Our Leadership
Community-led, locally rooted, accountable to Belize. Meet the leaders guiding G.O.E.'s mission.
Board of Directors
G.O.E.'s Board of Directors is composed of Belizean leaders from education, justice, health, youth development, and community sectors. Our board brings diverse expertise, lived experience in our communities, and deep commitment to transforming lives and building resilience. We are accountable to Belize, to the young people and families we serve, and to each other.
Featured Leader
Raymond "Footie" Gongora
Raymond "Footie" Gongora is a Belizean athlete, community mediator, and beloved leader in Belize City's highest-risk neighborhoods. For years, Footie has worked on the streets, building relationships with young people caught in cycles of violence, offering mentorship, and demonstrating that another path is possible. His credibility comes from lived experience—he understands the challenges youth face because he's walked those streets himself. Today, Footie leads G.O.E.'s Foot Soldiers Program, a violence prevention initiative rooted in street-level mediation, mentorship, and the belief that peer influence can transform communities. Footie represents what G.O.E. stands for: community-led solutions powered by local voices who know their communities deeply and care passionately about change.
Governance Structure
G.O.E. operates through integrated governance ensuring community accountability, transparency, and shared decision-making:
🏛️ Board of Directors
Provides strategic oversight, accountability, and guidance rooted in Belizean leadership and community wisdom. Quarterly meetings ensure alignment and transparency.
👥 Community Advisory Council
Composed of community members, youth, families, and partners who advise on programs and ensure G.O.E. stays rooted in community needs and voices.
⚙️ Executive Leadership
Manages day-to-day operations, program implementation, and ensures all work aligns with G.O.E.'s mission, values, and evidence-based practices.
Community-Led, Locally Driven
Why Community Leadership Matters
Real change happens when communities lead. G.O.E.'s leadership model reflects this commitment: our board, advisory council, and program leaders are rooted in Belizean communities. They understand the challenges because they've lived them. They know what works because they've seen it work. They care deeply because these are their communities, their young people, their families.
This isn't external expertise imposed from outside. This is community wisdom, locally rooted leadership, and accountability to the people we serve. That's how G.O.E. operates. That's what makes our work real and transformative.
Join Our Mission
Whether through board service, program leadership, volunteering, or partnership, there are ways to contribute your skills and passion to transform Belizean communities.
Get in Touch Support Our WorkFunding Partners
This website is made possible through the generous support of the Belize Network of NGOs (BNN), Belize Audubon Society (BAS), and the European Union Microgrant Programme.
The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of God Ordained and Established (G.O.E.) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union, BNN, or BAS.