Head of Mission

Posted on: 2008-12-07

DELLAPHINE B. RAUCH-HOUEKPON 28 Hillsboro Road, Danville, KY 40422• (859) 329-1555 [email protected] INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE Bringing 25 years of international executive management experience with additional skills in: • Diplomacy/Protocol • Non-Profit Experience • Human Resources • Budget/Grants Management • Program Development • Disaster Management • Public Speaking • Negotiation Skills • Research/Marketing • Team Leadership • Public Relations • Strategic Planning CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS Accomplished, senior-level professional with regional, international, and US domestic experience in Africa, The Caribbean, North America, and Southeast Asia serving as Regional/Country Director, International Program Director among other positions. Recognized throughout career for excellent leadership, representation and results-oriented management, with expertise in administration, human resources, logistics, programming and operations management. Fluent in English and French.  Supervised a successful Indonesia Donor Trip (donors represented contributions of more than $10 million towards American Red Cross tsunami efforts) with NHQ and Indonesia in-country staff  Secured operating and registration authority with the Government of Rwanda, opening and staffing the UMCOR Rwanda office, an extremely difficult, yet significant protocol achievement.  Successfully provided sound fiscal management of more than $3 million for two UMCOR/UNHCR refugee projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Achieved approximately 88% of $167 million dollar allocated budget for Indonesia consisting of key long-term programs and projects within one year  Secured $1 million in USAID Public/Private Global Development Alliance Grant for the Republic of Georgia for a women’s wellness center.  Secured over $1 million in USAID funding for child survival projects in Burkina Faso and Niger  Developed strategic implementation program highlighting child-trafficking in Togo, West Africa, encouraging the Government of Togo’s pro-active approach to bring child-trafficking offenders to justice and successful promotion of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in the country PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE International UMCOR-NGO – The United Methodist Committee on Relief, (New York, NY) 2008 – Present Head of Mission - Haiti  Serve as the focal representative for all UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) activities in Haiti and provide leadership, project and program technical supervision, financial oversight, human resources development, public relations and outreach for the Haiti program  Successful re-design and re-direction of programs totaling more than $400,000 focusing on results-oriented programming implementation  Supervises and directs all security and emergency relief operations interacting with UN and local and national Government of Haiti officials and beneficiary communities.  Provides oversight and direction for financial, budget and audit operations  Supervise five direct reports. The Council on Foundations, (Washington, DC) 2007 – 2008 Project Director (Women & Philanthropy: A Project on the Council on Foundations)  Managed the budgeting, fundraising, planning and advisory committee for Women & Philanthropy. Collaborated with the Women & Philanthropy Advisory Council.  Guided the development and implementation of comprehensive strategic, fundraising, communication and organizational plans supporting project work of Women & Philanthropy to advance the gender mission of the Council on Foundations.  Conceived, developed and supervised the Women & Philanthropy ”Women’s Capitol Hill Summit” for the Council's 2008 Annual Conference. The American Red Cross – Tsunami Recovery Program, Banda Aceh, Indonesia 2005 – 2007 Senior Field Representative / Head of Programs (2006-2007)  Led the $167 million dollar American Red Cross tsunami relief recovery and rehabilitation program in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Simultaneously served as Head of Programs  Achieved effective partnership recognition with local government and partners, strong start-up and implementation of five key multi-million dollar long-term development programs  Ensured development of internal security systems, human resources, logistics and operations divisions with instructional manuals and polices.  Supervised and led first successful consultative audit, consistent and conscientious teamwork and developed effective mechanisms to promote, train and empower Indonesia staff  Ensured approximately 88% of approved funds allocated for programs within one year  Led the development of the five-year comprehensive strategic plan including an appropriate 2010 exit strategy.  Supervised 25 direct reports, and led a staff of more than 300 international and local staff. Program Coordinator (2005-2006)  Managed and supervised all programs and programmatic activity for the American Red Cross Tsunami Recovery Program in Indonesia in areas of water and sanitation, psycho-social, disaster mitigation and relief, gender, livelihoods, shelter and community rehabilitation  Promoted collaborative and cooperative teamwork. Supervised all program managers, provided technical oversight, collaborative proposal/budget writing, project identification, design and development and partnership development  Supervised fifteen staff. Carelift International, Philadelphia, PA 2004 Director of International Development and Programs  Served as representative for the programming, management, supervision, strategic planning and direction of medical provision equipment programs implemented in Europe and Eurasia.  