About Us • About Mongolia

Bolor Smith

Bolor Smith is a native Mongolian who was born and raised in a small countryside community in Arkhangai Province of Mongolia. Bolor believes that giving a chance for somebody to have an education is the most rewarding gift that one could offer. As a child who grew up in the Mongolian countryside, she knows firsthand that for Mongolian nomads being educated not only benefits the individual; it also directly benefits their families and their communities. Bolor’s hope is to reduce poverty and inequality through providing educational opportunities for the underprivileged youth in Mongolia. She has a Baccalaureate in Law (equivalent to Juris Doctor) from the Mongolian National University in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and an MBA from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA.

Andrea Gabriel

Andrea Gabriel is an artist and children's book illustrator living in Bellingham, Washington. While traveling in Mongolia she fell in love with the countryside and its inhabitants, and started BSEP with her friend Bolor as a means of giving back. She is driven by the conviction that people are naturally giving and most fulfilled in their lives when they are of direct service to others. She hopes that BSEP will give many people that opportunity.

Michael Steiner

Michael Steiner is an Architect in San Francisco. He is a graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Architecture & Planning and has worked on a wide variety of commercial and residential projects during the past fifteen years. His dedication to service and passion for non-profits have led him to work on numerous community housing projects across the United States, Latin America, Melanesia and Europe. His roles have varied as a program manager for a Buddhist temple restoration project in Mongolia, and as co-director of fundraising in Colombia for children’s health, shelter and educational programs. Michael finds inspiration in volunteering and its capacity for building healthy and cohesive communities.

Karen Burke

Karen Burke serves as the Executive Director of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County. Karen was previously employed with Lummi Nation for eight years. She was the Director of the Lummi Nation Tribal Court where she developed and managed programs such as the Lummi Drug Court, the Lummi Juvenile Justice Project and was the founding Director of the Lummi Nation Child Support Program. She also worked as an Advocate and a Community Educator for both Lummi Victims of Crime and Skagit Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services. She has extensive experience working in domestic violence and other social service programs in executive management project development, event management, public relations, and marketing. When not working, Karen loves to travel and volunteer in communities throughout the world.

Jeff Giesen

Jeff Giesen is the Education Director for North Cascades Institute, a non-profit conservation education organization based in Washington State. He leads program development for stewardship and summer youth programs as well as managing many partnerships such as the United States Forest Service, National Park Service, National Park Foundation and the Student Conservation Association. Jeff has a Bachelor's degree in environmental education, a Master's Degree in Science and fifteen years of environmental education experience. He lives in Bellingham, Washington with his wife Janet, daughter Kate (7) and son Will (5). Jeff is committed to improving the world through education. In his free time, Jeff can be found hiking the trails of northwest Washington, on the sideline at pee wee basketball games and chasing his wife's chickens out of his neighbor's garden.

Chimedregzengiin Osokhbold

Osokhoo’s dream is to help people in need and to be able to do things that would benefit our society. Osokhoo believes that our world will be a better world when everybody, as the sons and daughters of one Mother Earth, work together, understand and respect each other, and help and support one another. He is committed to work with the Blue Sky Education Project and is hoping that Blue Sky will help bring many great opportunities for the children of Mongolia. Osokhoo is a student at the Mongolian National University, majoring in Political Science.