BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ferdinand Quayson – Founding Director & President
Ferdinand Quayson was born in Accra, Ghana, where he completed his basic and secondary education. In 2016, he moved to the United States to pursue his undergraduate studies at Wesleyan University on a full scholarship. During his first year, he founded Young Achievers Foundation Ghana (YAF Ghana) to bridge the education access gap for low-income students in Ghana.
Since its founding, YAF Ghana has grown under Ferdinand’s leadership into one of the largest college access nonprofits in Africa, supporting more than 300 students to secure over $80 million in scholarships to attend top universities around the world. In addition to scholarships, the foundation provides leadership training, community service opportunities, and career development to prepare students to thrive as global citizens.
Ferdinand is a graduate of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, where he earned his Master in Public Affairs. He now serves full time as President of YAF Ghana, guiding its vision, growth, and global partnerships to expand educational opportunity for underserved students in Ghana.
Lisa W. Tuttle – Vice President
Lisa W. Tuttle earned her B.A. in Psychology from Duke University and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The New School for Social Research. With over 26 years of professional experience, she has devoted her career to counseling patients, primarily through her private practice.
Beyond her clinical work, Lisa and her family are deeply engaged in philanthropy, including long-standing support for an orphanage and school in Ghana through the Ghana Children’s Fund. As Vice President of Young Achievers Foundation Ghana, Lisa plays a pivotal role in guiding the organization’s strategy and growth. She has been instrumental in strengthening the foundation’s global network of supporters and expanding its capacity to provide scholarships and mentorship opportunities to low-income students in Ghana.
Lisa is married, has two children, and lives in New Canaan, Connecticut.
David P. Tuttle – Secretary & Treasurer
David P. Tuttle is a Portfolio Manager and Partner at Crestwood Advisors, a Boston-based investment and wealth management firm. Prior to joining Crestwood, he was a founding partner and Portfolio Manager at MacGuire, Cheswick & Tuttle Investment Counsel LLC. With decades of experience in finance, David specializes in helping clients design integrated portfolio and wealth management solutions across generations, often collaborating with families’ other trusted advisors.
David graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in Economics and earned his J.D. from Duke University Law School. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute. In addition to his professional work, David serves on the Board of Directors of Family Centers, a nonprofit organization providing education, health, and human services in Fairfield County.
As Secretary and Treasurer of Young Achievers Foundation Ghana, David brings financial oversight and strategic guidance to the organization, ensuring strong governance and long-term sustainability. Together with his family, he also supports an orphanage and school in Ghana through the Ghana Children’s Fund. David is married, has two children, and lives in New Canaan, Connecticut.
Dr. Joshua Boger – Board Member
Dr. Joshua Boger is a globally recognized leader in biotechnology and the founder of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, the company that discovered and developed the first effective treatments for cystic fibrosis and co-developed the first approved CRISPR-based gene therapy for sickle cell anemia. At Vertex, he held multiple leadership roles, including chief executive officer, chairman, president, and chief scientific officer. Before founding Vertex in 1989, he was senior director of basic chemistry at Merck Sharp and Dohme Research Laboratories, where he pioneered the use of computer modeling in rational drug design.
Dr. Boger is the author of more than 50 scientific publications, holds 32 patents, and has received numerous honors, including induction into the Biotech Hall of Fame, the Biotechnology Heritage Award, and the Othmer Gold Medal from the Science History Institute. He has chaired the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows and the Wesleyan University Board of Trustees, and has served on the boards of the Museum of Science – Boston, the Hastings Center for Bioethics, the Whitehead Institute, and the ACLU Foundation of Massachusetts. He is currently chair of the boards at Alkeus Pharmaceuticals and CervoMed.
A graduate of Wesleyan University (B.A., 1973), Dr. Boger earned his A.M. (1975) and Ph.D. (1979) in chemistry from Harvard University. As both a board member and one of the principal donors to Young Achievers Foundation Ghana, he plays a vital role in sustaining the organization’s growth and impact, helping expand educational opportunities for low-income students across Ghana.