Staff Profiles - Pact Headquarters

Sarah Newhall President and Chief Executive Officer [complete biography here]

Areas of Specialization
Executive nonprofit management, NGO capacity development, NGO network building, public administration, policy and budgetary planning, community mobilization, community development, project administration, cross-sectoral programming, citizen's empowerment, democracy and governance, refugee and youth services, family planning and health, primary and secondary education

Previous Positions
Country Representative, Pact Cambodia; Regional Coordinator for South and Southeast Asia for Ashoka: Innovators for the Public; Program Coordinator, Population and Community Development Association, Thailand

Countries worked in
Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Thailand, USA, Vietnam, West Bank/Gaza

Education
Bachelor of Arts degree from Occidental College, Los Angeles, California; Master's degree in public administration from Portland State University, Portland, Oregon

Other
Director, Office of Neighborhood Associations, Office of the Mayor, Portland, Oregon; appointed member of the Portland Board of Education; Associate Director, Center for Urban Education, city of Portland; Youth Services Coordinator, city of Portland; member, executive committee, InterAction

What gets me up in the morning
"It energizes me to lead an incredibly talented, dedicated group of individuals, who daily are incubating and implementing common sense, people-centered, close-to-the ground, trailblazing ideas for capacity building activities that give people the chance to make profound changes in their lives."

Georgia Beans Vice President, Operations

Areas of Specialization
Procurement, contract management and grant management.

Countries worked in
U.S., Kenya, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Previous Positions
I have held a number of senior positions with small to medium size for-profit companies contracted by USAID. The most recent position was as director of a $30 million contract providing support services to USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance responsible for award and administration of $364 million per year in contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements for emergency disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, and reconstruction. Other essential support services included information processing, website development, georeferencing and mapping, and information development and dissemination.

Languages
English

Education
Masters Certificate in Procurement and Contract Management, University of Virginia; BS in accounting, University of Virginia

What gets me up in the morning
Reading regulations....NOT?.my family and friends and having the privilege of doing something I love and find immensely interesting and challenging.

Evan Bloom Vice President Capacity Building Services Group

Areas of Specialization
Organizational development, NGO management, organizational capacity assessment, project design, program evaluation, food security, training and facilitation, curriculum development, and nonformal education.

Countries worked in
Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Madagascar, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand.

Previous Positions
Program Director for Institutional Capacity Building Initiatives, Pact
Program Coordinator, Rural Assistance Program, International Rescue Committee, Pakistan/Afghanistan.
Manager, UNFAO food security Initiative, Pakistan/Afghanistan
Research Assistant, Institute for African Development, Cornell University
Senegal Ministry of Social Development/Peace Corps Volunteer, Bakel Senegal
Consultant to over two dozen nongovernmental and multilateral organizations

Languages
French, Pulaar

Education
MA International Agriculture and Rural Development, Cornell University, NY, 1992
BA, International Development and Social Change, Clark University, Worcester, MA, 1985
London School of Economics, London England
School of Oriental and African Studies, London England

Publications
Pictorial Apprenticeship Program Handbook: A Project Planning Strategy for Preliterate Communities, ICE Publications, December 1991

What gets me up in the morning
"Our unflinching resolve to question old ways, build new models, create, invent and learn with our global partners."

Rick Garza Vice President Finance

Areas of Specialization
Accounting, Business planning, Finance, Executive non-profit management, Training

Previous positions
Auditor, Business Manager, Chief Financial Officer, Controller, Consultant, Software Support, Technical Writer

Countries worked in
Oversight of finance and administration in more than 25 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Travel to more than 30 countries worldwide.

Education
Bachelor of Science in Business and Accounting from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, California.
Coursework towards Masters in Education, Southwestern Theological Seminary.

Other
Board Chair and Director, Northern California Council of Camp Fire USA.
Member, Association of PVO Financial Managers.

Catherine Gibbons Vice President Programs

Jean-Louis Robadey Vice President Strategic Management

Previous Positions
Senior Manager, Management Consulting Services, Unisys Corporation; Senior Manager, Office of Government Services, Andersen Business Consulting.

Areas of Specialization
Public sector and non-profit management; strategy design and business planning; organizational development and organizational change management; program management; resource mobilization; marketing and communication; financial management and budgeting; client relationship management.

Countries worked in
Switzerland; Italy; France; Germany; United Kingdom; Mongolia; China.

Education
Masters of Arts in Law and Diplomacy, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Boston, MA; B.A. International Relations, Institute of International Studies, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Languages
English, French, Italian

What gets me up in the morning
"Making connections and creating linkages with people, organizations and communities, and experience the increased understanding and shared learning that results from these positive contacts."

Ana Bilik Director, New Business Development

Areas of Specialization
Program design; proposal development and coordination; budget and contract negotiation; strategic planning; NGO management and development; therapeutic crisis intervention for youth; (swim coach).

Previous Positions
Program Manager, Pragma Corporation; Small Business/NGO Development Volunteer, Peace Corps Nicaragua; Program Assistant, Trickle Up Program; Council Coordinator, Youth Area Resources.

