James (Jim) Boomgard became DAI's President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2009. He has final executive responsibility for all aspects of DAI's performance: operational, financial, strategic, and marketing. A DAI employee since 1985, Jim has managed long-term projects overseas and in Washington and been a technical leader in the enterprise development and finance fields. Since 1998, Jim has served as Vice President of the former Finance, Banking, and Enterprise operating group; Vice President of Business Development; and Senior Vice President of Operations, before becoming Chief Operating Officer in 2005. In September 2006, he was appointed President, and as President and COO he was responsible for ensuring that DAI achieved its key annual performance targets and long-term strategic goals. He holds a B.A. in economics from Miami University, studied economics and the philosophy of science at the University of North Carolina, received a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Michigan State University, and completed the International Executive Program at INSEAD in 2005.
Tim Beans Senior Vice President, Business Operations
Tim Beans oversees DAI’s project management, contracts and procurement, legal, and corporate security functions, as well as the development of DAI’s international offices. Tim was formerly Senior Vice President for the Afghanistan and Pakistan Region with Chemonics International, an international development firm based in Washington, D.C. He joined Chemonics in 2007 after a successful career with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where he served as the Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Management Bureau and the Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance Bureau, and as the agency’s Chief Acquisition Officer and Procurement Executive. As Mission Director for the Regional Development Mission for Asia, based in Bangkok, he coordinated USAID's response to the tsunami in Thailand in 2004. Tim’s private industry experience includes working as a senior consultant to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu on a $2.5 billion fixed rail rapid transit system. In addition, he served as Vice President of Technology, Economics and Management (TEM) Associates. Tim began his career in international development with the Peace Corps in Venezuela. He holds an M.P.A. from American University in Washington, D.C.
Jean Gilson Senior Vice President, Strategy and Marketing Group
Jean first joined DAI in 1990 after her tenure at First National Bank of Chicago. After six years of service with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), she returned to DAI in 2006. Jean has 25 years of experience in the economic development field. With USAID, she worked for two years as Senior Policy Advisor to the Millennium Challenge Account Secretariat, serving as the key liaison between USAID and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Earlier, she served four years as the first USAID Representative in Hanoi since the end of the Vietnam War. She opened that office in September 2000. During her first 11 years at DAI, Jean led the firm into new technical services (privatization, finance and commercial services) and geographic areas (Eastern Europe). Her last position was as Managing Director for DAI offices in Hanoi, Bangkok, and Manila. Jean holds an M.A. in international law and economics from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, an M.B.A. equivalence certificate from the First National Bank of Chicago, and a B.A. in economics from Georgetown University.
Kevin brings 30 years of solid experience to his new role as CFO, where he is responsible for all of DAI’s finance and accounting functions. Prior to joining DAI, he spent nearly 15 years with Ernst & Young and his own accounting firm. In addition, during his 10-year tenure with Computer Sciences Corporation, his increasing level of responsibility ultimately led him to the position of Managing Director of a business unit operating in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Most recently, Kevin was the Industry Controller for a $700 million business unit of a large Northern Virginia-based firm. Kevin has a B.A. in Russian History from Amherst College and an M.S. in Accounting from Georgetown University.
Cindy Limoges Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Cindy oversees DAI’s corporate HR function in Bethesda. She has 25 years of experience working in the HR field for public and private companies, most recently as the Senior Vice President, HR for IDX Systems/GE Healthcare. She has particular expertise in the implementation of talent management programs and HR six sigma programs to improve process and efficiency. Cindy is highly knowledgeable in all areas of HR management, including compensation, benefits, leadership development, diversity, internal communications, policy development, and executive compensation programs. She is an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management and has earned a Global Professional Human Resource Certification (GPHR).
Julian Lob-Levyt Senior Vice President, Managing Director of DAI Europe
Dr. Lob-Levyt manages DAI’s London office and oversees the expansion of DAI’s portfolio with European clients. He also plays a leading role in the formulation and execution of DAI’s global mission to deliver results that improve lives in the developing world. Prior to joining DAI in November 2010, Julian served as Chief Executive Officer of the Geneva, Switzerland-based GAVI Alliance, a public-private global health partnership created in 2000 to increase access to immunization for children in the world’s poorest countries. Since 2000, more than 256 million children were vaccinated and 5.4 million premature deaths averted thanks to GAVI-funded programs. Before joining GAVI in 2005, Julian served as Senior Policy Adviser to the UNAIDS Executive Director, and prior to that he served for five years with the U.K. Department for International Development, initially as Chief Health and Population Adviser and then as Chief Human Development Adviser (covering health, education, and social protection). Earlier in his career, Julian taught and undertook research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Previous assignments include senior positions with the World Health Organization and the European Commission. Dr. Lob-Levyt has held long-term overseas postings in Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and the Solomon Islands.
