david wald - lawyer
David is an experienced INGO Director, lawyer and international project manager with a strong background in designing, implementing and managing NGO projects specializing in justice for the poor, gender based violence, human trafficking, modern slavery and child rights in the developing world, particularly with expertise in Rwanda. David have extensive experience in implementing projects with government ministries, private sector organizations and foreign government donors within the INGO framework in system transformation and policy development. David is an experienced educator with a strong record in developing higher education programs in the UK and Rwanda. David has led large golbal anti-traficking organsiaitons including leading the Ethiopia Country Office at Hope for Justice.
David has consulted with several child rights organisations and policy development agencies, including The Woolf Group, led by Former Whitehouse Advisor on Human Tafficking, and former DOJ Director (OVC) Bill Woolf.
David holds a Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Sheffield UK, and graduated from BPP Law School in the UK and was called to the Bar in 2016 and is a senior advocate member of the Rwanda Bar Association.
rick leonardini- co-founder and CEO
Rick has 30 years of law enforcement experience in local government. He retired as Police Captain for the City of Fairfield in 2011, where he was second in command in the Police Department. Throughout his career he has served in various leadership positions in patrol, personnel and training, investigations, and police support services. He was a Commander of the SWAT Team, Manager of the Field Training Officer program, Internal Affairs Investigations Commander, Firearms Instructor and ultimately the Firearms Program Coordinator. He served as a Detective and has extensive investigations experience.
He served as the construction liaison/program manager for the construction of the department's 39,000 square foot training facility and indoor range. The facility is a regional range and training center housing a twenty position twenty-five yard pistol range, six position 100 yard rifle range, conference room, classroom, mat room/classroom, three driving simulators, use of force simulator, and armory.
After retirement, he obtained his Private Investigator’s License and Private Patrol Operators License and co-founded Blackrock Investigations and Consulting, which is now becoming The Blackrock Group with the addition of three new partners. He is also co-founder of Rwanda for Justice, a non-profit child advocacy organization working with police, prosecutors and medical staff in Rwanda, Africa to combat child sexual violence.
Rick has a Bachelors Degree in Human Resources Management. He is a member of the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS), Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI), High Technology Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA), California Association of Licensed Investigators (CALI), and ASIS International.
gary rodgers - co-founder and coo
Gary is the son of an international businessman and spent his childhood living in such diverse places as Lima, Peru and Tripoli, Libya. After graduating from high school in the San Francisco Bay Area, he immediately entered the US Army, where he studied Russian language at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. His service took him overseas to the divided city of Berlin, as well as to a posting in southern Germany.
Following his time in the Army, Gary continued his education in the Bay Area, and then began a career in municipal law enforcement. During his career at the Fairfield, CA Police Department, he served in various roles as an officer, sergeant, and lieutenant. He has experience in criminal investigation, personnel investigation (including pre-employment screening), critical incident management, employee discipline procedures, small team leadership and development, technology project management, and media relations.
After retiring from the police service, Gary began working full time in the international development arena as Director of International Missions for Valley Church in Vacaville, CA. Although responsible for leadership and management of Valley’s global program, his tasks and responsibilities center primarily on development of faith-based and humanitarian projects in the Republic of Rwanda.
His law enforcement and humanitarian work merged in 2010 when he, along with a colleague from the Fairfield Police Department, co-founded Rwanda for Justice, an organization dedicated to helping vulnerable children in south-western Rwanda. This organization employs 5 full and part-time staffers who take a primary role in prevention, investigation, and recovery activities related to child sexual assaults in that country. The staff and organization itself are well regarded by local government and community leaders. Gary lives with his wife, Elena, in Sacramento, CA. He has seven adult children and five grandchildren.