Summary
•    Two Graduate Degrees: MA, International Relations, MPA, International Management
•    Ten years professional experience, three years in Niger, West Africa.

Functional Competencies
•    Strategic Management and Organizational Capacity Assessment
•    Public Speaking, Interviewing, and Recruiting
•    Grant Proposal Writing
•    Writing and Editing
•    Leadership and Diplomacy
•    Group and Team Environments
•    Multilingual (English, French, West African Dialects)


Professional Experience

Associate Program Officer for Iraq, International Relief and Development, Inc., Arlington, VA 2009- present
•   Acted as desk officer, backstopping USAID-funded projects in Iraq, including CSP, HAI, and TAME.

International Recruitment Officer, International Relief and Development, Inc., Arlington, VA 2008- 2009
•    Recruited for International Relief and Development (www.ird-dc.org), a non-governmental organization specializing in emergency relief, public health, infrastructure, agriculture, and democracy and governance projects worldwide.

•    Responsible for recruiting and hiring qualified candidates for home office and overseas field positions with IRD, Inc, an international NGO.  

•    Sourced candidates for a wide range of positions, including key staff for USAID proposals, as well as field and home office positions.

•    Hired or secured 50 candidates for USAID and other donor contracts, field, and home office positions.

•    Acted as recruiting IT contact point for IRD's applicant tracking system and other social and professional networking services.

Regional Recruiter, U.S. Peace Corps, San Francisco, CA 2002 – 2006
•    Planned, budgeted, and executed targeted recruitment campaigns based on annual agency needs
•    Partnered with community, media, professional and academic resource people and organizations, and made oral and audio-visual presentations to classes, organizations, etc. to build awareness about current Peace Corps programs, recruitment needs and policies
•    Screened and interviewed almost 400 qualified applicants for volunteer service in the Peace Corps and the United Nations Volunteer Program
•    Averaged over 100 applicants per year, exceeding office goals
•    Hired and supervised campus Peace Corps representatives
•    Volunteer/Trainee attrition rate less than half the agency average

Regional Representative, Carter Center, Zinder, Niger, West Africa, 2000 – 2001
•    As a Peace Corps Volunteer, managed the Carter Center's Regional Guinea Worm Eradication Program (GWEP) field office in Zinder, Niger
•    Managed and planned trainings for 24 Nigerien Community Health Agents assigned to monitor endemic localities
•    Funded statewide projects to stop the transmission of Guinea Worm
•    Performed all business and educational activities in French and Hausa

Volunteer Leader & Regional Representative, U. S. Peace Corps, Zinder, Niger, Africa, 1999 – 2000
•    Represented Peace Corps Niger to the Zinder State Government and all International and Local Non-Governmental Organizations working within the state
•    Oversaw activities of 12-24 Peace Corps Volunteers
•    Selected and maintained dozens of new and current PC Volunteer posts
•    Provided peer support to PC Volunteers in Department (State) of Zinder. Trained in active listening and peer support techniques for said purpose
•    Used French and Hausa for most projects

Agricultural Extension Agent, U. S. Peace Corps, Doutouel, Niger, Africa, 1997 –1999
•    Assigned to local government agriculture services to increase household food security via improved agro-forestry practices
•    Wrote project proposals and managed village based agriculture, forestry, and community development projects
•    Lived in a rural agrarian village of Fulani Herdsman
•    Performed all activities in Fulfulde and French

Corporate Sales Representative, Computer Land of Almaden, San Jose, California, 1996 – 1997
•    Managed corporate accounts and attracted new clients, mostly small independent firms
•    Sold computer hardware and software
•    Averaged $80,000 gross sales/month

Other Experience
Consultant, Innova, Monterey Institute of International Studies, 2007, www.innovaproject.org
•    Founding member of Innova, a team of Public Administration graduate students at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. 
•    Clients included the Collaborative for Salinas Youth and the Monterey Institute. 
•    Facilitated strategic planning for the Collaborative for Salinas Youth, resulting in a group-managed Wiki: http://collaborative.wiki.zoho.com/ which I co-designed. 
•    As a team member, we created a participatory, grassroots process to spawn and vet innovation, known as “pizza groups.”  This included facilitating the development and dissemination of new ideas, processes and methods that further the Institute’s strategic plan. 

President, Peace Corps Club, Monterey Institute of International Studies, 2006-2007
•    Student Club, 35-plus members.  Planned networking, fundraising, and social events, including Peace Corps Week, culminating in a panel event with US Congressman Sam Farr. 

Intern, Habitat for Humanity of Santa Cruz County, Aptos, CA, 2006
•    Performed Organizational Capacity Assessment, focusing on all non-profit functions, including volunteer management, board governance, fundraising, program management, and strategic planning.

Office Assistant, Career Services Department, Graduate School of International Policy Studies (GSIPS), Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS), Monterey, CA, 2006
•    Edit and update GSIPS Career Services web pages, using Neptune software.
•    Assist Career Services Director with document editing and career services presentations.
•    Part-time position while attending school full-time.

Education
•    Master of Public Administration in International Management, Monterey Institute of International Studies, 2007, Cum Laude
•    Curriculum: Nonprofit/NGO Management, Public Policy & Data Analysis, International Economics, Public Budgeting, Grant Proposal Writing, Program Evaluation, French Language
•    Master of Arts, International Relations, San Francisco State University, 2005, Cum Laude
•    Curriculum: International Political Economy, Economic Development, African Development, International Environmental Policy, International Relations Theory, Public Administration, Foreign Policy Analysis, Microeconomics and Cost Benefit Analysis, Globalization Studies
•    Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, Minor in Sociology, University of California at San Diego, 1995
•    Associate of Arts, General Education, De Anza Community College, 1993

Trainings/Certificates
•    Certificate, International Development Project Management, Monterey Institute of International Studies, 2005. Tri-modular certificate program in Strategic Management, Partnering, and Facilitation. Course focused on development theory, USAID logical frameworks for project design and analysis, program evaluation, NGO partnering and strategy development, and facilitation techniques
•    Red Cross International Services Courses, 2003: Orientation to International Services and International Relief and Development
•    Peace Corps Pre-Service Training, Niger, October-December 1997: 12-week intensive training in agroforestry, as well as project planning, proposal writing, non-formal education techniques, cross culture, and language (French and Fulfulde)

Languages
•    French: Intermediate-Advanced, Alliance Française San Francisco, 2004
•    Fulfulde: Advanced, Peace Corps Niger, 2000 (a.k.a., Peul, Fula, Pulaar)
•    Hausa: Intermediate-Low, Peace Corps Niger, 2000
•    Spanish: Beginner-Advanced