After seven years of exemplary service as Senior Vice President, Jeannine B. Scott has announced her departure from Africare.
"It's been an honor, privilege and pleasure for me to work for an organization whose mandate is so important and to have been able to pursue my life's passion," Scott said as she reflected on her time at the oldest and largest African-American led organization working exclusively to provide development and humanitarian assistance to Africa.
Scott has made significant contributions that will leave the organization stronger than when she joined it. As Senior Vice President, Scott oversaw Africare's operations of over 200 projects in 23 countries as well as the establishment of offices in France and Canada. She was particularly active in working with regional directors, as well as other staff across the organization, to find potential opportunities to increase programming, nearly tripling program operations to a record of $80 million in 2009 alone. "She leaves an endearing legacy at Africare for having helped engender the sense of family which underpins Africare's heritage, culture and success to-date," Africare President, Darius Mans noted.
Additionally, Scott managed the development of the organization's current Strategic Plan and established the Africare Office of Food for Development, which has generated over $100 million in resources for the organization to-date. She introduced a focus on women and gender as an integral part of all Africare programs and distinguished Africare's role in the water and sanitation sector at both the global policy level and the operational level.
Scott opened new global opportunities for funding and for raising Africare's profile by forging and expanding relationships with private sector donors and multilateral agencies in the U.S., Europe and Africa. Her strong relationships with African governments led Africare to serve as a partner in the inaugural 2009 African First Ladies Health Summit that was attended by 22 African First Ladies in Los Angeles, California.
As Africare's representative to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Scott ensured that Africare was recognized by the United Nations and other international organizations as a critical partner. Reacting to news of Scott's departure, Mary Pack, Vice President for Domestic and International Affairs at the International Medical Corps said, "I worked closely with Jeannine on a number of collective initiatives and saw first hand the important contributions she made not only on behalf of Africare but on behalf of the humanitarian and development community as a whole."
A graduate of Vassar College, Scott also earned a Masters in International Relations from Yale University. She began her professional career with Africare in several ascending capacities beginning as a Program Manager at headquarters in Washington, DC, and culminating in the appointment as Country Representative to Senegal, with simultaneous responsibilities in Mauritania, Cape Verde and The Gambia (making it a total of 14 years tenure at Africare). She then served at the African Development Bank, first as a bank staff member, and then as a U.S. appointee as Advisor and Alternate to the U.S. Executive Director, before returning to Africare as Senior Vice President in 2003. Scott is the recipient of several prestigious awards including the Palme d'Excellence by President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the 2009 DAWN Mentor by the Diaspora African Women's Network. She also serves as a board or advisory member to numerous well-known organizations including The Council of Foreign Relations, Millennium Water Alliance, Yale University, The World Food Law Institute of Howard University Law School and North Carolina Central University. She is the coordinator of the African American Unity Caucus (AAUC), a member of the Council of Foreign Relations and the Women's Foreign Policy Group, and she served on the Working Groups for the United Kingdom's Empowering African Women, the Center for Global Development's African Development Bank and the Inter-Action Humanitarian Partners Working Group of which she was the Co-chair.
"Talented, jovial and hard working, Jeannine the gazelle of Africare, will be leaving the organization with a wealth of experience and history." Africare's longest serving employee and current Senior Country Representative, Al-Hassana Outman- Sherriff remarked "Undoubtedly, she will continue helping the people of the African desert."
Scott moves on to the private sector, continuing her life's commitment to Africa's development. Her last day at Africare will be March 26, 2010.
Africare is a leading non-profit organization specializing in African development aid. It is also the oldest and largest African-American led organization in that field. Since its founding in 1970, Africare has delivered more than $800 million in assistance and support — over 2,500 projects and millions of beneficiaries — to 36 countries Africa-wide. Africare has its international headquarters in Washington, DC, with field offices currently in some 23 African countries.
