Our Team
Leadership & Governance
Meet the People
Behind the Mission
A dedicated team of professionals, advocates, and community leaders working
together to expand educational opportunities for refugee students.
Kathryn L. Anderson
Founder and Executive Director
Kristin L. Anderson
President
Rev. Lyle J. Beckman
Vice President
Robert J. Flax, J.D
Treasurer
Demie Treantos
Secretary
Rev. James Fruehling
Ph. D.
Thad McIlroy
Analyst
Kathryn L. Anderson
Founder and Executive Director
After earning a Bachelor of Art in History and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Minnesota, Kathryn moved west to San Francisco to attend law school. Kathryn has had a nationwide practice in civil litigation for 42 years. Since 2018, Kathryn has been active in social justice issues advocating for immigrants and asylum seekers. She recently spent 11 months in Cairo, Egypt where she worked with St. Andrew’s Church and St. Andrew’s Refugee Services in downtown Cairo. Kathryn hopes to return to the Middle East to expand the work of Pathways for Refugee Education. She also serves on the Board of the San Francisco Night Ministry
Kristin L. Anderson
President
Kristin is a professional coach offering consulting, facilitation and executive coaching to develop sustainable high performing teams and organizations. Her professional background includes working in the high-tech industry for over twenty-five years. She likes to bring a pragmatic approach to problem-solving and achieving goals in the most efficient way possible. Kristin lives in Redwood City, California.
Rev. Lyle J. Beckman
Vice President
Lyle J. Beckman, an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), initially served inner-city congregations in New Jersey and Connecticut; and as a chaplain in a county jail; a police and fire department chaplain; and a mediator for rival gangs. More recently Lyle served as the Night Minister and Executive Director for the San Francisco Night Ministry, and as an Intentional Interim Pastor for several congregations in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Robert J. Flax, J.D.
Treasurer
Bob is a retired attorney. He was Senior Counsel at the CSAA Insurance Group from 2001 to 2019, and Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, at Bay View Bank from 1980 to 2000. Bob studied at Johns Hopkins University and the Hastings College of Law, UC San Francisco.
Demie Treantos
Secretary
Demie is a seasoned HR professional with over 25 years of experience in the high technology industry. She has a passion for addressing the unique educational challenges faced by refugees. Her career has been dedicated to cultivating talent, fostering inclusive environments, and creating strategic initiatives that empower individuals to reach their full potential.
Rev. James Fruehling
Ph. D.
Jim grew up in a parsonage where concern for refugees was always at hand, beginning with people who had been dispossessed after World War II. Jim studied in Berlin on a Fulbright scholarship, and has worked as a licensed psychologist and Lutheran pastor. On behalf of church related agencies, he has consulted in England, Latvia, and Romania.
Thad McIlroy
Analyst
Thad McIlroy is a publishing technology analyst and author based in San Francisco. His site, The Future of Publishing, provides in-depth coverage of book publishing industry trends, currently focusing on the intersection of AI with book authoring and publishing. Thad’s latest book, The AI Revolution in Book Publishing: A Concise Guide to Navigating Artificial Intelligence for Writers and Publishers, was published in a revised edition in May 2025.