Besa Vormatu-Dzelumadzekpo

Program Coordinator

Comprehensive Educational Services, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA

2013 - Present

Responsibilities:

• Liaise with external and internal stakeholders (eg. community partners, on campus external relations and media offices, CES funders) to educate and promote CES and identify opportunities;

• Oversee CES communications and media through the bi-monthly bulletin, annual report and other promotional materials;

• Coordinate the development, revision and maintenance of CES materials including various forms, resource materials, the CES website, marketing materials, bi-monthly e-bulletin and annual report and contributes to content;

• Contribute to outreach to students and community partners through program events such as workshops, forums, information sessions and celebrations;

• Respond to requests for information and outreach in the community;

• Provide strategic advice and recommends communications strategies for programs under responsibility;

• Liaise with co-curricular service-learning and other community engagement activities across campus In conjunction with the Partnership Coordinator, sets up and monitors quality student projects and placements that helps the community partner organization’s capacity to meet clients’ needs as well as match the goals of service-learning courses and programs;

• Contribute to training and development activities for community partners such as workshops, instructional materials and presentations;

• Facilitate evaluations conducted with community partners;

• Coordinate students and staff recruitment for continuous revenue / funds flow;

• Responsible for direct supervision of staff.

 

Graduate Fellow, Sustainable Development & Climate Change Policy. Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO),          New York, NY

​2008 - 2009

 

• Prepared presentations for program managers to advocate for the United States to engage in multilateral climate change policy via the Women Demand U.S. Action on Climate Change campaign;

• Document climate change national policy and action on climate change mitigation efforts by corporations, government and other organizations in the U.S., and coordinate national and global climate change projects with partners and networks both nationally and internationally;

• Researched and wrote briefing papers on US Government’s policies on the environment and climate change mitigation efforts;

• Wrote briefing papers on environment and climate change mitigation programs of New York, California, Chicago, Florida and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a carbon trading program of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont;

• Attended meetings and seminars on behalf of WEDO at the United Nations; and,

• Researched in preparation for WEDO to attend for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen.

 

Senior Associate

Dixcove Ventures, Ltd. Accra, Ghana

2003 – 2007

• Provided strategic guidance and direction to Associates in the practice areas, represent company in all business dealings with partners and stakeholders, and deputize for Managing Partner;

• Conducted feasibility studies, developed strategic plans, prepared proposals, implemented and monitored projects;

• Prepared a Tourism Investment Strategy proposal for Ghana's Minsitry of Tourism

• Secured and implemented a tourism industry awareness of the potential of Ankasa Conservation Area  under the Protected Area Development Program (PADP) for the European Commission in Ghana.

 

Manager, Conservation Planning & Policy

1999 – 2003 - Conservation International, Ghana

• Reviewed government policies that impact negatively on conservation;

• Advocated for review of policies by engaging chiefs, government officials, politicians, opinion leaders, policy-makers at national, regional and local levels, and the general public;

• Assited in the development of strategies, tools and programs to influence the different publics including raising the awareness of the Bushmeat trade in West Africa;

• Assisted in organizing events with hunters, bushmeat traders from Accra and Kumasi, officials from the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, Ghana Tourist Board officials, Ghana Atomic Energy officials, Ghana Standards Board officials, Ministry of Food and Agriculture officials, traditional authorities, and other stakeholders to find consensus on the Bushmeat trade;

• Assisted in the preparation and implementation of conservation programs and activities;

 

Ecotourism Coordinator, Conservation International

Consolidation Phase, Natural Resource Conservation and Historic Preservation Project, (NRCHPP) Ghana

• Managed the Mesomagor Ecotourism Project, a community-based ecotourism project funded by USAID;

• Assisted in the development and implementation of Walking Tours in the Historic District of Cape Coast including historic sites and monuments such as Cape Coast Castle (1653) and Elmina Castle (1482) under Consolidation Phase of the Natural Resource Conservation and Historic Preservation Project (NRCHPP) funded by USAID;

• Assisted the Cultural Rehabilitation Program in Cape Coast. The project led to the restoration and adaptive re-use of architecturally aesthetic and historically significant buildings of Cape Coast under the United States Chapter of the International Council and Monuments and sites (US/ICOMOS). The program included Planning, Community Outreach, Restoration, Interpretation and Education;

• Technical Advisor to Ghana Heritage Conservation Trust (GHCT) on ecotourism activities in Kakum National Park and a member of the Transition Team set up by USAID and Conservation International to hand over the NRCHP project to GHCT, a Ghanaian trust;

• Developed ‘Afafranto’ Campsite and hiking trails in Kakum National Park;

• Developed and implemented marketing strategy and tools for Kakum National Park;

• Assisted in the establishment of the Central Region Chapter of Tour Guides Association of Ghana;

• Conducted an ecotourism potential study of Cape Three Points Forest Reserve in the Western Region and Atewa/Apedwa Forest Reserve in the Eastern Region under the Biodiversity Component of the Natural Resource Management Program (NRMP) of the Forestry Commission of Ghana funded by multi-donors such as World Bank and Global Environment Facility (GEF);

• Prepared manuals and trained Forestry Commission staff;

• Prepared a proposal for USAID for the development of ecotourism at Cape Three Points Forest Reserve and its environs.

 

Program Associate, Conservation International

Central Region Tour Guide Training Program.

• Implemented the recruitment and training of 50 community tour guides from Cape Coast, Elmina, and the environs of Kakum National Park. The program was funded by USAID.

 

Research, Training and Marketing Assistant

1998 – 1999 - Ghana Tourist Board, Cape Coast, Ghana

• Implement components of Ghana’s National Tourism Development Plan,

• train hotel staff in social skills such as A+ customer service program,

• conduct inspection of hotels, restaurants and hospitality facilities for licenses;

• conduct tourism research; and, organize events and fairs.

 

Program Coordinator, History and Architecture Study in Ghana.

2003 – 2008 - University of Virginia, USA

"Community as Classroom: Urban Studies and Service Learning in Cape Coast, Ghana."

• Study Abroad Program with the School of architecture and The Virginia Center for Digital History, - led the team of two professors and seventeen graduate and undergraduate students to Ghana for thirteen days.

 

2007 LTS International, UK

Consultant, Protected Area Development Program (PADP II)

• Prepared a Tourism Development Strategy for Ankasa and Bia Conservation Areas, and Krokosua Hills Forest Reserve in the Western Region in Ghana.

 

2006 US Chapter/ International Council on Monuments and Sites, (US/ICOMOS) USA

Member, Evaluation Team, Cultural Rehabilitation Project, Ghana

 

2004 European Commission Delegation in Ghana Ghana Independent Consultant, Protected Area Development Program (PADP I)

• Reviewed Financing Proposal for Phase II of the 6.5 Million Euro development of Ankasa and Bia Conservation Areas under the Protected Area Development Program (PADP) Phase I

 

2002-2003 UNDP/GEF Small Grants Program, Ghana.

Ecotourism Consultant, Bole Hippopotamus Conservation Project