Kris Holloway has joined the International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI) all-volunteer board of directors. She brings a wealth of experience to ILI through her leadership as president and CEO of CIS Abroad, an innovative education abroad company based in Easthampton, MA, and her dedication to creating a more connected and compassionate world.

Woman with short dark hair

“We are thrilled to welcome Kris to the board,” said ILI board president Sonya Rumpf. “She exemplifies ILI’s vision and spirit and the sense of community we value in the work we do every day to ensure equal access to language learning opportunities for all.”

Holloway entered the field of international education in 2007 from the non-profit development world where she was a founding board member of the Global Leadership League. She served as a community health agent in the Peace Corps in Mali, West Africa in the early 1990s and is the author of a best-selling personal ethnography, Monique and the Mango Rains, based on her Peace Corps experience. She also co-authored Shores Beyond Shores, the memoir of a Holocaust survivor.

ILI’s all-volunteer board members unanimously approved Holloway’s nomination and selection during their late September meeting. At that time, they also appointed new board officers: Rumpf as president and La Wanza Lett-Brewington as clerk. Rumpf leads employee engagement strategy at Grameen America, the largest non-profit micro-finance institution in the U.S. Lett-Brewington serves as Title IX coordinator and affirmative action officer for Greenfield and Berkshire community colleges.