Kolonia, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia
Highly motivated and results-oriented Chief of Field Office with over 10 years of successful international experience leading challenging humanitarian and development programs in remote and often isolated environments across the Pacific Islands, Liberia, and Southeast Asia. I have a proven track record of navigating complex political and cultural contexts, adapting to new and challenging situations, building strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, and building a strong team to achieve results for children. Established and led the first UNICEF office in the North Pacific, significantly expanding program reach across a vast geographical area. Successfully led emergency responses, including three L3 and two L2 emergencies, demonstrating strong leadership, adaptability, and the ability to navigate crisis situations.
Following my successful tenure as Chief of UNICEF in Kiribati, I was promoted to establish and lead the first UNICEF office in the North Pacific, responsible for a vast region encompassing the Federated States of Micronesia (including Yap, Chuuk, Kosrae, and Pohnpei), the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. These island nations present unique development challenges. I also served as Operations Management Team (OMT) Co-chair (2023-2024), and representing UNICEF in ASMT and UNCT. As head of this new office, I built a highly motivated team, significantly expanding UNICEF's program reach across this geographically dispersed area. Representing UNICEF in all three countries, I oversaw program management across multiple governments (national and state), achieving key policy advancements, including Early Childhood Development (ECD) policies in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and a Youth Policy in Palau, with minimal supervision from the Pacific Multi-Country Office. Leading extensive consultations and advocacy, I secured approval for the Multi-Country Program Document, aligning it with the UNDAF (United Nations Development Assistance Framework) and the Samoa Pathway. The Samoa Pathway, a UN framework addressing the unique vulnerabilities and development priorities of these island nations, guided our program to ensure direct contributions to their specific needs, such as climate change resilience and sustainable development. While serving as UN Country Lead during COVID Emergency, I ensured inter-agency collaboration that was crucial in supporting these nations during the pandemic, strengthening UN partnerships for effective response and recovery.Following my successful tenure as Chief of UNICE
As Chief of the UNICEF Kiribati Field Office and Head of the UN Joint Presence, I spearheaded efforts to address critical challenges, including low staff morale and, initially, significant program implementation delays. Through strategic engagement with a diverse range of partners and the cultivation of strengthened relationships with government counterparts, I was able to troubleshoot key bottlenecks and successfully accelerate program implementation, ultimately achieving substantial progress and consistently meeting targets within established timelines. Furthermore, our advocacy efforts during this period culminated in the government's endorsement of the Kiribati Education Act, a significant milestone for the education sector. Notwithstanding challenges in resource mobilization, I successfully secured supplementary funding from the European Union and New Zealand. This additional funding enabled the scaling up of key programs, extending their reach to Kiritimati Island and other underserved outer islands in subsequent years. A key focus of my leadership was enhancing stakeholder engagement. I established strong partnerships with government entities, including the Office of the President, and notably, the Kiribati Local Government Association (KILGA). This partnership with KILGA proved particularly valuable, significantly strengthening our collaboration with island councils throughout the entire country. I also fostered strong relationships with youth groups, NGOs, and community leaders. These collaborations were instrumental in facilitating program success. In my capacity as Head of the UN Joint Presence Office and Area Security Coordinator, I provided leadership in UN-wide coordination across multiple agencies and served as the UN representative at high-level government functions.
While leading the WASH in Schools response to Typhoon Haiyan, I was selected to provide surge support and lead the WASH in Schools program for safe school reopening during the Ebola outbreak emergency response in Liberia. This involved adapting WASH in Schools programming to the unique challenges of the Ebola crisis, focusing on infection prevention and control measures, and ensuring the safe resumption of education for children. A crucial element of this effort was the ceremonial launch of the safe school opening strategy, led by the then President of Liberia, H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. This event was instrumental in facilitating the reopening of all schools in Liberia at that critical time. Remarkably, the strategy developed during the Ebola crisis remained relevant and in use even during subsequent public health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating its enduring effectiveness and adaptability. This assignment further developed my expertise in navigating public health emergencies and tailoring WASH interventions to specific disease contexts.
As a Technical Consultant with GIZ, I provided support to country program managers in integrating the FIT approach into their respective programs, focusing on capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, and learning exchange activities. This support extended to programs in Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Subsequent to my work at GIZ, the Essential Health Care Program transitioned into the officially registered Fit for School NGO. I then joined Fit for School as its Director of Operations. In this role, I successfully expanded the NGO's operations to cover more than 40 provinces across the Philippines, leading to the development of what was, at the time, one of the largest handwashing programs globally. This contribution significantly influenced the evolution of the WASH in Schools program, which became a flagship initiative for the Department of Education (DepEd) and subsequently expanded to other Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Cambodia, and Laos, where I provided support to the program's expansion. Furthermore, I played a key role in the global program development that ultimately evolved into the UNICEF 3 Star Approach - WASH in Schools (WINS) program. During this period, I also served as an active resource speaker at UNICEF WASH in Schools International Learning Exchanges, sharing best practices and contributing to global knowledge sharing on effective WASH in Schools implementation.
In this role, I was embedded within programs focused on Poverty Reduction and Conflict Transformation, as well as Health System Strengthening. My work spanned more than 16 provinces across the Philippines, where I played a key role in supporting health promotion initiatives within schools and communities. This involved close collaboration with provincial governments, the League of Provinces of the Philippines, and the Department of Education (DepEd) to develop and implement effective strategies. During this time, I was also assigned to the Essential Health Care Program, which later evolved into the Fit for School NGO. This experience provided a strong foundation in program management, stakeholder engagement, and cross-sectoral collaboration, particularly in the area of health promotion, which proved invaluable in my subsequent roles.