OFFICERS

Tamkanat (Timmie) Mirza, Vice President, Technology

Timmie Mirza is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified High Performance Coach (CHPC) and Project Management Institute Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP). She was born and raised in Pakistan. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with two Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Computer Information Systems from Goldey-Beacom College. She is the founder and CEO of Simplify One Thing, where she helps coaches launch profitable online businesses by simplifying tech. Timmie is on a mission to create a massive positive impact in the world. She fulfills this mission by being a facilitator of others’ success through coaching, teaching and volunteering. She lives in Newark, Delaware with her husband and two sons. In addition to serving as Treasurer for the PTP Delaware, she also serves as Treasurer for the Islamic Society of Delaware (2023) and as President for the Blue Hen Toastmasters Club (2023). She also loves traveling, enjoying new experiences with her family and reading books.

Gretchen Elhassani, Vice President, Public Relations

Gretchen Elhassani is a freelance writer living in Wilmington, Delaware. She has a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science and worked as a nonprofit secretary until COVID. After the lockdowns, she began to take on writing jobs. Currently, she is working very part time while experiencing life in the greater Wilmington vicinity. On the neighborhood CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), a member of the Bellefonte Lions, the Delaware Socialists and the Islamic Society of Delaware, Gretchen has visited a growing number of churches, mosques, and synagogues throughout Delaware and southern Pennsylvania. She also regularly volunteers with the Lutheran Community Services food pantry, Friendship House for Code Purple, Peace Week as a consultant, Special Olympics, Delaware State Parks and Historic Riverview Cemetery.

Erin Zoranski, PhD, Vice President, Membership

Dr. Erin Zoranski has been a professor for over 16 years. She began as an adjunct instructor, teaching Spanish and English as a Second Language, at various colleges and currently serves as the Instructional Coordinator for the Language and Culture Department at Delaware Technical Community College. She is the International Club Moderator and has previously worked as the International Education Coordinator, in which she promoted studying abroad and ran various fundraisers to allow underserved students to have this opportunity. She has won numerous awards for teaching and student success while focusing on serving students from diverse backgrounds. She tutors for various organizations for immigrants that have recently come to the United States in her free time and recently translated a novel about immigrant students coming to the United States looking for a better future. She also leads student trips abroad and in country to give students a deeper understanding of the world around them. She holds a BA in Biology and Spanish from the University of Delaware, a MA in Spanish from Middlebury College and a Doctorate of Education from the University of Delaware, where she researched Latino student retention in community colleges.

Dr. Saleem Khan, Past Co-President

Dr. Saleem Khan was born and raised in Pakistan. Practiced general medicine in Pakistan and Iran. Dr. Kahn moved to the US more than four decades ago, where he received training in general and Child Psychiatry. Dr. Kahn is presently Child and Adolescent Clinical Director at Rockford Center. Writes poetry in English, Urdu, and Punjabi. Married to Sabira for almost half a century; together, they have two adult children and seven grandchildren. Dr. Kahn is quite active in the community at large. He has served on the Board of PTP for many years and is one of the most recent past co-Presidents of The Delaware Chapter.

Jean Raleigh, Past Co-President

Jean Raleigh has been involved with People to People International Delaware Chapter for over 20 years. In college in Virginia, she majored in art and education. After college, she taught in the Alfred I. DuPont Special School District, and later, she spent over 30 years at Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, where she loved meeting people from all over the globe and developing programs for all ages. After retiring from a full-time position at Winterthur, she joined PTPDE. She created the Circle of Understanding programs, led the Families of the World children programs for many years, served as a board member and as co-president, and shipped used books to hundreds of school children around the world through the Books for Youth project that she started. She hopes that more Delawareans will join PTPDE to bring their energies to this organization. She has served on the Board of PTP for many years and is one of the most recent past co-Presidents of The Delaware Chapter.

Sharon Yearwood, Secretary

Sharon Yearwood is an experienced ESL educator with a passion for helping multilingual learners build confidence and fluency in English. She has taught English in the United States and Saudi Arabia across adult education, higher education, K–12, and teacher training settings. Sharon currently serves as an Adjunct ESL Instructor at Delaware Technical Community College and is completing her Master of Education in Teaching and Learning (ESOL) at Wilmington University. She is committed to creating engaging, supportive learning environments that empower students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds to achieve their academic and personal goals.

Tyler Johnson, President

Tyler Johnson has a deep passion for history, nature, and making new friends. He has a bachelor's degree in world history from West Chester University with a minor in Russian Language studies. He loves to travel and camp, both in the United States and abroad. Currently, he works for Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library where he is able to pursue his passions for history and nature. He appreciates working with People to People as he continues to meet many interesting people. It is an honor to work with PTPDE to advance its goal of "Peace through Understanding."

Erin Bastien, Vice President, Programs & Hosting

Erin Bastien was born and raised in Newark, Delaware and has dedicated her career to fostering international education, cross-cultural exchange, and global engagement. She earned an Honors Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with minors in Linguistics and Spanish Studies, as well as a Master of Education in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), from the University of Delaware (UD). After living and working in Mexico and Spain, Erin began her stateside career teaching English for Academic Purposes and leading international academic advising at the UD's English Language Institute. She later served as Assistant Director of International Recruitment and Admissions, representing the University around the world, with a particular focus on Latin America and the Arabian Gulf, where she developed international partnerships and programs and supported international student recruitment and enrollment initiatives.

Since 2024, Erin has served as Vice President of Programs and Hosting for PTPDE, where she has worked closely with community partners, volunteers, and international delegates to develop meaningful professional and cultural experiences that foster mutual understanding, strengthen global connections, and promote peace through friendship. Drawing on her background in international education, strategic program development, and cross-cultural communication, Erin is committed to creating impactful and engaging programs that showcase Delaware while building lasting relationships across cultures. In July 2026, Erin launched her latest initiative, “One Creation International,” a curated boutique featuring original art and West African styles.

Grace Vild, Treasurer

Growing up in upstate New York, Grace found a passion for helping people and her community. She spent time abroad as she studied archaeology at University College Dublin in Ireland. As someone who has been an international student she is eager to give back to the international community. She currently works as a museum guide at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, where she can interact and connect with people from all walks of life. When she’s not talking to people about history, you can usually find Grace at her fencing club from which she competes nationally in women’s sabre.