Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC)
2000 M Street NW
Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-589-2600
Email: iesc@iesc.org
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Tessa Bassett
Associate, Trade and Enterprise
Tessa Bassett joined IESC in 2022 as an Associate, Trade and Enterprise. Prior to joining IESC, Tessa worked in corporate diplomacy at Meridian International Center and in international trade at the U.S. Commercial Service. She has spent a considerable amount of time volunteering, working, and/or studying in several different Latin American and European countries. Tessa attended BYU and double majored in Sociology, International Relations, and Spanish Studies with a minor in International Development. Her professional interests include international trade facilitation, Latin American politics, and sustainable economic development.
Alvine Ngo Bell
Associate, Workforce, Entrepreneurship and Youth
Alvine Ngo Bell joined IESC in 2022 as an Associate, Workforce, Entrepreneurship and Youth. Alvine previously worked for Cameroon Telecommunications where she was a team lead for the implementation of a new quality management system, supported project planning for a change management program, and was involved in monitoring and reporting on company projects. Prior to that role, she served as an assistant events planner and digital marketer. Originally from Cameroon, she holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and International Marketing from the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from Siantou University Institute in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Alvine has experience in project management, strategic planning, and marketing, and she is fluent in French.
Anna Brettmann
Senior Associate, Agriculture-led Growth
Anna Brettmann joined IESC in 2022 as an Associate, Agriculture-led Growth and was promoted to Senior Associate, Agriculture-led Growth soon after. In 2021, she earned an MA from Cornell in Global Development. Prior to completing her graduate work, Anna was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Southern Zambia where she directed programs on rural aquaculture, village banking, and livestock health.
Sujeewa De Alwis
Associate Vice President, Financial Reporting
Sujeewa has more than 25 years of experience with U.S. government and donor-funded development projects, including project management and financial management. He is also very experienced with organizational budget planning and management. He has managed a wide variety of programs operating under different contract mechanisms and has a strong understanding of U.S. government regulations, requirements, and expectations. He has worked with IESC, in the field or home office, since 1991. He holds an M.B.A. from AIT, Thailand and a B.Sc. from the University of Sri Lanka.
Judit Deilinger
Vice President, New Business
Judit is a senior international and business development executive with over 20 years of experience. At IESC, she is responsible for IESC’s business strategy, leads IESC’s new business development activities and manages a team of talented new business professionals. She is passionate about economic development and job creation, municipal management, and sustainable urban development. She is a perceptive trainer and facilitator with experience in association and institutional capacity building. Previously, she served as chief of party, designed and implemented multimillion-dollar development programs in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia, and held new business director positions. She was instrumental in the establishment of the ICMA China Center in Beijing. After hours, you may spot her on the ballroom dance floor. More about Judit.
Seth Eden
Interim Senior Manager, Workforce, Entrepreneurship, and Youth
Seth Eden joined IESC in 2022 as an Interim Senior Manager supporting the Sri Lanka YouLead, Skills Resilient Migrant Workers (SRMW), and Tourism Resilience programs. Seth has over fifteen years of experience in the areas of international/humanitarian assistance, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), Collaboration, Learning and Adapting (CLA), Data Quality Assessments (DQA), proposal development, statistics, communications, outreach and reporting, knowledge management, operations, contract/grant management, survey development/implementation, private sector engagement, proposal development, personnel management, Geospatial Information Systems (GIS), and urban planning. He is an experienced manager with extensive knowledge working with the USAID, US State Department, DEC, FCDO, EU/EC and DFAT program requirements, regulations, policies, and procedures and is highly proficient in managing USG projects in line with ADS (ADS 201 USAID Project Operations Cycle), AIDAR, CFR, FAR and OMB Circulars. Seth is a highly experienced Project Manager, who has worked on developing proposals, SOPs, M&E frameworks, technical programming, and programmatic budgets. Most recently, Seth worked in Ukraine for Oxfam as the Program and Partnerships Coordinator where he was responsible for technical implementation of more than $45 million in funding. Earlier in 2022, he worked for SoCha LLC, a US firm based in Mauritius, as the M&E Manager where he was responsible for all M&E on projects as well as proposal writing. Furthermore, from 2010-22, he managed a wide range of USAID projects in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Liberia where in his roles he was responsible for all communications/reporting, financial, administrative, procedural, and contractual aspects of the projects. He was also responsible for M&E of all project activities. Seth spearheaded the improvement of the verification tracking systems for oversight of local grantees in Afghanistan and Iraq to ensure their work was being completed in an effective manner. He holds a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University with a concentration in International Planning.
