OUR TEAM
From Canada to Cambodia, we are working together
to restore those robbed of freedom and protect the vulnerable.
International Headquarters – Canada Staff
Brian McConaghy, Founding Director
Brian McConaghy, Founding Director of Ratanak International, was a Forensic Scientist with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for 22 years. For 19 of those years he performed his duties with the RCMP while setting up and running Ratanak International as a volunteer. Brian is a man with a burden for the people of Cambodia. Having grown up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Brian knows what it is like to live under the stress of political turmoil.
Brian first visited Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand in 1989. What he witnessed there appalled him. This experience led him into Cambodia several months later, only to find conditions worse than in the camps. This was the start of a long journey that has taken Brian and Ratanak International through many challenging and rewarding times in their desire to be servants of the Khmer people.
After visiting Cambodian refugee camps and seeing a documentary on Cambodia, Brian was moved to study the complexities of this country and to do something to alleviate the suffering. The result was a charity named after a little girl he saw dying in that documentary.
Brian never got to meet Ratanak but she changed his life.
The challenge for Brian in Cambodia has been immense from the start, often traumatic and overwhelming but also full of hope and even great joy. Yet his goal remains the same: Keep pushing ahead, saving one life at a time, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Brian McConaghy, Founding Director
Brian McConaghy, Founding Director of Ratanak International, is a man with a burden for the people of Cambodia. His journey serving Cambodia began in 1989, when he first visited the Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand. His dedication to the people of Cambodia is a reflection of the person of Jesus Christ at work in his life.
Melissa Polman
Melissa Polman, Communications & Events Director
Working with Ratanak International since 2008 has proved to be a wonderful opportunity for Melissa to engage with those who have a passion to serve Cambodia. Her desire is to grow deeper in her understanding of Jesus’ love for the Khmer people.
Her heart is to see Ratanak continue to effectively serve and empower the people of Cambodia for many years to come.
Winnie Cheng
Winnie Cheng, Finance Coordinator
Winnie has worked in the business sector for many years before joining Ratanak International with her solid accounting experience and strong professional ethics in July 2013.
She considers it an honor to have the opportunity to be part of the committed Ratanak team to serve the Lord. Her passion is to see people transformed by the love of God. She is encouraged by what God is doing to transform lives in Cambodia through our ministry. In leisure, she enjoys reading and hiking with friends.
Cambodia Field Office – Director Team
Board Members – Canada
Andrew Baldwin
Andrew Baldwin, Lawyer
Andrew Baldwin has been a Ratanak supporter since the early days and proudly holds the first charitable receipt issued. He has worked as a Crown prosecutor in the greater Vancouver area for the past 26 years, though sadly never got to call Brian as a witness. Andrew is married, and he and his wife have two very dynamic children.
