ABOUT CORE GROUP

CORE is the only player in its field that convenes the practitioners and public health professionals in global community health to share knowledge, evidence, and best practices, and then translates these into the real world with a direct impact, creating new standards in clinical and public health as it advances dialogue at the country and global levels.

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Mission & Vision

Mission

Improve and expand community health practices for underserved populations, especially women, children, and adolescents, through collaborative action and learning.

Vision

Communities where everyone can attain health and well-being.

Values

Values Statement

Values Statement

We believe that access to health care is a basic human right and that essential health care for all is attainable through a whole-health-systems approach. All people and communities must have access to safe, affordable, and high-quality health services without having to risk financial hardship. Universal health coverage must be fully implemented in policy and in practice to build a healthier world.
We see communities at the center of our efforts. Community-led decision-making, power, and resources are essential to attaining sustainable and strong health systems.
We believe in decolonizing global health. International health efforts must center the voices of regional, country-level, and local stakeholders and normalize these stakeholders’ leadership in decision-making.
We amplify the voices of vibrant communities whose health care systems do not meet their needs. Understanding the experience and priorities of our members and centering individual and collective voices in their health advocacy helps to effect wide reach and change.
We lift the voices of women and girls. Respecting, learning from, and engaging women and girls in communities whose needs are not met by existing health systems can provide important lessons on priorities, practices, and policies to help achieve health care and well-being for everyone.
We seek an end to racism and discrimination. Equal opportunity for all people can be achieved through dialogue, learning, and advocating in collaboration with and among Black and indigenous communities, people of color, women, gender and sexual minorities, people living with disabilities, and all those who experience hatred and bigotry around the world.
We thrive on collaborative learning and action, which drive innovations to advance health equity. Health equity can be achieved through learning, collaboration, and the application of resulting tools and approaches among all stakeholders engaged in the health system: public and private sector actors, donors, community leaders, religious leaders, mothers, and youth all have an important role to play.
We strive for health equity for all and seek gender-transformative approaches in programming and policies. Equitable approaches, including community-led research and advocacy, can promote gender equity by breaking down barriers to ensure access to high-quality health care for all populations. Ensuring health and gender equity measures, implementation guidelines, and clear policies are essential to achieve health equity for all communities.
We trust science. Evidence-based programs are necessary to effectively support and improve global community health.
We believe in the urgency of addressing climate change and its myriad effects on communities. We strive to protect the environment and commit to environmentally sustainable practices as an organization.

History

History of CORE Group

CORE Group emerged organically, beginning in 1997, when a group of health professionals from non-governmental development organizations saw the value of sharing knowledge and ideas about how to best help children survive. What began in this simple spirit of openness quickly gained momentum as participants realized significant savings in time, thought and resources—all made possible by collaborating. The group realized that this “community of practice” model was also fertile ground for the creation of new knowledge and ideas. In 2001, the group’s original moniker, The Child Survival Collaborations and Resources Group, was streamlined, and the newly named CORE Group incorporated as a coalition of non-profit global health organizations. Though the original scope has broadened from child survival to include women’s health and infectious diseases, the organizing principle for CORE Group membership remains the same: technical excellence in integrated, community-based global health programming.

Learn more in this video:

Annual Reports

In our commitment to transparency and financial accountability, CORE Group publishes an annual report that highlights our accomplishments and financial information for each fiscal year. Our annual reports since 2005 are available below. Reports for 2004 and earlier were only published in hardcopy.

2022 Annual Report (990 form)

2021 Annual Report (990 form)

2020 Annual Report (990 form)

2019 Annual Report (990 form)

2018 Annual Report (990 form)

Our Impact

CORE Group has worked since 1997 to advance the field of community health by developing case studies and analyzing research data from the field, creating training curricula and conducting workshops, developing monitoring and evaluation trainings and tools, fostering in-country collaboration, diffusing Innovations, and advocating for Community Approaches to Health.

Contributions

Contributions to the Field

CORE Group has worked since 1997 to advance the field of community health by:

– Developing case studies and analyzing research data from the field so others can understand what works on the ground level and how it might be replicated.

– Creating training curricula and conducting workshops that address community-level prevention and care, with a focus on social and behavior change, childhood illness, maternal mortality and management of infectious diseases.

– Developing monitoring and evaluation trainings and tools that enable field staff to collect standardized data. More Information, please visit the Monitoring and Evaluation Tools and Resources.

– Fostering in-country collaboration to assist NGOs and global partners in developing secretariats and networks. Recent efforts include malaria, polio, and pandemic preparedness activities in India, Nepal, Ethiopia, Angola, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

– Diffusing Innovations. NGOs working in isolation often create innovative solutions to improve child health outcomes by overcoming common obstacles to development. CORE has worked to diffuse several NGO innovations that have demonstrated improvement in the effectiveness, sustainability, equity or scale of child health outcomes.

– Advocating for Community Approaches to Health. Core Group has partnered with several global initiatives–such as Roll Back Malaria, Stop TB, and the U.S. Coalition for Child Survival—in order to ensure that community approaches to health are integrated into health advocacy efforts.

