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.
Mission & Vision
Mission
Improve and expand community health practices for underserved populations, especially women and children, through collaborative action and learning
Vision
Communities where everyone can attain health and well-being
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.
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 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
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. CORE Group case studies
– 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. Learn More
– 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. CORE Group Advocacy Partners
TESTIMONIALS
"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."-Diana Dubois, Executive Director of Wellshare International
"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."-Kayt Erdahl, Technical Officer, TB Team; PATH
"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."-Ann Hendrix, Jenkins Director of Partnership
"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."-David Pyle, Consultant
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.
Staff
Lisa M. Hilmi
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
lhilmi@coregroup.org
Lisa Hilmi has an extensive career in global health, employing both human rights and community-based participatory approaches to addressing health disparities for women, children and communities. Lisa brings a wealth of experience working at multiple levels of global health from policy, research, emergency relief, workforce development, health systems strengthening, and fund raising, from local to global levels. Lisa also adds technical expertise, as a pediatric nurse with clinical experience in hospital, community, academic, and crisis settings. She has a strong commitment to partnership and collaboration. She has also worked with several CORE Group members in over 12 countries. Her extensive networks in academia, Ministries of Health, UN, bilateral and private funders will be a great asset to CORE Group as we move forward with our strategic plan and business development.
Lisa’s research and global projects have focused on children’s health and psychosocial well-being post-disaster and post-conflict in Asia and Africa; injury surveillance/prevention and addressing health disparities, gender and water/sanitation; women’s livelihood development to improve health and nutrition, disaster preparedness and humanitarian relief; and health concerns amongst internally displaced persons and refugees in multiple countries.
She is completing a PhD in Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, and has an MPH from Columbia University, a BSN from University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Political Science/Communications from Villanova. She is a Registered Nurse and nationally certified pediatric nurse.
Marc Holler
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIP AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
mholler@coregroup.org
Marc has over twenty years of experience working in business development, strategic planning, organizational design, and project management. He has worked with or for bilateral and multilateral agencies including USAID, World Bank, Millennium Challenge Account, Asian Development Bank, Global Environment Facility, and Inter-American Development Bank. In addition, Marc led the development of business development strategies, developed successful funding opportunities with foundations, supervised the management of USAID projects, and developed overseas training programs for country staff.
Marc has a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Chicago, and an undergraduate degree from Boston University.
Michael Christopher
SENIOR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST
mchristopher@coregroup.org
Michael Christopher is the Senior Knowledge Management Specialist with CORE Group for USAID’s Resilience Program, through the TOPS Associate Award. Michael specializes in leveraging technology for optimizing development outcomes and has over twenty years experience managing international development and technology projects in the health, investment promotion and ICT4D sectors. He has worked with diverse public and private sector agencies such as the CDC, World Bank Group, USAID, Yahoo!, the International Medical Corps and the U.S. Peace Corps.
A certified PMP®, Michael also holds an MPA in International Management from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and a BA in International Relations and History from Michigan State University. You can follow him on Twitter at @mickchristopher.
Shelia Jackson
SENIOR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST
sjackson@coregroup.org
Shelia Jackson is the Senior Knowledge Management Specialist with the TOPS Program. She has experience in envisioning, developing and directing knowledge sharing programs that focus on the role knowledge management plays in helping people to efficiently accomplish daily tasks while adding to the institutional knowledge of their organization. A lifelong learner, Shelia enjoys the collaboration and training processes. She strives to create environments where everyone feels comfortable to participate and learn. Shelia earned a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Florida State University. She enjoys travelling, exercising, hiking, reading, volunteering, cooking and doting on her nephews.
Yemisi Songo-Williams
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST
ysongowilliams@coregroup.org
Yemisi designs and executes knowledge management activities and processes to strengthen and expand the TOPS FSN Network. She works to improve food security and nutrition practice by providing support to the TOPS technical leads in leveraging new technologies and practices for engaging online communities in knowledge exchange and capacity strengthening. She has experience in developing strategies and forums to facilitate knowledge sharing through meetings, conferences, field exchange visits, social media and other online collaboration forums. In her previous role as a Knowledge Management and Learning Officer with CRS, Yemisi led the creation and management of a web-based platform for knowledge collection and dissemination. She also developed synergistic relationships with partner organizations to improve learning and collaboration, and capture critical knowledge, innovations and best practices. Yemisi holds an MSc in Social Research Methods from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Adrienne Todela
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT OFFICER
atodela@coregroup.org
As Knowledge Management Officer, Adrienne is responsible for supporting both the CORE Group and The TOPS Program teams with multimedia content creation and management, knowledge sharing event design and production, and overall community engagement through the FSN and Community Health Networks. She holds knowledge sharing and public information essential to effective capacity building and strengthening in the international development arena. She has experience in content creation, media outreach, and events management from her work with varied non-profit, non-governmental organizations such as Accion International, The African Foundation for Development, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Adrienne received her B.A. in International Relations and B.S. in Journalism from Boston University in 2015. In her free time, she enjoys exploring different cuisines, collecting scarves from her travels, and spending time with loved ones.
