Richard P. Bossi has served as the Vice President and Director of the AED Center for Environmental Strategies since its establishment in 2001. Over the past 20 years, he has personally led, managed, supported, or participated in long and short-term assignments for AED that have addressed institutional, technical, and human resource development, as well as sustainability and related issues that impact national government ministries, municipal agencies, environmental NGOs, research organizations, and local communities. Mr. Bossi has served as project developer, manager, and technical advisor to large-scale, multifaceted, field-based projects in developing countries, with broad expertise in environmental protection, natural resource management, water efficiency, agricultural, and climate change issues. In particular, he possesses expertise in strategic planning as well as project assessment, design, budgeting, management, and evaluation. Earlier in his career, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Chad and the Dominican Republic. Mr. Bossi has an M.R.P. in Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts and a B.S. in Forestry from Northern Arizona University. He is fluent in Spanish and has working knowledge of French. 

Chanya Charles, Deputy Director of the AED Center for Environmental Strategies and Director of the Global FISH Alliance since 2008, has dedicated her career to improving community engagement in development processes and collaboration among NGOs, CBOs, government entities, academia, the private sector, and media. With more than 15 years experience in international development, Ms. Charles served as Deputy Director of the AED Center for Civil Society and Governance from 2003-2007, overseeing over 15 projects worldwide, ensuring the infusion of participatory methodologies, high quality deliverables, and compliance with US government directives. From 1996 to 2000, Ms. Charles worked with USAID’s policy bureau to highlight USAID activities that incorporated participatory development approaches and to identify internal policies and processes that hindered the use of such approaches in the field. Prior to working in Washington, Ms. Charles worked in Thailand on a variety of projects, including Healthy Cities in Asia for UNESCAP, and HIV/AIDS programs for Chiang Mai University’s Social Research Institute.  She holds an M.A. in Communication and an M.A. Certificate in Urban and Regional Planning from the East-West Center/University of Hawaii. Ms. Charles has a B.A. in Asian Studies and Anthropology from Pomona College.

Bette Booth has thirty years experience in the planning, management and evaluation of development projects in the United States, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Ms. Booth works for the AED Center for Environmental Strategies where she recently facilitated the process of synthesizing the lessons learned from the USAID GreenCOM project 13-year, 30-country experience. The result was SCALE – System-wide Collaborative Action for Livelihoods and the Environment -  a communications-driven management process that results in greater impact at scale, creating social capital, strengthening governance, and increasing sustainable economic growth and livelihoods. Ms. Booth was also responsible for developing, testing and packaging SCALE-in-a-Box, training and resource materials that help program managers and technical staff implement SCALE. In addition to her work with AED, Ms. Booth has provided technical assistance to the Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. Peace Corps, Kellogg Foundation, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Health Organization (WHO) Diarrhoeal Diseases Control Programme, the WHO Expanded Programme on Immunizations, the WHO Global Programme on AIDS, the Nutrition Institute for Central America and Panama (INCAP) and the United States Information Service. Ms. Booth has an M.S. Ed. in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University, Bloomington and a B.S. in Journalism and Mass Communications from Kansas State University. She is fluent in Spanish.

An accomplished manager and communications specialist, Patrick Papania has worked many years designing and implementing social and economic development programs in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. He is currently a Senior Communications Strategist for the AED Center for Environmental Strategies (CES). Mr. Papania provides technical assistance on several USAID projects in Egypt, Ethiopia, Mali and the Balkans. He is one of the lead designers on the AED CES team for its signature management approach, SCALE® (System-wide Collaborative Actions for Livelihoods and the Environment), a communications-driven process that uses multiple communications strategies to motivate diverse, and often conflicting, stakeholders within civil society to accomplish common goals in the pursuit of cohesive advocacy for improved livelihoods. Prior to his work on USAID projects, Mr. Papania worked for Fundación CODESPA, a Spanish organization led by Crown Prince Felipe, as principle delegate to the Arab world. Previous to that, he spent several years working as a cultural and artistic impresario in Tunisia. After completing a B.S. in Comparative and Regional Studies from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, focusing on Middle Eastern Economic Development, Mr. Papania began his career in international development as a Rural Development Extension Agent with the United States Peace Corps in Tunisia in 1985. Fluent in English, Spanish, Arabic and French, he brings to his current position 23 years of experience in project management and program implementation in many regions of the world, demonstrating a professional emphasis on program development through public-private partnerships, civil society mobilization, local initiatives and community investment.

Jennifer Barker is the Global FISH Alliance Deputy Director and Senior Program Manager in the AED Center for Environmental Strategies. She has over ten years experience working in the public and private sector on environment, international public health, and international education programs focused mainly in Africa. She has worked at AED for more than five years. Ms. Barker earned her M.P.A. with an emphasis in international development management from The George Washington University.