Testimonials

Karen LeBan

, Executive Director, CORE Group

Most health takes place in the home. It is the mothers, fathers, the people who are caring for each other in their families that have to make those critical decisions, take those necessary first actions in order to improve their childrens' and families' health. We would like to empower those people to be able to care for themselves and make the best decisions for their families. CORE Group has over 56 member organizations, each organization working in anywhere from 1 to 180 countries, reaching as many as 720 million children- that is 10% of the world's population.
Dr. Abhay Bang

, MD, MPH; Founder & Director of SEARCH

There is a famous story about a father's last lesson for his five sons who are always quarreling. On his deathbed gathered by his sons, he gives them each one stick and asks them to break it. They each quickly break their stick. The he ties 10 sticks together and asks them to break the sticks. They find them impossible to break. That is the power of a group, of a community.

So like this power of community, world organizations must also form a community. This will give them all power of numbers, power of sharing, power of giving strength to each other and also the power of shaping policies. Individual organizations may be inadequate, they may be a lone voice, but if organizations come together then their voice will be heard, their points of view will be [taken] more seriously...
Tom Davis

, Director of Health Programs, Food for the Hungry International (FHI)

Being an organization with so many members, CORE is able to get new ideas out to a lot of people very quickly. People come together to create tools, methods, and curricula that we normally would not come together to form otherwise.
Diana DuBois

, Executive Director, WellShare International

I think the heart and soul of CORE are the different working groups that develop very specific and practical tools that are used worldwide. I would also like to acknowledge that CORE Group has helped and continues to help in program learning and knowledge generation and diffusion among INGOs. CORE has played a critical role in the CSHGP and global health generally through its effective mechanisms to share program learning and by providing a forum for knowledge generation and diffusion among INGOs. It is far and away the best and most effective knowledge generation and diffusion membership organization for maternal and child health and other health areas.
Antony Duttine

, Handicap International

The CORE Group meetings are really exciting two events over the year to meet new and familiar faces and learn from those with different stories to tell with different perspectives from different parts of the world. It’s a very interesting melting pot of thoughts and ideas and perspectives. I think it is great that there is such a variety of people from different regions and different perspectives, from policy makers to those in the field. It’s a technically-focused forum that is interesting to me as a technical person but also great to see perspectives from donors and learn what is influencing change. Being a niched organization in disability, it is nice to see how welcomed we are to the group which is a mainstream health group. To be welcomed with open-arms for our own perspectives ...
Paul Freeman

, Dept of Global Health, University of Washington

I come to CORE Group meetings because it’s great for networking and keeping up to date on issues for child health and programs. I connect with people from all different programs. It’s good for catching up to date with what’s happening with MCHIP and my interests go across all the different types of interest groups and programs. It’s a great place to bring everything together and catch up.
Kayt Erdahl

, Technical Officer, TB Team, PATH

If the CORE network wasn't there, something would be lost because what I have found is that the greatest asset are the other CORE members that bring this cast level of knowledge and experience together. It is a group of technical people working together and sharing experiences and learning from each other. I don't know any other venue that quite compares.
Laura Ehrlich

, WellShare International

CORE's listservs connect our staff to valuable and timely technical information---it is like having our own research department. And I cannot say enough good things about the meetings and networking opportunities within CORE. They are extremely valuable.
Laura Ehrlich

, WellShare International

CORE's listservs connect our staff to valuable and timely technical information---it is like having our own research department. And I cannot say enough good things about the meetings and networking opportunities within CORE. They are extremely valuable.
Kayt Erdahl

, Technical Officer, TB Team, PATH

If the CORE network wasn't there, something would be lost because what I have found is that the greatest asset are the other CORE members that bring this cast level of knowledge and experience together. It is a group of technical people working together and sharing experiences and learning from each other. I don't know any other venue that quite compares.
Christy Gavitt

, American Red Cross

I go to a number of different conferences worldwide and I think this is the 7th or 8th CORE Group meeting I have been to. I don’t find one better than the other. I think they are all excellent. The biggest value is the connection back to implementation. There’s not the old touchy-feely, pie in the sky, cloud theory stuff where I am saying, “bring it back to reality.” CORE Group meetings are really focused on how we can put this into action. It’s one of many things that I value the most about CORE Group meetings.
Willow Gerber

, Consultant

CORE is like a catalyst for making things happen. They have a way of bringing the best people together to talk about what they do, make it work, inform each other, and then move through a step-by-step process.
Kristina Gryboski

, USAID Bureau for Global Health

The Spring Meeting is a wonderful forum for collegial discussion of practical experiences and technical updates.
Ann Hendrix

, Jenkins Director of Partnership, CORE Group

CORE Group is an amazing place where passionate people come together to make every development dollar go further. CORE Group members work hard to figure out how to create deep-rooted sustainable change that will last long after the project is gone. Collectively, our members reach 720 million people a year, that's 1/10 of the world's population in over 180 countries.
Joe Miklosi

, Project CURE

I value the peer-to-peer, best practices-sharing so that Project CURE can become a more effective organization. I also enjoy the collaborative spirit that exists. It's very welcoming.
Elaine Murphy

, Visiting Scholar at the Population Reference Bureau

At a time when development efforts are fragmented and sometimes even competitive with each other, the CORE Group provides unifying coordination and inspires collaboration to achieve shared goals.
Todd Nitkin

