VIRGIL HUGHES
​Experienced non-profit CEO, with more than 25 years running stand-alone and multi-site service organizations, as well as 10 years owning a private consulting firm.​​
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TIM MILLER​
A 30-year track record as an executive in the commercial finance sector, and more as a Christian volunteer. Most notably, he served as Chair of the Florida chapter of the Moral Majority.
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JACK GARDNER
Experienced financial manager, with backgrounds in CFO and banking roles.   At the age of 50, Jack went back to school for a degree in Theology, and founded the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan, where he serves as its Executive Director.




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BRIAN MATHIAS
Numerous executive and board positions in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Most recently he served as Chief Clinical Officer for the Centers for Advanced Orthopedics in Bethesda, MD.  He has served in different roles at several churches and now attends Church of the Resurrection (ACNA) in Lutherville, MD.
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JUSTIN DOSCH
​Jesus follower. Husband. Father. Avid distance runner and track coach. Fender guitar enthusiast. Lead Pastor of True North Church. Pittsburgh Area Director for the Times12 Network. Passionate about seeing the gospel transform lives through the local church.

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​ERIKA PETACH 
For over twelve years, Erika Petach has been the President of Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh and has served on many boards and committees for organizations that support the needs of individuals with vision impairment. In 2013 she was chosen by the Pittsburgh Business Times as a Nonprofit CEO of the year. 

DR. GLWADYS ADMONE GBETIBOUO
​Over 20 years of experience as a researcher/ international development expert, particularly in agriculture and rural development, environment, and climate change. She is currently running her own private consulting firm in sustainable development since 2015.
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Our History

NewVines International, Inc. had its beginning in 2012 when two men from the United States were roommates on a church mission trip to Kenya. Tom Blumberg and Virgil Hughes, both businessmen in the U.S., saw the opportunity that even small amounts of capital and training could provide.  Mr. Hughes met with a small group of villagers on that trip to discuss micro-lending.  Over the next few years the two men informally helped with the establishment of four savings cooperatives in western Kenya.

In 2014, Mr. Hughes began to sense a calling to set up a non-profit to bring more focused help to western Kenya. 

In November of 2015, NVI was chartered as a Pennsylvania Non-Profit Corporation, with Mr. Hughes and Mr. Blumberg  two of its three founding Board Members. The IRS granted tax-exempt status to NewVines International, Inc. in March 2017.