September 2007

Announcements

Somalia Joins GEF

The GEF is pleased to welcome Somalia as the 178th member state. We look forward to a rewarding and fruitful relationship with that nation.

Meet Our New Staff

Meet Chris Briggs

Chris has joined the GEF as Team Leader for Operations, Policies, and Finance.  His work will involve ensuring that the systems of the GEF function effectively and that they support the needs for project development and management information.

For the last six years, Chris has been managing a UNEP-GEF global support program for countries to set up biosafety systems in over 140 countries. Before that, he was working for UNDP as GEF Regional Coordinator for Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia in the fields of biodiversity and international waters. In addition, he has worked for consultancy companies and national governments to develop and manage projects for sustainable use and management of natural resources in developing countries.

Chris has a doctorate in Marine Ecology from the University of Liverpool and a Zoology degree from Exeter University.

Meet Jaime Cavelier

Jaime is the new Senior Biodiversity Specialist in the Natural Resources Management team. Before joining the GEF, Jaime worked as the Senior Program Manager in the Andes & Amazon Initiative at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Prior to this, he worked as Ecoregional Coordinator for the Southwest Amazon program at the World Wildlife Fund.

Jaime has dedicated 10 years of his professional career as a Professor and researcher at the University of the Andes in Bogota, where he had received his Biology degree.  He carried out research in topics ranging from the ecology and conservation of single species to studies on the structure and functioning of tropical ecosystems.

Jaime holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Meet William Ehlers

William has come to the GEF as the Team Leader for External Affairs. This new team combines the former Communications and Corporate teams.

William is a Uruguayan Foreign Service Officer who was the Ambassador of Uruguay to India. He has also served as Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and Chief Trade Negotiator in the MERCOSUR regional integration process and at the World Trade Organization. Earlier, he was Uruguay’s negotiator on environmental affairs, a GEF Council Member for his country’s constituency, and a member of the UNDP Board representing his country and region.

William has degrees in Political Science and International Affairs from the Universidad del Salvador in Argentina and a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University in New York.

Meet Gustavo A. B. da Fonseca

Gustavo has joined the GEF as Team Leader, Natural Resources Management.

Prior to joining the GEF, Gustavo was the Executive Vice President and Chief Conservation and Science Officer of Conservation International, where he managed 200 staff in headquarters and nearly 500 in field programs. He also held an appointment as Professor of Ecology and Zoology at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Gustavo holds a Bachelors degree from the University of Brasilia, a Masters in Latin American Studies from the University of Florida, and a Ph.D. in Wildlife and Range Sciences from the same university. He has authored over 140 scientific publications and dozens of popular articles, and has served on the board of several organizations.

To read, Gustavo’s recent article, “No Forest Left Behind,” please see the link below:

http://0-biology.plosjournals.org.ilsprod.lib.neu.edu/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0050216&ct=1

Meet Maureen Shields Lorenzetti

Maureen has joined the Communications team in the newly created spokesperson post. She will focus on expanding GEF’s international media presence, with the goal of “branding” GEF.

Before coming to GEF, Maureen was a journalist for 20 years, most recently as an energy and commodities editor for Reuters.  At Reuters’ Washington DC bureau, she managed a team of reporters that followed legislative and regulatory policy issues surrounding agriculture, climate change, air pollution, transportation, and natural resource management. Prior to Reuters, she worked as an editor at Congressional Quarterly.  Earlier in her career, she was a reporter at Oil & Gas Journal and at McGraw-Hill where she covered energy and environmental issues, including the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.

Maureen holds a Bachelors degree in Journalism from the University of Maryland and is preparing to study this winter for a Masters in international public policy.

Meet Susan Mburu

Susan has joined the Operations and Business Strategy team as the Financial Assistant. Her work will focus on financial reporting and reconciliation of GEF reports in close collaboration with the Trustee.

Susan worked for UNEP-Division of Technology, Industry and Economics based in Paris where she was in charge of the management and control of the budgetary resources and the preparation of financial/budgetary reports. Prior to that, she also worked with UNEP and United Nations’ offices in Nairobi, focusing mainly on project preparation and monitoring.

Susan has a Bachelor in Education from Kenyatta University (Kenya), LCCI diploma in Public Relations (United Kingdom), and is currently finalizing her MBA with University of Nairobi (Kenya).

Meet Dima Reda

Dima has joined the Corporate Operations, Policies and Financial Services team. Her work will focus on designing and implementing a results-based management framework.

Previously, Dima worked for UNEP’s International Environmental Technology Centre based in Japan where she was in charge of capacity building for a project on the Iraqi Marshlands. She also has extensive field experience in other countries in the Middle East.

Dima holds a Masters in Environmental Science and an MBA from Yale University and a Bachelors in Biology from Brown University.

Meet Sekou Toure

 Sekou has joined the GEF as the Conflict Resolution Commissioner. Reporting to the CEO, his main area of focus will be to provide advice and intellectual leadership on the resolution of conflicts and disputes among countries and GEF agencies or the Secretariat. 

Prior to the GEF, Sekou was the Director of the Regional Office for Africa at UNEP.  Before his tenure at UNEP, Sekou served in several positions in the government of Côte d’Ivoire, including Junior Minister Special Advisor to the State Minister in charge of Development Planning and Special Advisor to the Prime Minister.

Sekou holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of New Hampshire, a Master’s in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, and a Bachelor in Civil Engineering from the School of Civil Engineering , Cote d’Ivoire. In addition, Sekou has taught in the United States and Côte d’Ivoire.

Meet Brennan Van Dyke

Brennan has joined the GEF as Political Advisor to the CEO.  Her work will focus on providing policy guidance to the CEO, strengthening relations with donor governments, and developing multifocal, multistakeholder initiatives. 

Brennan is being seconded to the GEF for two years by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).  Previously, she was UNEP's Regional Director for North America.  She also has worked for a U.S. Senator, on political campaigns, with an NGO, and as an adjunct law professor. 

Brennan has a degree in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley and a law degree from Yale University.