, M&E Specialist, Medical Teams International

When you are a member of CORE you do not have to wait until something is produced or published. Instead, you are interacting with people as they are conceptualizing, drafting, and developing these materials. You can talk about them, learn from them rather than waiting 5 or 10 years before they are published and available on websites.
Mr. Tolbert Nyenswah

, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare- Liberia

We see community-based activities as the gold standard for public health and health system implementation. CORE Group's strategy is to bring services to the community. I wish I could join as a CORE Group member to champion community healths services in Liberia.
Henry Perry

, Johns Hopkins University/ Future Generations

Through CORE Group, I value access to current up-to-date information on maternal and child health and community-based primary health care, opportunities to learn from other organizations about their current programs, inspiration and fellowship.
David Pyle

, Consultant

I think anybody that is interested in Community-based child health should be involved in CORE Group because this is the place where the ideas are rapidly being developed and promoted and it’s just a great place to learn about the latest and greatest things in the field.

Diffusion of Innovations

NGOs working in community health often create innovative solutions to improve maternal and child health outcomes by overcoming obstacles to effective implementation. Many of these obstacles (lack of community ownership, ineffective referral, drug unavailability, low use of services, and low retention of community health agents) are present in communities around the world. Innovations created by one organization can assist others in improving mother and child health; however they are often not developed or transferred in a way that would enable others to learn about, evaluate and uptake the innovation for wider benefit. CORE Group is interested in diffusing NGO innovations that demonstrate a proven track record in improving the effectiveness, sustainability, equity or scale of maternal child health outcomes. CORE Group facilitates a peer review of promising evidence-based innovations, provides guidance to ensure that the product will be practical, and supports trainings and diffusion through its Community Health Network so the innovation can be used worldwide.

Who We Are

Staff

Lisa M. Hilmi

Executive Director

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Lisa Hilmi has over 30 years of global health experience in over 20+ countries, employing both human rights and community-based participatory approaches to addressing health disparities for women, children and communities. As a nurse, researcher, and public health expert, Lisa has worked at multiple levels of global health, in policy, research, emergency relief and response, development, workforce development, health systems strengthening; from local to global levels. She has worked in development settings, led response to HIV/AIDS/STIs/GBV in refugee and conflict settings, and developed policy for outbreaks, disasters, and epidemics in multiple countries. She has led over $180 Million of development, relief and rehabilitation efforts. Clinically, Lisa has worked in pediatric hospital, community, academic, and crisis settings, and has held leadership positions in the UN, Sigma Theta Tau International, INGOs, and foundations. Her research focuses on geographical health disparities for adolescents in urban settings. She has a strong history of partnership and coordination with UN, INGOs, CSOs, and other stakeholders. She sits on the WHO PMNCH Board, the Steering Committee of the Child Health Task Force, the Board of Directors at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation, as well as other review committees. She holds an MPH from Columbia University, a BSN and completing her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, was a Jonas Nurse Scholar, is a Certified Pediatric Nurse, and holds a BA in Communications and Political Science from Villanova University.

Rachel Wax

Senior Director of Programs

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Rachel Wax is a seasoned global health and development expert with over two decades of experience. Her work focuses on equity, human rights promotion and health systems strengthening in some of the world’s most challenging environments, from refugee camps to conflict settings, and beyond. Rachel’s career has taken her to West and East Africa, and South Asia, where she has worked with NGOs, UNHCR, and USAID. Her previous roles include serving as Country Representative for PSI in Cote d’Ivoire and as Field Team Leader for Church World Service in Kenya and Senegal. A true mentor at heart, Rachel takes great pride in seeing her colleagues grow professionally. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge and experience to help others achieve their career goals. Rachel holds a master’s degree in social change and development from Johns Hopkins University SAIS, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Tufts University. She is fluent in French and Spanish and has a working knowledge of Swahili and Wolof. When she’s not working, Rachel can be found reading, biking, traveling, and spending time outside with her husband and two daughters.

Theo Molenbrugge

Director of Finance and Administration

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Theo Molenbrugge has over 25 years of experience in accounting, audit, finance, and operations, both in the private sector and in international development. He also has experience in training/capacity building in accounting, audit and finance. Theo started his career as a lecturer at the Department of Accounting and Information Management at Maastricht University (Netherlands) before moving to public accounting. After that he traveled for six months in South America before working as a consultant training local government auditors in Liberia. Subsequently. Theo started working for Catholic Relief Services, first as a Senior Auditor, and later as Regional Finance Officer in Latin America and Asia. Theo holds a MA in Economics and a Master of Tax Law, both from Maastricht University, and is a CPA in the Netherlands as well as a Certified Internal Auditor. He is currently finishing an International Executive Master in Finance and Control (iEMFC) program, again at Maastricht University. Theo is a Dutch citizen residing in Guatemala, and he is fluent in Dutch, English and Spanish, and has a working knowledge of French. In his spare time, Theo loves to travel and watch movies and tv series.