Betsy Marcotte Senior Vice President for Operations
Elizabeth (Betsy) Marcotte was appointed Senior Vice President for Operations in September 2008. In this position, she leads DAI's core business operations, with overall responsibility for project technical excellence, project management and implementation, and business acquisition. Betsy's 30-year career working for private and public organizations around the world encompasses technical depth in the environmental arena and hands-on management experience overseeing various international environmental contracts for the U.S. Agency for International Development and multilateral lending institutions. From 2004 until her appointment as head of DAI's overall operations, Betsy served as vice president in DAI's agriculture and natural resources group, leading service areas ranging from natural resource management and climate change to agribusiness and alternative development.
SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Robert Dressen Senior Vice President, Project Management
Robert (Rob) Dressen is a banker with 25 years of experience in microfinance, commercial banking, and financial advisory services. He worked for Meridien BIAO S.A. for three years and Chase Manhattan Bank for 15 years, where he specialized in trade finance, branch operations, and credit and risk management. On joining DAI in 1997, he served as Chief of Party for two U.S. Agency for International Development-funded microfinance projects in Haiti—projects that became the microfinance reference point for all donors working in Haiti. Subsequently, in the Bethesda office, Rob led DAI's technical service offerings in economics, business, and finance. In his current position, he is charged with ensuring professionalism, quality assurance, and efficiency in DAI's project delivery. Rob holds an M.A. in business administration from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) in Glendale, Arizona, and a B.S. in business administration from the University of North Dakota.
Laura Viehmyer’s career spans 25 years in human resources and general management for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. She is responsible for all of DAI’s human resource functions, including benefits, compensation, employee relations, recruitment, talent management, and training and development. Before joining DAI in December 2010, Laura served as Vice President for Human Resources at United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), the Rockville, Maryland-based standards-setting authority for prescription and over-the-counter medicines and other healthcare products manufactured or sold in the United States. Her scope of responsibilities encompassed both USP’s headquarters in Rockville and its international offices and laboratories. Previously, she held executive and senior management positions at organizations including the American Institute of Architects, ICS USA, the American Council of Life Insurance, and the Arnold Palmer Golf Management Company. Laura holds a master of science degree in human resource management from the University of Maryland School of Management and Technology. She has also earned the following designations: Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS), and Certified Association Executive (CAE).
Zan Northrip joined DAI in 1995 after field assignments on privatization and financial sector projects in Africa and Central Asia. Since then, he has worked extensively on DAI's bank management projects and has managed three global indefinite quantity contracts held with the U.S. Agency for International Development. He also served as Chief of Party for a Washington, D.C.-based project in value chain strengthening and impact assessment. Beginning in late 2006, Zan led DAI's new business development function. As Vice President of Acquisitions, he ensured that DAI proposals and business acquisition processes embodied the highest standards of professionalism, quality assurance, and efficiency. In January 2010, Zan took over management of DAI’s Economic Growth Sector. Zan has a B.A. from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, and an M.A. in international economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He served on DAI's Board of Directors for two years.
Ann Hudock has broad technical, institutional, and geographic international development experience, specializing in civil society development, media sector support, and gender issues. Before joining DAI, she most recently served as Deputy Country Representative for The Asia Foundation in Vietnam. Previously, she served as the Senior Advisor for Democracy and Governance at World Learning, overseeing a global portfolio of projects and a knowledge generation and management program including global research and analysis on good governance and economic development. Ann has served as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. She has also worked at the U.S. Agency for International Development in the Global Bureau's Center for Democracy and Governance as a technical specialist on civil society development. She holds a Ph.D. in development studies from the University of Sussex in the U.K.
