Notable

How to Start a Tribal Art Museum

Justin D. Bibee, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco from 2014 to 2016, founded the Museum of Fine Tribal Art, a Rhode Island–based nonprofit established in 2025. The museum focuses on collecting, preserving, and sharing tribal art from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas.

The museum began as Bibee’s personal collection and has since developed into a public initiative. It includes masks, textiles, sculptures, jewelry, and ceremonial objects representing a wide range of cultural traditions. The collection could be valued at up to $6 million, based on preliminary research.

Without a permanent exhibition space, the museum has partnered with public libraries across Rhode Island to present its collection. Exhibits have been hosted at the Warwick Public Library, the Mt. Pleasant Library, and other branches in Providence.

Bibee’s approach reflects his Peace Corps experience, where he worked on community development projects and helped establish a book-lending library that allowed residents to take books home. His time in Morocco also shaped his interest in North African art, now represented in the collection.

“While discussion of value is useful,” Bibee said, “our priority is preserving these works and sharing them with the community.”

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley awarded Bibee a Citizen’s Citation, citing the museum’s contribution to cultural access and education.

Next steps include securing a permanent space, completing a professional appraisal, and expanding public programming. For now, the work is happening where people already gather—libraries, neighborhoods, and public spaces.

Game Show Glory on Jeopardy!

Quentin Powers (second from right) with NPCA senior staff following his appearance on the iconic gameshow “Jeopardy!”

Quentin Powers, who served in Timor-Leste from 2023 to 2025, won $20,798 across two days on “Jeopardy!” during Peace Corps Week.

Powers applied and was accepted on to the show while still serving overseas, using his free time to prepare. His study routine included “Wikipedia rabbit holes,” along with wide reading across history, geography, and current events—subjects familiar to many Peace Corp Volunteers working in cross-cultural settings.

After returning to the United States, he competed and secured back-to-back wins. Powers graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in international studies and served as an English teacher and teacher trainer during his service. Those roles required both subject knowledge and adaptability, skills that carried into his performance on the show.

His experience reflects the habits developed during service: curiosity, discipline, and the ability to learn quickly across unfamiliar topics.

Former Country Director Becomes Miami’s First Female Mayor

Eileen Higgins, who served as a Peace Corps country director in Belize, won the 2025 Miami mayoral race with 59 percent of the vote, becoming the city’s first female mayor. 

A former Miami-Dade County commissioner, Higgins built her campaign around affordability, government trust, and economic opportunity. She emphasized expanding access to healthcare and housing, strengthening small businesses, and advancing environmental resilience in a coastal city facing rising climate risks. Her background in international development and foreign service shaped her focus on long-term planning and coordination across sectors.

Higgins also addressed immigration as a central local issue. She has criticized enforcement tactics in Miami and pledged to support immigrant communities, many of whom play a key role in the city’s workforce and culture. Her time abroad continues to inform her approach to governance, with an emphasis on community engagement and practical solutions. 

Her election marks a milestone for Miami and reflects a career that has moved between global service and local leadership.

From Peace Corps to Protecting Public Lands

Julie Sibbing, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras from 1987 to 1989, has been named vice president of land stewardship programs at the National Wildlife Federation.

Sibbing began her career as a Wildlands Management Volunteer, working on conservation at the community level. That experience shaped her long-term focus on environmental policy and natural resource protection.

Before joining the federation in 2000, she worked at the National Audubon Society, where she focused on wetlands, clean water, and agricultural policy in Washington, D.C. Over the past two decades, she has contributed to national conservation efforts and policy development.

In her new role, Sibbing will oversee initiatives related to land conservation, renewable energy, and climate solutions—areas of growing importance as environmental pressures increase.

Bringing Public Service to Cybersecurity

Scott Beale, a former Peace Corps associate director, has been appointed CEO of ISC2, a nonprofit cybersecurity association.

ISC2 provides professional certifications and works to strengthen collaboration across the cybersecurity field, including engagement with policymakers and industry leaders. The organization plays a role in setting standards in a sector increasingly tied to national security and global infrastructure. 

Beale brings experience from both the public and private sectors, including leadership roles in international development and technology-focused organizations. His background reflects a career shaped by global engagement and institutional leadership. 

In announcing his appointment, Beale said he aims to “foster a qualified, resilient, and inclusive cybersecurity workforce.” He also serves on the board of the National Peace Corps Association.

Founder Secures $12M for Space Venture

Ryan Sullivan, who served in Albania from 2018 to 2020, has raised $12 million for his startup, Space Kinetic.

The company is developing a propulsion system that uses electromagnetic energy rather than traditional fuel. The concept focuses on converting rotational energy in space into propulsion, with the goal of improving efficiency in orbit.

Sullivan said the technology could have implications for commercial space operations and national security, particularly as activity in space expands.

Before founding Space Kinetic, he worked in international economic development. That experience continues to inform his approach to building technology with broader global applications.

Civil Rights Leader, Country Director Receives State Award

Reginald Petty, a civil rights activist and former Peace Corps country director in several African countries, received the Order of Lincoln from the state of Illinois this April.

Petty was active in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and ’60s, helping to register voters across the South during a period of widespread disenfranchisement. His work contributed to broader efforts to expand political participation and secure voting rights.

He later helped establish the first Job Corps program in the United States, part of a national effort to expand education and workforce access. His career went on to include leadership in Peace Corps, where he served as one of the agency’s first Black country directors, and supported the development of educational curricula across several countries.

The Order of Lincoln, the state’s highest honor, recognizes individuals whose work advances humanity. For Petty, it reflects a career defined by public service, leadership, and sustained impact.