Countries worked in
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Nicaragua, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

Education
MPA - International Development Track, Rutgers University
BA, Psychology and French Literature, Columbia University

Languages
Spanish, French, Portuguese

What gets me up in the morning
Coffee.

Laura Golightly Director, International Finance

Areas of specialization
Executive Nonprofit Financial Management; Strategic Planning; Budget Development; Grants Management & Proposal Writing; Audit & Finance; Internal Controls; Policies & Procedures Development; Training.

Previous positions
12+ years experience as Chief Financial Officer for three charitable nonprofit organizations in Chicago and Washington, DC ranging from $12 Million to $50 Million in annual revenues providing a wide range of comprehensive social service, educational, vocational and health care programs funded by federal / state / local and private foundations and fundraising; 5+ years in public accounting, specializing in nonprofit and governmental organizations and conducting A-128 / A-133 audits.

Education
Certified Public Accountant (CPA); BA Degree in Accounting from NC State University.

Languages
College French, Traveler’s Spanish, and Financial Interpretation!

What gets me up in the morning
Learning something new, teaching something new, and embracing the opportunity to make a global difference!

Leonardo Hosh Programs Director / Natural Resource Management (NRM) Technical Advisor

Jeffery Kwaterski Director, Impact Alliance

Areas of Specialization
Organizational learning and development; knowledge management, organizational networks and strategic communications

Countries worked in
Bolivia, El Salvador, Mexico

Previous Positions
Independent Management Consultant; Health Communications Coordinator, University Health Services; Peace Corps Volunteer, Bolivia/El Salvador

Languages
Spanish

Education
BS-Business Administration, Marquette University; MBA-Management, University of Wisconsin-Madison, MA-Mass Communications, University of Wisconsin-Madison

What gets me up in the morning
"What gets me up in the morning is the belief that the services we provide for our partners and clients makes a difference for their programmatic success-be it conserving threatened biodiversity or delivering health services. I thrive off the energy of social entrepreneurship; something that Pact encourages and supports."

Lynn McCoy Director Monitoring and Evaluation

Areas of Specialization
Monitoring and evaluation of field based programs (HIV/ AIDS, Democracy and Governance, Natural Resource Mgmt, Livelihoods, Peace Building ), Organizational learning and systems development; Natural Resources Management

Countries worked in
Kenya, Madagascar, South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Namibia, Malawi, Botswana, Swaziland, USA, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Previous Positions
Deputy Director Africa Regional Support Network, Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor, Results Package Team Leader, Consultant, Public Involvement Coordinator, National Park Service Ranger

Education
M.S. - Natural Resource Management (Thesis Topic: Data for Decision Making) University of Idaho College of Forestry Wildlife and Range Sciences.
B.S. - Recreation and Park Administration Emphasis-Public Administration. University of Wyoming.

What gets me up in the morning
The knowledge that our work makes a difference in the lives of people across Asia, Africa, and Latin America .

Polly Mott Program Director, Community REACH

Areas of Specialization
HIV/AIDS and reproductive health program management; NGO grant design, implementation and evaluation; community-based family planning; USAID health programming; strategic planning.

Previous Positions
Senior Program Officer, Latin America and the Caribbean; Family Health International
Program Officer, Latin America and the Caribbean, Management Sciences for Health;
Family Planning Service Delivery Specialist, USAID/Nairobi; Associate Regional Director, Family Planning International Assistance, Nairobi; Peace Corps Volunteer, Dominican Republic.

Countries worked in
Bolivia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, Jamaica, St. Vincent, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Kenya, Zambia, Thailand, India, Australia

Education
MPA - New York University
BA Latin American Studies, Smith College

Languages
Fluent Spanish and basic Portuguese, French and Kiswahili

Marcia Odell Director, WORTH, A Women's Empowerment Program

Areas of Specialization
Formal and non-formal education and training, management, administration, and program development with a special interest in working with women, community groups and organizations.

Previous Positions
Chief of Party for the 5-time award winning Women's Empowerment Project (WEP) in Nepal, and Project Manager for its predecessor, Pact's Women Reading for Development (WORD) project. WORTH

Countries worked in
Nepal, Botswana, Kenya, Jamaica, and Kuwait

Education
M.B.A., Whittemore School of Business and Economics, University of New Hampshire;
M.S., Wheelock College;
B.A. and Ph.D. from Cornell University

Languages
English, Nepali, Setswana, basic French

What gets me up in the morning
If it isn't the 6 AM trash truck shifting gears as it comes over the rise, it's the 7 AM school bus....my morning cup of coffee in bed, and the warm feeling that WORTH has just reached another country today... it's reaching another thousand women, giving them hope for their children and the capacity and courage to tackle what is probably the worst epidemic in modern history...

Dana D. Reilly Director, Executive Search

Areas of Specialization
Talent search, board liaison, executive administration, project management, events planning

Previous Positions
Assistant Program Manager, Associates in Rural Development; Program Officer, TransCentury Corporation; Program Assistant, World Learning; Word Processor, Salesian Missions

Education
BS, Bridgewater College; management classes at George Mason University

What gets me up in the morning
"With the pro-family work environment at Pact, I am able to focus my energies while I am at the office and yet have time for my husband and children and everyone else in our big family."