Erin Murray
OPERATIONS AND ACCOUNTS MANAGER
emurray@coregroup.org
As Operations and Accounts Manager, Erin is responsible for managing CORE Group’s office operations and accounts, membership, and event planning, including conferences and webinars. She has worked in operations and administration for varied non-profit organizations, including a charter school located in DC, an alternative energy association, and an international educational non-profit. She served as a volunteer English teacher for WorldTeach in Costa Rica, and has taught English to various adult communities. Erin enjoys yoga, traveling, reading, and attempting to cook.
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.
Erin Stieber
CHAIR, INDEPENDENT
Erin Stieber is the Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at Smile Train. Erin began working in child health programming in 2002, and has overseen programs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. She obtained a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2007, with coursework in international law, health law, and human rights. Erin’s work at Smile Train focuses on strengthening treatment programs and access to care for children with cleft lip and/or palate through strategic partnerships, increasing awareness about the health and survival challenges faced by children with this facial deformity, and overseeing capacity building initiatives for health professionals in 75+ countries. During her career, she has led the development of strategic partnerships with nonprofit, government, and private sector collaborators, and the strengthening and expanding global health programs to achieve greater impact. She is committed to advocating for vulnerable populations, building capacity in the health sector, and promoting successful collaborations to expand and scale-up access to healthcare for all people.
David Pyle
VICE CHAIR, INDEPENDENT
David has over 40 years of experience in community-based health, nutrition, and family planning programming.His special expertise is in evaluation, having served as team leader in more than a dozen major evaluations and design of cost‑effective and sustainable programs. He is familiar with US and worldwide health, population and nutrition networks as well as with USAID and multilateral donor agency personnel and procedures. David has worked extensively with INGOs and local NGOs. His research has addressed the difficulties of “scaling‑up” community‑based integrated health efforts, considering how strategy influences structure, and identifying solutions which include strengthening information systems, effective decentralization, and increased collaboration with private sector.
Dennis Cherian
TREASURER, WORLD VISION
Dennis Cherian, BHMS, MHA, MS, is the Senior Director of Health for International Programs Group, World Vision US (WVUS). He has over 18 years’ experience designing and implementing international public health programs in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East starting as a missionary physician in his native India. Dennis provides leadership to a diverse team that develops, provides technical support to, and manages global health projects aimed at improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children. Since 1997, Dr. Cherian has served as technical backstop for numerous Child Survival and Health Grants, and has pioneered work in mHealth — most recently in Afghanistan. As Co-Chair of the Core Group TB Working Group (2002-2008), he represented the organization at numerous TB technical fora and was instrumental in developing PVO TB Curricula on community-based TB control and program design. Dr. Cherian is currently active in public health fora including IUALTD, CORE Group, and APHA, and is an Advisory Member to Social Behavior Change for Faith-Based Organizations and the Country Task Force for mPowering Frontline Health Workers. He is a frequent contributor of technical and scientific papers at global health forum.
Jennifer Nielsen
SECRETARY, HELEN KELLER INTERNATIONAL
Jennifer Nielsen received her AB from Harvard in 1982, an MA from the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a PhD in International Health and Human Nutrition from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She has worked in international development for the past 20 years, covering a variety of technical areas before specializing in public health. She served for ten years as a Project Development Officer with USAID, posted overseas in Côte d’Ivoire and Egypt, where she contributed to designs of maternal and child health and education strategies. She has worked for Helen Keller International (HKI) since 2006, providing technical guidance to nutrition and health programs in 13 countries of sub-Saharan Africa and 7 countries of South Asia. The mission of HKI is to save the sight and lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, combatting both the causes and consequences of blindness and malnutrition by establishing programs based on
evidence and research. The nutrition portfolio is guided by the Essential Nutrition and Hygiene Actions framework, an approach for delivering proven nutrition specific and sensitive interventions through all possible program platforms, from primary health clinics to agriculture, water, sanitation and hygiene, and education. HKI’s nutrition strategies include improving the access of poor households to nutritious foods, promoting the adoption optimal practices especially for adolescents, women, infants and young children, promoting gender equity, and assuring access to adequate public services. HKI aims to build the capacity of local government and community partners to assume long-term responsibility for program management and financing. Jennifer served as co-chair of CORE’s Nutrition Working Group from 2010-2014.
