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J E S S Y W I L T Lusaka, Zambia LinkedIn: Jessy Wilt

KEY QUALIFICATIONS • More than 15 years work experience in a combination of program monitoring and evaluation, research and

planning, program and service coordination, international development, and fundraising. • Well-versed in intercultural effectiveness and work experience in multicultural settings. • Active Top Secret Security Clearance. • Noncompetitive eligibility for federal employment (Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 315.607). • Fluent English, functional French, functional Djerma (West Africa), basic Hausa (West Africa).

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Peace Corps, Lusaka, Zambia Director of Provincial Operations and Program Performance 2016 – present

• Administrative Management: Serves as a principal advisor to a major agency organization on all administrative management matters associated with programs and operations in provincial office locations.

• Policy Advice & Guidance: Performs in-depth analyses of agency procedures and policies and makes recommendations to the Country Director and senior management for effective administration of provincial operations.

• Provides policy guidance and direction to provincial staff, interprets agency regulations, coordinates policies and procedures covering provincial operations and formulates plans and provides advice on resolving problems.

• Staff Supervision: Supervises, supports, and mentors provincial staff and evaluates their performance. • Assess provincial staff development needs based on performance indicators, survey results, and other performance

evaluation tools. • Volunteer Support: Serves as a principal advisor to a complex international volunteer program for provincial

operations in a country program. Provides guidance to Volunteers to cultivate their understanding of the challenges of Peace Corps service and their responsibilities for professional behavior. Conducts regular site visits to monitor Volunteers’ personal adaptation, availability of meaningful work in the communities, safety and security conditions, and the overall well-being of volunteers.

• Coordinates with staff on the selection and management of Peace Corps Volunteer Leaders and management of the Volunteer Advisory Committee, Peer Support and Diversity Network, and special interest committees/groups.

• Assists the Country Director, Director of Programming & Training, Safety & Security Manager and others to anticipate, prevent, and/or manage crises including sexual assaults, natural disasters, civil unrest, and emergency evacuations and others, collaborate with the US Embassy and host government as appropriate.

• Performance Management: Reviews, advises on, and conducts complex analyses, evaluations, or investigations in support of organizational programs, systems, and processes, including areas where definitions, methods, and/or data are incomplete, controversial, or uncertain, or where boundaries of the studies are extremely broad and difficult to determine in advance.

• Documents and reports study results to the Country Director and senior management. • Monitoring & Evaluation: Inspect effective implementation of site development and monitoring standards to

ensure quality site selection and development in accordance with regional and post policy standards. Conduct site visits to each province to monitor the quality of operations and visit volunteer sites.

• In collaboration with the Director of Programming and Training, support the development and promotion of monitoring, reporting, and evaluation culture across all post operations by reviewing, designing, and recommending additional tools for all aspects of post operations.

• Coordinate and evaluate the quality of All-Volunteer provincial meetings. • Communications: Supports and directs all levels of internal and external communication initiatives for a major

agency organization at the provincial operations to global levels. • Representation: Liaises with key stakeholders and partners both inside and outside of the agency and exercises full

commitment authority on matters related to provincial operations.

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Peace Corps, Washington, D.C. Senior Performance Analyst, Office of Strategic Information, Research and Planning 2013 – 2015

• Leadership: Recognized as the Senior Performance Analyst as of June 2015. • Strategic Planning & Organizational Analysis: Analyze agency-wide performance data and advise senior leaders

in the development of strategic objectives, performance goals, indicators, and data sources for the agency’s 2014-2018 Strategic Plan and subsequent Annual Performance Plans in accordance with the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act (GPRA-MA).

• Lead organizer and contributor to quarterly strategic plan review sessions led by the Peace Corps Director to review progress on agency goals.

• Key writer of the Annual Performance Plan for FY 2017, submitted with the Congressional Budget Justification. • Program Management: Design, direct, and manage the alignment of agency planning processes with budgetary

decision points throughout the year by revising the Integrated Planning and Budget System and Operating Plan presentations—developing a structure for the analysis of office strategic goals by agency strategic objectives in order implement a strategic review of the contribution to agency-level goals.

• Monitoring & Evaluation: Develop, monitor, and evaluate the Office of Strategic Information, Research and Planning strategic office plan through the coordination and implementation of annual strategic planning retreats.

• Training: Lead strategic planning sessions to train Peace Corps staff at each of the agency’s Overseas Staff Training sessions to orient new staff to the agency’s strategic plan and to instruct Country Directors, Directors of Programming and Training, and Directors of Management and Operations how to develop, monitor, and evaluate country offices’ strategic plans.

