The Bloom Foundation is a 501(c) tax exempt organization organized under North Carolina law. The foundation was founded by Dr. Ureh Lekwauwa and is comprised of individuals with varying backgrounds who believe in the importance of education, advocacy and treatment of those impacted by mental illness and other behavioral issues. Each of us believe wholly in the truth and power of the Bloom Foundation's mission statement. Read about our backgrounds below.
President - Dr. Ureh Lekwauwa MD DFAPA
Dr Ureh Lekwauwa graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University School of Medicine. Ureh completed her pyschiatry residency training at Columbia University - Harlem Hospital. She is a Distinguished life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a member of the Association of The Nigerian Physicians in the Americas. In 2016, after years of service to the state of North Carolina, she retired from her position as the Medical Director and Chief of Clinial Policy for the North Carolina Division of Mental Health and was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pines by the then Governor of North Carolina. Dr Lekwauwa is currently serving as Medical Director for Behavioral Health at one of the Centene Plans in North Carolina. Dr. Lekwauwa has a heart for global health and has been leading global missions to Africa since 2002.
Vice President - Dr. Obi Ikwechegh MD FAPA
Dr. Ikwechegh, who has practiced psychiatric medicine for several years, began his training at the federal Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria and on to Wake Forest Univeristy where he completed Residency training. He currently serves as Medical Director for Behavioral Health at Novant Health area hospitals and actively is engaged with the American Psychiatic Association as a Fellow.
Obi is convinced that a holistic approach to mental health is required to empower individuals in achievement of their passions in spite of mental health problems
Vice President - Dr. Aju Lekwauwa PhD
Dr. Lekwauwa taught at Okpa-Ugwu Elementary School, Abakiliki, Nigeria as a trained teacher from McGregor College, Afikpo, Nigeria. Later went back to school for BSc Food Science (University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria) and MSc Chemical Engineering at University of Reading, England. He holds a terminal degree (PhD) in Food Science from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He worked for about fourteen years and retired from his position as Senior Staff Engineer at RJR Nabisco. After retirement, he worked as a Professor of Biotechnology at Forsyth Technical Community College North Carolina. In addition, he served Merrill Lynch Investment Company as Financial Consultant for High Net-worth clients. Aju has served on the Boards of both For-profit and Nonprofit organizations. He has travelled extensively in Africa, Europe, and the Americas. He played and love soccer. He has great passion for philanthropy, education, community service and outreach. Currently he spend most of his time with his Family and loved ones.
Dr. Ken Dunham MD, MAED, FAPA
Dr. Dunham graduated from the Brody School of Medicine North Carolina where he also completed a combined residency in internal medicine and Psychiatry. Ken is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He currently serves as the medical director and the physician leader for psychiatric medicine for the Novant Greater Winston Salem Market. He brings his passion for whole-person, Integrated Care to the Bloom Foundation, acting as an advisor to the foundation.
Dr. Ruby Lekwauwa MD
Dr. Ruby Lekwauwa graduated from Duke University School of Medicine after which she completed a general psychiatry residency and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Yale University. She currently serves as the medical director for the Yale New Haven Hospital Adolescent Ambulatory Services, an Associate Program Director for the Yale University General Psychiatry Residency program, and the Interim Deputy Chair for Collaborative Excellence within the Yale Psychiatry department. She is passionate about engaging and educating community stakeholders to better understand the mental health needs of children, adolescents, and young adults. She is excited to bring her passion for the care of young people and their families to the Bloom Foundation.
Board Secretary - Nena Lekwauwa Esq.
Nena Lekwauwa is a North Carolina licensed attorney. Nena earned her law degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and currently serves as the Associate Vice President, Global Compliance at a non-profit organization conducting global assessments and education policy and psychometric research. She believes deeply that when one brings education and the right resources to under-served and marginalized communities, they are empowered to thrive.
Dr. Queen Buyalos, Rph.
Dr. Buyalos is a registered US Navy pharmacist, licensed in Colorado and Virginia. Queen graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Worcester Massachusetts and is currently practicing in Virginia. She loves humanitarian work and any avenue that will help her to give back to the community.
Financial Secretary - Nena Abai-Ikwechegh Esq.
Nena Abai - Ikwechegh is an attorney licensed to practice law in New York. Nena earned her law degree from Abia State University, Nigeria and currently works as a Privilege Litigation Specialist with Womble Carlyle's Product Liability Litigation Group. She is passionate about protecting children in child abuse and neglect matters, termination of parental rights cases and child support issues and specifically the Guardian ad Litem model of representation.
Anya Odim, LCAS, LPA
Anya Odim is a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist and a Licensed Psychological Associate. He holds a B.Sc. in Applied Biochemistry from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria, a Postgraduate Diploma in Banking and Finance from the University of Nigeria, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Anya is the Chief Executive Officer of Sunrise Clinical Associates, PLLC, and Oceantrust Logistics LLC. He is also a co-sponsor of the Late Barrister Mrs. Kezie Ezikpe (née Onwuka) Memorial Foundation, which supports individuals lacking access to medical services due to economic or social barriers. His interests include helping individuals with mental health or substance use disorders manage their symptoms to improve their quality of life. Anya is happily married to his best friend, Nneka Odim, and they are blessed with four children.