Chad Ford
Associate Vice President and Practice Lead, Trade and Enterprise
Chad joined IESC in 2014. He is a trade, enterprise, and project management specialist with more than 23 years of professional experience, including more than 17 in international development working on economic growth programs funded by the United States (USAID), Great Britain (DfID), and Sweden (SIDA). He has led and supported multi-country technical teams on program strategy, design, and implementation. Chad has worked in Asia, Africa, and Eastern and Southern Europe on value chain development, trade capacity building, and commercial policy and regulation reform. He is a long-term member of the Washington International Trade Association and holds a bachelor’s degree in social science and Latin America area studies from the University of Minnesota and a master’s in international commerce and policy from George Mason University.
Jessica Friedman
Senior Manager, Workforce, Entrepreneurship and Youth
Jessica Friedman joined IESC in 2021 as a Senior Manager, Workforce, Entrepreneurship and Youth. She previously worked at DAI, where she served as a Project Manager for an inclusive youth workforce development project in Indonesia, as well as other projects in Indonesia related to governance and the environment. Prior to that, she worked at IREX on youth professional development and higher education programs in Tunisia and Iraq. Jessica has a decade of experience in international development program management, focused on youth skills-building, workforce development, and education, including serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines. Her experience has been primarily across Southeast and South Asia and the MENA region, and she has worked on USAID and Department of State-funded programs. Jessica has a master’s degree in Sustainable International Development from the Heller School at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA.
David Hartingh
President and Chief Executive Officer
Serving as President & CEO since 2018, David Hartingh is responsible for the strategic, programmatic, financial and management operations of IESC. David is an entrepreneurial international development executive with more than 23 years of experience in international economic development, small and medium enterprise development, and international trade. Prior to becoming IESC’s President & CEO, he was IESC’s Chief Operating Officer/Executive Vice President. He previously served as IESC’s Vice President of Global Programs and Associate Vice President and practice lead for trade and enterprise development. During his tenure at IESC, David has been instrumental in transforming IESC’s operating model and systems and competitively winning and successfully delivering results on numerous large-scale economic development projects around the world. His experience prior to joining IESC headquarters in 2005 includes managing a USAID-funded international trade and investment project operating in 37 countries, advising private sector clients with an international trade policy consulting firm, launching and selling his own franchised small business, and advising businesses as a consultant. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in International Economic Affairs from George Washington University.
Nahida Islam
Associate, New Business
Nahida joined IESC in January 2023 as an intern with the New Business team and in March 2023 became an Associate, New Business. Nahida is a recent graduate from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelor's in Political Science and double minor in International Development and Pre-Law Studies. She has previously interned with the International Trade Administration and the Maryland General Assembly researching finance policy and international trade law.
Adam Keatts
Associate Vice President and Practice Lead, Agriculture-led Growth
Adam Keatts joined IESC in 2021 as the Associate Vice President and Practice Lead, Agriculture-led Growth. He is an agricultural expert who has managed market-led development and analytical activities across more than 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia over the last 17 years. Most recently, Adam was the Chief of Party for the Feed the Future Enabling Environment for Food Security Project and Director of the Food Analytics department for Fintrac, Inc. In these roles, Adam led the design and delivery of technical assistance to USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, Country Missions, implementing partners, and other development partners on topics such as food traceability, animal source foods, seed markets, commodity exchanges, agribusiness finance, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards, and post-harvest practices. He previously also authored assessments of best practices in agricultural market facilitation and smallholder technology commercialization. Adam holds an MSc in Agricultural Economics and an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship.
Gabriela Kliewer
Director, Trade and Enterprise
Gabriela has more than 10 years of experience managing international development programs, including programs funded by USAID, USDA, US State Department, World Bank, and various private foundations. She joined IESC in 2013. Her current work focuses on value chain development and market-driven agriculture. Gabriela has managed program implementation in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. Prior to joining IESC, Gabriela managed a diverse range of programs across sectors, from food security and education to workforce development at Counterpart International and the Nature Conservancy. A native of Quito, Ecuador, Gabriela is fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Italian. She holds an M.S. in nonprofit management from the University of Maryland.
