Head of Mission Resume
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Resume:
Petionville, Haiti
()
______________________________________________________________________
• International and headquarters-based organizational representation, diplomacy and protocol
• effective partnership, corporate relations networking, detailed reporting and country registration
• strong integrated administrative and financial management, detailed budgeting, audit compliance
• committed human resources teamwork, support, staff care and professional career growth
• comprehensive program/project development, design, implementation, fund-raising, strategic planning and project proposal developmen
• creative organizational development experience in multi-cultural international and domestic workplace environments
• outstanding public speaking, marketing, verbal and written communications
• personable, outgoing global and multi-cultural understanding, presence and outreach
• congenial, collaborative, results-oriented work with executive and high-level teams, boards and advisory committees (as member and as staff representative)
NOTABLE ACHIEVMEMETS
Representation, Protocol, Partnership, Networking, Donor and Board Relationships and Initiatives
&#; (Current) Representation and revitalization of the United Methodist Committee on Relief international development program in Haiti
&#; Representation, as Project Director, of Women & Philanthropy, a women’s philanthropic empowerment, leadership and research organization dedicated to providing services to women and girls
&#; Regional and Country Director representation in more than African countries and in Indonesia
&#; Ensured American Red Cross Indonesia support and collaboration during catastrophic disasters that befell Indonesia during earthquakes, floods, volcano eruptions through quick action monetary programs, immediate deployment of American Red Cross in-country staff
&#; Appointment to the Roche Pharmaceuticals African American Breast Cancer Advisory Board
&#; Supervised a successful Donor Trip (donors represented contributions of more than $ million towards American Red Cross tsunami efforts) with NHQ and in-country staff assistance
&#; Supervised March Hosting of Plan International Board of Director’s Meeting bringing together over International and National Directors for a detailed quarterly meeting
&#; Secured operating and registration authority with the Government of Rwanda, opening and staffing the UMCOR Rwanda office, an extremely difficult, yet significant protocol achievement
Management, Fiscal Integrity Human Resources, Staff Development
&#; Decisive, participatory and collaborative leadership of UMCOR Haiti program, particularly in day to day management, reinforcement and build-up of staff, refinement of internal systems and improved relationship with the Methodist Church of Haiti, UMCOR Haiti’s primary in-country partner
&#; Provided leadership and financial and programmatic management towards rebuilding of Women & Philanthropy, thirty year old women’s philanthropic group dedicated to empowering grant makers to increasing funding to women’s and girls projects; also leading fundraising efforts with the Women & Philanthropy Advisory Committee
&#; Supervised Finance Division in first American Red Cross Indonesia consultative audit in which findings indicated that funds management was exemplary, needed systems were in place and that senior management and staff were risk conscious, informed and adhered to procedures and policies
&#; Successful program and financial audits conducted in countries served, compliance procedures in place
&#; Provided sound fiscal management of two UMCOR/UNHCR refugee projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo totalling more than three million dollars (US)
&#; Supervised hiring and placement of more than international and local staff during the tsunami rebuilding and rehabilitation in Indonesia
&#; Provided leadership support for development of Staff Care Programs in all countries served
Operations, Logistics and Security
&#; Current development, research and implementation of security and evacuation methods in Haiti, currently serving on the IOS security team
&#; Supervised staffing and set-ups of support/operational divisions: human resources, logistics, security and reinforced administrative and financial procedures in several African countries and Indonesia
&#; Ensured development of internal security systems, manuals and polices which included security updates, mock evacuations and security awareness training for each African country post and Indonesia
&#; Provided the leadership and technical direction for the Plan Togo Corporate Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation System, the Corporate Child Sponsorship System and the General Ledger Financial Management tracking system
&#; Successfully evacuated over fifty () UMCOR staff, volunteers and church members during the Great Lakes/East Africa Conflict of –
&#; Supervised and directed emergency relief operations for returning Rwandan refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and intermediate emergency rehabilitation/rebuilding in Indonesia
&#; Conception, development and design of a Country Evacuation Strategy and Policy Manual as a result of continuing political unrest in Togo. Manual became the security prototype for the Plan West Africa Region
&#; Established and managed the East Africa Aviation Program and Air Fleet which included a King Air Beechcraft nine-seater airplane appropriately named “UMCOR-AIR”
Organizational Development, Institutional and Capacity Building, Monitoring and Evaluation
&#; Currently supervising organizational development/integration of Women & Philanthropy into the larger infrastructure of the Council on Foundations
&#; Coached, mentored and developed staff and special teams to build up regional and country programs and develop appropriate working structures, including entry and exit procedures and strategies
&#; Ensured usage of traditional m & e methods and developed adaptable m & e methodologies and tools for long-term development programs in a variety of sectors….most recently for disaster relief, health, water and sanitation and psychosocial programs