• Communications: Manage the communication efforts to train and engage internal and external stakeholders on the Peace Corps’ strategic plan for fiscal years 2014-2018 by developing and creating outreach strategies and materials available the agency’s website: www.peacecorps.gov/strategicplanorientation.

• Representation: Participate in the Office of Management and Budget and Performance Improvement Council summits and meetings on topics related to performance management, evaluation, and reporting.

Duty Officer, Counseling and Outreach Unit 2014 – 2015

• Volunteer Support: Respond to after hour calls from family members, Volunteers, and/or staff regarding emergencies.

• Policy Advice & Guidance: Provide guidance and advice concerning administrative policies that require considerable interpretation for application to Volunteer issues.

Management Analyst, Office of Strategic Information, Research and Planning 2013 – 2013

• Data Analysis and Reporting: Developed, maintained, and analyzed complex, quantitative and qualitative datasets using programs such as SPSS, SQL, NVivo, and MS Excel. Reported performance results and operational data to internal and external audiences.

• Survey Research: Designed and collected data through survey research using survey programs such as Qualtrics. • Performance Planning: Collaborated with organizational units to identify agency goals and performance indicators

and develop strategies for improving the operations of the agency. Expanding Lives, Chicago, Illinois Board Member At-Large 2013 – 2016

• Representation: Serves as an Expanding Lives spokesperson at Washington D.C. events. • Policy Advice & Guidance: Support, provide continuity, and advise on the organization's work by fulfilling the

envisioned future, strategic plan, and policies. Board President 2011 – 2013

• Management & Supervision: Upheld the mission to support the leadership development of West African young women through programming encouraging its participants to become active role models, leaders, and change agents in their home communities.

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Expanding Lives, Chicago, Illinois (cont.) • International Representation: Conducted site visits in the Maradi region of Niger to communicate program

efforts, assess alumni progress on leadership development programming, and represent Expanding Lives. • Partnered with host country NGO, Micro-Credit in Africa (MICA) to recruit, select, and support Expanding Lives

participants. • Program Management (Girls’ Education & Empowerment Program): Developed programming and training

materials for leadership conferences for lasting between 4 to 6 weeks—ensuring that language, cultural, and technical learning objectives were linked to the goals of Expanding Lives. Trained 21 young women from Niger and 4 returned for an All-Star program year. Expanding Lives’ participants have returned to Niger and traveled to Benin to hold 2 leadership conferences for younger West African girls—training a total of 54 young girls. Participants have utilized skills acquired during the program years to advance careers and/or education in the following: 1 NGO accountant, 2 teachers, 2 medical school students, 14 college students in studies ranging from public health to agriculture, natural resource management to urban planning, and economics to engineering.

• Volunteer Recruitment & Training: Recruited, engaged, and retained U.S. volunteers providing participant training, homestays, junior board members, cross-cultural activities, and executive board members.

• Program Evaluation: Conducted an assessment to evaluate past programming and develop short- and long-term plans—recommending strategies for implementation and determining the adjustments necessary.

Board Treasurer 2008 – 2011

• Administrative Management: Guaranteed that an adequate system of internal controls were in place for Expanding Lives fiscal operations, including its programming costs of approximately $40K USD per year.

• Managed, provided, coordinated, and supervised the full range of resource management activities including: budgeting, financial management, and participant support.

• Policy Compliance: Ensured that proper procurement processes were followed and certified the availability of funds needed for program purchases.

• Filed 501(c)3 documentation and assured that Expanding Lives met the requirements as a small tax-exempt organization.

Peace Corps, Chicago, IL Regional Recruiter, Office of Volunteer Recruitment and Selection 2010 – 2013

• Human Resources Administration: Screened and assessed applicants for suitability based on assessment criteria and guidelines established by the Peace Corps Act and subsequent Peace Corps policy.

• Evaluated skills and experiences as reflected by applications, references, correspondence, and interviews. • Conducted interviews to assess candidate suitability, competitiveness, and professional qualifications for Peace

Corps service and wrote objective evaluations of applicants using evidence from the interview, personal judgment, and information collected in the application process.

• Campaign Planning, Representation, & Public Speaking: Coordinated recruitment campaign and successfully reached communities at more than 10 Midwest universities in Chicago, Southern Illinois, and Missouri.

• Increased recruitment metrics and managed recruitment efforts at 3 schools in the “Top Colleges” rankings for Peace Corps Volunteers.

• Supervision: Supervised and managed a contracted campus representative through Washington University in Saint Louis.

