Denise A. Soltis has been selected by the Global Interfaith Partnership Board of Directors as Executive Director. Soltis will provide overall leadership in support of GIP’s strategic mission in the Chulaimbo region of Western Kenya. “The Board of Directors and our Kenyan partners are excited to work with Denise. Her work abroad provides excellent experience as she begins her work with GIP. We look forward to continued growth and development of all GIP programs” notes Chair of the Board of Directors, David Berry.

Soltis worked for 16 years at Drake University in Des Moines, where she most recently served as Assistant Dean for Community and Global Engagement and Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice. She has extensive teaching experience and a background in fundraising and grant writing. In addition to her work at Drake, Soltis currently serves on the Board of Hillside Health Care International. HHCI is a faith inspired, non-profit organization dedicated to serving God by providing medical care, disease prevention, and health education to the people of Southern Belize.

Soltis graduated with a B.S. in Pharmacy from Butler University and holds a Masters of Global Health from Northwestern University. She currently lives in Indianapolis with her husband, Robert. She has three children, two of which live in the Indianapolis area. Soltis states, “I am excited to be selected for the executive director of Global Interfaith Partnership. Together with the board of directors, our interfaith partners, and Kenyan staff, I look forward to building on the foundation created by Ellen Daniels-Howell, the founder, as we move into the second decade of supporting vulnerable children in Kenya.”

The overriding goal of Global Interfaith Partnership has always been a simple one: to keep vulnerable children in school and address the obstacles that might hinder their success.
Beginning its 11th year, GIP is a multi-faith coalition of congregations committed to meeting the immediate and long-term needs of vulnerable children in western Kenya. Services provided include a daily lunch program for 3,500 primary school students, school tuition assistance, emergency support for those in most need, and programs specific for girls, which emphasize health education and positive relationships.