&#; Conceived, designed and organized a “community engagement division” focusing on organizational development and m&e mechanisms for communities to hold NGO’s accountable for service delivery for promised programs and projects
&#; Worked closely with national and expatriate program and country managers and with local organizations to identify key issues in response to organizational growth challenges to develop appropriate strategic plans
&#; Ensured integration, mainstreaming and inclusion of local organizations in day to day activities of parent organizations by providing targeted assessments, appropriate management and budget training and human resources development to ensure sustainability
Program Development, Reporting and Strategic Planning
&#; Currently developing a targeted UMCOR Haiti strategic plan, developing and securing new project funding and re-designing the programming approach
&#; Successfully programmed, % of key long-term programs and projects within one year of American Red Cross activities in Indonesia
&#; Supervised and lead the development and implementation of the five year comprehensive strategic development plan, including an annual yearly plan and supplemental accountability framework strategy
&#; Supervised development of the Plan Togo Comprehensive Country Strategic Plan
&#; Development of a detailed community engagement and accountability division to ensure compliance and indigenous community support for community-based programs in Africa and Indonesia
&#; Refining/Redesigning and Securing a million (USD) USAID Public/Private Global Development Alliance Grant for the Republic of Georgia for a women’s wellness center
&#; Successful deployment of refurbished x-ray and breast cancer screening equipment and training teams to Georgia, Nigeria, Uzbekistan and Zambia with timely and comprehensive reports to USAID
&#; Leadership and supervision of USAID RFA and RFP technical grant writing to support health, child survival, women’s wellness, global alliance and public/private partnerships in Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Liberia, Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania
&#; Leadership and supervision in development and design of the PLAN Togo Rights of the Child Program with UNICEF which garnered country-wide and international attention
&#; Successful programming and fundraising initiatives with organizations such as USAID, UNICEF, UNDP, AusAid, the World Bank, the European Union and other international organizations
Public Relations, Media and Communications Support
&#; Development of new outreach material for promotion and representation of UMCOR Haiti to partners including the Government of Haiti, USAID, Wold Food Program and the United Nations, among others
&#; Direct, hands-on planning the Women & Philanthropy “Capitol Hill Mini-Summit” which will bring together high-level women political leaders, national and international philanthropists, and women business leaders to discuss women leveraging their united power to influence and guide philanthropic giving and political representation in .
&#; Successful portrayal and representation of American Red Cross achievements in print, radio and broadcast mediums, particularly for the First and Second Year Indonesia Tsunami Anniversaries
&#; Instituted and guided initiatives to ensure American Red Cross support to communities: community bulletin boards, community complaint forms and a community hotline
&#; Development and Design of several children’s related public relations campaigns including a child rights radio project, “Devio Be Radio” and activity manual, strategies to increase children’s participation in programs, development of a youth-to-youth HIV/AID’s peer education campaign and initiatives against child labor, child poverty and child trafficking
&#; Increased the national and international profile and image of Plan Togo within the organization worldwide, with the Government of Togo and with international organizations such as UNICEF, Save the Children and CARE through innovative marketing techniques and promotions
QUALIFICATIONS/SPECIAL SKILLS
• Executive, Regional, Senior-Level Director Management, Representation, Leadership
• Host Country Agreement Development, Contractual and Legal Status Issues, In-Country Operating/Negotiation Skills, Conflict Mitigation
• Institutional Board and Committee Level Engagement, Interaction, Support
• Administration, Human Resources, Logistics and Operations Management
• Budget Supervision, Preparation and Financial Management
• Specialized Program/Project Identification, Research, Design, Development, Evaluation and Monitoring, Strategic Planning, Policy and Organizational Development
• Supervision, management and effective roll-out of general operations, program, financial, human resources, logistics and data/information management systems
• Human Resources, Staff Training, Empowerment, Team/Confidence Building
• Grants Identification, Research and Writing, including RFA’s and RFP’s, Business Plans)
• Targeted Networking, Events Planning, Marketing, Public Relations, Fundraising
• Multi-country Strategic Public/Private Alliance Partnership and Development
• Government/Regulatory Research and Analysis
• USAID, UN, World Bank, DIFD, EU, Multi and Bi-Lateral Donor Development/Relations
• Large Scale Emergency Disaster Relief/Management (long and short-term), Evacuation Procedures, Security /Systems Set-Up, Manual/Guidelines Development
• Specialized Project/Program Experience: Integrated Health, HIV-Aids, Gender, Water and Sanitation, Refugee Assistance, Child Sponsorship, Child Survival Projects, Child Trafficking/Child Labor, Micro-Finance, Women’s Health Issues: Breast Cancer Education and Awareness, Women’s Wellness, NGO Development, Growth and Sustainability
EDUCATION
POST GRADUATE STUDIES
Business Administration, Development of Library/Computerized Systems
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - “THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE”
The American University Washington, D.C.
INTERNATIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE
Head of Mission
UMCOR-Haiti - The United Methodist Committee on Relief
February - Present
Currently serving as Head of Mission for The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) in Haiti. Responsible for supervising and directing all in-country representational, programmatic, administrative, operational and human resources development and provide oversight and direction for the financial, budget and audit actions needed to support country activities. Revitalizing and reinforcing sound programming for the current projects and active outreach/funding for new programs and partners.
Project Director
Women & Philanthropy: A Project of the Council on Foundations
The Council on Foundations November –March t
Considered a key position within the Council on Foundations; responsible for the overall management, budgeting, fundraising, planning and advisory committee management for Women & Philanthropy – a project of the Council on Foundations (the “Project”) and the primary liaison between Women & Philanthropy and the Council on Foundations. Guided the development and implementation of comprehensive strategic, fundraising, communication and organizational plans supporting project work of Women & Philanthropy to advance the gender mission of the Council on Foundations. Significant outreach skills to membership foundations and others, including close collaboration with and support to the Women & Philanthropy Advisory Council.
Senior Field Representative
The American Red Cross - Tsunami Recovery Program – Indonesia, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
June – April
Completed overseas assignment as the Senior Field Representative (SFR) for the American Red Cross’s $ million dollar tsunami relief recovery and rehabilitation program for Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Simultaneously served as Head of Programs in addition to Senior Field Representative. By June , achieved effective partnership recognition with local government and partners, strong start-up and implementation of five key multi-million dollar long-term development programs including avian flu, supervised and led first successful consultative audit, ensured consistent and conscientious teamwork, promotion and professional upward mobility of Indonesian staff, ensured development of internal security systems, human resources, logistics and operations divisions with instructional manuals and polices. By February , ensured that approximately % of approved funds allocated for programs and projects were staffed up and running, successfully planned and led the development of the five year comprehensive strategic development plan including an appropriate exit strategy. Supervised direct reports, and led a staff of more than international and local staff.
Program Coordinator
The America Red Cross – Tsunami Recovery Program – Indonesia. Banda Aceh, Indonesia
October – May
Responsible for managing, overseeing and supervising all programs and programmatic activity for the American Red Cross Tsunami Recovery Program in Indonesia, consisting of several multi-million dollar programs to address relief, recovery and rehabilitation needs following the devastation of the tsunami of December . Specific duties and responsibilities include teamwork/team building, supervision and management of all program managers, technical oversight, collaborative proposal/budget writing, project identification, design and development and partnership networking. Directly supervised fifteen staff.
Director of International Development and Programs
Carelift International, Philadelphia, PA March – December
Responsible for representation, programming, management, supervision, strategic planning and direction of Carelift’s International medical provision equipment programs implemented in Europe and Eurasia. Special emphasis placed on expanding the current program and developing appropriate, strategic partnerships within Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. Targeted emphasis on aligning medical equipment and supply operations with sound program delivery resulting in a $ million dollar USAID grant to provide cancer screening equipment and training for a women’s wellness program in the Republic of Georgia. Direct supervision of five national staff and five overseas staff.
Plan International, Inc. Woking, Surrey England
Sponsorship and Grants Manager, Plan International, Tanzania East Africa September – March
Served as the coordination and representational focal point for the Grants/Sponsorship Department of PLAN Tanzania, a five million dollar community development/child focused program. Responsible for setting the sponsorship leadership, vision, networking and grants development strategy standards.
