School Board

The ASOY Board consists of seven voting members, six of whom are elected and one of whom is appointed (the Ambassador’s Representative). (The Board may also include up to four ex-officio, non-voting members). The term of service for elected members is two years; the Ambassador determines the term of the appointed Ambassador’s Representative. Three Board members are elected in odd-numbered years, and three are elected in even-numbered years.

In even-numbered years, two of the elected board members must be American citizens employed at the U.S. Embassy, and the other elected board member must be a Cameroonian national. In odd-numbered years, two elected board members must be American citizens employed at the U.S. Embassy, and the other must be a non-American citizen.

Please meet our 2020-2021 Board members below:

Austen Nwaochei (President)

Austin Austen Nwaochei is an independent management and technology consultant with over 15 years of industry and consulting experience. Austen has worked and consulted for different Fortune 100 companies such as Chevron, Deloitte Consulting, Cisco Systems, Ross Stores, among others. Austen has an MBA from the University of California, Davis and a B.S in Computer Science from Lincoln University, PA. Austen is married and has two children enrolled at ASOY.

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Damiano Beltrame (VP/ Treasurer)

Damiano Damiano Beltrame is Gemalto Cameroon SA Manager for Thales Group (the major international French Company). He is in charge of the IT technical assistance for the Cameroonian Police. He has lived in Cameroon since 2015 and has almost 15 years’ of experience in Africa and the Middle East. He has a doctorate in law and information system from Alma Mater Studiorum of Bologna (Italy). He is joined in Cameroon with his 3 children, all in ASOY.

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Jenny Bah

jeny Jenny Bah has served as a U.S. diplomat with the U.S. Department of State since 2005, working primarily on political and economic issues. Aside from Cameroon, she has worked in China, Taiwan, Gabon, Thailand, and Sierra Leone. Prior to her career in the foreign service, she worked for the U.S. Peace Corps for six years, including a two year volunteer tour in Guinea.

Jenny has a Master's in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, a Master's in English from the University of Tennessee, and a Bachelor's in English from the University of Montevallo.

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Baldwin Thomas Hodgson

thomas Baldwin Thomas Hodgson. A Panamanian-Nicaraguan citizen with a diplomatic resident permit in Cameroon. Baldwin holds a degree in Political Science with a focus on International Relations, as well as an executive certificate in Project Management and a master’s degree in Governance and Development Policy.

He has 2 children at ASOY.

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Shannon Rubin

Shannon Rubin is a Community Liaison Office Coordinator (CLO) at the United States Embassy here in Cameroon. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and has more than 10 years of community-focused experience both in nonprofit and community organizations. Shannon has lived and worked in Israel and China as well as 7 cities around the United States. Shannon is married and has three children enrolled at ASOY.

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James Nelson

James Nelson is currently serving as the U.S. Ambassador's Representative on the Board of Directors. James has a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree Finance and Real Estate from Baylor University and is a graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. He brings a seventeen-year career in community and commercial banking in Texas to the Board including almost fifteen years of nonprofit and community volunteer and board experience. He has two children at ASOY.