About Us
LIFE Ltd. is an independent charitable organisation founded in 2012 by a group of Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise. Our mission is to significantly increase literacy levels across the Cayman Islands. LIFE, which stands for ‘Literacy is for Everyone’, addresses the issue of literacy in the Cayman Islands by championing educational initiatives to target reading ability among children and adults.
Mission
To significantly increase literacy levels in the Cayman Islands.
Vision
To improve the quality of life for residents of the Cayman Islands by providing supplementary literacy programmes and initiatives for children and adults, and by helping to raise the quality of education in the public school system.
Values
We have a set of core values that define who we are and guide us in how we function. We are respectful and we see each individual as unique.
Objectives
To raise awareness about the importance of good literacy skills and high quality education using LIFE’s brand and resources.
Executive Team
Meet our team members.
![Erica Life]()
Erica Dell'Oglio
Executive Director![Screenshot 2022 08 05 at 2 24 54 PM]()
Tracy Galvin
Programmes Manager![Juliet Austin Sep 24]()
Juliet Pilgrim
Education and Outreach Coordinator![6b08d970 6fd3 45a5 92ca e2adfcc23962]()
Erin Galatopoulos
Book Donations CoordinatorBoard Members & Officers
LIFE is governed by a trustee and an independent board of directors. Our directors and officers come from diverse backgrounds and have a wealth of varied experience and expertise. They are united by their passion for literacy and their shared commitment to achieving LIFE’s mission.
![Woody Foster]()
Woody Foster
Chairman![Andrea Bryan]()
Andrea Bryan
MBE - Director![Kevin Butler]()
Kevin Butler
Director![Anthony Cowell]()
Anthony Cowell
Director![Pauline img 3538 version 3]()
Pauline McGettigan
Director![Paul img 3692 2]()
J. Paul Drake
Director and Treasurer![Lynne headshot NOV2021]()
Lynne Byles
Director![Screenshot 2022 08 03 at 8 38 27 AM]()
Sam Nehra
Director
Help us strengthen our community.
When we improve the literacy gap, we strengthen families and our community. Donate today to support our programmes in schools, homes and the larger community.
Donate Now![Erica Life]()
Erica Dell'Oglio
Executive DirectorErica is a former Montessori teacher who has worked in education for many years. She has a love for working with children, and given her diverse cultural upbringing and over two decades firmly rooted in Cayman, she has significant experience working with a wide range of people from many different backgrounds.
As Executive Director, she works closely with government, corporate and community entities to achieve LIFE's mission and brings her commitment and passion for literacy and education to her work.
Contact: director@life.org.ky
![Screenshot 2022 08 05 at 2 24 54 PM]()
Tracy Galvin
Programmes ManagerTracy has a broad background in childcare positions, she started a toddler programme within a Montessori preschool here. Reading and sharing books with these pupils and her own three children has always been considered a joy and time well spent.
As Programme Manager, Tracy enjoys supporting LIFE’s goals to recognize that education in the early years helps the crucial development of cognitive skills, which have a positive impact on physical and emotional well-being, and ultimately on educational and personal outcomes.
Contact: programmes@life.org.ky
![Juliet Austin Sep 24]()
Juliet Pilgrim
Education and Outreach CoordinatorJuliet is a career educator, writer, and advocate for young people, who brings a lifelong passion for language and the written word to LIFE and the belief that Literacy is the means to create a truly equitable and fair society.
Juliet works closely with parents, teachers and the wider community to promote oral language and foundational literacy development. As a mother of two, she actively promotes inclusion as a means of building happier, healthier communities.
Contact: education@life.org.ky
![6b08d970 6fd3 45a5 92ca e2adfcc23962]()
Erin Galatopoulos
Book Donations CoordinatorErin is a long-standing, unpaid member of LIFE’s Executive Team. Passionate about reading and the importance of literacy, she coordinates LIFE’s Book Donations Programme, which have resulted in 94,500 books (and counting) being donated to across Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac.
Erin grew up in California and is a graduate of UC Berkeley with a master's degree from the University of Virginia. She moved to Cayman in 2005 to work for EY as a CPA in the financial services industry but left in 2013 to raise her family and focus on voluntary work and making an impact in the community. Over the years, Erin has developed close working relationships with generous sponsors and with our local schools.
Contact: books@life.org.ky
![Woody Foster]()
Woody Foster
ChairmanWoody is the current Managing Director of Foster’s Food Fair Ltd (Foster’s). He is also an integral member of the Board of Directors for the Foster Group, which includes companies such as Car City, Progressive Distributors Ltd, Cico Avis Car Rental and Home Gas. Woody is also on the Board of Directors for Caribbean Utilities Company (CUC), Chairman of LIFE (Literacy Is For Everyone) Ltd, President of the Cayman Food Bank and a Director of R3 Foundation.
Woody is a Past President of Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise and a former Director of its Literacy Committee.
![Andrea Bryan]()
Andrea Bryan
MBE - DirectorAndrea qualified as a teacher in 1972 and has taught at Cayman Brac High School and Cayman Islands Middle School. After attaining an Advanced Diploma in Curriculum Development from the Cambridge Institute of Education (UK), she was appointed Deputy Principal, Cayman Islands Middle School.
In 1986, Andrea attained a Masters in Education Management and Administration from Bristol University (UK) and was appointed Deputy Chief Education Officer in the Cayman Islands Education Department. She was Chief Education Officer from 1989 to 1994.
In 1994, Andrea was appointed Permanent Secretary (Chief Officer) in the Cayman Islands Ministry of Health. She was awarded an MBE in 2002 for her extraordinary achievement and outstanding leadership as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health. She retired from the civil service in 2006. Andrea is a Past President of the Rotary Sunrise Club and a former Director of its Literacy Committee.
