ME&A Eager to Connect With Returned Peace Corps Volunteers at Virtual Career Fair
Recently Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) looking for their next career move or simply not sure what their next step will be are invited to stop by ME&A’s virtual career booth at the U.S. Peace Corps’ virtual career fair Thursday, January 25, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
“I’m always happy to connect with other RPCVs, build community, and work toward a prosperous and more inclusive future for the Peace Corps,” said ME&A Project Coordinator Kenneth “Ken” Goughnour who served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin between 2013 and 2015 and also serves as the volunteer community engagement and outreach director for the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, D.C. (RPCV/W), contributing additional networking expertise to support and guide RPCVs at job fairs.
Mr. Goughnour along with ME&A Director of Human Resources Lizette Laserna Salvador and ME&A Office Administrative Assistant Dulce Alanna Lejarde will staff the booth and discuss how Peace Corps experience provides an excellent background for ME&A’s USAID, U.S. Department of State, and World Bank projects worldwide.
“I am excited to have the opportunity to meet wonderful professionals such as those attending this event,” Ms. Salvador. said. “You can chat with me to learn about ME&A’s job opportunities or ask me to share my experiences in international development. We can exchange information on your work experiences and career aspirations to gauge your career fit. Let’s chat!”
ME&A has several vacancies and hopes to hire even more returned Peace Corps volunteers. Besides Mr. Goughnour, ME&A’s Chief Development Officer Lenoure Recanatini and ME&A’s long-time former Vice President for Marketing and Business Development Loren Schulze, Ph.D., also started their careers with the Peace Corps along with dozens of other ME&A employees and consultants over the past 30 years.
Read more about life at ME&A and ME&A staff members and interns by clicking on the links below:
- Mr. Goughnour elaborating on how his Peace Corps expertise and unique background equips him to mentor RPCVs at job fairs.
- Summer 2023 Intern Mira Levin-Antila reflecting on her time at ME&A working on monitoring, evaluation, learning (MEL) projects related to Ukraine and Syrian refugees among other current global events.
- Former Vice President for Marketing and Business Development Loren Schulze, Ph.D. reflecting on spending the first Earth Day as a Peace Corps volunteer on the banks of the Amazon.
- Senior Program Manager Christopher Coffman who took 15 months off work to travel around the world with his wife.
- Summer 2018 intern Bezawit “Beza” Fekadu who joined Chemonics International after college graduation.
- Contracts and Compliance Director Ani Madriz, who began telecommuting from Texas during the pandemic to be closer to her daughter and family.
- Summer 2022 Intern Mark Ferrer hired as a full-time records and database assistant.
- Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Wondimu Wolde detailing in a Q&A format why he enjoys working at ME&A.
- Ms. Lejarde, a fall 2022 intern, hired as human resources and administrative assistant after using her internship to make a pandemic career change.
Returned Peace Corps volunteers can still register for the career fair here.