• Leadership: Led team of 4 seasoned recruiters as the “designated lead recruiter”—developing training materials, professional development, and providing support in recruitment best practices.

Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work, Chicago, Illinois Research Assistant 2008 – 2010

• Social Science Research: Assisted the director of the school of social work on research of Asian American perspectives, risk factors, and protective factors regarding suicide.

• Applied for and was acceptance by the institutional review board for the protection of human subjects. • Systematically explored risk and protective factors through the ecosystem framework, which understands human

behaviors and transactional outcomes among individual characteristics, family, peer, social environment, and ethnic sub-cultural values.

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Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work, Chicago, Illinois (cont.) • Survey Research: Created, disseminated, and analyzed survey data for the collection of selection criteria to form

focus groups. Surveyed and selected 28 participants from 8 universities through snowball sampling methodology. • Focus Groups: Scripted focus group questionnaires, conducted, and analyzed data for 5 focus groups for the

collection of data on Asian American students’ cultural perceptions, risk factors, and protective factors with regards to suicide.

• Research Presentation: Coordinated & presented research and findings in a workshop to Illinois mental health professionals through the collaboration of the Mental Health America of Illinois, Asian American Suicide Prevention and Intervention, and Loyola University of Chicago.

Council of International Programs, Chicago, Illinois Contracted Program Evaluator 2009

• Program Evaluation: Provided an analysis and recommendations on an international exchange program for Russian professionals receiving training in the U.S.

• Designed and planned data collection tools from the participants through the use of data collection tools such as surveys and focus groups.

• Needs Assessment & Presentation: Analyzed data collected to evaluate findings and made recommendations to the Executive Director and board of directors through a written and oral presentation.

Awassa Children’s Project, Chicago, Illinois Development Officer (MSW Practicum) 2009

• Grant Writing: Developed, managed, and was awarded a PEPFAR grant to expand the center's vocational training workshop in Awassa, Ethiopia where high school graduates and orphans and vulnerable children from the Awassa community could acquire training for career development.

• Developed and was awarded a USAID grant to build an additional living quarters—assuring that growth of the program and support for orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS could continue.

• Human Resources Administration: Assessed, selected, and coordinated opportunities for volunteers to travel to Awassa, Ethiopia to work at the children's center.

Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries (now “Refugee One”), Chicago, Illinois Case Manager (MSW Practicum) 2008 – 2009

• Case Management: Coordinated services and provided support for 200+ recently arrived refugees and persons with asylum from Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan through direct services such as accompanying clients to medical and support service appointments, administering functions aimed at building client self-sufficiency, support and advocacy in accessing basic needs and civil rights, assessing medical, mental health, educational, employment, and other needs and accessing supportive services for individuals and families.

• Crisis Response & Support: Provided phone and in-person crisis response for individuals and families. Peace Corps, Republic of Niger Program Coordinator, Plan International 2004 – 2006

• Project Management (Girls’ Education & Empowerment Program): Managed a young girls dormitory for Niger’s branch of the NGO, Plan International.

• Designed, organized, and implemented tools for recruitment and selection of 50 girls from 36 rural villages to provide an opportunity for continued education.

• Representation: Facilitated communication between families, Plan, the school, and the girls. • Collaborated with educators to improve the quality of education. • Training Development & Implementation: Established, coordinated, instructed extracurricular activities for

leadership training. • Resource Management: Obtained resources for computer training. Coordinated daily living supplies from local

contractors.

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Peace Corps, Republic of Niger (cont.) Community and Youth Education Volunteer 2004 – 2007

• Grant Writing: Wrote a grant to obtain resources for English textbooks for the region of Dosso. • Project Management: Organized and secured funding for a daylong AIDS awareness campaign in the city of Dosso

reaching over 30,000 square kilometers, a population over 1,000,000, through radio programming. • Public Health Awareness: Assisted the Peace Corps AIDS Coordinator in the planning and implementation of the

2006 AIDS bike tour through the collaboration of the following NGOs: UNICEF, Plan International, Care International, Catholic Relief Services, Africare, Association Nigerien Person Positive, as well as local organizations. This project resulted in the AIDS/HIV awareness and education of inhabitants in 28 villages from the regions of Maradi and Tahoua.

• Participated in the 2005, one-week AIDS bike tour educating people in 24 villages in the region of Tillaberi. • Public Speaking & Representation: Collaborated with the regional radio station, ORTN, to form and facilitate a

weekly, local language program to teach listeners about health, education, and social issues pertinent to Niger. Met with and was a member of the Information Communication and Technology committee.

