Thomas Tauras Email & Phone Number

Nairobi, Kenya

Church World Service Africa operates the Resettlement Support Center Africa, RSC, funded by the US State Department, to manage the resettlement process for all refugees from Sub Saharan Africa to the USA. CWS also implements disaster relief, community development and resilience work, as well as protection, across Africa. Since World War II, Church World Service has resettled more than 800,00 refugees in the USA.

Nairobi, Kenya

Responsible for the strategic planning, operation, financial management and administration of Health, Youth Development, Youth Livelihoods and Employ-ability, Technical and Vocational Education, Education and Early Childhood Development programs in 12 countries from Egypt to Kazakhstan. Supervise regional staff and country directors, formulate and oversee the development and implementation of the 5 year Regional Strategic Plan. Review, approve and responsible for national plans and budgets totalling $90 million. Annual growth of the regional portfolio was 30% on average over 5 years. Responsible for recruitment and direct supervision of Country Directors and two Deputy Regional Directors. Our team includes senior Regional Technical Advisors including Youth Development and Livelihoods, Education, Child Protection, Monitoring & Evaluation, and the Regional Comptroller’s Office. Total staff complement of 400. Overall responsibility for developing and sustaining relations with donors including USAID, The US Department Labor, The US State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, The US State Department Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, DFID, UNDP, UNICEF, WFP, the Ford Foundation, Exxon Mobile Foundation, The Office of the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, the European Union among other private public partnerships.

Westport, Connecticut

Responsible for economic and social development operations in 42 countries. Combined annual budgets increased during this period from $90 to $250 million. Supervised field-based Area Directors in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribean, and the Middle East and Eurasia. Led a senior staff of 12 in Save’s headquarters. Represented Regional and Field Directors as a member of the International Program Senior Management Team. Special assignments included immediate deployment to the Aceh Tsunami for 6 months, responsible for procurement/logistics and Special Management Advisor to the Team Leader for a response funded at more than $150 million; first Team Leader for the Katrina disaster, SC’s first domestic disaster response; Special Management Advisor for 4 months to the Pakistan Earthquake response in NWFP.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale Area

Responsible for the development, operation and administration of health, education and microcredit programs with a focus on women and children for 8 country programs. Formulated and oversaw implementation of the Regional Strategic Plan, including major review and restructuring. Reviewed and approved national plans and budgets totaling $10 million annually. Supervised emergency relief responses for El Salvador earthquake and hurricane responses in Nicaragua and Haiti.

Guatemala

Established "Better Health for Rural Mayan Women and Children Project," a $9.3 million USAID funded project to increase access to quality reproductive, family planning, and child health services to remote, conflict effected Mayan communities. Built the managerial capacity of 25 local NGOs to expand health and development activities. Recruited and trained a staff of 25; established a central and three regional offices; developed computerized financial, administrative and personnel management systems. Identified 10 Mayan, women's based, NGO partners in isolated mountain locations, negotiated Agreements and developed implementation plans. Planned and supervised all aspects needed to support a team of 40 to conduct baseline surveys in approximately 50 communities in which four Mayan languages are spoken. Initiated and led emergency response to floods in the Ixil Triangle.Conceptualized and negotiated a Joint Project with the InterAmerican Development Bank, Guatemalan MOH and Open Society Initiative to provide $3.7 million to expand this network and establish the "Mayan Health Alliance" to replace PCI in its national coordination and management role. Secured additional funds to construct and equip 5 rural primary health care clinics. Developed a Regional Strategy for PCI for the 21st Century.

San Diego, California

PROGRAM OPERATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT; Reporting to the Executive Director, responsible for domestic and international programs in 12 countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Annual budget of $12 million and 120 staff. Participated in all Board meetings; assisted the Operations Committee Chair in preparing for and conducting meetings. Developed and defended the Annual Field Budget and the $750,000 Program Department Budget. Prepared program updates, special reports and policy papers for the Board of Directors. As a member of Senior Staff, participated in all major decisions, including recruitment and personnel policy developments and headquarters management and administration. Evaluated country directors' performance.Represented PCI to officials of the Departments of State, Health and Human Services, the EPA, USDA, Peace Corps, EU and UN bodies, World Bank, InterAmerican Development Bank, US and European PVOs, contractors and vendors, and the diplomatic community. Established PCI presence in Africa by securing $7.5 million for programs in Eritrea and Zambia and personally establishing new offices in both countriesProvided technical assistance to the Executive Director and the Board of Directors of the San Francisco-based East Meets West Foundation (EMWF). Developed project proposals to fund activity in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Bucharest, Romania

Responsible for design, fund raising and implementation of programs supporting national child welfare reform and child protection and rights, MCH, and modernization of the national medical and health care systems in the wake of the fall of the communist regime and significant civil conflict.

Guatemala City

Designed, organized, secured $20 million in funding for and managed a nationwide Integrated Community Development program. Starting from "ground zero" developed a strategy and administered a program that built the capacity of 63, primarily indigenous NGOs located in the Altiplano, to provide employability and livelihood support services to 100,000 women.

Kolkata Area, India

Managed program activities valued at $25 million annually. Developed, initiated, wrote, and negotiated funding to transform a traditional, charity-oriented food aid program into a time-bound, rural Development project. Managed the transition from relief to development activities including responsibility for developing and carrying out a new geographic targeting strategy (in an area of 240 million people). Supervised a staff of 30 in Calcutta. Made recommendations adopted by headquarters to reorient activities India-wide, including a major staff reorganization. Developed and managed an effort to strengthen the developmental and financial management capabilities of 28 Indian NGOs, including Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, in remote tribal areas of Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and politically unstable northeast India. Working with the leadership of indigenous NGOs, developed additional resources to improve education and livelihoods services for tribal girls, with the specific goal of developing women leaders among tribal communities. Provided technical assistance in advocacy efforts for promotion of gender issues to indigenous NGOs.Worked closely with Mother Teresa, meeting monthly to discuss matters of mutual interest. Served as the informal liaison between her and the diplomatic community. Arranged visits, escorted and introduced members of official delegations to Mother, including from the Board of Directors of CRS, the US Congress, the White House, and other countries; Supervised 13 country programs from Morocco to Samoa. Responsibilities included Egypt, India, the Philippines, the Vietnamese and Cambodian Refugee effort in Thailand, and Indonesia. Formulated and oversaw implementation of the 5 Year Regional Strategy. Reviewed and approved plans and budgets. Evaluated programs, projects, and personnel. Participated in the Annual Meeting of the Board

Bachelor Of Arts (Ba), Community Studies, Sociology, Theology

Activities and Societies: Secretary/Treasurer of the Council for the International Lay Apostolate, fund raising to support 40 student.

International Development And Social Change

Activities and Societies: in addition to graduate course work, assigned as Research Assistant as well as Teaching Assistant.

Graduate; Masters, Public Administration

With focus on development of indigenous peoples and their production systems University of Oklahoma, Overseas Extension Service Okinawa.