Thai and enjoys connecting with the community. Jill has organized and led English camps, workshops for teachers and free English classes for rural students as well as salespeople, tour guides, and others who work in the tourist industry. Jill received her Bachelors degree in Environmental Education from the University of North Carolina and has just finished a Masters degree in Environmental Education with Nova Southeastern University. Jill is a qualified Emergency First Response Instructor and has more than 10 years experience teaching English language and ecology to people of all ages and walks of life in a number of formal and non formal settings. Jill is particularly interested in the possibility of integrating environmental education into English language learning and into everyday life.

Watchara “Jack” Sriprasert - Jack of all trades

Jack has spent the last 10 years working for Thailand’s Civil Protection Association, a national volunteer service focused on protecting the safety of people in Thailand. Jack is committed to the health and safety of the community and makes an effort to help others whenever possible. Over the years he has had experience as a Buddhist monk, soldier, musician, builder, and security guard. He comes to GVI as our “Jack of all trades”, assisting in driving, base maintenance and repair, as well as a community liaison. His ability to connect with people from all ages and background and his familiarity with the southern region and the language have helped create a smooth transition for the GVI expedition in Thailand.

Penny Black - Head TEFL Trainer

Penny started working with GVI at the beginning of June 2007 to assist with preparations for the first Teaching and Community Development expedition at the Thailand base. During this time she has taught in the local community and trained to become a TEFL trainer. She is also a qualified Emergency First Response Instructor committed to the health and safety of the Thailand expedition. She has lived and worked in Thailand for 3 years teaching English to primary and secondary students, as well as providing training classes for local teachers and community members. She describes her experience teaching Thai primary students as, “one of the most enriching and fun experiences in my working career…as well as the most exhausting!” Before coming to Thailand she worked with adults with learning disabilities, developing training programmes and strategies to assist people to live and work within the local community. She holds a TEFL qualification, sought more for an interest in the English language and communication than to travel and teach but after an 8 month travel jaunt it became a much welcomed ticket to new experiences. She is interested in assisting the local Thai people to develop their English communication skills and thus open doors to new opportunities. She is a great team worker and is excited to be part of a new venture helping others recognise their true potential.

Anita Russell - TEFL Trainer

In 2003 Anita graduated from James Cook University with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and is currently completing her Masters in Environmental Management, via distance education, through the University of New South Wales. From 2004-2007 she progressed from being an English instructor and trainer onto Assistant Area Manager for a large language school in Nagoya, Japan. In August 2007 Anita joined GVI’s Brazilian Pink Dolphins Conservation Project in the Amazon. This was during a critical time in her life when she was deciding which career path to take. Looking for a way to combine her experience, education, and interests she then applied for the position of Teacher on staff with the Thailand Expedition and in January 2008 was accepted as a full-time staff member. She is looking forward to establishing some additional teaching projects in Ao Luk and being a hands-on member in the development of GVI within the local community.

Britt Larsen - Director of Programmes

Britt Larsen joined GVI almost 5 years ago as the Expedition Manager of the remote Amazon Expedition in Ecuador. She ran the program for 18 months and was then appointed to set up the Costa Rican wildlife expedition in the coastal lowland rainforest on the Caribbean coast. After set up she managed the Costa Rica expedition for a year and naturally moved on to manage all South American Expeditions for a year and a half before finally being promoted to Director of Programmes. She now overseas all GVI field programmes and has been key in the GVI reaction to Hurricane Dean in Mexico, and in the set up and running of corporate volunteer and community capacity building programs for Whole Foods Market (Fortune 100) and Kraft Foods through the GVI Corporate Alliance. Britt is an Emergency First Response Instructor Trainer, an Off-Site Safety Management trainer, a certified powerboat driver and holds a B.Sc. in Zoology from Newcastle University. Originally from Denmark, Britt has worked and studied abroad during the last 12 years. She has run independent zoological expeditions to Tanzania, where she conducted primate, mammal, bird and amphibian surveys in the Udzungwa Mountains of the Eastern Arc, and to Ecuador’s cloud forest searching for the endangered Pacarana, the 3rd largest rodent in the world. She has also sailed across the Atlantic in a 36-foot ketch, cycled around Central America for a year working in a range of National Parks and has traveled extensively around Africa, Europe and the Americas. With over 10 years of international field experience, Britt has managed research, community and conservation programs globally and is a key member of the GVI team.

Kerry Todd - Teacher on Staff

Kerry Todd joined the Thailand expedition in April 2008 as the youngest expedition member. Just finishing high school in Australia, Kerry decided to get out and explore the world before settling down with studying and working. She came out just in time for the Thai New Year which is celebrated by soaking everyone with water to keep cool at the hottest time of the year. This introduction to Thai culture made her fall in love with the surrounding environment and community. After completing her 10 week expedition as a qualified TEFL teacher, Kerry decided to stay on as an intern to gain more teaching experience. In September, she became Teacher on Staff. Kerry loves expedition life, teaching English, and living in the local community. She plans to stay in Thailand forever.