Today, we are sharing the news that —after more than three years, Jolly Mokorosi is stepping down from her role as Chair of mothers2mothers’ (m2m) South Africa (SA) Board of Directors—one of three independent Boards that govern m2m globally. Public health strategist Dr. Tim Tucker will be stepping in as the Interim Chair of the m2m SA Board, following his 3+ year tenure as a Board Member. He will join Colin Freund and Derek Lubner, who chair our U.S. Board of Directors in November 2019, and United Kingdom (U.K.) Board of Trustees respectively.

“It’s been an honour to serve as the Chair of the SA Board for the last few years. I have always been—and continue to be—truly inspired by the tireless and altruistic work that m2m Mentor Mothers carry out to improve the health and well-being of their communities. I would also like to thank all my fellow Board Members—past and present—and the m2m executive team for their incredible efforts. I look forward to continuing to support this impactful and proven female-led, community-driven model, which is creating a healthy, more equitable future for women, families, and communities across sub-Saharan Africa,” said Jolly Mokorosi.

Reflecting on Jolly’s tenure as Chair of the SA Board of Directors, Chad Rathner, m2m’s Interim CEO shared:

“I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Jolly for her incredible passion and commitment to our mission. Her leadership came at a critical time, as the world reckoned with the interlinked health and social inequities that were laid bare and exacerbated by COVID-19. I, and everyone at m2m, is deeply thankful for everything Jolly has done to help m2m grow and evolve, and look forward to her ongoing partnership in her personal capacity.”

Looking ahead to the new chapter for the SA Board, Chad added:

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Tucker as the new Interim Chair of the Board. His deep experience in public health and unwavering commitment to our mission make him the ideal leader to guide us into our next chapter of impact and innovation. At a time of so much change and uncertainty, that is exactly the kind of leadership that will help us weather this storm and ensure we come out on the other side stronger.”

Dr. Tim Tucker said: “It is a true honour to continue my journey with m2m as the SA Board’s new Interim Chair. Every challenge that the organisation has experienced and overcome has only confirmed and reiterated the importance and life-saving work of m2m Mentor Mothers, and of our proven, peer-led model. I look forward to working with my fellow Board Members and everyone else at m2m to deliver continued impact and reach for our clients across sub-Saharan Africa.”

Learn more about Dr. Tim Tucker’s background and experience below:

Dr. Tim Tucker – Founder and CEO, SEAD Consulting | Interim Chair, m2m SA

Tim is a public health strategist, with a track record in HIV, hepatitis, vaccines, COVID-19, and public health programmes in Africa and beyond. He is Founder and CEO of the Black-empowered public health organisation, SEAD Consulting, which for the past 20 years has consulted for a wide range of organisations around the world on health strategy, health programme interventions, health systems strengthening, and business analytics/M&E. In addition, Tim is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town (UCT) School of Public Health. He worked as a clinical virologist, before being appointed as the inaugural director of the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative, the (then) largest biotech and clinical initiative on the continent. Tim currently serves on the Board of the South African Medical Research Council, and is a member of the U.S. Government National Institutes of Health HIV Strategy Working Group. He is a registered Clinical Virologist, with a medical degree, Ph.D., and pathology specialisation from UCT.