Discover how strong leadership drives systemic change in East African gemstone communities through Gem Legacy’s inspiring mission.
In the vast, sun-drenched landscapes of East Africa, a story of incredible beauty and profound hardship unfolds daily. It is the story of gemstones—brilliant tanzanite, verdant tsavorite, and dazzling sapphires—that begin their journey in the hands of artisanal miners. These men and women, working with basic tools and immense perseverance, are the very first link in a global chain that culminates in a sparkling jewel set in a fine piece of jewelry. Yet, the communities at this source often remain trapped in a cycle of poverty, lacking access to education, healthcare, and safe working conditions. Bridging this gap between the origin’s struggle and the market’s splendor is the noble and urgent mission of Gem Legacy, a nonprofit organization that has become a beacon of hope for these mining communities, good leadship can make them be stronger and stronger.
Today, Gem Legacy is poised to enter its most ambitious chapter yet. The organization has announced the appointment of a new executive director, a leader whose career has been defined by a rare blend of industry acumen, strategic prowess, and a deep-seated passion for human empowerment. Bernadette Mack, a revered figure in the jewelry world, will take the helm, tasked with amplifying Gem Legacy’s mission and scaling its life-changing impact.
This appointment is far more than a simple changing of the guard; it signals a pivotal moment of maturation for the nonprofit. With Mack’s leadership, Gem Legacy is preparing to transform its grassroots initiatives into a sustainable, far-reaching force for systemic change across the region.
The Heart and Soul of Gem Legacy: A Foundation Built on a Family’s Passion
To understand the significance of Mack’s arrival, one must first understand the soul of Gem Legacy. The organization was not born in a boardroom but from the lived experiences of the Dery family, a name synonymous with ethical gem sourcing and a multi-generational love for East Africa. For decades, the Dery family has traveled to the remote mining regions, building personal relationships with the miners, their families, and their communities. They have witnessed firsthand the breathtaking moment a new gem pocket is discovered, but they have also seen the harsh realities: the children unable to attend school, the lack of clean water, and the perilous conditions of the mines.
Driven by a desire to give back to the communities that were the bedrock of their industry, they founded Gem Legacy. The organization’s work is intimate and direct. It’s about providing children with school supplies and uniforms, enabling them to pursue an education and dream beyond the mines. It’s about funding vocational training, teaching crucial skills in lapidary arts (gem cutting), business management, and agriculture, creating alternative pathways to prosperity. It’s about improving safety, supplying miners with proper equipment like helmets, gloves, and ventilation systems to prevent the tragedies that are all too common in artisanal mining.
This hands-on, deeply personal approach is embodied by Rachel Dery Merisheki, a member of the founding family, and her husband, Bjorn Merisheki. As Gem Legacy’s Directors of Missions and Outreach, they are the organization’s “boots on the ground,” spending extensive time in Tanzania and Kenya, listening to the needs of the community and ensuring that every project is implemented with cultural respect and maximum effectiveness. They are the conduits of the organization’s heart.
But as the needs grew, and the opportunities to help expanded, it became clear that a new kind of leadership was required to build the infrastructure that would support this heartfelt mission on a larger scale.
Enter Bernadette Mack: The Perfect Synthesis of Heart, Strategy, and Insight
Bernadette Mack is uniquely qualified to be this architect of growth. Her career is a testament to her ability to lead with both compassion and strategic clarity. Her tenure as the Executive Director of the Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA) saw her championing empowerment, mentorship, and gender equality within the industry. At the WJA, she wasn’t just managing an organization; she was fostering a community, creating platforms for women to advance, and advocating for a more inclusive and supportive industry culture. This experience honed her understanding of the human element of the jewelry world, a perspective that aligns perfectly with Gem Legacy’s people-first mission.
Following her impactful work at the WJA, Mack founded her own consultancy dedicated to a critical, often-overlooked area: nonprofit governance and strategy. Here, she guided organizations in building robust internal structures, developing long-term strategic plans, securing sustainable funding, and measuring their impact effectively. She understands that passion and good intentions are the fuel, but strategy, governance, and financial stability are the engine that allows a nonprofit to travel far and wide.
As Gem Legacy board member Monica Stephenson articulated in a statement, “Bernadette brings the right balance of heart, strategy, and industry insight to this role. Her leadership will allow Gem Legacy to scale its impact while staying deeply rooted in its mission.”
This “balance” is Mack’s superpower. The “heart” connects her to the core purpose of Gem Legacy. The “strategy” gives her the tools to build a lasting institution. And the “industry insight” provides the crucial bridge, allowing her to communicate Gem Legacy’s story in a way that resonates with jewelry designers, brands, retailers, and consumers who are increasingly demanding transparency and ethical sourcing.
A Bold Mandate for a New Era
In her new role, Mack’s responsibilities are as ambitious as they are vital. She will oversee four key pillars of Gem Legacy’s future:
Strategic Planning:
Mack will be tasked with charting the course for the next five to ten years. This involves moving beyond individual projects to create a holistic, replicable model for community development that can be adapted across different mining regions. It means asking the big questions: How can Gem Legacy not only alleviate poverty but create generational wealth? How can it empower communities to become self-sufficient leaders of their own development?
Fundraising and Financial Sustainability:
To fuel this growth, Mack will lead a sophisticated fundraising strategy. This will involve diversifying funding sources, cultivating major donors, and developing innovative campaigns that tell the compelling story of the miners. Her work will be to translate the abstract concept of a donation into a tangible reality: a dollar becomes a textbook, a thousand dollars becomes a clean water well, a major gift becomes the foundation for a new school.
Forging Industry Partnerships:
Mack will leverage her extensive network to build powerful alliances across the gem and jewelry industry. The goal is to create a virtuous cycle where the industry that benefits from East Africa’s mineral wealth actively invests back into its source. These partnerships will go beyond financial contributions, potentially including knowledge sharing, mentorship programs from established companies, and co-branded initiatives that raise consumer awareness.
Launching the Gem Legacy Campus in Tanzania:
Perhaps the most exciting and tangible element of Mack’s mandate is overseeing the launch of Gem Legacy’s first physical campus in Tanzania. This is a game-changing initiative. The campus will serve as a centralized hub for education and empowerment. Imagine a place where young adults can receive formal training in gemology, learning to identify, grade, and value the stones they unearth. Picture workshops where miners learn modern lapidary skills, enabling them to cut and polish their own gems, retaining a much larger share of the stone’s final value. Envision classrooms where aspiring entrepreneurs learn the business skills needed to manage their own small enterprises, negotiate fair prices, and access international markets directly. This campus will be more than a building; it will be an incubator of talent, a center of innovation, and a symbol of a new, dignified future for the entire community.
This powerful vision will be brought to life through a synergistic collaboration. While Mack architects the strategy from a global perspective, Rachel and Bjorn Merisheki will continue their indispensable work on the ground, ensuring every initiative is culturally attuned and meets the real, expressed needs of the people. It is the perfect marriage of vision and execution, of strategic oversight and frontline empathy.
The appointment of Bernadette Mack marks the dawn of a new era for Gem Legacy and, by extension, for the artisanal mining communities of East Africa. It is a declaration that hope can be strategic, that compassion can be scaled, and that the journey of a gemstone—from the dark earth to the brilliant light—can become a story not of exploitation, but of shared prosperity and human dignity. The legacy of a gem is not just in its sparkle, but in the lives it touches. With Mack at the helm, that legacy is set to shine brighter than ever before.
