Peace Corps Community in the News
Week of June 8, 2025
Sharing international experiences in agriculture (The Vegetable Grower), by Gordon Johnson (Seychelles 1980-82), in The Delmarva Farmer | June 6, 2025.
The United States goes through periods when we turn inward and alter our international relationships. However, many farmers and professionals on Delmarva working in agriculture have had their lives enriched by international experiences. In my case, I spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer working as an extension officer in the Seychelles islands where I worked directly with farmers, taught at a Farmers Training School, cooperated with the agricultural research center, interacted with many workers from international organizations and developed programs to educate and assist local growers growing tropical fruits and vegetables.
New Role for Ephrat Livni in The New York Times | June 6, 2025.
Ephrat Livni (Senegal 2001-02)) officially joins the International desk as a breaking news correspondent. Ephrat is a reporter turned lawyer who came back to journalism after exploring the inner workings of jails, courts, nonprofits and corporations. In 2020, she joined The Times’s DealBook newsletter, covering business policy in Washington on a beat that spanned the White House, Congress and administrative agencies.
Archdiocese has long ties to Catholic Relief Services' mission, by Wes Cipolla in The Pilot | June 6, 2025.
Growing up one of seven children in West Roxbury, Ken Hackett (Ghana 1968-71) said the Catholic Church was omnipresent in his childhood. He was an altar boy and played CYO basketball. A pastor was there at the start of every football game. He attended parochial school and Boston College High School, where he learned about the Jesuit tradition of service to others. "We were always encouraged to help other people where we could, so it was just part of who we were," he said.
Paintings of multitalented John MacKay to be featured in exhibit, by Daniel Johnson in the Sonoma Index Tribune | June 9, 2025.
Destruction and disruption caused by the 2017 wildfires presented a host of major challenges to Sonoma Valley residents, but to the late John MacKay (Eswatini 1975-77), they also instigated a creative turning point. “The fires were such a devastating event for the area and really shook people up in ways that still resonate,” said Amy MacKay, one of his daughters. “My dad said that for him, the experience caused a ‘profound emotional shift.’ The stark reality of destruction, of beauty and life erased in an instant, rekindled a deep urgency to return to painting.
Iowa Nonprofit Alliance names executive director, by Business Record Staff in Business Record | June 9, 2025.
The Iowa Nonprofit Alliance, a statewide association representing Iowa’s 23,000 nonprofit organizations, has hired its first full-time executive director, Alex Rice. Rice is a seventh-generation Iowan and West Des Moines native with experience in nonprofit leadership, international service, and youth programming. Her early career took her from France to West Africa, where she served in the Peace Corps. After returning to the United States, she worked in nonprofits, serving as a YMCA youth program director and later as a nonprofit consultant.
Meet AFIA's Gregory Conner, by AFIA Editor, in American Feed Industry Association News | June 9, 2025.
The American Feed Industry Association is thrilled to welcome aboard our new senior manager of market access and multilateral affairs, Gregory Conner (Macedonia 2019-2020)! Conner is responsible for international policy and market access questions, supporting international market access of AFIA’s members, and the development, implementation and communication of the association’s global policy goals and activities.
Peace Corps volunteers make monetary donations to NMASA and Humanities Council, by Andrew Roberto in Marianas Variety | June 9, 2025.
The Northern Marianas Sports Association and the Northern Marianas Humanities Council each received over $1,500 from former Peace Corps volunteers who attended a reunion on Saipan in April. Jean Olopai, a local resident and former Peace Corps volunteer who organized activities for the reunion, was present at the Surf Rider Hotel on Friday, June 6 to deliver the checks to NMSA and the Humanities Council.
Marquis Who's Who Honors Howard Mielke, PhD, for Contributions to Soil Pollution Research | June 9, 2025.
A longtime adjunct research professor (retired) at Tulane University School of Medicine, Dr. Howard Mielke (Malawi 1963-65) has conducted influential work in environmental research, education and public health for more than five decades. His contributions have earned him the esteemed Marquis Who's Who Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Mielke's career spans continents, disciplines and decades.