Dr. Brooke Farrenkopf

Humanitarian Immunization Technical Advisor

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With experience and training in vaccine access and equity, Brooke Farrenkopf is joining the CORE Group as the Humanitarian Immunization Technical Advisor, supporting Gavi’s Zero Dose Immunization Project. She recently received her PhD in International Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, as well as a Certificate in Vaccine Science and Policy. Her thesis work focused on approaches to measure zero dose status and reach zero dose children with integrated primary care services, so she is excited to take forward some of those learnings in though ZIP. She has training and experience in research design, qualitative and quantitative analysis, health systems strengthening, and technical advocacy. Brooke previously worked at the Johns Hopkins International Vaccine Access Center and the Center for Indigenous Health on several implementation and epidemiology studies aimed at improving vaccines access, availability, and effectiveness.

Kate Kabore

Communication and Advocacy Coordinator

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Kate Kabore is a Global Health Fellow at CORE Group. She has experience working in Community Health and Community Engagement in the areas of Water and Sanitation as well as Gender Based Violence in the USA, and in Burkina Faso. Kate recently received her Bachelor of Science degree in Behavioral and Community Health from the University of Maryland, School of Public Health. She is passionate about Social and Behavior Change, and Maternal and Child Health. She is fluent in French and English.

Sophia Ladha

Project Manager, Small Grants for Scaled Impact Project

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Ms. Ladha is an international public health professional with extensive management, technical support, and research experience in Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Family Planning, Youth, HIV/AIDS, Mother and Child Health, and strengthening health systems. She enjoys being involved in projects at different stages, from inception to evaluation. Sophia is dedicated to improving health and development outcomes for women, youth, and families in developing countries. Over the course of her career, Sophia has led and managed multiple donor-funded projects on adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH), including HIV prevention, care and treatment, and comprehensive abortion care (CAC). Sophia has participated in the evaluation of national health programs, conducted facility assessments, and drafted best practice recommendations. She has developed assessment, planning tools and job aides for program managers to facilitate performance improvement and increase demand for health services.

Chantal McGill

Learning and Project Manager – Humanitarian Immunization Partnership

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With 18 years of experience leading programs and projects, Chantal McGill is joining CORE Group as a Project and Learning manager, supporting Gavi’s Zero Dose Immunization Project. She has a Masters degree from Columbia University’s Teachers College in International Education and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). With experience in corporate, nonprofit, and higher education settings, she brings a wealth of diverse experiences, leadership, and communication skills to her work. She has experience in global health projects, learning & development, facilitation, training, and talent management. She is fluent in English and French.

Arafat Safi

Operations and Membership Manager

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Arafat Safi, MA International Development from the University of Manchester, and BBA from Kardan University Afghanistan, has 14 years of professional working experience serving various government and non-government institutions in Afghanistan. Arafat Safi has worked in key management positions for the Office of the National Security Council, Afghanistan’s National Authority for Disaster Management, the National Solidarity Program (World Bank’s second largest Community-Led Development Program) and the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development of Afghanistan. Prior to joining CORE Group in 2022, Arafat served Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a Senior Diplomat in the capacity of Senior Operations Manager, handling both internal operations of the ministry as well as the issues related to the diplomatic missions. Arafat has extensive experience of managing development projects and operations management. In his different roles Arafat has contributed to and developed various project development strategies, departmental work plans, monitoring and evaluation systems, budgets, and management of contracts guidelines. Moreover, Arafat has represented Afghanistan in numerous international conferences such as the World Energy Council, The Crans Montana Forum of New Leaders, The Antalya Diplomacy Forum and the Doha Forum. Arafat Safi is a UNITAR, DANIDA, and Chevening scholar and alumnus. He speaks fluent Dari, Farsi, Pashto (Native), and Urdu.

Robert Yamoah

Senior Accountant

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Robert Yamoah has more than 20 years of financial experience with non-profits, government, and public accounting. He has significant understanding of governmental regulations and generally accepted accounting principles. He formerly served as a Controller at Links Inc. and Links Foundation Inc. and Budget Analyst at the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Over the years, he has developed expertise in business analysis, planning, strong leadership qualities, superior interpersonal skills, and effective organizational abilities. Robert holds a CPA/CGA accounting designation from the Certified General Accountants Association of Ontario and a BA in Accounting/Economics from the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. He enjoys working on vehicles, reading, baking, and listening to music.

Board

Board of Directors

The CORE Group Board of Directors is the governing body of the organization and is dedicated to advancing CORE Group’s mission, values, strategies, goals, priorities, and policies.

Chair, Save the Children/U.S.

Irene Koek

Read Irene's Bio

Irene Koek is the Head of the Department of Global Health at Save the Children/U.S. She joined Save the Children in late July 2020 after more than 30 years with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). At Save the Children, Ms. Koek leads teams and programs focused on addressing the leading threats to the health and survival of children, adolescents, and their families. Ms. Koek began her career in family planning/reproductive health, and subsequently served in a number of leadership positions at USAID including as the Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator and acting Assistant Administrator for Global Health. She led the development of USAID’s infectious disease strategy in the late 1990s and helped start up the President’s Malaria Initiative and USAID’s tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases programs, and later served as USAID’s Global Health Security Agenda lead. From 2010-2014 she was the Director of the Health Office in USAID/Indonesia. Ms. Koek has worked extensively with international partners, including serving as the Chair of the Stop TB Partnership Coordinating Board from 2005-2009 and representing USAID on the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance for several years.

