Celebrating MLI's 2025 Clearing the Path Gala Honorees

Each year, the Marshall Legacy Institute’s Clearing the Path Gala recognizes individuals and teams whose courage, compassion, and commitment to peace reflect the very best of humanitarian service in mine-affected communities. We are proud to honor four outstanding individuals and teams at this year's 2025 Clearing the Path Gala for their remarkable contributions to mine action, survivor support, resiliency, and global education.

🐾 Mine Detection Dog Team of the Year

MDD Mace & Handler Vusal Allahverdiyev – ANAMA (Azerbaijan)

With precision, discipline, and unwavering dedication, MDD Mace and his handler Vusal Allahverdiyev have assisted the Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ANAMA) with the clearance of over 1 million square meters of land—saving lives and supporting the resettlement and recovery of mine-affected communities. Working together for more than three years, this exceptional duo has uncovered countless explosive remnants of war, transforming former conflict zones into safe spaces for families, farmers, and infrastructure development.

Vusal, an experienced handler trained in specialized MDD operations, is known for his professionalism, calm demeanor, and precise handling techniques. His presence balances Mace’s energy and discipline, creating a powerful partnership both on and off the field. As ANAMA notes, “Their daily interaction demonstrates a deep trust and emotional connection, ensuring operational success and safety. This team stands out not only for their consistent performance, but for the hope they bring to communities reclaiming their land.” 

MDD Mace was generously sponsored by Josef Marschall, a former CHAMPS and Peace Makers and Problem Solvers (PMPS) student at Glenelg Country School. Josef’s family once adopted a retired mine detection dog, MDD Nutmeg, inspiring him to dedicate his high school years to raising $20,000 to sponsor his own MDD—named in Nutmeg’s honor.

Mace and Vusal’s recognition is especially meaningful in 2025, as it also marks the 20th Anniversary of MLI’s partnership with ANAMA. Their extraordinary performance and strong bond embody the life-saving spirit of humanitarian mine action, and serve as a reminder of MLI’s global mission: empowering people and dogs to work together in clearing explosive hazards and restoring safety to war-affected communities worldwide. We are honored to celebrate them as this year’s Mine Detection Dog Team of the Year

🕊 Survivor of the Year

Mirzet Duran – Bosnia and Herzegovina

At just six years old, Mirzet Duran was injured by a landmine in Sarajevo, losing his left

foot. What could have ended in tragedy became a story of extraordinary resilience. After a long and difficult rehabilitation, Mirzet found strength through sport, joining the Sarajevo sitting volleyball club Fantomi at age 17. The club became his “second family,” and his talent quickly shone.

Today, Mirzet is captain of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national sitting volleyball team and one of the sport’s most decorated players, with multiple European and world championship titles and five Paralympic medals, including silver at the 2024 Paris Games. He has also been recognized as MVP at major tournaments such as EURO 2021, the European Champions Cup in 2022, and the Golden Nations League in 2023. In Paris, he was a decisive leader, scoring 17 points in the semifinal to propel his team into the gold medal match.

Mirzet is also a proud recipient of medical support from MLI’s Children Against Mines Program (CHAMPS), which provided him with high-quality prostheses that enabled him to pursue his education, athletic career, and active life. Beyond the court, Mirzet is a university graduate, a telecom professional at BiH Telecom, and a devoted father of two.

Recognizing Mirzet this year carries special meaning, as 2025 marks the 30th Anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords that brought peace to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Yet, even three decades later, landmines still plague communities around the world, and survivors like Mirzet remind us why continued support and dedication are essential. His journey—from a child wounded by war to an international champion and role model—exemplifies the courage, perseverance, and hope that inspire us all.

We proudly honor him as our 2025 Survivor of the Year, and as a reminder of MLI’s global mission: to stand with landmine survivors everywhere, ensuring they receive the support and opportunities they need to rebuild their lives and thrive.

🇺🇸 American Survivor of the Year

Michael “Monty” Montoya – Invictus Global Response

Michael “Monty” Montoya’s story is one of resilience, courage, and an unwavering commitment to protecting others. A former U.S. Marine Corps Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technician, Monty served from 2005 to 2010, deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Africa, and Pakistan. After leaving active duty, he spent more than a decade as an independent EOD contractor and trainer under U.S. State Department programs, preparing over 600 personnel across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia to detect and safely dispose of explosive threats.

In 2022, during the early stages of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Monty co-founded Invictus Global Response (IGR), a nonprofit dedicated to protecting lives and livelihoods in communities devastated by conflict. IGR’s mission blends mine action, capacity building, and humanitarian assistance in some of the world’s most dangerous and overlooked environments. From Ukraine to Uganda, Mozambique to Myanmar, Monty and his colleagues provide clearance, training, and aid that restore hope, security, and opportunity to vulnerable communities.

In June 2023, while leading an IGR mission near Kharkiv, Ukraine, Monty stepped on a Russian anti-personnel mine. The blast destroyed most of his right foot and left him with multiple shrapnel wounds. Despite the life-altering injury, Monty endured a perilous evacuation, extensive surgeries across several countries, and a long rehabilitation. Yet his resolve never wavered. Rather than retreat from the field, he redoubled his commitment to humanitarian mine action—continuing to guide IGR’s work and advocate for those still living under the shadow of mines and explosive remnants of war.

Monty’s journey from Marine to survivor to nonprofit leader is a powerful reminder that even in the face of devastating loss, purpose and courage can light the way forward. His survival is not only personal—it fuels his mission to save lives, empower communities, and ensure that no one is forgotten in conflict.

We proudly honor Michael “Monty” Montoya as the 2025 American Survivor of the Year, recognizing his extraordinary resilience and lifelong dedication to serving others. His story embodies MLI’s global mission: to stand with survivors, remove the deadly legacy of landmines, and bring hope to war-affected communities worldwide.

🍎 Joan Wismer Teacher of the Year

Marian Lien – St. Edmund’s Academy, Pittsburgh, PA

Marian Lien is a passionate educator whose career reflects a lifelong dedication to fostering inclusion, global awareness, and meaningful cross-cultural experiences for young people. A Fulbright scholar with an illustrious career in education, Marian currently serves as the Director of Education for Inclusion and Global Awareness at St. Edmund’s Academy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Marian has been a steadfast supporter of the Marshall Legacy Institute’s education programs, opening her school’s doors to MLI and providing students from preschool through eighth grade with opportunities to engage in global humanitarian learning. Thanks to her leadership, St. Edmund’s has hosted multiple presentations with MLI’s K9 Ambassador and participated actively in MLI’s Peace Makers and Problem Solvers (PMPS) and Peace Through Sport (PTS) programs. In 2024, her eighth-grade students took part in the PMPS Cohort, while her seventh-grade students are currently participating in PTS Yemen, developing friendships and leadership skills through meaningful exchange with peers overseas.

Her commitment to education extends far beyond the classroom, as she ensures her students not only learn about global challenges but also develop the empathy, curiosity, and skills to become changemakers in their communities and beyond.

We proudly honor Marian Lien as our 2025 Joan Wismer Teacher of the Year, recognizing her vision as an educator and her strong support of MLI’s mission. Through her efforts, she embodies MLI’s global commitment to empowering the next generation with the knowledge, compassion, and leadership needed to build a more peaceful and connected world.

Thank you to our 2025 Clearing the Path Gala Honorees and all those who have dedicated their lives to creating a better, safer, mine-free world!

The 2025 Clearing the Path Gala will be held on Tuesday, October 28th, at the Four Seasons in Washington, D.C. Visit the 2025 Gala website for more details, tickets, and sponsorship information.