November 1, 2013

Here is some important news from Peace Corps Ecuador. Peace Corps Ecuador will live some transitions this coming month of November 2013, all the directing American positions will be renewed.  We are very excited about the opportunity of receiving new people in our country and share new experiences in our Post, but at the same time it is hard to say good-bye to great people that had shared so much knowledge with our post these last years.

Parmer Heacox our Country Director for three years now, has been offered the opportunity to be transferred to the Post in Peru until 2017, to take over the existing Country Director, Sanjay Mathur.  The person that will be taking his place will be Alexis Vaughn.  Here is some information about her:

Alexis Vaughn has held senior leadership positions in the corporate and not for profit sectors around the world for nearly 20 years. Most recently, she was Vice President – Management & CFO of the Kauffman Foundation, a private foundation in Kansas City dedicated to entrepreneurship and education. Before joining the Kauffman Foundation, Alexis had responsibility for business operations and general management at the North Carolina Museum of Art and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, respectively. Throughout her international career, Alexis has moved fluidly between the corporate and not for profit sectors, focusing on organizational management, strategy development and implementation, and achieving financial targets.

In addition to the aforementioned organizations, Alexis’ not for profit experience includes Peace Corps service in Honduras, and economic development with the Golden LEAF Foundation in North Carolina. Corporate experience includes sales and marketing at IBM and executive positions at Citibank, where she worked globally as part of the Emerging Markets leadership team, including a return to Honduras to serve as President of Citibank Honduras. She has also worked in: Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand, Hungary, Brazil, and Argentina.

Alexis earned her MBA in General Management from the Kenan-Flagler School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a Consortium Fellow, Sarah Lee Scholar, and Entrepreneurial Award grant winner. Her interests include the arts, travel and cooking, all of which she is excited to explore in Ecuador!

Also our DMO, Joshua Cuscaden will be leaving Ecuador by mid-November.  He has been offered the great opportunity of opening a new Post in Kosovo.  His replacement is not define yet, the only thing we know is that he/she will be arriving by mid January 2014.

And as Dana Platin our former DPT left Ecuador in May, we will be receiving in Ecuador our new DPT, Greg Jacobs by mid-November.  Here is some information about him:

An international development expert with 17 years of experience working on five continents in more than 25 countries. Demonstrated ability to oversee complex programs, solve development challenges and lead teams to success. At Chemonics International, oversaw the recently ended $84 million USAID/Peru Alternative Development Program (PDA) and provided leadership and support for a range of projects and proposals across the Latin America and Caribbean region. Also led the company’s Private Sector Development Practice, providing technical support and mentorship to 30 Chemonics private sector development projects across the globe. Previously managed 36 individuals at CARANA Corporation’s Washington DC office and in several countries in Latin America. Also co-led the company’s market linkages unit to develop trade and investment connections and strategic alliances with buyers and partners for CARANA’s projects across the globe. Prior to that, led several initiatives focused on private sector development at Crimson Capital, managed more than 15 development projects, and opened a Washington DC office, leading outreach to government clients and business partners. Early in his career, Mr. Jacobs spent four and half years as a volunteer on the ground in Namibia and Armenia, working directly with local professionals, business leaders, and government officials to coordinate local economic development, private-public partnerships, and capacity building programs. Awarded a Sargent Shriver Peaceworker Fellowship in 2001. Holds M.P.S from University of Maryland Baltimore County and a B.A. from Colorado College. Speaks fluent Spanish and Czech as well as former competencies in French and Armenian.