Country Director – Plan International Togo, West Africa June – September
Served as the Country Director for Togo, a . million dollar program performing duties of representation, coordination, administration and diplomatic protocol. Provided the leadership and technical direction in the development of the Country Strategic Plan, the Corporate Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation System, the Child Sponsorship Corporate System and the General Ledger financial management tracking system. Small and large-scale grants were successfully conceived and Plan Togo gained successful recognition and status as a leader in child-trafficking and women’s micro-finance initiatives.
Head of Mission, East Africa Programs
UMCOR, The United Methodist Committee on Relief, New York, New York April - April
Official UMCOR Representative for East Africa and Somalia. Responsible for building, designing and upgrading UMCOR's program and project activities within East Africa and Somalia which included administrative, programmatic and financial oversight of UMCOR programs in the Great Lakes Region, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Organized and managed the aircraft UMCOR deployed to the region for emergency and refugee relief, program and staff use. Successfully secured operating and registration authority with the Government of Rwanda, opening and staffing the UMCOR office in Rwanda (an extremely difficult yet significant protocol achievement) Supervised over thirty- five () international and local staff persons.
Africare, Inc., Washington DC
Country Representative
Burkina Faso, West Africa () Niger ()
Official Burkina Faso and Niger Representative for Africare Inc., an American international development organization. Responsible for official representation, protocol, public relations and all country project development activities. Successfully supervised implementation of over twelve large, medium and small-scale projects during a three-year period. Most noteworthy accomplishments include securing World Bank financing, securing funding from UNICEF/Burkina Faso, conceiving, researching and writing a USAID-funded Phase I and Phase II Child Survival Project. Was awarded the Burkina Faso Medal for Meritorious Service by President Blasé Compaore. Supervised over thirty expatriate and local-hire employees.
Administrative Officer, Burkina Faso, Niger ()
Responsible for the daily administration and financial management of the regional office and related country projects.
DEVELOPMENT, MARKTING, DONOR AND CONSTITUENCY RELATIONS
Africare: Constituency Development Officer, Washington, D.C. ()
Responsible for fund-raising through developing and fostering increased understanding of African development in the United States through public relations, marketing and community outreach.
Africare: Resource/Research Associate, Washington, D.C. ()
Responsible for conducting research activities for project development for Africare within Africa, keeping abreast of the latest developments.
Research, Marketing and Business Development
Kaaren Johnson Associates, Silver Spring, Maryland
Documentalist, (Contractor) United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Served as a Personal Contract Services Documentalist with the Office of Sahel West Africa Affairs of the Africa Bureau of USAID.
The Philip B. Benson Company, Washington, D.C.
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Responsible for conceiving, designing and developing targeted marketing and public relations strategies for a document research and retrieval firm specializing in document retrieval from US government agencies.
Director of Research at the Securities and Exchange Commission
Responsible for researching, processing and forwarding securities and financial document discovery requests from the Securities and Exchange Commission
CONSULTANCIES/ENTREPRENEURSHIP
January – October
Business Owner: “Cultural Concepts and Connections” (in development), Philadelphia, PA USA
Founder and Owner of “Cultural Concepts and Connections” (in development), a privately owned firm providing international public relations and consultation services.
December – March
International Business Consultant, Burkina Faso and Ghana West Africa
Responsible for designing, promoting and managing an international business venture involving the sale of ice cream, milk and other dairy products in Burkina Faso.
April – May
International Consultant, National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), Washington D.C.
Consultant for the International Division of the National Council of Negro Women. Researched and wrote project proposals on self-help projects for African Women in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malaria. programs in Egypt, Zambia and Senegal.
LANGUAGES
Native English Speaker French: Fluent Speaker, Good Reading/Writing
IT SKILLS
IT: Personal Computer Programs/Software Operations, Microsoft Windows and Associated Programs: Word, Excel, Outlook, Publisher, Power Point
COUNTRIES OF SERVICE/WORK/COVERAGE
The United States and Europe
Eurasia: Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Georgia, Bosnia, Croatia,
Africa: Burundi, Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Kenya,
Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Togo, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Asia: Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka
AWARDS/HONORS
Medal for Meritorious Service to Burkina Faso ()
Outstanding Young Woman of America ()
Dale Carnegie Graduate Assistant ()
American University Most Outstanding Senior Woman ()
Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities ()
OAASATAU Outstanding Senior ()
The Henry Scott Outstanding Church Member Award ()
References Furnished Upon Request