Jerry Martin has 25 years of experience managing, planning, developing, and implementing agricultural and agribusiness activities worldwide. In his current role, Jerry leads the Health Sector, mobilizing diverse DAI resources to tackle the challenges at the intersection of animal health, human health, and economic development. Prior to the creation of DAI's Health Sector, Jerry led an in-house team of avian influenza specialists and an extensive network of consultants and organizations to address the full range of animal and human health aspects of the disease. He holds an M.A. in applied anthropology from the State University of New York at Binghamton.
Bruce Spake joined DAI in 1982 as a member of the North Shaba Agriculture and Rural Development Project in Zaire, serving as Chief of Party in 1985 and 1986. From 1987 to 1992 he was an Area Development Officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Zaire, rejoining DAI in 1992 to serve as Chief of Party for the Mahaweli Agriculture and Rural Development Project in Sri Lanka from 1992 to 1995, and then as Chief of Party for the Business Finance Project in Bosnia from 1996 to 1998. Since returning in 1998 to DAI headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, Bruce has worked in various leadership roles, including as Vice President of DAI's pioneering work in Crisis and Conflict Mitigation and in Democratic Governance. As Managing Director of the Stability Sector, he now directs DAI's service offerings in the emerging Stability Operations field with the Department of Defense and in Crisis Mitigation and Recovery projects with USAID and other donors. Bruce holds an M.A. in English literature from the University of Georgia and speaks fluent French, Swahili, and Lingala.
Del McCluskey Managing Director, Environment and Energy Sector
An environment and natural resources specialist, Del spent 20 years designing and directing programs for the U.S. Agency for International Development. He held long-term overseas assignments for USAID in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and the Philippines, and developed new USAID programs in Vietnam, Laos, Burma, Pakistan, and Yemen. He holds an M.S. in tropical ecology/forestry from the University of Florida and a B.S. in forestry from Oregon State. Since joining DAI in 2004, he has led the development of innovative programs to improve water resources management and water and sanitation service delivery in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Said joined DAI in 1996 and led the launch of DAI Palestine in May 2004. He is currently Chief of Party on the USAID-financed Palestine Enterprise Development project. Said has 15 years of management and competitiveness consulting experience with manufacturing and services industries in the Middle East.
For 10 years, Nathanael Bourns has helped develop and implement DAI’s portfolio of microfinance and enterprise development projects in Latin America. Most recently, as Deputy Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development-funded AFIRMA project in Mexico, he led the project’s work in value chain analysis, rural and agricultural finance, and conservation of biodiversity, working with stakeholders to design, implement, and demonstrate new approaches to expand access to markets and services. He holds an M.A. in international policy and certification in trade from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California, and a post-graduate diploma in innovation management from the Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico, where he also serves as an adjunct professor for innovation management.
Brian Brewer joined DAI's London office as Director of Crisis Mitigation and Recovery in February 2007. Originally an irrigation engineer, Brian has an M.B.A. in the strategic management of change, and held senior positions with Agrisystems, Booker Tate, and Minster Agriculture prior to joining DAI. He has 25 years of experience managing major projects for the European Commission, the U.K. Department for International Development, the World Bank, and recently the U.S. Agency for International Development. Brian was the honorary British Consul to Liberia from 1998 to 2001.
Zahid Elahi is an economist with more than 20 years of experience specializing in decentralized governance, microfinance, and integrated institutional and community development. Before joining DAI, Zahid served for four years as Governance Technical Advisor for the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), where he coordinated projects between CIDA, other donors and nongovernmental organizations, and the Government of Pakistan. A native of Peshawar, Pakistan, Zahid in 1988 received his M.A in economics from Birkbeck College in London. He returned to Pakistan and served for eight years in increasingly responsible roles for the Government of the Northwest Frontier Provinces (NWFP), ultimately serving as a Chief of Section in the Department of Planning, Environment, and Development. Beginning in 1994, Zahid worked for seven years as a Section Chief and Chief Executive for three organizations in the NWFP that performed projects in credit and enterprise, food security, employment, and other public service areas. He then worked for the World Bank for 18 months as a Team Leader in City Development Strategy before joining CIDA. Zahid has conducted more than 30 consultancies and written extensively on community-level governance and finance, poverty alleviation, Islamic principles as applied to development, and food security. He received meritorious service awards from the Canadian Army and Government of Canada for his efforts during the South Asia Earthquake emergency and relief operations of 2005.
