US Team

Board of Directors

David Dimas

President

Dave's journey with Buyamba began in 2005, alongside his wife Julie, he feels he was called to come alongside the Dongo family and build schools in Uganda in order to equip the future generations. Under divine circumstances he and Julie inherited Buyamba and brought it from New York to California. He sensed it was time for the ministry to be handed off and taken to the next level. He was called to implement that jump.

God had given Dave a soft spot in his heart for Uganda and his first visit there revealed to him how great the need really was. Today he oversees Buyamba and supports the team with his business knowledge and experience.

Beyond Buyamba, Dave has been running a legal marketing firm since 2000. His hobbies include collecting old Christian books, bibles, devotionals, writing, and spending time with his family.

Julie Dimas

Chief Executive Officer

Julie has been with Buyamba since 2005, when she and her husband were called to receive the torch from Jerry and Pat. Julie has always had a heart for orphans, and had met Pastor Dongo years before in the halls of Hillcrest Christian School where she worked as an administrator and teacher. She had worked with others in the school to get the students involved in helping God Cares students in Uganda. When the time came to step into the ministry full time, she knew it was the right season to answer God's call in this way and has been blessed ever since to be a part of Buyamba.

Outside of Buyamba Julie enjoys hiking and spending time with her own kids.

Our board is a body of believers, with one heart for Buyamba, who oversee the activities of the ministry.
Buyamba Uganda was first organized as a non-profit in New York, USA in 1999. Jerry and Pat Lehman ran the non-profit’s operations, serving faithfully and wholeheartedly until December 2006. Buyamba was reorganized as a California 501(c)3 in January 1, 2007, under the leadership of David and Julie Dimas, where it continues to reside today.

Peter Gillette

Peter Gillette - Board Member

Peter has served since 2005, the very beginning of Buyamba's start in California. His service on the board brings hope and compassion to the needs of the children, staff, teachers, and future leaders that are involved in the God Cares Schools, Uganda, and East Africa. His passion for Buyamba is to serve and love as the Lord leads him.

Peter is a husband and father to four adopted adult children. Outside of Buyamba his career involves developing innovative design and construction solutions for the aquatic therapy and water feature industries. He spends a lot of his time outside running, hiking, snow skiing, ocean diving and spearfishing.

Donna Leavitt

Donna Leavitt - Board Treasurer

Donna Leavitt is a founding board member and had faithfully volunteered since 2006. When asked why she feels called to Buyamba she explained, "For me it’s all about the kids. My heart burns for orphans. It’s that simple. I’m a foster-adoptive mom and it feels like I have always been called to orphans. Whenever I hear a story of a child without a mom or dad, my heart starts pounding. As far as my call to Buyamba, when the boxes of binders arrived on Julie’s doorstep, I knew I was called to come alongside Julie to help get the ministry on its feet, and to fill in where she needed my administrative and accounting skills. We spent countless hours at our dining room tables, with our little girls playing together."

Donna reflected on why she loves working with the people who love the kids, answering, "They are passionate and generous, kind and connected to each other.” Her two favorite memories of Buyamba begin with the first Calvary Community Church mission fair in 2006... "We were completely unprepared for over 100 kids to get sponsored! We got a group together and called each sponsor matching photos of kids with each person. We couldn’t pronounce the kids’ names! I’m sure we butchered every beautiful Ugandan name. It was so exhilarating to imagine each of these children having a meal each day, an education, basic medical care. My second favorite memory is our first summer tour when a group of kids from God Cares came to the U.S. We took them to the beach and several of the kids were licking their lips, astounded that the water tasted like salt! They had never been to an ocean before.”

Keith Jepsen

Keith Jepsen - Board Member

Keith has served with Buyamba since the summer of 2010 and is called upon often for help with events, monthly newsletter stuffing, and handyman jobs. His heart for Buyamba is evident through his willingness and joy expressed while serving. Though Keith swore he would probably never travel to Africa, God had other plans. God captured his heart for His children and His work, in Africa.

Keith is a firefighter for the Los Angeles Fire Dept who loves to spend time with his family. You'll find them camping, fishing, spending a day at the rifle range, or playing games together.

Dr. Pat Reiten

Dr. Patrick Reiten - Board Member

Dr. Pat has served on the Buyamba Board since 2016. The Reiten family has been involved with Buyamba since the beginning, volunteering and coming alongside the ministry in various ways, including leading medical trips to minister to the kids at God Cares in Uganda. Dr Pat was also instrumental in caring for Pastor Dongo when he was struggling with cancer both on the Us and the Uganda side.

Dr. Patrick Reiten is an MD and general surgery doctor who practices in Thousand Oaks, California., and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center, Simi Valley Hospital and St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital. He has been practicing over 31 years.

Buyamba Staff & Volunteers

Over the years we've developed a core team of volunteers who assist in the office, from their homes, and in our events. These are the faces of Buyamba, seen and unseen, they all share a heart for what God's doing through Buyamba. We're grateful for them!