Vice-Chair CGPP-GHS

Ahmed Arale

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Ahmed Arale has more than 20 years of humanitarian and development experience working with communities in the Horn of Africa (HOA) on emergency relief programming, public health, and community empowerment. As a nurse and public health practitioner, he’s worked at various levels of clinical, public health sector management, emergency relief and response, and health system strengthening—at the local and regional levels. Currently, Ahmed is the Secretariat Director for CORE Group Polio & Global Health Security Project for HOA (Kenya/Somalia), based in Nairobi. There he provides technical leadership to all aspects of project planning and implementation as well as multi-sectoral coordination with respective government, donors, and NGO implementing partners, WHO and UNICEF, CDC, and Rotary International, among others. Before joining CGPP-GHS, Ahmed worked as the Program Director for emergency & relief programs with Catholic Relief Services, Somalia. Prior to CRS, he worked as the Program Manager for BroadReach Healthcare LLC, leading a Private Sector Engagement in a PEPFAR project in Kenya. Additionally, he worked as a Service Delivery Specialist for Management Sciences for Health (USAID Extending Service Delivery Project). On public sector experience, he worked with the Ministry of Health, Kenya, for 13 years in various capacities. Ahmed holds a BSc Nursing degree from Dundee University, Scotland, and an MPH from the University of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Treasurer, World Learning

Kote Lomidze

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Kote Lomidze is the Senior Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer (CFAO) at World Learning, overseeing all global financial operations and activities. He originally joined World Learning in 2009 and spent three years at the organization, serving as Finance Director for international development and exchange programs and then Deputy CFO. After spending nearly two years as CFO of Project Concern International based in San Diego, he returned to World Learning in 2014. Prior to joining World Learning, Lomidze spent 11 years working in finance at World Vision in his native Georgia as well as in Russia, Zimbabwe, and the United States. Lomidze previously served as a Board Member and Treasurer of San Diego Diplomacy Council, a local NGO engaged in creating international connections to address common global challenges. Lomidze is a certified public accountant. He holds a BA in mathematical economics and a law degree from Tbilisi State University and an MBA from Georgetown University.

Secretary, IPPF Africa Region

Dr. Enow Awah Georges Stevens

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Enow Awah Georges Stevens, MD is a Youth Frontline Health Worker, Sexual and Reproductive Health consultant, and skilled youth engagement Advisor. He has over ten years of experience in research and advocacy on global health; HIV/AIDS; and sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (SRMNCAH). He has extensive experience in Strategy Development and Execution, Program Management, Fundraising, Gender, and Women Rights Programming, Civil Society Strengthening, Qualitative Research, CSE, post-abortion care, and clinical care for survivors of sexual violence. He held several positions of responsibility first as a clinician in the gynecology and obstetrics department, then as the manager and senior manager of reproductive health projects in emergency and post-conflict settings in Cameroon and Sub-Saharan Africa. He is the Youth Advisor for CSE and YSRHR Programming with IPPF African Region. He has extensive board experience with international health organizations and has provided technical support to Cameroon’s Ministry of Secondary Education, especially in the national program for Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) by setting standards and guidelines and currently is part of the core team working in West and Central Africa on the CSE commitments led by UNESCO.

At-Large, Clinton Health Access Initiative

Tosin Ajayi

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Tosin Ajayi, MD, MPH, MBA, is a public health leader with over 12 years of global experience in healthcare transformation, research, and clinical practice. Specializing in health systems strengthening, digital health, and health policy, Tosin has made significant contributions to the design and implementation of innovative healthcare solutions across Africa and beyond. He has worked extensively with public, social, and private sector clients, leading large-scale projects that focus on improving immunization coverage, health service delivery, and supply chain management. Currently serving as a Senior Technical Manager for Global Vaccine Delivery at the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Tosin also has a strong background in strategic leadership, program design, and stakeholder engagement, and has collaborated with key global health organizations such as WHO, BMGF, and Gavi. With advanced degrees in medicine, public health, and business administration from Johns Hopkins University, Tosin is committed to advancing health systems and achieving universal health coverage globally.

At-Large, Handicap International – Humanity & Inclusion

Alessandra Aseru

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Alessandra Aresu is an expert in global health and gender studies, with a strong focus on inclusive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). She holds a PhD in Gender and Sexuality Education in Contemporary China from the University of Westminster, along with a Master’s in Chinese Studies from SOAS, University of London. Alessandra currently serves as the Director of Global Inclusive Health at Humanity & Inclusion, where she leads advocacy, policy support, and strategic initiatives aimed at promoting health equity for marginalized populations, particularly women, girls, and persons with disabilities. With over a decade of experience in international development, she has held leadership roles across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, driving initiatives that integrate gender, age, and disability perspectives into global health programs. Alessandra is fluent in multiple languages, including Italian, English, French, and Chinese, and is recognized for her contributions to policy development, strategic partnerships, and resource mobilization in the global health sector.

