Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** Gem Legacy, a nonprofit aiding East African gem mining communities, has strengthened its leadership by appointing three industry experts to its board, bringing critical financial, communications, and legal skills to its mission.
Ferndale, Mich. — Gem Legacy, the nonprofit that works to support and strengthen gem mining communities in East Africa, has announced the addition of three industry leaders to its board of directors.
The three new board members bring financial, communications, and legal expertise to the organization.
Annie Doresca has served as Jewelers of America’s chief operations officer and chief financial officer since 2008 and, as of January 2026, is also president and CEO of the Diamond Council of America. She is also the founding president of the Black in Jewelry Coalition. Gem Legacy said Doresca brings a “rare combination” of nonprofit financial expertise and frontline industry leadership to the board.
Mark Smelzer is vice president of business development for Jewelers Mutual Group. Prior to that, he spent nearly two decades as publisher of JCK magazine and JCKOnline.com. He joined Jewelers Mutual in 2021. Gem Legacy said Smelzer’s ability to translate “mission into message” and his connections in retail, media, and across the broader trade will expand its reach among the jewelers and retailers whose businesses depend on the miners the organization serves.
Sara Yood is president, CEO, and general counsel of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, a role she was promoted to in June 2024 after joining JVC as assistant counsel in 2012. She also serves as secretary of the U.S. Kimberley Process Authority, president of CIBJO’s Ethics Commission, and co-chair of the Responsible Jewellery Council’s Standards Committee. Gem Legacy said Yood brings “unmatched” expertise in responsible sourcing, supply chain compliance, and the legal frameworks that govern the global movement of gemstones to the board.
Established in 2018, Gem Legacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that partners with gem mining communities in East Africa to provide tools, opportunity, education and, ultimately, help them become self-reliant. Since its inception, the organization’s programs have equipped more than 1,120 miners with safe tools, provided thousands of daily meals to students, and funded vocational and college scholarships. It is currently developing the Gem Legacy Campus in Arusha, Tanzania, which will be a hub dedicated to gem faceting education, student housing, and community support.
