Mark Miles is Seattle Rotary’s new corporate representative for Pilgrim Africa. Pilgrim Africa is a nonprofit organization focused on treating and eliminating malaria and bringing STEM education to classrooms in rural Uganda.Pilgrim Africa’s CEO, Dorothy Echodu, has been involved with Rotary for many years. The organization is currently wrapping up a Rotary Malaria Partners International grant focused on evaluating different case management approaches to malaria treatment. More than 200 Pilgrim Africa community health workers in 85 villages are testing and treating villagers for malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea which are the top three killers of children under five.
Pilgrim Africa is also playing a role in responding to COVID-19. Due to COVID’s rapid spread in Africa, all schools and most businesses in Uganda have closed. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Pilgrim Africa’s Beacon of Hope School is being used as a COVID-19 triage and treatment center in partnership with Soroti Regional Hospital.
Mark’s path to Pilgrim Africa started in Geneva, Illinois, a small town outside of Wheaton. His family moved to Fullerton, California when Mark was five. After high school, Mark earned a bachelor’s degree in business at nearby Biola University and an MBA in management from California State University- Long Beach.
Initially working in finance, Mark spent the next 11 years at World Vision, then based in California. His audit work in the U.S. and Africa included an audit of World Vision’s largest project at the time - in Mozambique. He later transitioned to project management of World Vision programs in the U.S. When World Vision re-located to Federal Way, Mark and his family followed.
Mark then transitioned to fundraising roles at three private Christian universities: Seattle Pacific University, his alma mater Biola University, and Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was very successful, securing the largest gifts in Biola’s and Bethel’s histories, $12 million and $13.5 million each respectively.
When Mark’s mother (who lived with his family) became ill, Mark and his wife Pauline decided to move to Puyallup, where his mother had church family and friends. Sadly, Mark’s mother passed away in 2018 before they moved. However, Mark and Pauline continued with their plans which led Mark to Pilgrim Africa and his current role as a chief development officer.
Married for 39 years, Mark and Pauline have two daughters, ages 35 and 32. Pauline, a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design in Los Angeles, enjoys doing fashion design and alternations. Mark’s non-work activities include drawing, singing, teaching, reading, and golf. Together, Mark and Pauline enjoy hiking (Mark has summitted Mount Rainier) and traveling. Their travels have led the family to far-flung locations, including the Middle East and Asia.
When asked what he would most like his fellow Rotarians to know about him, Mark said, “My faith and family are the most important parts of my life. I love to serve and I am excited to be a part of Rotary.”
Please join me in welcoming Mark Miles as Pilgrim Africa’s new corporate representative.