Jamal Al-Jabiri is tasked with broadening and deepening DAI's long history of delivering development results in Jordan. Originally a banker, Jamal received his M.B.A. from the University of Stirling in Scotland, and spent 10 years at The Housing Bank for Trade and Finance in Amman. Jamal joined DAI in 2008 after a distinguished 11-year career with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Jordan, most recently as Deputy Director of the Office of Economic Opportunities. As a Cognizant Technical Officer for USAID, Jamal designed and managed the largest USAID Economic Opportunities projects in Jordan and managed a privatization program that became the model partnership between USAID, the World Bank, and the Government of Jordan.
Claudia Manning is a development practitioner with many years of experience in the South African development arena. Since 2003, she has served as Executive Director of Sangena Investments, a South African consulting and investment company with expertise in economic development, infrastructure finance, and industrial and trade policy issues. Dr. Manning has worked across the private and public sectors, in management and governance positions. She has performed a wide range of advisory assignments, spanning development issues such as the financing of municipal infrastructure; local economic development; public-private partnerships in infrastructure delivery; black economic empowerment (BEE) and other mechanisms to enhance the economic and social impact of infrastructure projects; and regional development and integration programmes such as the Spatial Development Initiative. Dr. Manning serves as a nonexecutive director for a number of South African companies, including the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), where she also serves on the Board’s Credit and Investment Committee; the DBSA Development Fund, where she also chairs the Risk Committee; SSI Engineers and Environmental Consultants; and Roadcrete Africa. She is a member of the Presidential BEE Council and holds M.Phil. and D.Phil. degrees from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, U.K.
Doug McLean Vice President, International Operations
Doug McLean oversees the company’s international offices in London, Palestine, Jordan, Islamabad, Mexico City, and Johannesburg, ensuring effective coordination with DAI technical sectors and support departments. From 2005 to 2008, he managed what was then the Private Sector Development Practice. He was responsible for program impact and quality, contract and corporate policy compliance, and profitability of 36 field-based projects with annual revenue exceeding $50 million. Over the course of his 20-year career, Doug has established and managed private and public sector consulting and training programs for microfinance institutions (MFIs), banks, credit unions, finance companies, and small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging economies. He has designed and managed numerous industry, association, and institutional development programs and provided direct assistance to small, medium-sized, and large industries interested in expanding local procurement via linkages and export opportunities. Doug has managed five multiyear projects for the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Kurt Olsson began his career in business development with GE Aerospace in the late 1980s. After leaving GE, he worked for several of the largest civil engineering firms in the United States, before moving on to become managing editor of Corrections Today, the flagship magazine of the American Correctional Association. Between 1996 and 1998, he served in the Peace Corps, teaching English at a university in southern Kyrgyzstan. Shortly after his return to the United States, Kurt joined DAI, where he has held a series of increasingly responsible positions across the firm, most focused on new business development. As Managing Director of Acquisitions, he ensures that DAI proposals and business acquisition processes embody the highest standards of professionalism, quality assurance, and efficiency. Kurt received his B.A. in English from Colby College and holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from George Mason University. He also is the author of several award-winning books of poetry.
Michael F. Walsh Managing Director, Center for Development Excellence
Over his nearly 30-year career—including tenures as the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) contracting officer in Bangladesh, Egypt, and East Africa—Mike Walsh has managed some of the most successful and innovative projects in the USAID portfolio. As USAID’s Chief Acquisition Officer and procurement executive from 2004 to 2007, he directed 125 professionals in Washington as well as more than 250 staff overseas. He was responsible for approximately $8 billion in contracts and grants per year, and resolved contracting issues in Iraq, Afghanistan, and 75 other overseas missions. From 2007 to 2010, as director of programs for finance, grants, and contracts at InsideNGO, he directed training, advocacy, and services for member chief financial officers and grant/contract managers, working with 260 nongovernmental organizations in international development and humanitarian relief. As the Managing Director of DAI’s Center for Development Excellence (CDE), Mike leads the Center’s efforts to build the capacity of practitioners and organizations worldwide to track, bid on, win, implement, and responsibly account for development contracts and grants. His immense experience gives the CDE a solid platform from which to serve local organizations, governments, and international donors that seek the training, systems, and advisory services they need to build effective and compliant organizations.
