Budd MacKenzie
Founder
After graduating from Amherst College in 1967, Budd moved westward to Boalt Law School and Haas Business School, UC Berkeley, where he graduated with a joint JD/MBA degree.
Following a one-year transition period selling cheese and wine at “Curds and Whey,” (a retail store started with a friend while in law school), Budd opened a private law practice in 1971. He has provided legal and business counsel to entrepreneurs ever since.
Budd has also been committed to community service for many years. He served as a coach and manager of baseball, basketball, soccer, roller blade hockey, and tennis teams for seven years (until his son could take no more!)
He was the president of Lafayette Little League for three years and Mock Trial advisor for three years at Acalanes High School. His Lafayette Chamber of Commerce service includes six years as a member of the Board of Directors and president in 2006.
Budd founded Trust in Education after reading Charlie Wilson’s War, becoming informed about US involvement in Afghanistan, and visiting Afghanistan.TIE is comprised of an ever increasing number of people who, like Budd, have chosen to make time to help Afghans rebuild their lives and country. He has learned through this experience that the greatest rewards in life come from the impact we have on the lives of others.
He is just one among many who keep the train running.
Awards
- Citizen of the Year, City of Lafayette, CA 2003-2004
- Su Stauffer Friends of Education Award, Acalanes High School 2004
- Peace and Justice Award, Mount Diablo Peace and Justice Center 2010
- Paul Harris Fellow, Lafayette Rotary Club 2010
- Happenings Local’s Choice Humanitarian Award for Contra Costa County 2012 and 2018
- Awarded the ‘Unsung Heroes of Compassion’ honor in February, 2014 along with 50 other men and women from around the globe, and recognized personally by HH the Dalai Lama at a banquet in San Francisco.
- Chosen as an honorary member of Lafayette Rotary Club (2015)
Nabi Tawakali
Vice President
As Vice-President of Trust in Education, Nabi helps develop policy and programs. He also accompanies Budd on semi-annual to Afghanistan.
Born in Kabul in 1949, Nabi attended Kabul University. He worked as Director of Foreign Relations for the Agricultural Development Bank of Afghanistan. Shortly after the Russians invaded in 1979, he immigrated to the United States.
After arriving in the U.S., Nabi worked as an international banker for more than 10 years, first for the European American Bank in New York and then for Security Pacific Bank in Los Angeles, California.
He then served as Vice President of Pacific Shores Corporation, an agricultural company, in Walnut Creek, California. In 1991 he founded Pacific International Seed Corporation, which produces and exports top quality American seeds around the world.
In 2006 Nabi started his volunteer work with Trust In Education. He is committed to educating the children of Afghanistan because he strongly believes that education is the best way to help the children and people of Afghanistan overcome poverty and their fears.
Jack Howell 
Solar Oven Project Director
After high school, Jack was drafted in the army and served two years in Germany. He went to the University of San Francisco on a basketball scholarship after a USF alum saw him play in Germany. He played one year at USF and then settled down to study philosophy.
Jack spent two decades publishing books in Massachusetts, particularly books on solar, wind, photovoltaic, and organic gardening. The Solar Home Book, a New York Times bestseller, became a classic in the field and was translated into seven languages.
In 1986 he founded Morning Sun Press in Lafayette, California where he continues to concentrate on renewable energy and the environment. In 1990 he published Cooking with the Sun: How to Build & Use Solar Cookers. He was hooked on solar cooking and has been designing and helping people around the world build and use solar cookers ever since. In 2011, he managed the construction of TIE’s “Hundred Solar Ovens for Afghanistan” project.
He also supervised the manufacturing of 200 simple solar ovens that use the Mylar coffee bean bags from Peet’s Coffee as reflectors. The Afghans are learning how to attach the bags to the cookers. The cookers are all in Afghanistan.
Jack is a hands-on guy with a passion for helping people. TIE offers him the perfect fit: he can direct the construction of solar ovens that will help people live a little healthier life.
Jack loves dogs, solar picnics at wineries, (especially wineries with dogs), gardening and cooking, creating art out of junk, and of course, spending time with his family.
Mujeeb Ahmad “Hameedi”
In-Country Program Director
Mujeeb Ahmad was born in Kabul city in 1995. He started elementary school at Aqa Ali Shams School in Kabul and after passing the exam, he joined the Commercial Vocational High School from 10th grade up to the 12th grade in Kabul. After that he joined Professional Commercial Institute. Before finishing High school, he has worked in various private companies in financial, administrative management, human resources, and for a while as the head of a private company, then he started a security service company in Kabul, he has been providing services in the trade market for four years. After opening his own private company, he joined Kabul University again and studied national economics at Faculty of Economics.
Mujeeb Ahmad has the honor of working with TIE organization since November 2021. Mujeeb Ahmad married Safia Noori on the 20th of June 2022. Ms.Safia, graduated from Razi Institute of Health Sciences in Kabul with a degree in Physiotherapy. Mr.Mujeeb Ahmad and Ms. Safia are happy that they can help Afghan poor families each in their own way.
Wahidullah Banahi
Street Student Liaison and Program Director
Wahidullah Banahi was born in 1958 in Kabul city
In 1964, he joined the elementary school, and after finishing high education, he joined Seyed Jamaluddin Afghan Teacher Training Institute, and in 1987, he graduated from the mathematics faculty of this institute, and in the same year, he became a teacher at Uamra Khan High School. Beside educational activities, he has cooperated with national and international organizations, among which, from 1993 to 2000, he worked with the C·H·A organization as a survey officer and for a period of time, he worked in the field of bakery program of this organization. He has been cooperating with TIE organization since October 2021 Wahidullah is an experienced and active person in the work team of TIE organization.
No comments yet.