Anna Koontz
Manager, Workforce, Entrepreneurship and Youth
Anna Koontz joined IESC in 2022 as a Manager, Workforce, Entrepreneurship and Youth. She previously worked at The Kaizen Company where she managed USAID-funded programs worldwide. Prior to Kaizen, Anna worked for Resonance as an institutional contractor at USAID where she was seconded to the Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning. In this role, she provided program management and technical support to the Bureau. Anna holds a MSc in Development Studies from London School of Economics and a BS in Environment and Natural Resources from Ohio State University.
John Lindsay
Associate Vice President and Practice Lead, Workforce, Entrepreneurship and Youth
John Lindsay joined IESC in 2021 as our Associate Vice President and Practice Lead, Workforce, Entrepreneurship and Youth. John has more than a decade of experience in skills development, labor markets, employment, and workforce development, and over 15 years of experience in the international development sector. He brings diverse experience working to advance economic opportunities whether they be in employment, self-employment, or entrepreneurship. Prior to joining IESC, John worked at several development consulting firms, NGOs, UN Agencies, and in the private sector. John has provided technical inputs and programmatic oversight in Egypt, Georgia, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Pakistan, Rwanda, Singapore, South Africa, and the United States. He has led assessments and analytical work and published in the areas of labor market analysis, value chain analysis, labor migration, positive youth development, and sector studies. John has an M.A. in International Affairs, from the New School at the Milano School of International Affairs, and a B.A. in Urban and Public Policy Studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Charlotte Lucas
Associate, Operations and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)
Charlotte Lucas joined IESC in 2022 as the Associate, Operations and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL). Prior to joining IESC, Charlotte worked as an intern at the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) through GXM Consulting where she helped with a variety of tasks for different NSIN programs, such as writing briefs and managing events for members of the Department of Defense and innovation communities and at the Federal Innovators Salon. Charlotte also worked for the History Department as an Office Assistant at the College of William & Mary, and in Massachusetts at the Wellesley Historical Society and the Natick Community Organic Farm. Charlotte holds a B.A. in History and Government from the College of William & Mary
Courtney McNamara
Director, Trade and Enterprise
Courtney joined IESC in 2016 after beginning her career at DAI, bringing experience managing programs across a wide variety of technical focuses in Africa, Southeast Asia, and most recently, Afghanistan. Courtney is responsible for ensuring the success of her programs through managing daily operations over the life of the program, organizing efficient startups and closedowns, and collaborating with the program team to achieve technical objectives. Additionally, Courtney has spent significant time in the Afghanistan office supporting her program team in a range of roles. Courtney holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. More about Courtney.
Lauren Miller
Associate, Trade and Enterprise
Lauren Miller joined IESC in 2022 as an Associate, Trade and Enterprise. Lauren’s recent work experience includes the Human Rights Commission for Tomkins County in Ithaca, NY, where she planned events and fundraisers, developed an in-depth research survey of the state of human rights, and supported media communication and public relations. In 2021, she completed an internship in South Africa working with the Commission for Gender Equality in Durban where she drafted proposals, planned conferences and seminars, and educated community members and organizations on issues of gender equality. Working as a project coordinator for Eco Reps and as a community engagement officer with the Building Bridges Initiative, both in Ithaca, NY, Lauren gained experience in environmental advocacy, community engagement, and capacity building. Lauren specializes in African and Latinx politics and feminism. She graduated summa cum laude from Ithaca College with a BA in Politics, a Concentration in International Studies, and minors in Spanish and Latin American Studies. Additionally, she studied social and political transformation with the School for International Training in Durban, South Africa.
Jess Mull
Senior Associate, Workforce, Entrepreneurship and Youth
Jess Mull joined IESC in 2022 as a Senior Associate, Workforce, Entrepreneurship and Youth. Prior to joining IESC, she worked as the Interim Executive Assistant to the CEO and served as a Senior Program Associate at World Learning on the Department of State, International Visitor Leadership Program. Jess has experience as an educator in California and Vermont and completed an internship as a Street Outreach and Social Work professional in Quito, Ecuador. Jess holds an MA in International Development from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and a B.S. in Psychology from Dominican University of California.
