Experience

Institute for Environment and Sustainability - Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

• Singapore
• Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior Research Fellow

  • Oct 2021 - Present

  Integrate research, teaching, and strategic advising and outreach for Southeast Asia’s leading policy think tank to assist the region’s governments, firms, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to realize their sustainability goals through “fit for purpose” policy analysis. Integrate research, teaching, and strategic advising and outreach for Southeast Asia’s leading policy think tank to assist the region’s governments, firms, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to realize their sustainability goals through “fit for purpose” policy analysis.



Mongabay

• United States
• Media Production
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Board Member

  • Oct 2021 - Present

  Provide strategic guidance to this globally recognized socio-environmental news portal that produces orginal content through multiple mediums. Provide strategic guidance to this globally recognized socio-environmental news portal that produces orginal content through multiple mediums.



Health In Harmony

• 1 - 100 Employee

• Board Member

  • Oct 2021 - Present

  Provide stratige guidance to this globally recognized organization that provides the best quality healthcare to natural resource dependent communities in Indonesia, Madagascar and the Brazilian Amazon to reduce deforestation and forest degradation. Provide stratige guidance to this globally recognized organization that provides the best quality healthcare to natural resource dependent communities in Indonesia, Madagascar and the Brazilian Amazon to reduce deforestation and forest degradation.



BORNEO RESEARCH COUNCIL

• United States

• Board Member

  • Oct 2021 - Present

  Provide strategic guidance to this primary resource for all historic, anthropological, political-economic, linguistic, biophysical, geographic, and demographic research and information focused on Borneo. Provide strategic guidance to this primary resource for all historic, anthropological, political-economic, linguistic, biophysical, geographic, and demographic research and information focused on Borneo.



Ford Foundation

• United States
• Philanthropic Fundraising Services
• 400 - 500 Employee

• Senior Program Officer

  • Oct 2009 - Oct 2021

  Managed the multi-million dollar Natural Resources and Climate Change (NRCC) portfolio in Indonesia with Foundation teams, and represent the Foundation in the Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA) team, in which I lead the CLUA objectives focused on securing indigenous, other forest-dependent and rural communities’ rights over their natural resources; and transforming the pulp and paper industry, of which Indonesia is a top ten global producer and growing, to be socially and environmentally sustainable. Manage grantmaking, with Foundation and CLUA teams, to achieve the Foundation’s goals and objectives focused on securing natural resource rights for indigenous and other forest-dependent communities, mitigate climate change emissions, and support good natural resource governance; convene and strategize with key stakeholders to achieve those goals and objectives; and leverage significantly larger public and private finance to do the same. Develop and implement, with Foundation teams, the Indonesia strategy for impact investing; Moving Images Exploration to marshal support for NRCC priorities from broader audiences in more creative ways; collaboration between China and Indonesia regarding multi-billion dollar Chinese finance for natural resource extraction in Indonesia, so as to have positive social, environmental and governance impacts; PLUS Fund for the Protection of Social Justice Leaders to prevent the criminalization of activists and villagers; and PLUS Fund for the resilience of women and natural resources; as well as serving on the 2019 PLUS Fund proposal review committee and the 2016 Worldwide Meeting organizing committee.



Climate and Land Use Alliance

• United States
• Philanthropic Fundraising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior Program Officer

  • Oct 2009 - Oct 2021

  Co-managed the "Climate and Land Use Alliance"​ (CLUA) in Indonesia. Manage several million dollars annually for grantmaking to achieve the Ford Foundation and CLUA's goals and objectives related to sustainable development and natural resources, convene and strategize with key stakeholders to achieve those goals and objectives, and leverage significantly larger public and private funds to do the same. Co-managed the "Climate and Land Use Alliance"​ (CLUA) in Indonesia. Manage several million dollars annually for grantmaking to achieve the Ford Foundation and CLUA's goals and objectives related to sustainable development and natural resources, convene and strategize with key stakeholders to achieve those goals and objectives, and leverage significantly larger public and private funds to do the same.



U.S. Department of State

• United States
• International Affairs
• 700 & Above Employee

• Environment & Labor Officer, Office of Multliateral Trade Affairs

  • Sep 2007 - Sep 2009

  Formulated, implemented and monitored policies that helped ensure trade-related economic growth and improved labor and/or environmental standards were mutually supportive, e.g., the US-Indonesia and US-China Illegal Logging and Associated Trade MOUs.Funded and monitored trade-related environmental and labor capacity building activities, such as those under the US-Central America and Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, and also developed and advanced the US-EU proposal to eliminate trade barriers on environmental goods in the World Trade Organization, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support economic growth globally.

• AAAS Science &Technology Policy Fellow

  • Sep 2007 - Sep 2009

  Harnessed research-based approaches to apply to policy processes and ensured that research processes and results were more policy relevant in the US State Department in Washington DC in the Multilateral Trade office at the the State Department.