Roberson receives Outstanding New Professional Academic Advisor Award in East Tennessee State University News | June 2025.
The Office of the Executive Director of Academic Advisement is pleased to announce the winner of the 2025 Outstanding New Professional Academic Advisor Award to Ms. Veronica Roberson in the College of Public Health. She is the coordinator of the Peace Corps Prep program at ETSU, a partnership with the Peace Corps to prepare students for Peace Corps service and global initiatives.
José Javier Rodríguez visits Miami Shores: A People's Lawyer for a Safer, Fairer Florida, by Miami-Dade Democratic Party | June 10, 2025
The Northeast Miami-Dade Democrats welcomed José Javier Rodríguez (Senegal 2000-03) to the Miami Shores Community Church, where he laid out a bold and urgent vision for the role of Florida’s Attorney General. Rodríguez, a former state legislator and Biden administration official, is now a 2026 candidate for Florida Attorney General. His campaign is centered around three main priorities: public safety, reducing costs, and fighting corruption.
Carleton Spanish department celebrates multigenerational connections, in Carlton Alumni News | June 10, 2025.
This spring, Carleton’s Spanish department hosted the comps presentation of Spanish major Elsa Snowbeck — her parents (both Carleton alumni) attended the event, and the Spanish faculty were delighted to learn that Elsa’s mother, Diane Mancini (Guinea-Bissau 1995-97), was also a Spanish major! This multigenerational connection shows the lasting impact of world language education at Carleton and beyond.
Mission, Mainstream. How Kuli Kuli Landed Target & Walmart, by Ray Latif in Taste Radio | June 10, 2025.
What do TikTok, Target, and African superfoods have in common? They’ve all played a role in the remarkable resurgence of Kuli Kuli — the pioneering superfood brand founded in 2014 that introduced moringa to the U.S. market and is now carried in over 11,000 retail stores nationwide. In this episode, founder and CEO Lisa Curtis (Niger 2010-11) shares the behind-the-scenes story of Kuli Kuli’s evolution — from navigating pandemic-era disruptions to spearheading a bold brand refresh that helped redefine the company’s mission and identity.
Meet the MBA Class of 2026: Walter Johnson, Georgetown University (McDonough), by Jeff Schmitt in Poets and Quants | June 10, 2025.
“After four years of working as a teacher, I am aiming to gain the necessary business skills to be competitive in the job market. Overall, I would consider my MBA experience a success if I grow personally and professionally, and I am confident that Georgetown’s MBA program will enable me to do so.”
Opinion: Peace Corps must be maintained, by Scott McNabb, in The Gazette | June 11, 2025.
As a PCV in Thailand (1968-71), I can vouch for both the transformational nature of the individual volunteer's experience and the usefulness of the assistance we provided. Trump's MAGA philosophy disparages other cultures and relies on America-first bullying to guide foreign policy. The Peace Corps embraces other cultures through intensive language study and cross-cultural work: exactly the practices we need to navigate an increasingly complex and contentious world. We must maintain this unique and valuable program.
Northeastern grad and Peace Corps worker helps empower women in Fiji to develop a village restaurant and store, by Cody Mello-Klein in Northeastern Global News | June 11, 2025.
When most people think of Fiji, they picture white sand beaches and crystal clear waters. For Lauren Conrow (2023-25), Fiji is much more. As a Peace Corps volunteer, Conrow has been working in Matailobau, a village of about 100 people, where, for two years, she has helped the community, particularly women, build economic opportunity and mobility.
Stewart Hired as Principal at Franklin, by Gary Scott on WLDS | June 12, 2025.