Juan M. Gomez is a Finance Manager with the AED Center for Environmental Strategies and is currently a graduate student (2010 candidate – M.S. in Finance) at The George Washington University Business School. He has five years of work experience in finance in the U.S. and as a consultant in Colombia with KPMG Advisory Group. A native Spanish speaker, Juan is fluent in English and conversational in German.

Amee Jankot is a development professional with an M.A. in International Development from the Josef Korbel School for International Studies at the University of Denver. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jordan and conducted Graduate research on health issues in Romania in 2004. She brings over eight years of experience specializing in capacity development, project management, business operations and the Middle East to her role as Operations Manager for CES.

Roberto Martin is an international environment and development professional overseeing GSTA Country Programs in the Dominican Republic, Uganda and Ethiopia. Mr. Martin's experience covers the cycle of project design through monitoring and evaluation, with a strong focus on social and economic dimensions of natural resource management and biodiversity conservation, institutional strengthening, and community participation. His field experience includes Central and South America, Sub-Saharan and Tropical Africa, and Southeast Asia. Mr. Martin has a B.S. in International Environmental Studies from Rutgers University, an M.S. in Geography from Penn State University and has completed all course work and comprehensive exams toward a Ph.D. in Forest Resources Management at West Virginia University. He is fluent in Spanish and English and conversational in French and Portuguese.

Dillon Smith manages the GSTA project in Mali, while also providing backstop support to GSTA-Uganda and GSTA-Ethiopia. Prior to joining AED, he conducted a year-long Fulbright-sponsored study in Mali in 2007-2008. Dillon examined the cultural and economic impact of tourism in Timbuktu and the Dogon Country, where he coordinated with the GSTA-Mali team. Dillon is a 2007 graduate of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, where he completed a B.S. in Culture and Politics, and a certificate program in African Studies. Dillon is fluent in French, and has a working knowledge of Wolof and Bambara.

Carmen Tedesco is an environmental geographer with 10 years of training and experience specializing in human-environmental interrelationships, geospatial conceptualization and climate change. With CES, she manages the Capitalizing Knowledge Connecting Communities (CK2C) Frameweb.org online peer-network of natural resource management practitioners, facilitating knowledge transfer, relationship building and best practices sharing. She also serves as a climate change specialist for AED. Ms. Tedesco has a B.A. in Geography from Middlebury College and an M.A. in Geography from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Nick Wedeman has 20 years experience in the management and implementation of Washington and field-based international development programs. His technical expertise ranges from the environment and natural resources management sectors to enterprise development programming. Throughout his career, Mr. Wedeman has focused on the provision of technical guidance, program management, evaluation, and budgetary support to numerous environment and natural resource programs. In addition, he has broad experience in the provision of research and information services to the international development community. His field experience includes Central and South America, Russia, East Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa. Mr. Wedeman holds an M.S. in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Johns Hopkins University as well as an M.S. in Geography from the University of Wisconsin.

Ronald previously worked as Finance & Administration Manager for NRECA, managing both USAID and USDA funds. Prior to NRECA, he worked for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Abbot Hospital, the Advanced Medicine and Diagnostics Center (CEDIMAT), and the Dominican Telecom Company (CODETEL). Mr. Espaillat's experience includes budget design and analysis, internal audits, control and verification, design of key performance indicators, and development and implementation of quality improvement actions. He has a Bachelors Degree in Accounting from the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC).

Rosa has worked on development initiatives in the Dominican Republic since 2004, and previously served as Grants Finance Officer for the USAID-funded Improved Policies for Environmental Protection (IPEP) Program, implemented by the International Resources Group (IRG). Ms. Gil's experience includes accounting assistance for projects such as: community development, environmental protection, organic production, solid waste management, sustainable tourism development, and renewable energy. She has a Bachelors Degree in Accounting from the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD).

Meg Hendrickson is Coordinator of the Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance (DSTA) Program. She has worked on development initiatives in the Latin American and Caribbean region since 1997, including projects in Bolivia, Honduras, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic, where she has been since December 2005. Her experience includes community development, gender, migration and human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, and sustainable tourism development. Ms. Hendrickson holds an M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, with a concentration in International Development and a Certificate in Development Management.

Nick Keyes is the new communications director for the USAID ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program. Nick has been working since June as a consultant for the program, which is based in Bangkok and has offices in China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Prior to that Nick worked at the United Nations, first as a regional public information officer for the World Food Program in Asia and then as the communications advisor for the UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand. Earlier, Nick worked in marketing and program management for media and IT companies in the U.S., including Microsoft and Corbis. He has an M.B.A. and an M.A. in International Studies from the University of Washington. A native of Seattle, Nick spent part of his childhood in Thailand and has lived in Asia off and on for the past 20 years.