At-Large, Camber Collective

Lindsay Horikoshi

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Lindsay Horikoshi is an engagement manager at Camber Collective, a global strategy consulting firm, where she leads multidisciplinary teams to solve challenging problems in global health and development. She has over seven years of experience supporting private sector, multilateral, and US government clients. She has designed, implemented, and evaluated strategy and transformation programs in global health, as well as military and veterans’ health. Previously, she worked as a global health subject matter expert with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Inspector General and has also held roles at Booz Allen Hamilton and Chemonics International. Lindsay Horikoshi earned an MSc. in Global Health and BS in International Health from Georgetown University and is a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP).

At-Large, Catholic Relief Services

Sarah Ford

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Sarah Ford is Director of Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) Integrated Program Quality Unit. She provides strategic leadership and direction for three of CRS’ cross-cutting program areas: Equity, Justice, and Integrated Programming. Ms. Ford supports the design, delivery, and evaluation of peace-building, governance, gender, protection, and youth programming globally. She also supports monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning for CRS programs worldwide. Finally, she works in partnership and capacity-strengthening, supporting the design, delivery, and evaluation of high-quality capacity-strengthening interventions. Ms. Ford has more than 35 years of professional experience in organizational sustainability, leadership, management, and non-formal education. Prior to CRS, Ms. Ford worked with Management Sciences for Health’s AIDSTAR-Two project, providing capacity-building technical assistance to USAID-funded AIDS programs globally. At Lutheran World Relief, she provided leadership to the development and implementation of international public policy platforms and constituent education programs; and at the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, supported programs promoting the human rights of women, children, and oppressed racial and indigenous groups. Previously, while Director of Capacity Building at CEDPA, Ms. Ford led a team in developing programs to increase international partners’ organizational capacity and sustainability.

At-Large, Hemocue AB

Nomagugu Masuku

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Nomagugu Adelide Masuku is a project management and business development professional with extensive experience in leading complex, multi-faceted projects across the healthcare sector. With a Master of Philosophy in Monitoring and Evaluation Methods from Stellenbosch University, she has a strong background in strategic planning, partnership management, and stakeholder engagement. Currently serving as the Senior Manager for Global Public Health at Hemocue AB, Nomagugu oversees the implementation of international partnership projects, focusing on public health initiatives across high-growth markets. Her expertise spans from managing large-scale public health projects to driving revenue growth through strategic partnerships. Throughout her career, Nomagugu has demonstrated a commitment to improving healthcare delivery in diverse, multi-cultural environments, with experience working across Africa, Asia, and other regions. She is also a member of professional associations such as the Public Health Association of South Africa and the South Africa Monitoring and Evaluation Association.

At-Large, IntraHealth International

Nikolos Oakley

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Nikolos Oakley is a finance and operations executive and a certified management trainer who currently works as the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at IntraHealth International. He is a member of the Executive Team responsible for providing leadership and management of the Center for Operational Excellence, consisting of administration, finance, accounting, IT, risk management, grants and contracts, and HR departments. He has extensive expertise in finance and organizational management; extensive knowledge of 2CFR 200 and previous reiterations; and knowledge of CRM, various accounting, budgeting, supply chain, business intelligence, and overall ERP solutions and various project information and management system databases. His languages include Georgian (native), English, and Russian (fluent).

At-Large, Corus International

Beth Outterson

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In her previous role as Knowledge Management (KM) Senior Advisor at Medical Teams International, Beth Outterson guided the organization’s learning initiative and the development of a KM strategy. She builds staff competency in Community Based Primary Health Care through development of online resources and training a cadre of field-based Capacity Building champions. Previously, Beth worked as Adolescent Reproductive Health Advisor at Save the Children, and as Health and HIV/ AIDS Specialist at US Peace Corps. Beth has an MA and MPH from Tulane University. After many years on the East Coast, she is enjoying life in the Pacific Northwest!

At-Large, World Vision

Susan Otchere

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Susan A. Otchere is a highly experienced nurse-midwife and public health specialist with over 35 years of expertise in maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH), family planning, and reproductive health. She has a strong background in leading multi-professional, multicultural teams and managing complex health programs across Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. Susan has held senior roles in organizations like World Vision US, Cardno Emerging Markets USA Ltd., and Save the Children Federation Inc., where she has driven strategic planning, business development, and project implementation. She has published extensively on health interventions and policy and currently serves as the Associate Vice President for Health at World Vision US. Susan holds a Master’s degree in Mother and Child Health from the University of London and is a registered nurse in Virginia, USA.

At-Large, Abt Associates

Caroline Quijada

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Caroline Quijada is a globally recognized leader in private sector approaches for health with 20 years of experience in RMNCH programming. She currently serves as Principal Associate, International Development at Abt Associates. Previously she has served as deputy project director for two predecessor global private sector projects. Caroline has a strong track record in supporting successful business development bids for Abt Associates and has supported numerous private sector partnerships with various corporates. Prior to Abt Associates, Caroline worked at University Research Corporation and the National Coalition for Hispanic Health, where she managed six regional youth policy centers on Hispanic adolescent health. She served as Deputy Project Director for a $3 million national program on reducing sociocultural barriers to health care in Hispanic communities. Caroline has overseen 27 private sector health assessments that span the scope of private sector health activities across the world. The scope of her knowledge includes public-private partnerships (PPPs), health systems strengthening, social enterprise development, total market approach (TMA) initiatives, provider networks and franchises, quality improvement, and digital solutions. Caroline has an M.H.S., Population and Family Health Sciences from Johns Hopkins University and has published and presented extensively on private sector engagement.

