Andrea Mariño Varela Email & Phone Number

United States

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Oversee the implementation of economic development and humanitarian projects in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), financed by the US federal government and private sector donors, to ensure they achieve their objectives. Manage programmatic, operational, and financial aspects across six projects totaling US $15 million.- Track project financial and operational performance, identifying and resolving issues to ensure activities adhere to budgets and timelines.- Lead the creation of programmatic, operational, and financial reports for donors, maintaining quality control of internal and external reporting according to USAID and private donor standards.- Serve as the primary contact for US agencies, government institutions, private sector donors, and civil society to cultivate enduring relationships. Assist Country Directors (Colombia & Dominican Republic) and Project Managers in establishing connections with relevant institutions.- Foster knowledge management and sharing by deeply understanding projects and effectively communicating aims, goals, and results to diverse stakeholders.- Provide operational guidance to project teams, ensuring high-quality and timely support. Monitor consultant contracts to ensure outputs are submitted promptly.- Contribute to various project management and new business development tools including Request for Proposals, TORs, due diligence, and agreements, among others.

Chicago, Illinois, Estados Unidos

Program Manager for Nonprofit Organizations at The University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement – Community Programs Accelerator- Provided counseling to the Chicago South Shore Chamber of Commerce concerning program design and evaluation, community partnership development, and financial and fundraising advising; developed fundraising strategy for current fiscal year- Tracked project progress and updated organizational leadership on project challenges

Chicago, Illinois, Estados Unidos

Research Assistant for Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science, Michael Albertus Ph.D- Developed quantitative and qualitative research related to land and social policy through literature review of 15+ academic papers

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

New business development — Summer InternPeace, Justice, and Security Division- Assisted Program Manager in the development of new business proposals through construction of strategies, concept papers, budget and budget forecasting for public biddings presented by INL/Department of State and USAID regarding projects related to justice, security, and peace in LATAM and the Caribbean; conducted bids in Belize (USD 1MM) and Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and Ecuador (USD 4MM)- Edited documents by providing input and comments to improve the quality of quarterly reports regarding 5 projects administrated by PADF in Colombia, Ecuador, and Belize- Amplified networking opportunities by attending relevant conferences, workshops, or meetings to position Division among key stakeholders

Bogotá, Distrito Capital, Colombia

Large-Scale Rural Formalization and Adjudication Directorate- Led articulation between Directorate and national authorities (ministries, federal and state administrations) in 24 prioritized territories to accomplish the implementation of Colombia's Comprehensive Rural Reform (CRR) –first pillar of Peace Agreement with FARC guerrilla–- Coordinated efforts between the Directorate's regional offices and main financial, legal, and operational teams to achieve goals set by Presidential High Councils (PHC)- Acted as liaison with international stakeholders (USAID, FCDO-UK, UN Agencies, World Bank, IABD) for accurate policy execution; promoted cross-reaching solutions on behalf of the Agency with main stakeholders (national authorities, multilateral partners, and ethnic/racial/local leaders)

Bogotá D.C. Area, Colombia

Large-Scale Rural Formalization and Adjudication Directorate - Monitored fifteen teams belonging to Directorate and its two Sub-Directorates towards fulfillment of goals established by PHC and CRR in 14 prioritized municipalities, to achieve actualization of 5% of national rural cadaster and formalization of 3 million hectares between 2018-2022- Served as communication liaison with PHC regarding development of SURUL policy in primary territories for fulfillment of short-term goals- Coordinated provision of information for achieving Multipurpose Cadaster Project funded by USD 150 million loan offered by World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank; articulated institutional responses of requests by State Control entities (Congress, Attorney's Office), Strategic partners (World Bank, IDB, USAID, FAO, IMO, PNUD, Swiss Cooperation, UK Programme Funds) and public opinion, mainly in Spanish (80%) but occasionally in English (20%)- Built strategic communication tools to the Director related to progress, achievements, and development of execution of SURUL policy and Multipurpose Cadastre Project; prepared weekly reports, talking points, and presentations for the Director's internal and external meetings and seminars- Assembled data and information on behalf of the Director regarding the Directorate's development by writing concise reports for a wide range of audiences such as State Government, Press, Presidential Offices, Ministries, Public Corporations, and Political Organizations, among others; reviewed and edited among twelve documents, proposals, briefs, and summaries per week- Co-authored with Director and Land Observatory paper about SURUL policy pilot project in Colombia, presented at World Bank’s Land and Poverty Conference 2020

Bogotá, Bogotá D.C. Department, Colombia

Researcher and Senior Legislative Associate for the President the First Commission, The House of Representatives. Congress of the Republic of Colombia- Headed research initiatives for President of First Commission regarding Commission’s daily agenda and private policy initiatives concerning, e.g., constitutional reforms, macroeconomic policy, national and territorial organization, peace policy, fintech policy, national security- Generated crucial research papers on the potential effects of policy proposals discussed at the Commission, e.g., tax reform, anti-corruption system, armed conflict, healthcare policies, energy policies, macroeconomic policies, political and electoral reforms, education reform- Kept track of parliamentary discussions and analyzed policy initiatives of national relevance for Congressman’s accurate decision-making during plenary sessions- Hosted periodic meetings with House and Senate Members, Chiefs of Staff, Ministers, business representatives, diplomats, and media regarding Parliamentary Agenda

Bogotá D.C. Area, Colombia

Press and External Relations Secretary to Colombian former Vice-President Mr. Humberto De La Calle- Issued strategic documents, media briefs, and talking points for adequate exposure of the Candidate at encounters with stakeholders (press, politicians, party representatives, businessmen, economic conglomerates, unions, and civic organizations)- Represented the Candidate before national and international press establishing strategic relationships- Delivered daily detailed information about the Candidate's trips and meetings to +100 national and international media; responded +20 daily inquiries about national and international conjunctures in (70% Spanish, 30% English: The Economist, Bloomberg, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters,Associated Press, The Sunday Times)- Socialized the Candidate's government program with external audiences (unions, civic organizations, NGOs, and IGOs)

Bogotá D.C. Area, Colombia

Account Executive in Public Affairs & Crisis Management- Managed accounts (Private Equity firms, Finance Corp., Fintech, Law firms, Pharma companies, Oil & Gas Corp., Energy Corp., Multilateral Organizations, Education Funds) building strategies to enhance interactions with public sector entities (Congress, Presidency & Executive Offices, Ministries, Control Entities) and the press (70% Spanish, 30% English)- Monitored daily congressional activities and analyzed public policy effects for clients; coordinated weekly meetings between clients and congressional staff, NGOs, governmental representatives, and institutional representatives to facilitate dialogue over legislative initiatives- Created high-quality internal and external communication tools (70% Spanish, 30% English), e.g., client presentations, press materials, scripts, newsletter articles, op-eds, trade features, and social media posts, while developing a network with media actors

Master Of Public Policy - Mpp, Public Policy Analysis

Pearson Fellow - The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts Harris Ambassador - Finance and Policy Certificate.

Summer School, Global Politics, Security And Development

Scholarship awarded

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Political Science, Political Science And Government

Major in Political Science Minor in Journalism

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.) International Affairs

Exchange semester

High School

Academic Excellence Award