Peace Corps Swears In New Country Directors |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last Friday, the Peace Corps swore in three
new Country Directors at a ceremony held at the Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps
Headquarters. The new directors will be working in countries located in the
Pacific, the Caribbean, and Africa.
Peace Corps Country Directors are responsible for management and
direction of all aspects of the Peace Corps program in their assigned country.
The Country Directors support anywhere from 50 to 225 volunteers, and they lend
their skills and energy to meet development needs of their host country and to
promote a better understanding between the host people and Americans.
The Country Director assignments are as follows:
The Pacific
Tonga
Betty Crowder began her career with the Peace Corps as a volunteer in Micronesia
from 1970-72. Following her service, she was employed for two years as a Peace
Corps/Vista recruiter in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Her subsequent
professional career includes: Telemedia, Inc. in Esfahan, Iran; Varian
Associates; and Hewlett Packard as the creator of the Regional Training Center
and the Worldwide Project Director. She was also the treasurer for the national
board of directors of the World Affairs Councils of America and participated
with the Advisory Council for the Leadership Mountain View program and the
Workforce Investment Board of San Jose. Several of her family members have also
served as Peace Corps volunteers. Ms. Crowder received her doctorate in
Education from the University of Southern California, her Masters in
Instructional Technology from San Jose State University, and her undergraduate
degree in History and English from Virginia Tech.
The Caribbean
Dominican Republic
As CEO of Meals on Wheels and More for Austin, Texas, Javier L. Garza led the
effort to widely expand the organization to serve over 2,000 people. Prior to
being CEO, he worked with a Washington-based foundation that provided management
and financial assistance to low-cost housing loan programs, as an advisor with
the U.S. Agency for International Development in Bolivia, ran a consulting firm,
and was employed with the Texas Department of Community Affairs. Mr. Garza has
recently received the Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in the
non-profit category. He has a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and an
M.P.A. from George Washington University, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer
in Peru from 1970 -71.
Africa Region
Lesotho
McGrath Jean Thomas has worked in international development for more than twenty
years. Her experience includes employment as an independent council providing
management and strategic planning support for nonprofit organizations, Meridian
International Center as Vice President of Management, and eight years in Egypt
as Chief of Party/Project Director with a $27 million civil society capacity
development project funded by the United States Agency for International
Development. She has worked throughout the world with several nonprofit
organizations, such as National Council of Negro Women, Africare, Private
Agencies Collaborating Together, and the Association of American Colleges and
Universities. Ms. Thomas holds a Master’s degree in Business and Public
Administration and a Bachelor ‘s of Science in Business Administration.
Since 1961, more than 168,000 volunteers have served in the
Peace Corps, working in such diverse fields as education, health, HIV/AIDS
education and awareness, information technology, business development, the
environment, and agriculture. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and
at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a two-year commitment.
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