Governance

Meredith Potts, Executive Director
Meredith has been at the helm of FIRE since 2004. Cumulatively, she has spent more than 12 months in Mongolia orchestrating six volunteer distribution trips, researching ongoing and future projects, and building long-term relationships with Mongolian officials, medical professionals, teachers and many more. She was David Edwards' studio manager from 2000 through 2007, where she was first introduced to FIRE, eventually reviving it after a three year slumber. Meredith, who is also a yoga instructor, photographer, and filmmaker, co-directed and produced One Steppe at a Time: FIRE in Mongolia, a documentary about FIRE’s 2005 clothing and medical aid distribution trip. In addition to FIRE operations, she has spent over eight months in India volunteering with the poor and studying yoga. Her passion for helping others, incongruously, began at age seven after her first encounter with the homeless while visiting San Francisco. Volunteerism has continued through out her life.  She started her high school's environmental club and recycling program.  While in India she photographed Mother Theresa and now working on large, ambitious projects in Mongolia.

Dr. Narnygerel Erdenbileg, Medical Director
Narnygerel is FIRE's second full time employee. She is a Mongolian trained physician, specializing in internal medicine with a focus on preventive medicine. She is a dedicated and invaluable member of FIRE's team. She has worked as a medical translator and logistics coordinator for FIRE since 2005. She has worked for the World Health Organization (WHO), Millennium Challenge Account Mongolia (MCA-M) and conducted research with the Health Sciences University of Mongolia. She also completed an internship for Municipal Hospital in Japan, where she studied the Japanese medical system. She is an avid reader and enjoys practicing ballet in her free time. Nara is passionate about medicine and helping to improve the medical system of Mongolia. She is supervising FIRE's office in Ulaanbaatar and directing all of our medical programs.

Board of Directors

David Edwards, Founder
David is a freelance documentary photographer and guide, having made Flagstaff his home since 1982. He has led river trips around the world and continues to lead horse trips throughout Mongolia. His story about the Kazakh eagle hunters of western Mongolia appeared in the September 1999 issue of National Geographic. Dave took his first trip to Mongolia in 1992 for a self-assignment covering the horse culture. Moved by the poverty he saw, specifically in orphanages and among the street children, Dave began carrying duffles of warm clothes to Mongolia and personally distributed them on his subsequent trips. In 1997 he founded the Mongolian Orphans Association, which is now called FIRE. He has a photography studio in downtown Flagstaff, AZ. www.davidedwardsphotography.com


John Tveten, M.D., Non-Operative Orthopedic Trauma Treatment Leader
Dr. Tveten is an emergency and family medicine board certified physician with 19 years experience working with international health education projects. He has worked as a field trainer for the Harvard Medical School Institute for International Health, where he trained non-emergency physicians to provide emergency medical care in under-served areas. Dr. Tveten has spent 10 years working as an emergency physician on the Hopi Indian Reservation in Northern Arizona, facing challenges similar to those in Mongolia. He has been involved with FIRE since his first trip to Mongolia as a medical volunteer in 2005. Dr. Tveten is also a musician, artist and outdoor adventurer. He also played on the US National rugby team.  He will lead the NOOTT training.


John Durham, M.D., Orthopedic Training Program Leader
Dr. Durham is a board certified Orthopedic hand surgeon. He has gained extensive experience in trauma treatment, while establishing himself as a specialist in hand surgery and reconstruction techniques. He has worked at Summit Center Orthopedic and Rehabilitation in Flagstaff, AZ, since 1992 and has been participating in medical missions around the world for over 20 years. In his leisure time, he enjoys skiing, sea kayaking, and rock climbing. Dr. Durham and his wife Lisa have two twin boys. 2010 will be Dr. Durham’s fourth trip to Mongolia with FIRE. He will again be leading the advanced section of the Orthopedic Training Program at Trauma Hospital. He has built a strong foundation for this project and maintains a strong level of commitment to FIRE, the medical staff at Trauma Hospital, and Mongolia.

Karen Duffy, Phd., Psychology
Karen Duffy is a Distinguished Service Professor of Psychology (Emerita) at the State University of New York. During her tenure Karen taught a variety of psychology courses, chaired her department and instituted the service learning program for her department. She is an accomplished author having written the first community psychology text book. Karen has won two Fulbright Fellowships to St. Petersburg State University in Russia. Over the past decades, she has been honored for her dedication and commitment to various community service projects around the world. Karen divides her time between Prescott, AZ and a ranch in Geneseo, NY where she maintains three horses. 2009 will be Karen’s third volunteer trip to Mongolia with FIRE.  As well as traveling to Mongolia, she is assisting FIRE with its long term planning.