Bill Bridgeford, Ma, Applied Community Development Email & Phone Number

Brattleboro, Vermont, United States

The primary point of contact for Peace Corps applicants in the region, as well as the Agency liaison to community and campus influencers and stakeholders. My mission is to identify and recruit qualified and diverse candidates for Peace Corps service, to raise community awareness of the Peace Corps brand, and to strengthen the links between the Agency, community organizations, and institutions of higher learning throughout the area. As a Senior Recruiter, I have additional responsibilities to support Regional Recruitment Supervisors, participate in special ad hoc assignments as needed, mentor incoming recruiters, and support Peace Corps Campus Ambassadors and Strategic Campus Recruiters in my region.

New Orleans, La Region

Operating in the territory of Louisiana and Southern Mississippi, I am the primary point of contact for Peace Corps applicants in the region, as well as the Agency liaison to community and campus influencers and stakeholders. My mission is to identify and recruit qualified and diverse candidates for Peace Corps service, to raise community awareness of the Peace Corps brand, and to strengthen the links between the Agency, community organizations, and institutions of higher learning throughout the area.

Ohrid, Macedonia

During my extended service, I have facilitated and coordinated numerous capacity building initiatives with individuals and community organizations. The Community Garden Consortium I founded links youth from Ohrid secondary schools with older volunteers from the Red Cross, Bisera Women’s Organization, and Youth Action Club to learn and use leadership and collaboration skills to address issues of food insecurity in the community.The GLOW/YMLP (Girls Leading Our World/Young Men’s Leadership Project) Youth Club I founded and mentor offers participatory, curriculum-supported activities in personal and leadership development. Club members, in addition to managing the Community Garden, undertake activities such as community beautification projects and environmental recycling days. The Student Resource Center I developed serves as a hub for applied learning, offering workshop-based instruction in Business, IT, and Leadership Skills Development. Through participation in hub activities, facilitated by 11 Macedonian colleagues trained in student-centered teaching strategies, almost 200 high school students have received a full series of trainings in at least one subject area.I supported my project work through authorship and administration of three grants, and as a Small Grants Committee Advisor, evaluated 50+ grants written by fellow PCVs, and personally mentored a dozen Volunteers on their successful grant submissions. I improved the administrative capacities of the senior staff at my school by developing computer-based data tracking tools to collect and analyze student performance, and tripled the size and usage of the English language library. I’ve mentored over 100 students in English Language Skills development. Several of my students have gone on to place in national language competitions, and two students secured scholarships to study abroad, in part based on their improved English language proficiency.

Yangon, Myanmar

As advisor to Karen Development Network (October 2013-June 2014) and Thadar Consortium II (July 2014-March 2015), I worked with the Executive and Senior staff to improve the organizational administrative capacities to the point where the organizations could liaise directly with international donors without the need for AAM to serve as the lead agency or funds administrator. As advisor to Hulango Land Development Organization, I worked with the Managing Director to clarify roles and responsibilities of the organization’s management team and develop specific strategies to implement the MoU between Action Aid Myanmar and HLDO across project villages in Chin state. As consultant to the Community-based Tourism project, I advised the Action Aid project management team on infrastructure and facilities requirements, operations procedures, and entrepreneurship best practices. As project coordinator for Assistance to Conflict Affected Populations and Southeast Infrastructure Rehabilitation Projects, I was the primary link between Action Aid and the executive committee of implementing partners. I managed Action Aid project budgets and oversaw coordination between project management staff and field teams. I undertook monitoring and evaluation visits to project sites, supervised the collation and analysis of project data, and supervised report generation to donors.

Marshall Islands

While posted to Ebeye Public Middle School (August 2009-June 2010), I instructed students in English language, World History, Geography, Physical Education, and Environmental Studies. At the request of the school’s principal, I developed several revenue generation streams for the school to supplement insufficient budget allocations. Deliverables: The Physical Education Program, a no-cost, co-ed physical education regimen conducted each morning for all students; The Green Club, where student members learned island-appropriate waste management practices; The Online Purchasing Program, which allowed school administrators access to online purchasing platforms to obtain best prices on school equipment and office supplies; the Online Call Center, which allowed residents to contact relatives overseas through online calling platforms for a fraction of the cost charged by the local provider. While posted to the National Vocational Training Institute (August 2010-June 2011), I instructed students in English language and basic computing skills. Deliverables: The Vocational Culinary Training Program, which placed six students per year in skills training internships that guaranteed future employment after graduation from high school.

Laguna Beach

I offered freelance and contract consulting services to clients in the food service and hospitality industries, specializing in start-up and turn-around operations for a variety of dining concepts.

As a recruited member of the Defense Services Management Team, I was the unit manager for four dining facilities at USMCB Camp Pendleton. I managed aggregate budgets of $3 million+, and staff of 300+. I served as a District Training Coordinator, and was a District Delegate to the Sodexo Council on Diversity. I was the 2004 recipient of Regional Service Award for Customer Service and Client Retention for conceptualizing and developing “SubMARINE dining concept.

Master Of Arts - Ma, Applied Community Development

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

Continuing Education, Liberal Arts And Sciences/Liberal Studies