Sonya Funna Evelyn
AT-LARGE, ADRA
Sonya Funna Evelyn is the Senior Director for Programs and Innovation with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (“ADRA”). She has been working in the field of public health for over twelve years. Immediately prior to joining ADRA, Sonya worked in counseling with a private firm that focused on delivering intensive home-based mental health interventions with refugee, adolescent and vulnerable populations. In her role with ADRA, Sonya works with field offices across Asia and Africa in the design, implementation and evaluation of health and nutrition programs. As part of her focus, Sonya conducts trainings for ADRA network staff in areas related to maternal and child health. Sonya has a keen interest in integrating psychosocial interventions with maternal and child health development and relief projects. Sonya has been attending CORE Group meetings since 2007 and looks forward to further contributing to the work of the CORE Group by serving as a member of the Board. Sonya holds Master’s degrees from Pepperdine University and the George Washington University.
Mary Hennigan
AT-LARGE, CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
Mary Hennigan graduated from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She has worked for different US PVOs on health and nutrition activities. Mary began her work in the public health field when she was assigned to the Dominican Republic as a Peace Corps volunteer and worked with Catholic Relief Services. Since 2003 she has been a Senior Technical Advisor in Health for CRS. She serves as co-chair of CORE Group’s Nutrition Working Group.
Joseph Ichter
AT-LARGE, INDEPENDENT
Joseph Ichter is Senior Technical Advisor for Public Private Partnership with the Futures Group International. Joe earned a Doctorate degree in Public Health and a Masters Degree in Health Care Administration from the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Health and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina. Joe has over 20 years experience in health care delivery, access to care for the poor and underserved and building capacities through public/private partnerships to solve community challenges. Currently he is assigned to the Afghanistan Health Policy Project, working between Washington DC and Kabul, Afghanistan. Prior to this work, Joe was an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University and spent the majority of his career with the University of New Mexico, Department of Family and Community Medicine. He also spent several years living and working in the Eastern Caribbean region, on issues of health system reform and the integration of medical students with pertinent community-based participatory research. His decade long affiliation with The Network: Towards Unity for Health, has resulted in robust connections with over 200 global members of health care service-based learning initiatives, focusing on social determinants of health and integration of public health and medicine.
Scott Jackson
AT-LARGE, GLOBAL IMPACT
A global development, fundraising and marketing veteran with more than 20 years of experience in international development, Scott Jackson serves as Global Impact’s President and CEO. Prior to joining Global Impact as President and Chief Executive Officer, he served as PATH’s Vice President of External Relations and led PATH’s efforts to increase institutional resources, develop and strengthen relationships with partners and donors, and maximize the visibility of PATH’s work. Mr. Jackson drew on his management, strategic communications and fundraising experience gained from a number of positions held for complex organizations in the public and private sectors: chief of staff, strategist, fundraiser, marketer, public relations/public affairs specialist and manager. He joined PATH from World Vision, where he was Senior Vice President of External Relations and provided oversight for several successful fundraising and advocacy campaigns. At World Vision, he served on the executive committee for ONE, the campaign to make poverty history—a global health and poverty advocacy and awareness campaign—originally composed of a coalition of international relief and development organizations including Debt AIDS Trade Africa, Bread for the World, World Vision, and CARE. Mr. Jackson serves on a number of boards and committees and holds an MBA from the University of Edinburgh. He is a Rotary scholar and has significant work experience in the United States and abroad.
Kote Lomidze
AT-LARGE, INDEPENDENT
Kote Lomidze is the senior vice president for finance, chief financial officer (CFO), and treasurer 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, Russia, Zimbabwe, and the United States. Lomidze previously served as a board member and treasurer of San Diego Diplomacy Council, local NGO engaged in creating international connections to address common global challenges. Lomidze is a certified public accountant and holds a BA in mathematical economics and a law degree from Tbilisi State University and an MBA from Georgetown University.
Beth Outterson
AT-LARGE, MEDICAL TEAMS INTERNATIONAL
In her role as Knowledge Management Senior Advisor at Medical Teams International, Beth Outterson guides 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!
