Alice Thomas is the Executive Director of Central Asia Institute. An attorney by training and a passionate champion of social justice and gender rights, Alice brings over 25 years of experience working in international development and humanitarian affairs. From responding to refugee crises in countries in conflict to tackling pressing global challenges such as poverty, education, poor governance, and climate change, Alice has dedicated her professional life to advocating on behalf of marginalized and disenfranchised populations.
Before stepping into her role as CAI’s Executive Director, Alice served a term on CAI’s board of directors. There, she not only played an active role in strategic planning and development but also found a deep sense of alignment and purpose with CAI’s mission and vision.
She views CAI’s mission to promote education, especially for girls and women, in the remote communities of Central Asia as a natural continuation of her previous work advocating for social justice.
Prior to joining CAI, Alice was a Senior Policy Advisor and Program Manager at Refugees International, a non-governmental organization based in Washington, DC. At Refugees International, her work focused on improved assistance and protection for refugees and displaced people. In that role, she conducted over a dozen missions to poor and conflict-afflicted countries to assess the protection, shelter, and education needs of affected communities. She also launched a novel program on the impacts of climate change on the displacement of vulnerable populations.
Alice has also served as a staff attorney in the international program at Earthjustice in San Francisco, where she worked in collaboration with local civil society to seek redress for communities affected by pollution.
She has held several positions with the American Bar Association’s international initiatives, starting in ABA’s country office in Uzbekistan and later as Deputy Director of ABA’s Asia Law Initiative, where she oversaw programs in Cambodia, China, the Philippines, and Thailand.
Alice started her career as a litigator in New York. She holds a law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and a bachelor’s in history from Princeton University. When not championing women’s education and gender rights, Alice enjoys hiking, skiing, and spending time with family and friends.
Tonya Andrews is Central Asia Institute’s Development Associate. When not working with CAI, Tonya also teaches acting and directing classes at Montana State University. Tonya has spent her career developing and implementing arts programs, as well as working as an actor and director with theatre companies in Seattle, Chicago, and Montana.
She spent 5 years touring Montana with Shakespeare in the Parks, where she fell in love with the state’s people and landscapes. Tonya holds a master’s degree in acting from the University of Arkansas and studied Shakespeare at Kingston University in London. When she is not in the classroom or at CAI, she is out backpacking, cross country skiing, and exploring with her dog Pete and her loving husband.
Cynthia Evans is Central Asia Institute’s Finance & Operations Manager. Cynthia has over 30 years of experience in bookkeeping, grant reporting, payroll, and monthly reporting for non-profit organizations.
Cynthia especially enjoys creating and improving processes to ensure integrity in delivering Central Asia Institute’s mission. Cynthia lives in Bozeman with her husband and their German shorthair pointer, Chance. Cynthia holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Colorado.
Brittany Heater is Central Asia Institute’s Development Manager. Brittany holds a Master of Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master’s in Innovation and Organization of Culture and the Arts from the University of Bologna, Italy.
Before joining CAI, Brittany was the director of development at The National Mentoring Partnership. Her nonprofit career has ranged from musical theatre production companies to front-line social service organizations. Brittany lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, with her daughter, sister, and several cuddly cats.
Seelai Karzai is Central Asia Institute’s Communications Manager. Seelai earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Oregon, a Master of Theological Studies in Women, Gender, Sexuality, and Religion from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Classical Studies from Hunter College.
Previously, Seelai was the Afghanistan Advocacy Campaign Manager at Human Rights First. There, she developed and led public advocacy campaigns in support of the Evacuate Our Allies (EOA) Coalition, a diverse group representing civil society’s efforts to welcome and resettle as many at-risk Afghans as possible. She also worked to support medical students and diversity programming at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine while assisting in evacuation efforts of vulnerable artists, writers, and cultural workers from Afghanistan after the US/NATO withdrawal in August 2021. Seelai is a member of the Afghan American Artists and Writers Association, an artist collective whose mission is to critically analyze discourse on Afghanistan and showcase diasporic artworks to diverse audiences through public exhibits. She is based in Vermont and in her free time enjoys baking, hiking, reading, and writing poems.
Anh N. Pham is Central Asia Institute’s Director of International Programs. Anh is passionate about the transformative power of education and driving change through service. She leads CAI’s portfolio of education, livelihoods, and women’s empowerment programs in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.
With 18 years of experience in strategic planning, project design, and program management across Africa and Asia, Anh was a development diplomat and career foreign service officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). She has served in Uzbekistan, Liberia, Cambodia, South Sudan, Timor-Leste, Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan. Anh has led multimillion-dollar portfolios in education, youth workforce development, health, and governance, with a strong focus on equity, inclusion, and systems-level impact. Prior to USAID, Anh worked in the nonprofit and public sectors in the areas of health education, patient advocacy, health information privacy and security, and higher education capacity development.
Bella Pich is Central Asia Institute’s Communications Associate. Bella holds a bachelor’s in marketing from Montana State University, where she minored in economics.
Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Bella moved to Montana in 2019. Bella is passionate about human rights, particularly women’s rights, and has experience in both nonprofit and digital marketing fields, including roles at digital marketing agencies and a sexual and reproductive health clinic. Outside of work, Bella deejays part-time at a Bozeman radio station, enjoys skiing, making pottery, and creates fun, bold earrings.
Zia Sanaban is Central Asia Institute’s Program Manager. Before joining Central Asia Institute, Zia worked for a variety of development, humanitarian, and government organizations in Afghanistan.
He served as the Senior Program Development Coordinator for the International Medical Corps; the Planning and Programs Director for the National Environmental Protection Agency; Deputy Project Director for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Economy; and Planning and Evaluation Manager for the nonprofit organization Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance, among others. In all of these roles, Zia enjoyed contributing to programs that helped individuals and communities access education, health services, clean energy, and business opportunities.
Zia holds a master’s degree in international development studies from Ohio University and was a Fulbright scholar. A lifelong learner, Zia is fluent in English, Dari, and Pashtu, and speaks some Russian. In his spare time, he enjoys playing soccer and volleyball. He lives in Maryland with his wife and three children.
Sarah Troshynski is Central Asia Institute’s Accounting and Grants Management Associate. Sarah supports CAI by managing financial reporting and grant compliance. She earned her bachelor’s in accounting with a minor in sociology from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Before joining CAI, Sarah worked at other non-profit organizations focused on environmental and social causes. As with prior roles, she was drawn to CAI for its mission. Sarah moved to Montana in 2025 and lives in Bozeman with her partner and two cats. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, and trying new restaurants, hobbies, and outdoor recreation activities.