• Project Management (Youth Education Program): Assisted in the implementation of the 2005 National Youth Leadership Conference in Kollo. During the 5-day training, 90 youth and counterparts were encouraged to become responsible citizens capable of initiating change with their communities. This project was created through the collaboration with the Nigerien Ministry of Youth, UNICEF, and UNFPA.

Peace Corps Volunteer Support and Training (Additional role as a Peace Corps Volunteer) • Training: Selected by the Peace Corps Medical Officers to provide trainings to over 150 Peace Corps Trainees and

direct hire staff on peer support and sexual harassment—providing techniques for risk assessment, risk reduction, physical and emotional well-being.

• Selected by the Peace Corps Niger bureau to conduct 3 radio trainings for incoming volunteers on how to effectively use the national radio stations as a medium for community education.

• Training Development: Redesigned the peer support program to train all pre-service trainees on the effectiveness of active listening, assessing risk, and providing emotional and profession support to other volunteers.

• Leadership & Representation: Selected to represent the region as a member of the Volunteer Advisory Committee—meeting with the Country Director on a quarterly basis to promote volunteer and bureau communication and understanding as well as volunteer work satisfaction.

Seven Counties Services, Louisville, Kentucky Intake Coordinator 2003 – 2004

• Crisis Management: Risk assessment and reduction for children in acute psychiatric or emotional distress to implement crisis intervention and counseling, short-term services, intensive family and individual therapy, in-home crisis intervention, immediate access to child psychiatric services, access to residential crisis services and discharge planning to minimize distress in the transition from therapeutic settings to their homes and/or communities.

• Provided phone and in-person crisis response for children in need of acute psychiatric services. • Needs Assessment: Conducted biopsychosocial assessments and reporting to refer clients for extensive psychiatric

services. • Program Evaluation: Evaluated and analyzed monthly intake data using statistics software—SPSS.

Maryhurst Inc., Louisville, Kentucky Service Coordinator 2000 – 2002

• Case Management: Served as lead case manager to all agencies involved in the comprehensive services leading to individualized care plans for families and children at risk for removal as wards of the State of Kentucky.

• Developed and coordinated services and treatment plans based on a comprehensive, biopsychosocial needs assessment, following a strengths-based approach to facilitating services.

• Service Coordination: Assembled and conducted treatment team plans and meetings with schools, families, individual and family therapists, psychiatrists, court-appointed guardians, and identified clients.

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Maryhurst Inc., Louisville, Kentucky (cont.) • Client Advocacy: Produced treatment plans for the approval of therapeutic services and advocated on behalf of the

clients when disputing mental health needs for comprehensive treatment. • Advocated for and represented families and children in family and juvenile court.

University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky Psychology Research Assistant 1999 – 2000

• Research: Gathered research on litigiousness through surveys and interviews. • Survey Programming: Designed and coded surveys through C++ programming. • Evaluation & Reporting: Evaluated data and provided a written report summarizing the findings. • In an additional role, at the request of the lead professor, conducted and analyzed focus group data for mock juries

on a high-profile court case against the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.

EDUCATION Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Master of Social Work, 2010

Specialization in Program Development & Administration Sub-specialization in Immigration and Migration Certificate in Non-Profit Management and Philanthropy, 2010

University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, 2000

ACTIVITIES & LEADERSHIP Peace Corps, Leadership Development Academy COHORT MMXII

• Selected to participate based on a preliminary, competitive innovation lab on the topic of hiring diverse direct hires in overseas posts in Peace Corps. Completed an 8-week research analysis using Peace Corps’ human capital management plan, strategic plan, logic model, 2011 Performance and Accountability Report, comprehensive assessment, as well as interviews with key stakeholders in Peace Corps management.

• Evaluated work processes of the Peace Corps’ Correspondence Match program and led the implementation of the strategic planning process with a team of 6 through the partnership and collaboration from the key office implementing our recommendations.

E-Woman, Contributing Writer

• Interviewed Prabhat Sitholey, MD—Professor and Head of Department of Psychiatry at Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University in the Uttar Prattesh region of India about the social barriers to mental health services experienced by women in this region of India. Published Women’s Mental Health: In Conversation with a Seasoned Psychiatrist, July 2010.

• Interviewed Sonali Khan, Country Director of Breakthrough India—a human rights NGO in New Delhi, India whose mission is to prevent violence against women and girls by transforming the norms and cultures that enable it through innovative, relevant multimedia tools and programs. Published Discovering Innovative Ways of Reaching India’s Public: Interviews with the staff at Breakthrough India, May 2010.

• Interviewed women in India about the importance of film in culture. Published Bollywood 2, January 2011.