Colonel (Retired) Barry Shapiro Vice President, Global Security
Colonel (Ret.) Barry Shapiro oversees the coordination of security and development objectives at DAI locations worldwide. Colonel Shapiro served most of his career as an Army Special Forces Officer. He has conducted special operations training missions and counterterrorism, counterdrug, peacekeeping, and humanitarian assistance operations throughout Southeast and Central Asia. He performed security assistance, political-military, military advisory, and military liaison duties in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Pakistan, and Thailand. His 52-month deployment on Operation Enduring Freedom included extensive counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations in the Afghanistan/Pakistan border region, and various senior civil-military assignments. Most recently, he served as a civil-military advisor on the U.S. Agency for International Development-funded Capacity Building Program in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan , based in Peshawar and Islamabad. Colonel Shapiro holds advanced degrees in strategic studies, military arts and science, and Southeast Asian studies. He speaks Thai, Khmer, Lao, and Pashto.
As Senior Director of Strategic Marketing, Tim is responsible for DAI's market research and positioning, external communications, and knowledge management. Before joining DAI, he served as Managing Director of the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign (USGLC), a coalition of more than 400 major companies and nongovernmental organizations working in support of the highest level of funding for the International Affairs Budget. As Managing Director, Tim managed the USGLC's operations, coordinated government relations efforts, and implemented initiatives to build bipartisan support for international affairs funding. Previously, he served as Chief of Staff to former U.S. Representative Clarence D. Long (D-MD), who was Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations. Additionally, he served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative Bart Gordon (D-TN) and on the professional staff of the House Committee on Rules. Following his career in the U.S. House, Tim joined Fluor Corporation, the world's largest public engineering and construction company, where he led government relations and global marketing functions, and served as Chief of Staff for Fluor's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Lawrence Campbell Vice President, Information Management and Technology
Larry oversees the information technology support provided by the Office of Information Management and Technology (OIMT), managing the development and implementation of systems that respond effectively to corporate strategies and objectives. He also coordinates activities between OIMT and the rest of DAI.
Joy White oversees DAI's international recruitment efforts for projects and proposals. Prior to her appointment as Director of Recruitment, Joy served for five years as a Group Manager and then Senior Group Business Manager in DAI's enterprise, banking, and finance practices. Before joining DAI, she spent four years as a consultant and team leader at Andersen Consulting; worked for the U.S. Departments of Treasury and Commerce as a financial and trade analyst, respectively; and served for five years as a Foreign Service Officer in Italy. A speaker of five languages, Joy holds a foreign service degree from Georgetown University and an M.B.A. from George Washington University.
Daniel Hogan Vice President, New Business Management
Dan has 24 years of experience in commercial credit, corporate finance, and transaction structuring for the public and private sectors. He is a senior DAI banker, having served as Vice President and as a Senior Corporate Finance and Commercial Lending Officer for the Chase Manhattan Bank. At DAI, he has led marketing and business development functions, and has managed numerous proposal teams in the pursuit of strategic business opportunities. He has served as the project manager for the Support for Economic Growth and Institutional Reform-Financial Services (SEGIR-FS) indefinite quantity contract, as a member of DAI's Board of Directors, and as a DAI Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) trustee.
Kent Piper Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis
Kent Piper joined DAI in 2003 after 13 years as a Senior Manager with Arthur Andersen, where he led process, technology, and change programs for Andersen's global organization. At DAI, Kent leads the business planning and budgeting functions for both home and field offices, providing timely financial reporting and tools to the Executive Team. Kent also oversees the treasury and financial management functions, financial aspects of the employee stock ownership plan, administrative functions such as facilities planning, and global security.
Gary Kinney Senior Director, Contracts, Pricing,and Procurement
Gary Kinney has 25 years of experience in contract and grant management and project implementation for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Starting his international career as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, Gary served in various senior-level contract positions at USAID, including being named as the first USAID Procurement Ombudsman in charge of re-engineering the central contract process and overseeing outreach to the contractor and grantee community of project implementers. He subsequently served as Director of the Office of Contracts at USAID/Egypt, the largest USAID overseas mission at the time, and regional director of contracts and grants at USAID/Georgia, covering the South Caucasus region. After his USAID career, he spent two years as Director of Contracts and Grants at International Relief and Development. Gary holds a B.S. in English education from the University of Maine and an M.S. in international business from American University. He is a certified public contract manager and a member of the National Contract Management Association.