Project Management Knowledge

SUMMARY

Over two decades of experience in strategic planning, project management, knowledge management, public involvement, and community development. Over 18 years in Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Passionate about helping clients overcome obstacles to achieve their goals, using the power of telling our story, and bringing diverse stakeholders together to develop solutions to collective problems.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

USAID/Mali: Deputy Director, Office of Agriculture and Economic Growth (Bamako, Mali, July 2022 – present)

As Mali’s Feed the Future Coordinator, I managed an integrated $130 million portfolio of nine projects in agriculture, food security, economic growth, private sector strengthening, irrigation, WASH, and community resilience. I supervised a team of 4 direct reports, each of whom I actively coached for their professional development. Key accomplishments include:

•Co-created with local stakeholders a $12 million inclusive resilience project to reduce conflicts between pastoralists and farmers through collective natural resource management.

•Diversified USAID/Mali’s partner base to local NGOs and businesses.

•Increased equitable access to organic fertilizer and other sustainable agriculture solutions to smallholder farmers.

•Cultivated new relationships between Malian entrepreneurs and the Malian diaspora in the U.S.

USAID/Mali: Program Office Director (Bamako, Mali, August 2022 – January 2023)

I temporarily took charge of the Program Office during a crisis period of Ordered Departure and significant staffing gaps, where I supervised a team of 8 staff to the following accomplishments:

•Repaired staff morale and filled long-standing vacancies.

•Introduced streamlined procedures to speed up project design and review.

•Successfully defended USAID/Mali’s budget from looming cuts.

USAID Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning: Knowledge Management Officer (Washington, DC, November 2020 – February 2022)

As part of the Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning Team, I supported Agency efforts to strengthen local systems, increase equity, and incorporate local and indigenous knowledge into our programs. Accomplishments include:

•Beta-tested and scaled up innovative knowledge retention and capacity-building processes.

•Developed core elements of the Agency’s new Localization Agenda, including principles, priorities, and initial action plan.

USAID/Pakistan, Program Officer (Islamabad, Pakistan, February 2019 – November 2020)

I led the Project Design Unit, which was at the heart of high-stakes consultations on how to minimize the impact to our programs in the face of substantial budget cuts. Accomplishments include:

•Coaching my 3 direct reports to advocate for the Mission and nearly double the FY 2020 funding we received.

•Developed effective messaging for wide range of stakeholders, including Congress, to demonstrate programmatic alignment with new U.S. Government priorities.

USAID/Afghanistan, Agricultural Development Officer (Kabul, Afghanistan, October 2016 – January 2019)

In Afghanistan, I led the design and procurement process for two new value chain projects totaling $140 million. In the meantime, our existing activities were achieving over $270 million of export sales of agricultural products to India and several Gulf countries. Additional accomplishments include:

•Managed a $19 million agricultural project in Western Afghanistan and coordinated a partial redesign of interventions to address the humanitarian crisis resulting from the 2018 drought.

•Managed the Kandahar Food Zone, a $45 million project to combat opium poppy cultivation through high-value horticultural exports.

USAID/West Africa, Capacity-Building Officer (Accra, Ghana, September 2014 – July 2016)

At USAID/West Africa, I helped strengthen the capacity of CORAF (the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development), to promote the testing and scaling up of innovative agricultural and climate-smart technologies. Other accomplishments include:

•Managed the highly successful West Africa Seed Program. Fostered knowledge sharing so that other development organizations started using the Seed Program’s effective monitoring and evaluation systems.

•Transformed the struggling West Africa Fertilizer Program. Successfully negotiated substantial changes in key personnel and program focus, thereby getting the project back on track to achieve its results.

USAID/Guatemala: Agricultural Development Officer (Guatemala City, Guatemala, April 2012 – April 2014)

At USAID/Guatemala, I championed the importance of “telling our story”. As member of the core planning team to develop the Mission’s Communications Strategy, I secured the participation and buy-in of all technical teams and Mission leadership and developed the main components of the strategy. Other accomplishments include:

•Managed two projects for biodiversity and environmental grants implemented by Peace Corps.

•Coordinated design and procurement of two projects to integrate nutrition and agriculture.

USAID/Washington: Agricultural Development Officer (Washington, DC, August 2010 – April 2012)

My initial work at USAID revolved around policy development and analysis, as well as strategic planning for food security, climate change, and coordination with other donor institutions. Accomplishments include:

•Supported technical team to integrate climate change and natural resource management into the Feed the Future log frame and metrics.

•Conducted research on climate change issues for Ethiopia and Kenya. Compiled information on vulnerability assessments, donor activities, host country response, mitigation cost estimates, and adaptation measures.

EARLIER EXPERIENCE

Bahá’í National Center, National Teaching Office: Communications Coordinator (March 2008 – July 2010)

Bahá’í World Center, Office of Social and Economic Development: Program Officer (Haifa, Israel, June 2002 – August 2007)

Cogan Owens Cogan, LLC: Associate Planner (Portland, Oregon, February 2000 – May 2002)

Uganda Wildlife Authority: Peace Corps Volunteer (Kampala, Uganda, July 1996 – May 1999)

EDUCATION

Yale University, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Connecticut - Master of Environmental Studies, May 1996. Thesis, “Contingent Valuation of an Urban Salt Marsh Restoration”, published in 1997 in the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Bulletin Series, No. 100.

University of British Columbia, Canada - B.A. in geography and environmental studies, May 1993.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE SKILLS

French: S-3/R-3, FSI tested June 2022

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