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Annie Doresca, Mark Smelzer, Sara Yood Join Gem Legacy Board
The three industry leaders bring financial, communications, and legal expertise to the nonprofit’s board of directors.
The new members of Gem Legacy’s board of directors, from left to right: Annie Doresca, Mark Smelzer, and Sara Yood. Gem Legacy is a nonprofit organization that works to provide tools and education to gemstone miners in East Africa.
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.
Annie Doresca has served as Jewelers of America’s chief operations officer and chief financial officer since 2008 and as of January 2026, is president and CEO of the Diamond Council of America as well.
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 the publication’s website, 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.
Yood brings “unmatched” expertise in responsible sourcing, supply chain compliance, and the legal frameworks that govern the global movement of gemstones to the board, Gem Legacy said.
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Annie Doresca has served as Jewelers of America’s chief operations officer and chief financial officer since 2008 and as of January 2026, is president and CEO of the Diamond Council of America as well.
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 the publication’s website, 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.
Yood brings “unmatched” expertise in responsible sourcing, supply chain compliance, and the legal frameworks that govern the global movement of gemstones to the board, Gem Legacy said.
“I could not be more excited to welcome Mark, Sara, and Annie to our board. Each of them brings something Gem Legacy needs: Annie’s financial and nonprofit leadership, Sara’s expertise in compliance and supply chain integrity, and Mark’s unparalleled reach across the jewelry trade,” said Monica Stephenson, Gem Legacy board president and founder of Anza Gems.
“Together, they strengthen our foundation at exactly the moment we need it most, and I know the mining communities we serve will feel the difference.”
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.
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