At-Large, DAI

Stephen Rahaim

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Stephen Rahaim has 20 years of experience designing, managing and measuring complex initiatives to improve development outcomes and create enduring social and economic value working with private sector, civil society, government, and donors. Stephen has collaborated with a wide range of clients and stakeholders to develop local, national, and multi-country strategies, leading project implementation, partner relationships, and performance management among diverse technical and operations teams. He has designed, advised, and measured social innovation funds and competitions, public-private partnerships, and human-centered and market based research and interventions. As a Senior Principal Specialist with the global health team at DAI, Stephen works across health practice areas to deepen the organization’s impact, including a focus on private sector engagement and strengthening local organizations. Previously, Stephen was Chief of Party of the USAID Catalyst project through which he helped design and execute multiple open innovation programs and innovation incentive awards in more than 20 countries focused on a variety of development challenges. Prior to this, he built and led the Health Markets and Behavior Change practice at Palladium, and led the Asia and Middle East Portfolio for the USAID Strengthening Health Outcomes through the Private Sector Project at Abt Associates, among other positions. Stephen received a Master of Public Health Degree from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

At-Large, Abt Global

Kelly Saldana

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Kelly J. Flynn-Saldaña is a technical executive with extensive experience in global health systems and international development. She has led significant initiatives at USAID, including the development of the “Vision for Health System Strengthening 2030” and strategies to end preventable child and maternal deaths. Currently, Kelly serves as Vice President for Global Health at Abt Global, where she oversees strategy, client relationship development, and project delivery within the USAID portfolio. With a strong background in managing multi-billion-dollar budgets and diverse teams, Kelly has successfully navigated complex operational and financial challenges across over 60 countries. She holds dual Master’s degrees in Public Health and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and is fluent in Spanish.

At-Large, Mercy Corps

Fernando Ramiro Unzueta

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My name is Fernando Unzueta and I am a Bolivian professional who currently lives in Bogota Colombia since June 2013 when I came to this country to work as a Finance Director of Mercy Corps as an expat. My last position in Mercy Corps in Colombia was Deputy Country Director of Operations. Before this I worked for Save the Children US for 12 years, 5 in Bolivia as Deputy Operations Director and 7 years in Washington DC as Operations Director and the last 3 years of the 7 as Finance Director for the Newborn Health Program at Save the Children with the Gates Foundation. I have more than 40 years of experience working in the Finance sector and basically working for NGOs. I worked around 30 years with USAID funds and with International Organizations. Also, I have experience working with other donors, private foundations as well as with European and Canadian funds. The topics I worked on during my career where education, health (child survival, sex and reproductive health, infection diseases, nutrition, etc) and also humanitarian aid, rural development and infrastructure. At the present I am retired after all these years of working and working occasionally as a consultant here in Colombia. As a summary I consider myself a person with seasoned operations, finance/grants professional and Office Management. Known for critical thinking skills, strong focus on operational excellence and collaborative work style. Ability to work both: independently and as a team member. Proven ability to work cross functionally and cross culturally. Excellent financial management and planning skills. Effective leadership skills and drive for results in high volume and stress environments.

Working Group Chairs

Co-Chairs

Systems for Health

Cora Nally, PHD(c), MPH

Americares

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As the Director of International Emergency Response at Americares, Cora Nally leads swift and comprehensive interventions during global crises such as earthquakes, floods, and cyclones. With over 15 years of expertise in international public health, Nally orchestrates the delivery of vital medicines and relief supplies, oversees emergency teams, and revitalizes healthcare services for affected communities. Joining Americares in 2019, Nally initially led the Hurricane Dorian emergency response team, overseeing relief efforts in the Bahamas. In this role, she managed expert teams and medical professionals, delivering primary care and mental health support to survivors while coordinating aid shipments and restoring healthcare access to hard-hit areas. Her leadership extended to Project HOPE, where she directed Hurricane Dorian response efforts and steered comprehensive relief and recovery initiatives. Prior to this, her impactful work reached Russia, Malawi, and Sierra Leone during the Ebola crisis, where she trained and empowered community-based teams. Nally’s global health insights are fortified by her experience living and working across eight countries and four continents.

Kristen Mallory

Children International

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Kristen Mallory has a Master’s degree in Public Health with 15 years of international development experience, currently serving as Director of Global Programs at Children International. In her previous role as Sr. Technical Officer, she spearheaded the transition to health equity programming through health systems strengthening across 9 countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Kristen has been a member of the S4H working group since 2017 and has contributed to initiatives aimed to advance social accountability, she looks forward to continuing to support the group in this new capacity.

Dr. Adugna Kebede

Action Against Hunger

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Dr. Adugna Kebede is a Medical Doctor and a Public Health professional with over twenty-five years of experience in health, nutrition, and HIV & AIDS, serving both in emergency relief and development programs at the National, Regional, and Global levels. Through the years, Adugna has demonstrated skills in designing and implementing multi-sectoral programs, monitoring & evaluation of health, Nutrition, and HIV/AIDS projects with expertise in capacity building to field level and senior health and nutrition program managers. He has a track record of providing technical support to country programs during resource mobilization, design and implementation of quality Health and Nutrition projects, and in facilitating learning through documentation of best practices and lessons learned. Area of interest – holistic community-centered development that empowers communities and promotes ownership. Since November 2023, Adugna serves as a Senior Technical Advisor for Health and Nutrition at Action Against Hunger based in Washington DC.