Center for International Forestry Research

• Indonesia
• Research Services
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Researcher

  • Jun 1999 - Aug 2007

  Examined the growth of sustainable forestry in Asia and global trade of those goods to develop scenarios to formulate recommendations leading to equitable and sustainable natural resource management. Conducted research on the links between science, policy and practice regarding the relationship between forests and forest-dependent people in Indonesia. Research was conducted among multiple institutions at village, national and international levels. Contributed to the planning, implementation and evaluation of the Adaptive Co-management (ACM) initiative in Indonesian Borneo and the links between ACM and other natural resource initiatives. Developed a proposal about the resilience of socio-ecological systems of forest-dependent communities in Borneo and mechanisms to resolve natural resource conflicts and reward conservation, funded by IUCN. Established partnerships in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to develop a proposal, funded by the Asian Development Bank, to map poverty, forest dependence, and sustainable poverty alleviation solutions. Liaised with IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) to develop a proposal, which was funded, to support resilient livelihoods for poor women and minorities in India, Nepal and China.



Aquaya

• Kenya
• International Trade and Development
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Principal

  • May 2005 - Sep 2006

  Cofounded the Aquaya Institute with three others, including mission, vision and strategy development; board member recruitment; development of bylaws; securing 501(c)(3) status; and fundraising. Managed, planned, implemented and evaluated household drinking water interventions in Indonesia in response to the Indian Ocean tsunami (2004) and Central Java earthquake (2006). Cofounded the Aquaya Institute with three others, including mission, vision and strategy development; board member recruitment; development of bylaws; securing 501(c)(3) status; and fundraising. Managed, planned, implemented and evaluated household drinking water interventions in Indonesia in response to the Indian Ocean tsunami (2004) and Central Java earthquake (2006).



Natural Resource Management Project III (funded by USAID) and Donor Forum on Forestry

• Analyst

  • Nov 2003 - Mar 2004

  Advised the formulation of the USAID Indonesia Mission’s biodiversity and forestry strategy for 2005-10 as lead analyst and author of the assessment report required under the Foreign Assistance Act. Evaluated the effectiveness of donor coordination and engagement with stakeholders in Indonesia and mapped points of leverage for donors to improve effectiveness. The analysis involved interviews with donors, project staff, NGOs, private sector and government officials. Advised the formulation of the USAID Indonesia Mission’s biodiversity and forestry strategy for 2005-10 as lead analyst and author of the assessment report required under the Foreign Assistance Act. Evaluated the effectiveness of donor coordination and engagement with stakeholders in Indonesia and mapped points of leverage for donors to improve effectiveness. The analysis involved interviews with donors, project staff, NGOs, private sector and government officials.



The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC)

• Analyst and Case Study Contractor

  • Sep 2002 - May 2003

  Evaluated the 175 nominated projects to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and RECOFTC initiative “In Search of Excellence: Exemplary Forest Management in Asia and the Pacific” to determine commonalities and diversity of perceptions. Based on the evaluation, selected 40 projects and contracted authors of case studies, subsequently published by FAO. Evaluated the 175 nominated projects to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and RECOFTC initiative “In Search of Excellence: Exemplary Forest Management in Asia and the Pacific” to determine commonalities and diversity of perceptions. Based on the evaluation, selected 40 projects and contracted authors of case studies, subsequently published by FAO.



Yale University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Researcher for the Yale University East Timor Project

  • Mar 2001 - Jun 2001

  Assessed natural resource practices and policies in Timor-Leste to determine how Yale could assist with those priorities, and developed a successfully funded reforestation proposal for the sole Timorese environmental NGO Haburas, whose director was subsequently awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2004, Assessed natural resource practices and policies in Timor-Leste to determine how Yale could assist with those priorities, and developed a successfully funded reforestation proposal for the sole Timorese environmental NGO Haburas, whose director was subsequently awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2004,



Wildlife Conservation Society

• United States
• Non-profit Organization Management
• 700 & Above Employee

• Researcher

  • May 2000 - Aug 2000

  Examined Indonesian regulations affecting natural resources and conducted fieldwork in East Kalimantan, results of which were published in a book for policymakers and used as a university-level text. Examined Indonesian regulations affecting natural resources and conducted fieldwork in East Kalimantan, results of which were published in a book for policymakers and used as a university-level text.



CARE

• Brazil
• Philanthropic Fundraising Services

• Writer, Trainer and Program Advisor

  • Sep 1997 - Jul 1998

  Developed multimillion dollar proposals on water supply, sanitation, health care, conservation and disaster relief during a period of multiple crises in Indonesia, and assessed CARE effectiveness and program strategy. Developed Training of Trainer modules for the World Bank funded Kecamatan Development Project (KDP), heralded as one of the Bank’s most successful interventions in Indonesia to date. Developed multimillion dollar proposals on water supply, sanitation, health care, conservation and disaster relief during a period of multiple crises in Indonesia, and assessed CARE effectiveness and program strategy. Developed Training of Trainer modules for the World Bank funded Kecamatan Development Project (KDP), heralded as one of the Bank’s most successful interventions in Indonesia to date.



Peace Corps

• United States
• International Affairs
• 700 & Above Employee

• Teacher and Teacher Trainer

  • Jan 1994 - Jan 1996

  Trained 50 secondary level science teachers in two two-month trainings sponsored by the Ministry of Education, field-tested a new curriculum, and submitted a 25-page evaluation. Taught science and English to middle school students, and tutored 20 students daily in math, science and English. Tutored sixth and seventh grade girls at an orphanage during school vacations. Trained 50 secondary level science teachers in two two-month trainings sponsored by the Ministry of Education, field-tested a new curriculum, and submitted a 25-page evaluation. Taught science and English to middle school students, and tutored 20 students daily in math, science and English. Tutored sixth and seventh grade girls at an orphanage during school vacations.