Udunopa is a young professional in trade and SME development. Prior to joining IESC in 2015, Udunopa consulted for the ILO, where she produced a microfinance training guide and improved household surveys for their Enterprise Development, Growth and Enhancement program. She also worked as research assistant for Dr. Esther Brimmer—former Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs. Udunopa has lived in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Brazil; she is fluent in English and E’Wano (Nigerian dialect), and speaks conversational Portuguese. She holds a B.S. in Economics and International Studies from Iowa State University, and an M.A. in International Trade and Investment Policy from George Washington University. Udunopa is a member of the Association of Women in International Trade.

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.

Ashley is an agricultural development specialist with expertise in designing and managing proposals for economic growth programs. She first started working with IESC’s new business team in 2008, before heading to graduate school and then gaining experience in agricultural development, program management, and proposal writing.  She returned to IESC in 2015, and now brings her sector expertise and writing skills to IESC’s business development endeavors. Ashley’s career has focused on business development and program design for private sector-driven development programs, with a concentration in agriculture. Ashley has a bachelor’s in international affairs from the George Washington University, and a master’s in international agriculture and rural development from Cornell University.

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.

Jessica joined IESC in 2013 and is currently a senior program manager. Her background includes over eight years of home office and field implementation experience in communications, operations, program administration, and grants roles. Jessica has managed and supported programs in the range of $20-$650 million in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Tanzania. Her education background includes bachelor’s degrees in classical studies and business administration from the University of Mary Washington.

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.

David Hartingh is an entrepreneurial international development executive with more than 20 years of experience in small business development, international trade, and international economic development. His experience prior to joining IESC headquarters in 2005 includes launching and selling his own franchised small enterprise, managing a USAID-funded international trade and investment project operating in 37 countries, servicing clients with an international trade policy consulting firm, and advising franchised businesses as a franchise consultant. David is a native English speaker and speaks Spanish. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in International Economic Affairs from George Washington University.

Elizabeth joined IESC in July 2016 and holds an M.A. in international commerce and policy from George Mason University. Her interest in development economics was piqued at the University of St. Andrews, where she read economics. She was a volunteer researcher at nonprofits in the D.C. area prior to joining IESC. She has written many research papers, one of which is a paper on the economic and human development journey of the state of Kerala in India, published by the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She is also a classically trained pianist (Grade 8) from Trinity College, London.

Jason is a senior finance and accounting executive who brings over fifteen years of solid expertise in managing all aspects of the financial, information and communications technology and administrative departments for nonprofit organizations. As the key financial officer at IESC, Jason oversees all major financial reporting and has been responsible for reviewing and executing contracts funding multimillion dollar programs worldwide. Prior to joining IESC in 2005, Jason successfully managed the largest Migrant Head Start program in the country, where he reengineered the network infrastructure to increase data flow and communication and increased efficiency and operational effectiveness. Jason is fully conversant in U.S. Government and other donor agencies’ finance and compliance regulations.

Sadia is an international development professional with 11 years of experience in program management, business development, market linkages and trade promotion, and providing direct technical assistance to public sector and private enterprises in Asia. She joined IESC in 2016 and has manages workforce development and capacity-building programs in Afghanistan, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. Before joining IESC, she worked with Vital Voices to support thought leadership and entrepreneurship programs for women in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Working with Chemonics, Sadia was among the key team players to promote Pakistani agriculture exports to Europe and led industry delegations to Germany, the Philippines, and the United States. She has an M.Sc. in development economics from Government College University in Lahore.

Gabriela has more than 10 years or experience managing international development programs, including programs funded by USAID, USDA, US State Department, World Bank and various private foundations. She joined IESC in 2014. 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 in fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Italian. She holds an M.S. in nonprofit management from the University of Maryland.

Erich joined IESC in January 2018 after a stint in international development advocacy. Prior to that, he served in the Peace Corps in Albania for two years as a community and organizational development volunteer. Before the Peace Corps, he worked with CARE USA, ServiceNation, and J Street in Washington, DC, in roles focused on advocating for greater service opportunities. Erich studied public administration at Rutgers University and project management at Georgetown. In his spare time, Erich enjoys reading, playing water polo, and rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Lauren began working at IESC in 2015 as the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning intern, after receiving her degree in International Relations from American University with a minor in Spanish language. After leaving IESC for one year, she returned for her current position, where she works on proposals, start-up, writing monitoring and evaluation plans, creating templates, and assisting with operations. She is a half marathon and marathon runner, aspiring yogi, and dog mom.

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.

Aaron Miller joined IESC in 2016 and currently serves a program associate in the Trade and Market-Driven Agriculture practice area. In previous roles, he has served as the grants and contracts program associate with InsideNGO; a research associate at the Lebanese American University; and a program coordinator with the Global Young Leaders Conference at Envision Experience. Aaron has a strong interest in Middle Eastern Studies, Democracy Promotion, and International Affairs. He has a B.A. in Public Administration and Policy from St. John’s University and a M.A. in International Affairs from Lebanese American University, in Beirut Lebanon

Tom has served as president and CEO since 2010. Before joining IESC, he was president and CEO of the United Nations Association of the United States and CEO of Plan International. Prior to that, Tom had a three-decade career as a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service. He was ambassador to Greece (2001-2004) and to Bosnia and Herzegovina (1999-2001) and the U.S. Cyprus negotiator (at rank of Ambassador). In 2011, Tom was appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to chair the board of the International Commission on Missing Persons. Tom also serves on the boards of Partnership for a Secure America and Greek hotel company Lampsa and is a member of AARP’s National Policy Council. A native of Chicago, Tom has five degrees from the University of Michigan: a Ph.D. in political science (1975), two master’s degrees, a B.A. in political science (1969), and an honorary doctor of law degree (awarded when he was graduation speaker in 2003).

