Eileen Neave Purkeypile

Director of Marketing and Development

Eileen Neave Purkeypile’s work at CERI transforms the global vision of protecting childhood into reality. She brings a balanced approach to the CERI team, pairing her passion for big-picture thinking and storytelling with strategic implementation and systems. As Director of Marketing and Development, Eileen spearheads the organization’s brand strategy and cultivates partnerships to advance CERI’s mission.  

How It Started: 

Before joining CERI, Eileen served as Director of Global Child Development Operations for Feed the Children, an anti-hunger nonprofit. She began her work at CERI as a part-time consultant working to expand CERI’s reach. She holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a bachelor’s degree in Theology from Southwestern Adventist University. 

Why CERI? 

Eileen’s passion for children and families was ignited in refugee camps in Yemen, where she met women and children fleeing conflict in the Horn of Africa. Their hope and determination motivated her to serve children worldwide. Since then, her work in children’s advocacy has led her to serve in Ukraine, the Philippines, Honduras, and Bolivia. 

Since her first conversation with Connie, Eileen was drawn to CERI’s holistic approach, global reach, and dedication to serving children in the best way possible. 

Behind the Scenes: 

A native of US-Mexico border, Eileen is fluent in English and Spanish. She loves dark chocolate and organizing just about anything. She draws inspiration from time in nature with her husband, Jarrod, and her three children, Noel, Amelia, and Elías. 

What Protecting Childhood Means: 

“Protecting childhood means letting kids live the life they deserve: a healthy one filled with opportunities to learn, play, and just be a kid.” 

Favorite Childhood Memory:  

“I had a big family growing up with siblings and lots of cousins, so there were endless celebrations for the holidays, birthdays, Sunday dinners and more.”