| Donate | • | Contact Us | • |  Coffee Kids UK |
• | Tell a Friend | • | A A A |
| about us | you can help | news | donate | shop | español | ck blog | home |
staff
COFFEE KIDS — SANTA FE, NM
1751 Old Pecos Trail, Suite K
Santa Fe, NM 87505 USA
Phone: (505) 820-1443
Fax: (505) 820-7565
Carolyn Fairman, Executive Director
As a child in Michigan, Carolyn Fairman harbored a deep desire to become a backup dancer for KC and the Sunshine Band. But she quickly realized her dream was for naught and pursued her secondary interest, Latin American politics.
Fairman began her career with Coffee Kids in 2000 as an international program coordinator and has helped create successful grassroots training programs for health care, education, and micro-enterprise in coffee-growing communities. She has also nurtured relationships with many businesses in the coffee industry allowing Coffee Kids to continue its mission of helping to improve the lives of coffee-farming families.
Prior to joining Coffee Kids, Fairman worked in Guatemala with a non-governmental organization helping refugees returning after the country’s civil war. She received her master’s in Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico, where she focused on political science and gender. Fairman still enjoys dancing, but mostly in the confines of her living room.
Peter Kettler, Development Director
Since working as a barista while a student in Paris, Kettler has been a manager, roastmaster and buyer in the coffee industry and co-owned a retail and wholesale coffee company. From 1999 to 2009, Kettler was Holland Coffee Midwest’s regional manager and senior trader. He most recently served as Director of Coffee for Taylor Maid Farms in Sebastopol, Calif.
In 2004, Kettler started Coffee Lifeline, which provides Rwandan coffee farmers access to vital information via solar-powered radios. The project won the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s 2010 Sustainability Award.
“I’ve been on the business side of coffee for 20 years, from roasting to importing to development projects,” Kettler said. “On the business side, we always think our greatest resource is coffee. Actually it’s farmers and the communities, and Coffee Kids has the longest track record of any group that works with these communities. I’m proud to become part of their team.”
Joey Apodaca, Development Coordinator
Joey Apodaca recently returned to his ‘querida’ hometown of Santa Fe after living in Chicago and Los Angeles. In Chicago, Apodaca was the assistant to the director of development at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, where he assisted in the launch of the $3 million, five-year, Research Endowment Campaign and the Romancing the Past Gala.
Apodaca is honored to work with Coffee Kids’ dedicated members as development coordinator and he eagerly distributes facts and assistance to those desirous of helping coffee-farming families.
COFFEE KIDS UK – LONDON, ENGLAND
Elisa M. Kelly, UK Development Liaison
COFFEE KIDS – OAXACA, MEXICO
Privada de Rio Blanco 112, Depto. 4
Fraccionamiento Los Sauces
68010 Oaxaca, Oax, México
Phone and Fax: +52 (951) 5060441
José Luis Zárate, International Program Director
Growing up in Oaxaca, Mexico, José Luis Zárate dreamed of creating machines and robots to serve humanity. But over the years he realized that there was no better way to serve humanity than by trying to be a better human being. Whether helping coffee cooperatives attain organic and fair trade certifications or working in community development, Zárate has maintained a strong dedication to coffee-farming families throughout his career. In 1999, Zárate helped establish and served as executive director of Coffee Kids’ partner, Iniciativa FomCafé. Zárate’s extensive experience in the coffee industry includes coffee presentations in Peru and Colombia and a panel seat at the 2003 SCAA conference in Boston.
In his role as international program director at Coffee Kids, Zárate has witnessed the difference a small amount of external support coupled with community involvement can make in coffee communities. Zárate speaks Spanish, English and French. He also has continuing plans to build a robot that can fly, harvest coffee cherries and brew a perfect espresso.
José Carlos León Vargas, International Program Coordinator
Born and raised in Oaxaca, León left Mexico as a teen to discover new cultures. He holds a master’s degree in International Development and Cooperation from the University of Pavia, Italy. As León worked and studied in Europe, South America and Asia, he developed a greater appreciation for his native country and a strong desire to return and work for social change.
Coffee Kids is happy to have León in the program department helping effect social change throughout the coffee-growing world. Given his’s extensive background, it’s no surprise that he would like to run a full marathon, improve his compost pile and gardens, and adopt a pack of dogs.