Nutrition

Diana Allotey

Vitamin Angel Alliance Inc.

Charlotte Block

NCBA/CLUSA

Albertha Nyaku

Results for Development (R4D)

Shelley Walton

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health

Feven Tassew Mekuria

CARE

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Feven Tassew Mekuria is a medical doctor with more than ten years of experience in the management of a public health program in Ethiopia. Based in Atlanta, Feven serves as the Senior Technical Advisor for strengthening health systems, with CARE’s Health Equity and Rights (HER) team focusing on community health systems and frontline healthcare workers (FLHWs). In this role, she provides technical leadership on the health systems strengthening strategy of the global team, and leads on the adaptation and application of successful models and best practices for empowering frontline healthcare workers and meaningful community engagement across the humanitarian to development continuum. She collaborates with colleagues from across CARE and networks with strategic partners to identify key approaches, consolidate learning, and support refinement, expansion, and scale-up of program innovations and approaches, including those specifically aimed at removing barriers for remote and marginalized groups to access maternal and child (MCH) as well as sexual reproductive health (SHR) information and services. She is currently focused on supporting the role of CARE’s FLHW strategy through its integrated program and advocacy initiative – ‘She Heals the World’ – to improve the agency and well-being of FLHWs; transform community norms and strengthen primary healthcare systems.

Rondi Anderson

Project HOPE

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Rondi Anderson, PhD is a certified nurse-midwife who has dedicated her life to providing quality, evidence-based maternal and newborn health services to the poorest women. She has worked in both clinical service delivery and reproductive health program management, serving marginalized communities in the U.S., Sierra Leone, Somalia, India, and Bangladesh. She was an international midwifery specialist with UNFPA Bangladesh from 2015–2022 and served as an emergency coordinator for sexual and reproductive health programs with UNFPA in Aleppo, Syria throughout 2023. She holds a PhD from Lancaster University and has published more than 20 articles in peer reviewed journals on the midwifery practice and evidence-based midwifery care. She is a leading voice on the development of international standard midwives and the provision of quality maternity care in low resource health systems.

Social & Behavior Change

Lisa Sherburne

JSI

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Joel Mercado

World Vision US

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Joel is a public health professional with various experiences in the development and humanitarian space. He has been supporting business development and program design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation in Africa, Asia, and Latin America for the past 17 years. He is passionate about implementing behavioral science-informed solutions to complex community health problems. He has an MPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Barbara Muffoletto

Curamericas Global

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Barbara Muffoletto is a seasoned global public health professional who is passionate about supporting sustainable, community-led development programs using social and behavior change methodologies. Barbara has over nine years of experience in program administration and management. As Senior Program Manager, she works alongside international partners to implement maternal-child health programs in Kenya, Guatemala, and Haiti. Barbara holds an MPH in Health Behavior from UNC Chapel Hill, with a certificate in Global Health and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University.

Disability-Inclusive Health Technical Advisory Group

Hamza Alzahran

Special Olympics

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Hamza Alzahran is a registered nurse with a masters in public health (MPH) degree. He worked in bedside care in an emergency department in Beirut. Later he worked in primary healthcare planning and strengthening with international organizations responding to the Syrian refugee crisis, COVID-19, and Beirut port blast. He currently fills the position of Manager, Inclusive Health on the health system strengthening team for Special Olympics International remotely from Berlin. Hamza will be co-chairing the DIH-TAG alongside his colleague Nyasha Derera from Special Olympics Africa regional office.

Nyasha Derera

Special Olympics

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Nyasha Derera is a dedicated advocate for health equity and a leader within the Special Olympics movement. Nyasha works in his community in Zimbabwe and beyond to champion the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in decision-making processes. Nyasha works as a Coordinator, Athlete Leadership and Youth Engagement within the Special Olympics Africa regional office. His leadership and advocacy experiences are complemented by his athletic achievements. As an athlete with intellectual disability, Nyasha holds a record of 17 gold medals, 6 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal in Zimbabwe, as well as being a Berlin Marathon finisher. Nyasha’s commitment extends to volunteering at schools, providing competitive readiness training, and participating in various community service activities. Nyasha’s passion for inclusive health is evident in his contributions to the Special Olympics, where he has served as a Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger and provided input on inclusive health resources and strategies. His voice brings a unique and motivated perspective to the table, ensuring that health systems are designed to leave no one behind.

Noncommunicable Diseases Interest Group

Annie G. Toro, JD, MPH

What to Expect Project

Dr. Arti Varanasi

Advancing Synergy

Dory Storms Child Survival Recognition Award

Since 2001, CORE Group has presented the annual Dory Storms Child Survival Recognition Award to a person or persons who demonstrate courage, leadership, and commitment to helping non-governmental organizations have an impact on and effectively implement programs that end child deaths. The award is named after Dr. Storms, who was a founding member of the CORE Group and led the USAID-funded Child Survival Support Project, which was based in the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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