Sunjay Kumar joined the USAID ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program in January 2008. As a Project Officer - Communications, he has been working to help enhance the program websites, coordinate the production of publications, assist in events management, and provide communications support to six country offices. Sanjay brings extensive experience developing and managing public information programs and knowledge management initiatives. Previously, he supported the communications activities of various UN agencies in the Asia Pacific region, including UNESCO, the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). In India, Sanjay worked for two years with All India Radio (AIR), where he scripted and produced broadcast programs, including a weekly HIV/AIDS-awareness program targeting rural youth. He has an M.S. in Mass Communications from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, India.

Mr. Matos is responsible for providing assistance with procurement, travel advances and liquidations, payments to vendors and service providers, and VAT tax exonerations for AED and grantees. Mr. Matos began his work with the DSTA Program in October 2008 as Driver/Messenger and converted to his new position in April 2010. Prior to the DSTA Program, he worked for the Dominican Telecom Company (CODETEL) in the technical department, and for Ernst & Young providing executive transportation and messenger services. Mr. Matos has taken technical courses in Advanced English, Human Relations, Marketing, IT, Accounting, and Business Administration. He is currently enrolled in a technical course on MS Office applications, and is pursuing a Bachelor of Accounting degree.

Ms. Reinoso provides communications support to the overall Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance (DSTA) Program, including marking and branding compliance, and for the nine tourism clusters in the Dominican Republic where she is helping to implement communication strategies and build the communications capacity among these local partners. Ms. Reinoso has a Bachelor of Social Communication from the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo (UASD), and has also taken courses in Public Relations, IT, Gender and Journalism, and Executive Management. She has recently begun a Masters Program in Corporate Communications. She contributes periodically to the La Generación section of the Listín Diario, the highest circulation national newspaper in the Dominican Republic. Previously, Ms. Reinoso served as Administrative and Financial Manager for the Santiago IDB-AIREN-FOMIN small and micro-entreprises (SMEs) Competitiveness Project, and was a Communications Consultant for the Puerto Plata Tourism and Cultural Cluster under the IDB/FONDEC Program.

Ms. Santana plays a key role for the Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance (DSTA) Program, assisting with logistical and programmatic coordination, and procurement support. She has 10 years of experience supporting USAID-funded programs, most notably for the AED/AccionSIDA project and FHI/CONECTA Project. Under these two projects, she provided logistical and programmatic support, and also assisted with the development of various print materials, videos, and TV and radio spots. In addition, she participated in the UNICEF-funded nationwide inventory of all health-related printed materials in the Dominican Republic. Over the last 10 years, Ms. Santana's scope of work has brought her into contact with a diverse group of actors and stakeholders, helping to reinforce her commitment to social change. Ms. Santana's professional coursework includes short courses on Project Management, Event Planning and Organization, and Public Relations.

Sebastian Suito is a journalist with more than eight years working in strategic communication for conservation organizations. He studied journalism in Brazil and has recently completed an M.Sc. in Politics and Communication from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). As a professional he has worked in organizations such as the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental), and has been the producer of the TV program "Te Quiero Verde," an environmental program and web page for young people. Mr. Suito has also worked for WWF-Peru as the communications coordinator in charge of developing its strategic communications plan in the country and for the Amazon regionally. He has also taught environmental journalism at the Universidad San Martin in Peru. He is currently the Communications Coordinator for The Initiative for Conservation in the Andean Amazon (ICAA) – sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Prior to working for the Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance (DSTA) Program, Ms. Vargas's previous experience includes more than 11 years in the Dominican banking industry, with positions ranging from sales to credit analysis to general management. In 2008, she served as a short-term consultant to the National Tourism Cluster Network, now known as the Dominican Consortium for Tourism Competitiveness (CDCT). In 2009, she joined the AED/DSTA team with a focus on supporting the cluster sustainability grants and innovation grants. Ms. Vargas has a Bachelor of Business Management and a post-graduate degree in Corporate Finance from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM).

Catherine Wood supports the Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance (DSTA) Program, working primarily with rural community-based organizations (CBOs) to promote sustainable tourism development. Prior to joining AED, she served in the Peace Corps as a Community Economic Development Volunteer, focusing on microenterprise creation, rural institutional strengthening and community development in the Dominican Republic. Ms. Wood is currently a graduate student with Florida International University, and will graduate with an Executive M.B.A. in 2010. She obtained her B.A. in Economics and Latin American Studies in 2006 from Fordham University.