![Kevin Butler]()
Kevin Butler
DirectorKevin was a partner and Head of the Cayman Islands office of off-shore law firm Conyers Dill & Pearman until his retirement in 2023. Kevin joined Conyers in Bermuda in 1997 and moved to the Cayman Islands in 2004. Kevin grew up in Canada and holds a BA in Economics from the University of Western Ontario (1987) and an LLB from the University of British Columbia (1993). Kevin has been admitted to the Bar as an Attorney-at-Law in British Columbia (1994, non-practising), Bermuda (1998) and the Cayman Islands (2004).
Kevin has a keen interest in literacy and education, having been raised by teachers (his mother and grandmother). He is the Vice President of the Cayman Islands Law Society and an Alternate Director of Cayman Finance. Kevin was formerly a member of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise.
![Anthony Cowell]()
Anthony Cowell
DirectorAnthony is a non-executive director, senior advisor, and impact investor. He was formerly a Global Lead Engagement Partner and Regional Head of Asset Management and Head of IMPACT for KPMG.
Anthony is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He was a Director of the CAIA Association, the global leader in alternative investment education and provider of the CAIA designation, the alternative industry benchmark.
An active member of his community, Anthony was formerly Head of Citizenship for KPMG in the Cayman Islands. In this role he led the launch of KPMG’s first cross-border CSR programme, the BRIGHT programme, which involved working alongside Childline International to help build capacity in their operations in Zambia. He is trustee of BecomingX, a global charity that works with the most inspiring and iconic people to help create a world where everyone can realise their potential, no matter what their starting point in life.
![Pauline img 3538 version 3]()
Pauline McGettigan
DirectorPauline has 22 years' experience in primary school education as a classroom teacher, Head of Department, and Principal in both public and private schools in Ireland, Turks & Caicos, and the Cayman Islands. She holds a B.Ed in Education from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, and is passionate about literacy. She has lived in the Cayman Islands for over 30 years and is a former member of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise and a former Director of its Literacy Committee (2012-2013). She was instrumental in starting the first Reading Partner programmes in George Town Primary School & Sir John A. Cumber Primary School.
Pauline currently works in finance & administration at Crown Global Insurance. She continues to enjoy volunteering her time to help improve literacy in the Cayman Islands.
![Paul img 3692 2]()
J. Paul Drake
Director and TreasurerPaul was the Managing Director of Genesis Trust & Corporate Services Ltd., a trust and corporate services company that has since become Highvern Cayman Limited. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in England in 1995 and worked for KPMG Cayman Islands from 1997 to 2004. In 2004, Paul orchestrated the management buyout of Genesis Trust (from KPMG) and subsequently transformed the firm into one of the largest independent trust companies in the Cayman Islands.
Paul is now a Director of Salt Technology Group Ltd which is an Azure Sack Hub Solution cloud provider. It manages Azure Stack cloud platforms in Bermuda, Jamaica, and Cayman, and provides its clients with technical management in related areas.
Paul has been involved with LIFE Ltd. since its incorporation in 2012. He is passionate about the importance of a good education and, having previously assisted teaching math in a government school, he has experienced first-hand the challenges faced by teachers. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and is a member of the Cayman Islands Society of Professional Accountants.
![Lynne headshot NOV2021]()
Lynne Byles
DirectorLynne is the founder, leader, and strategic brain behind Tower Marketing, a creative strategic communications agency in the Cayman Islands.
Although now leading a team of great talent, she remains hands-on with clients and there’s not much work that leaves the office without having had her savvy eye glance over it.
When she’s not knee-deep in client meetings, she helps drive Tower’s products and services, client relationships, and overall strategic direction.
She was the top UK performer in the Chartered Institute of Marketing Professional Exams, received her BSc (Hons) from Durham University, earned an MSc in HR Management, and has a post-graduate diploma in Marketing. She has been an account manager at a leading London agency working with big brands like Shell and the BBC, and was previously a publicity manager for the UK Department of Health, developing nationwide campaigns and publications.
Lynne is the former Chair of the Cayman Islands Marketing Professional’s Association (CIMPA) and also sits on the Executive Committee for Leadership Cayman.
When she’s not running this company, she’s running her other – a busy family of one husband, and three active boys. She likes sushi, clever ads, and has a special relationship with her iPhone.
![Screenshot 2022 08 03 at 8 38 27 AM]()
Sam Nehra
DirectorSam has lived in the Cayman Islands for over 20 years. She is a business leader and driver of results, with experience in food retail, banking, fund governance, insurance, media, broadcasting and fintech. Working both within businesses at the executive level, and consulting as a business coach, she brings discipline, empathy, and radical candor. Sam enjoys disrupting outdated models of thinking, all with a KPI of growth in mind.
Sam is an NLP Practitioner and Executive Coach, who understands how to get people moving in the right direction. She currently works as a Consultant, Business Coach and Change Agent as a fractional COO at her own company, Psyched HDC. She specialises in bringing vision and strategy to life through people and process. Sam is a proactive problem solver who works independently to identify and address complex business challenges and uses her track record of putting people at the center of everything. This has contributed to a thriving human-centered culture that makes amazing consumer-facing products. Sam inspires others to think big while zooming into the details.
Proving that she is a bold woman of vision, crazy ideas and dreams, Sam and her family headed off on a ‘Radical Sabbatical’ of laughter and learning in 2016, exploring Europe by ‘tin can/camper van’ and home schooling as she went.