Graciela Salvador-Davila
AT-LARGE, UMCOR
Dr. Graciela Salvador-Davila is the Health Systems Strengthening Manager, Global Health at Global Ministries, UMCOR. She has more than 20 years of public health experience, most of which has been in developing countries. Currently, Graciela provides leadership and guidance for the organization’s global maternal and newborn health as well as cervical cancer prevention programs. In resource-limited settings, she has addressed critical aspects of various reproductive health issues including contraception, maternal, newborn and child health challenges, and the reproductive health complexities facing HIV positive women. She has worked to strategically plan, implement and evaluate programs, and served as policy advisor and reproductive health educator and trainer. She has broad knowledge of assessment and evaluation methodologies, quality improvement and assurance, institutional capacity building, and clinical interventions at both facility and community levels. Over the course of her career, Graciela has successfully advocated for and implemented evidence-based safe motherhood interventions. Her approach to these interventions has focused on emergency obstetric care as a lead strategy for maternal morbidity and mortality reduction, as well as the healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy as an entry point for increased contraception acceptance and a newborn lifesaving strategy. Dr. Salvador-Davila holds an MD in general medicine and surgery from The Central University of Ecuador, her native country. She also holds an MS with a concentration in clinical nutrition from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, and an MPH from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.
Janine Schooley
AT-LARGE, PCI
Janine Schooley is Senior Vice President for Programs at PCI, ensuring quality and integrated programming for maximum impact, as well as overseeing all new business development, monitoring, evaluation and research. She obtained her MPH with an emphasis on Maternal and Child Health from San Diego State University in 1985. She spent the last 30 years in leadership positions with two San-Diego-based non-profit international health and development organizations: Wellstart International from 1985-2000 and PCI since October 2000. Janine is a specialist in NGO/PVO leadership, with emphasis on program design, evaluation and management, including capacity strengthening, gender and behavior change aspects of integrated, community-based health and development programming. Since 2007 she has been a faculty member at the Monterey Institute of International Studies where she teaches a course on behavior change. From 2002-2011 Ms. Schooley served as Secretary of the Board of Directors of the CORE Group and is currently a Co-Chair of CORE’s HIV/AIDS Working Group.
Eric Starbuck
AT-LARGE, SAVE THE CHILDREN
Eric Starbuck has worked for Save the Children (SC), initially as a Child Survival Specialist, and more recently as Advisor for Child Health and Pandemic Preparedness, since 1998, providing child health and community case management (CCM) program design and other technical support to SC country office staff. He has played a leading role in SC agency-wide global pandemic influenza preparedness efforts since early 2006, and served as Public Health Advisor with the CORE Group on the Humanitarian Pandemic Preparedness (H2P) Initiative from October 2007 through September 2010. Eric previously served for two terms on the CORE Board of Directors from 2001 – 2006. Prior to joining SC, Eric served as a Fellow with USAID’s Child Survival Grants Program for three and one-half years. He began his work in international public health in 1981 as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal, managing the district-wide implementation of a program involving 320 community health workers and 12 health facilities. Eric is co-author of Reduction in Total Under-Five Mortality in Western Nepal Through Community-Based Antimicrobial Treatment of Pneumonia in the Lancet, and Childhood Mortality After a High Dose of Vitamin A in a High Risk Population in the British Medical Journal, and holds a DrPH and an MPH from The Johns Hopkins University.
Working Group Chairs
CORE Group’s six technical and cross-cutting working groups are led by chairs and co-chairs from our Member and Associate Organizations. They provide technical leadership and facilitate the group to further the strategic development of standards, activities and products that will advance community-focused health programs and technical agenda.
Child Health
TBA
Community-centered Health Systems Strengthening
- Megan Christensen (Concern Worldwide)
- Alfonso Rosales (World Vision)
- Eric Sarriot (Save the Children)
- Claire Boswell (The TOPS Program/Food for the Hungry)
- Dora Curry (CARE)
- Jennifer Burns (Catholic Relief Services)
- Kathryn Reider (World Vision)
- Gwyneth Cotes (SPRING/JSI)
- Cori Mazzeo (USAID’s Maternal and Child Survival Program/Save the Children)
- Cindy Uttley (Samaritan’s Purse)
- Mychelle Farmer (Advancing Synergy)
- Regina Benevides (E2A Project/Pathfinder International)
- Debora Freitas (Chemonics International)
- Joseph Petraglia (Pathfinder International)
- Erin Pfeiffer (Food for the Hungry)
- Jesse Hartness (Save the Children)
- Emily Chambers-Sharpe (Medair)