Board of Directors
Oversight, direction, wisdom, guidance, service – these are just a few roles and responsibilities of our talented, dedicated board of directors who passionately use their wealth of experience to guide Nuru in the present and help set our course for the future.





Andrew R. Cogar, Esq.
Andy is an Assistant United States Attorney, prosecuting federal crimes in the Northern District of West Virginia. He earned B.A. degrees in communication studies and mathematics from West Virginia University, graduating summa cum laude, and studied mathematics and philosophy at the University of Glamorgan in Wales as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Andy also graduated with highest honors from the WVU College of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the West Virginia Law Review. After law school, he completed a clerkship with the Honorable Irene M. Keeley, United States District Court Judge, and worked as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. His deep commitment to serve the poor has been reinforced by his international travel experiences and his volunteer work. Andy and his wife Jennifer have two children.

Andy is an Assistant United States Attorney, prosecuting federal crimes in the Northern District of West Virginia. He earned B.A. degrees in communication studies and mathematics from West Virginia University, graduating summa cum laude, and studied mathematics and philosophy at the University of Glamorgan in Wales as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Andy also graduated with highest honors from the WVU College of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the West Virginia Law Review. After law school, he completed a clerkship with the Honorable Irene M. Keeley, United States District Court Judge, and worked as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. His deep commitment to serve the poor has been reinforced by his international travel experiences and his volunteer work. Andy and his wife Jennifer have two children.

Trey is a teaching pastor at Chestnut Ridge Church in Morgantown, WV. He graduated from Denison University with a B.A. in Philosophy and from West Virginia University with a doctorate in Technology Education. During his childhood, Trey spent time living in Papua New Guinea where his family established a school and a church in the bush of the Eastern Highlands. He also served in the Rukum district of rural Nepal as part of a medical/hospital development team. Trey has international experience in countries in Asia, South America, Europe, and Oceania. Currently, Trey lives in Morgantown, WV with his daughter, Grace.

Don is currently the Director of Online Operations at Facebook where he manages the team that supports Facebook’s users, advertisers and developers. Before Facebook, Don worked at Google as a Manager in the Online Sales and Operations group. He graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy in 1998 earning a B.S. in Systems Engineering and recently received his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business where he served as the CEO of MBA Challenge for Charity, the nation’s largest business school non-profit. After college, Don spent six years in the Marine Corps as an infantry and special operations platoon commander. Shortly after 9/11 he led an infantry platoon during the invasion of Afghanistan where his unit spent three months conducting offensive and humanitarian operations. He served a second combat tour in early 2003 leading a Force Reconnaissance platoon during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Recognizing how lucky and fortunate he has been, Don is committed to helping others.

John is a practicing dermatologic surgeon specializing in skin cancer treatment and prevention in Morgantown, WV. He graduated summa cum laude from West Virginia University with a B.A. in biology and also received an M.D. with honors. He then completed a combined medicine/psychiatry internship at West Virginia University. John completed his residency and served as chief resident at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, followed by a cutaneous surgery and oncology fellowship at the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, CA. He has authored or co-authored over 35 publications. His experiences working with missionary groups and local outreach programs fuels his passion for aiding those in poverty. He has international experience in Mexico, Europe, and India. John and his wife Melissa have 2 daughters and a son.