Jennette Murphy
Director, Human Resources
Jennette Murphy joined IESC in 2022. She started her human resources career more than 12 years ago managing human resources at small trade associations and a large private school in the Northern Virginia area. She recently held the position of Director of Human Resources & Operations at News Media Alliance, a trade association advocating for news and magazine media industries. Jennette works closely with senior leadership on organizational workforce strategy, employee relations, benefits, recruiting, compliance, policies, and training. Her interest in the Human Resources function comes from a background as a former paralegal and trained meditator. She holds a M.S. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University and a B.A. in Speech Communications, with a political focus, from George Mason University.
Dan Nichols
Vice President, Finance and Accounting
Dan brought his 17+ years of experience in international development financial operations and management to IESC in 2019. So far in his career, Dan has managed portfolios of development programs of varying size and scope; designed and implemented efficient systems for financial planning, analysis, and cash management; and sat on both sides of the table regarding institutional investment decisions. He has extensive experience training and developing staff with diverse backgrounds, experience, and perspectives on topics including indirect cost recovery, budgeting, and financial planning. Dan is a proponent of teaching people how to fish.
Julie Noble
Director, New Business
Julie joined the new business team in 2016 and also serves as the gender focal point at IESC. She has over 10 years of experience in project management and business development in economic growth and governance with a variety of U.S. government donors, including USAID, USDA, State Department, and FEMA. She thrives on private sector development, program design, program budgets, gender analysis, and attention to detail. Julie has a dual M.A. in sustainable international development and women’s and gender studies from the Heller School at Brandeis University. She got her start in international development working on a community development program in Uganda and has had a passion for East Africa ever since.
Rachel Posner
Manager, Agriculture-led Growth
Rachel joined IESC's home office team in 2022 as a Senior Associate, Agriculture-led Growth supporting the Farmer-to-Farmer Program, and was promoted to Manager, Agriculture-led Growth later that year. Prior to joining IESC, Rachel served on the contracts and grant administration team at the United Nations Foundation, working on initiatives that support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Rachel is a 2018 NSEP Boren Scholar for Hindi Language and holds a BA in Marketing and Sociology from the College of William & Mary. While living in India and studying Hindi language, Rachel conducted agriculture research with smallholder farmers in Telangana.
Luis Roa
Senior Manager, Trade and Enterprise
Luis Roa joined IESC in 2023 as a Senior Manager, Trade and Enterprise. Prior to joining IESC, Luis worked in proposal pricing and costing and project implementation compliance at The Asia Foundation and Tetra Tech/MSI. Previously, he ran his own consulting company in Colombia and Florida and served as Program Development Specialist for the USAID Mission in Colombia as Foreign Service National (FSN). Luis has over a decade of experience in international development programs focused on design, financial planning and management, and compliance. His experience has been primarily across the Latin America region. Luis holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the Universidad del Rosario in Bogota, Colombia, and a master’s in business administration from the D'Amore-McKim School at Northeastern University in Boston, MA.
Jenni Robinson
Director, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
Jenni joined IESC in 2022 bringing more than 20 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation including for programs funded through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of Labor, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the European Union (EU), the former U.K. Department for International Development (DFID), the former Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), as well as various other government and private funders. Jenni has worked as a consultant throughout Africa and the Middle East designing MEL systems and conducting data quality assessments (DQA) at the national level for USAID as well as internally for a wide variety of programs and international development organizations. Jenni is passionate about the importance of good quality data that is useful for program decision making collected and managed through processes designed to minimize additional administrative tasks usually associated with MEL. She has designed, developed, implemented, and managed or provided technical assistance to the management of the monitoring and evaluation of various international development projects in diverse conditions internationally. Despite having worked in more than 26 countries, her home and heart are rooted on the African continent.
Marissa Rosen
Senior Associate, New Business
Marissa is a detail-oriented project management specialist and environmental researcher, with nearly seven years of experience in the non-profit field. She holds a B.S. in Zoology with minors in French and International Studies from North Carolina State University and recently completed a dual M.A. in Sustainable International Development and an MBA in Social Impact degree program at the Heller School at Brandeis University. Before joining IESC, she led market research for the Food Security and Agricultural team at RTI International and developed a knowledge management system for corporate capability statements, past performance references, & technical proposals. Her passion for international development grew from an opportunity to study wildlife conservation and management in the tiger parks of Northern India during her undergraduate career. Marissa has an affinity for interdisciplinary work and enjoys travel and group fitness in her free time.