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.

Andrea joined IESC in 2013. She is responsible for IESC’s enterprise and workforce development portfolio, including management and strategy, and cross-cutting leadership for volunteer services. Andrea brings a range of relevant international professional experience to IESC, including management consulting, nonprofit operations, and international education administration. Previously she worked for Deloitte Touche where she worked in Russia and Central Asia before helping to build and manage the firm’s international development consulting practice in sub-Saharan Africa. At Arcadia University Study Center in Cape Town, Andrea established the center, designed the curriculum and supervised the study abroad experience of students from major universities across the United States. Andrea has a B.A. from Georgetown, an M.A. from George Washington, and an M.B.A. from the University of Cape Town.

Samira holds a B.S. in Pharmacy from Kabul University of Afghanistan and an M.B.A. from American University of Afghanistan. She has nearly ten years of professional experience in financial management of USAID-funded projects in Afghanistan. Previously she served as finance manager at Chemonics International and project accountant at International Relief & Development.

Carybeth joined IESC in 2015 after serving for two years as an agribusiness Peace Corps volunteer in Besongabang, Cameroon. As a Peace Corps volunteer, she worked with a cocoa cooperative, facilitated entrepreneurship classes for high school students, managed a village water project, taught HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention, and spoke Pidgin English. At IESC, Carybeth works on the Farmer-to-Farmer programs in Ghana, Egypt, Lebanon, and Morocco. Carybeth is interested in financial inclusion, impact investing, and sustainable supply chains. She has a B.A. in agricultural economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Samantha joined IESC in 2017 and leads all aspects of human resources both for the home office and international field offices. Samantha oversees organizational development, performance management, employee relations, compensation and benefits administration. Prior to joining IESC, Samantha worked for both non-profit and for-profit organizations focusing on human resources and recruiting. Samantha has a B.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and is certified as both a Senior Professional in Human Resources and a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional. Outside of work, Samantha spends her time at her children’s soccer games and rooting for the Washington Nationals baseball team.

Kayla is a project manager with over six years of experience in international development and nonprofit management. She has been working with IESC since 2015. Currently, she manages two Farmer-to-Farmer projects in Ghana and the Middle East and North Africa region. Prior to IESC, Kayla managed the USAID-funded Diasporas for Development Initiative in Jamaica, Kenya, Ethiopia, Peru and the Philippines. Kayla is also a proud AmeriCorps alumna who served in Boston Public Schools for two years. She also holds a B.A. in African history from the University of Vermont and studied at the University of Ghana.

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.

Farmeenullah has over 7 years of experience in accounting, finance, and grants and compliance in Afghanistan. As senior accountant at IESC he is responsible for oversight of field office accounting. Previously, he was a program accountant at IRI Washington, where he supported program financial management. He was also a compliance manager at Counterpart International for a large, $70 million democracy and governance program in Afghanistan, where he was responsible for grant funds management and contract compliance. He holds B.B.A. in financial management from University of Pune (India) and is certified in Microsoft Excel from QA Ltd. (London). He is proficient in English, Pashtu, Dari, Urdu, and Hindi.

Erin joined IESC in 2000 and has more than 20 years of professional experience and 17 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 and a wide range of implementation activities, including conferences, training, recruitment, and technical assistance across multiple sectors. As associate vice president for program operations, she oversees IESC’s program and field operations, systems, and processes, such as quality control, compliance, 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 joined IESC in 2016 and provides support to two trade and market-driven agriculture programs. David is also earning an M.S. in project management at George Washington University, where he is studying 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.

Erin started with the new business team at IESC in January 2017, providing research and coordination support for upcoming and current proposals. Prior to joining IESC, she taught English overseas and high school science in the United States, and later worked as a contractor for the U.S. Navy. She holds a B.A. in biology and a M.Ed. in education from the University of Virginia and recently earned an M.A. in sustainability with a concentration in environmental policy and international development from Harvard. Her professional interests include sustainable economic development, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and international tourism development. Outside the office, Erin enjoys reading, exploring new places, and hanging out with her dog, Wallace. More about Erin.

Angela Wasson joined IESC in 2013. She has more than a decade of experience in monitoring and evaluation, program management, training design and facilitation, knowledge management, and capacity building in the U.S. and internationally, including Asia (including Afghanistan), Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. She has extensive experience in designing and implementing M&E systems, from establishing the development hypothesis, building results frameworks, causal models, and logical frameworks all the way to ensuring data quality and reporting results to the client/donor. Angela served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Romania. She holds an M.S. in development management from American University and a B.A. in economics and international relations from the University of Southern California.

James Wynn specializes in project management, bringing with him four years of program experience, having worked on programs funded by the U.S. Department of State and USAID. At IESC, James focuses on access to finance programs in Mali and Tanzania. James joined IESC in the summer of 2016. Prior to coming to IESC, he worked for the American Council of Young Political Leaders, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting diplomatic exchange through political discourse. He also spent a year working on a congressional campaign in his home state of Ohio. James graduated from Miami University in 2013 with B.A.s in Latin American Studies and Political Science.