Braxton Stewart (Guinea 2016-19) most recently served as a K-5 Principal for Jacksonville School District #117, where he led North Elementary School, Murrayville-Woodson Elementary School, and South Jacksonville Elementary School. His background also includes roles as a 9th and 10th-grade Severe Social/Emotional Disorders Teacher at Four Rivers Special Education District/Garrison Alternative School, Midwest Youth Services Homeless Youth Overnight Monitor, and Co-Director of the Western Illinois Youth Camp.
Opinion: Terminating Temporary Protected Status for Afghans is an abomination, by Barry Rosen in The Hill | June 11, 2025.
This issue hits me particularly close to home. Decades ago, I served in Iran through the Peace Corps and later as the press attaché at the embassy in Tehran, where I was held hostage for 444 days. Despite this trauma, I returned to the region after 9/11 to work on the Afghan Education Project, coordinated by Teachers College, Columbia University. For three years, I worked to modify the school curriculum to erase Taliban-imposed propaganda and foster a more open, free and democratic society.
Karen Showalter Weaves Together Sustainable Agriculture and Social Justice, by Tasmiha Khan in Princeton Alumni Weekly | June 11, 2025.
The 190-year-old family farm in Athens Country, Ohio, tells its own story through the land — fields where cattle once grazed, native pawpaw and ginseng patches that sustained generations, and the spring where Karen Showalter’s (Niger 1996-99) ancestors drew water. Now, she’s writing a new chapter that intertwines sustainable agriculture, social justice, and global youth leadership.
Poetzl takes on extension role in water and cropping systems, by Ronica Stromberg in University of Nebraska-Lincoln Announce | June 2025.
Anni Poetzl (Moldova 2022-24), a 2022 graduate of the School of Natural Resources, returned to the school March 10, 2025, to serve as the water quality extension educator. Since the position is not new, Poetzl has been building on the work of others and using her past work experiences to address water quality goals. The Arizona native previously worked two years for the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.
Cary Nelson Named Chair of Bank of Clarke Board Following Thomas Gilpin’s Retirement, in City Biz | June 12, 2025.
Ms. Cary Nelson (Mali 1996-97), who has served on the Board since 2018, is President of H. N. Funkhouser & Co. a family-owned petroleum products distributor founded in 1932 and based in the Northern Shenandoah Valley. A Certified Public Accountant, Ms. Nelson is a graduate of John Handley High School and holds a B.S. in accounting from the University of Richmond. She was a small business advisor in the Peace Corps, where she helped women start their own businesses to make goods for the local markets.
A couple who had returned from a Peace Corps stint to find a squatter in their Rowena home, is now under evacuation orders due to a wildfire, on YouTube | June 13, 2025.
Tara Davis (St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2023-25) said she and her partner Adam had arrived home to find nearly everything in her home destroyed by a squatter, and was working to clean up the mess left behind, when she smelled smoke. "When I checked the app, it was a Level 3 'GO NOW'," said Davis. "The fire just escalated so quickly. By the time I had seen Level 3, the police officers were in my yard, telling us that it was time to leave.
The Children of Gregory Peck: Legacy and Life Behind the Lens, by Stone Palmer in Hollywood Mask | June 13, 2025.
Born in 1949, Carey Peck (Senegal 1972-74) diverted his path from the arts to politics, influenced by his father's legendary career. A Georgetown University graduate and Peace Corps member, Carey ran for U.S. Congress in 1978. Though his campaign was ultimately unsuccessful, it showcased his resolve to make an impact on education and public service. Today, he continues to contribute to his community as a principal analyst for the Los Angeles Unified School District, demonstrating his commitment to shaping future generations.
Opinion: Florida’s fluoride legislation sidesteps local control, scientific research, by Mark A. Mahoney (Ecuador 1975-77; Chile 1978-80) in Florida Democrat | June 13, 2025.
It seems like the usual bypass of local governments again (in terms of control of their own affairs) rides again. This time the State of Florida's legislators have taken it upon themselves to mandate that any local jurisdiction in the state cannot decide to add (or not add) fluoride to their water systems to help protect the teeth, particularly that of their youngest residents. It dictates that no local government can add fluoride to their water system.