Cindy Santos
Director, Finance and Accounting
Cindy has over 20 years of experience in all aspects of accounting, payroll, and administration. She joined IESC in 2006. As the director of accounting, she is responsible for the day to day operations of the accounting staff and accounting operations. Cindy has worked across a range of industries, including manufacturing and distribution, nonprofit, banking, and commercial airlines. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Sacred Heart College.
Daniel Schlingman
Senior Associate, Trade and Enterprise
Prior to joining IESC in 2021, Danny was an International Trade Analyst, helping clients ensure compliance with federal trade regulations. While performing this work, Danny also completed a Master of Public Administration in April 2021. Additionally, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Armenia where he worked as an English teacher and on projects focused on health, education, and leadership. Danny has experience working on community development projects both domestically and internationally.
Erin Spinnell
Vice President, Operations
Erin joined IESC in 2000 and has more than 20 years of professional experience and 18 years of experience in international development. She has managed overseas technical assistance and capacity-building programs across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Southeast Europe. She has been responsible for program design, quality control and a wide range of implementation activities across multiple sectors. As vice president of operations, she oversees IESC’s operations, systems, processes, compliance, human resources, security, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning. She holds a B.A. from the University of Washington and an M.A. from the George Washington University.
David Stein
Manager, Trade and Enterprise
David joined IESC in 2016 and provides support to two trade and market-driven agriculture programs. David earned an M.S. in project management at George Washington University, where he studied how big data can be used to support organizations with decision making. David came to IESC as a returned Peace Corps volunteer (Armenia, 2011-13) with experience in USAID and State Department projects and corporate social responsibility.
Pamela Stevens
Associate Vice President, Global Awards
Pamela joined IESC in 2019. With more than 20 years of international development experience, she is accomplished in the capture and administration of U.S. foreign aid contracts and grants and in the creation and implementation of organizational practices that engender strong management of donor funds. She is IESC’s lead administrator for all contracts and grants matters, ensuring compliant, efficient and effective contract and grant operations. Previous work includes her tenure as a USAID contracts specialist, director of grants and contracts departments at two international NGOs, and principal and founder of a consulting practice that served more than 50 international nonprofit organizations in the areas of donor compliance, business development, organizational strategy, and capacity development. Pamela holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Masters degree in public policy and administration from the University of Maryland.
Erin Suarez
Manager, Communications
Erin joined IESC in 2017 and supports communications and new business. Prior to joining IESC, she taught English in Japan with the JET Programme and high school science in the U.S. She holds a B.A. in Biology and a Masters in Secondary Education from the University of Virginia and an M.A. in Sustainability with a concentration in environmental policy and international development from Harvard's Extension School. More about Erin.
Laura Vanin
Manager, Agriculture-led Growth
Laura Vanin joined IESC in 2021, bringing eight years of experience working in international development and education. Laura's most recent role was as a project manager at Tetra Tech DPK, managing operations on USAID and DRL funded rule of law projects in Jordan, Uzbekistan, and Iraq. Prior to Tetra Tech she developed several grassroots initiatives focused around technology and education in Cameroon, Central Africa after earning a Masters of Public Administration from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.
Holly Vo
Senior Associate, New Business
Holly joined IESC in September 2022 as a Senior Associate, New Business. Prior to joining IESC, Holly provided research and coordination support to diplomats in the Economics section at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC. She has experience in scaling and managing international teams from her time as the program manager and interim managing director at Paper Airplanes, a grassroot education nonprofit that provides language and tech skills to conflict-affected individuals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. An educator at heart, right after college, Holly joined the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Chile via their Programa Ingles Abre Puertas, and later Reading Partners - AmeriCorps in Washington, DC. In August 2021, Holly decided to pursue an MBA to better her business acumen and skill set. Over the summer of 2022, Holly interned virtually full time in the Strategy division at Airline Tariff Publishing Company, while working in London as a graduate assistant for the George Washington University's Public & Private Partnership course. Holly graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in Linguistics and a minor in Mandarin Chinese. She is a proud immigrant from Vietnam.