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National Peace Corps Association > News > Community News > Botswana, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Panama
Botswana, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Panama
By JoAnna Haugen on Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
BOTSWANA
Rev. David Carlson recently became the new lead pastor at River of Life United Methodist Church in Beloit, Wis. Prior to this position, he was the lead pastor at the Sparta United Methodist Church. Carlson has his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
BULGARIA
In 2009, Heather Brown (00-02) founded the nonprofit organization Global Knit. Through the organization, Brown coordinates and delivers clothing and other products to homeless and orphaned children who might otherwise be cold. So far, the organization has donated items to children in the United States, Afghanistan, Mongolia and Haiti.
Cynthia Morrison Phoel (94-96) recently had her book Cold Snap: Bulgaria Stories published by Southern Methodist University Press. This collection of linked stories provides an insider’s look at life in a small Bulgarian village.
BURKINA FASO
The March of Dimes has awarded Amy Starke, MPH, RN, (99-01) a scholarship for her graduate studies in nursing with a specialization in midwifery. Starke is a student at the University of Michigan. She is currently working on a project in Liberia to help reduce maternal and infant mortality in that country.
CAMEROON
Christoper Hill, the current U.S. ambassador to Iraq, has been named as dean for the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies. Hill has spent more than 30 years in the Foreign Service; previous assignments include serving as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and as ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Poland and Republic of Macedonia. Hill also led the U.S. delegation to the Six-Party Talks on the North Korean nuclear issue and was the special assistant to the president and senior director for Southeast European Affairs in the National Security Council. He has won numerous awards for his service, including the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award and the Robert S. Frasure Award for Peace Negotiations. He has a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College and a master’s degree from the Naval War College.
ECUADOR
Ed Steele has been sworn in as the newest member of the Dunsmuir City Council in California. Steele has been serving as a member of the city’s Water and Sewer Task Force and works as a building remodeling contractor. His community service work includes coordinating and volunteering for the Dunsmuir / Mt. Shasta Emergency Food Pantry and Christmas Basket Project.
PANAMA
Brian Caouette (00-02) is the creator of Farm Builders, a social enterprise designed to jumpstart investment in smallholder farms. It forms joint ventures with individual farmers and helps the farmers to rehabilitate their farms. The organization then securitizes the future cash flows. Development fees and proceeds from a portion of future sales funds technical assistance, marketing and expansion.
Loving the new editorial format for Community News — it looks great!