Expanded the current program and development of appropriate, strategic partnerships within Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia placing emphasis on PREPFAR HIV/Aids, child survival, mobile clinics and breast cancer projects.  Secured a $1 million dollar public/private development alliance USAID grant to provide cancer screening equipment and training for a women’s wellness program in the Republic of Georgia.  Supervised five US Based staff and five Newly Independent States staff Plan International, Tanzania, East Africa 2001-2004 Sponsorship & Grants Manager  Served as the coordination and representational focal point for the Grants/Sponsorship Department of PLAN Tanzania, a five million dollar community development/child focused program.  Redesigned marketing and communications outreach to donors providing turnaround in grants and sponsorship, improved audit ratings and 25% increase in sponsored children  Supervised six direct reports. Plan International, Togo, West Africa 1997 – 2001 Country Director  Served as the Country Director for Togo, a 2.8 million dollar program performing duties of representation, coordination, administration, programming and diplomatic protocol.  Provided the leadership and technical direction in the development of the Country Strategic Plan, the Corporate Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Modules the Child Sponsorship Corporate Module and the General Ledger financial management tracking system.  Over 50 small and large-scale grants in the areas of health, water and sanitation, school and clinic construction, micro-finance and child rights were successfully conceived and implemented  Plan Togo gained region-wide recognition and status as a leader in the fight against child-trafficking, was recognized as a strong advocate of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and as a strong promoter for the promotion and development of women’s micro-finance initiatives  Supervised twelve direct reports, staff totaled more than 115 Africare, Inc., Burkina Faso, West Africa (1991-1995), Niger (1990-1991) 1990 – 1995 Country Representative  Served as the Representative for Africare managing the protocol, public relations, finances and all country project development activities.  Supervised implementation of more than twelve large, medium and small-scale USAID financed projects  Secured World Bank financing and funding from UNICEF/Burkina Faso for women's micro-enterprise projects and a supplemental child survival project under the Bamako Initiative  Conceived, researched, and wrote a USAID-funded Phase I and Phase II Child Survival Project totalling more than $1 million dollars (USD)  Recipient of the Burkina Faso “Medal for Meritorious Service” by President Blasé Compaore.  Supervised thirty expatriate and local-hire employees. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE USAID, Research and Marketing Karen Johnson Associates, Silver Spring, Maryland 1982 – 1984 Documentalist (Contractor), United States Agency for International Development (USAID)  Served as a Personal Contract Services Documentalist with the Office of Sahel West Africa Affairs of the Africa Bureau of USAID. The Philip B. Benson Company, Washington, D.C. 1978 – 1981 Director of Marketing and Public Relations  Conceived, designed, and developed marketing and public relations strategies for a document research and retrieval firm specializing in document retrieval from US government agencies. Director of Research at the Securities and Exchange Commission  Researched, processed and forwarded securities and financial document discovery requests from the Securities and Exchange Commission. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Entrepreneurship and Consulting Cultural Concepts and Connections, Philadelphia, PA 2005 Founder / Business Owner  Conceived and developed business firm providing international public relations and consultation services. Burkina Faso and Ghana, West Africa 1995 – 1996 International Business Consultant  Designed, promoted and managed an international business venture involving the sale of ice cream, yogurt milk and other dairy products in Burkina Faso. National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), Washington, D.C. 1996 International Consultant, International Division  Researched and wrote successful development education self-help project proposals for African Women in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mali, Egypt, Zambia and Senegal. COMPUTER SKILLS Windows, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Publisher EDUCATION & TRAINING The American University, Washington, D.C. Bachelor of Science – “The Administration of Justice,” 1977 Undergraduate Degree Business Administration, Development of Library/Computerized Systems, 1982 Post Graduate Studies COUNTRIES OF SERVICE The United States and Europe Eurasia: Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Georgia, Bosnia, Croatia, Africa: Burundi, Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Togo, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe Asia: Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka AWARDS & HONORS Medal for Meritorious Service to Burkina Faso, 1994 Outstanding Young Woman of America, 1986 Dale Carnegie Graduate Assistant, 1981 American University Most Outstanding Senior Woman, 1977 Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, 1977 OAASATAU Outstanding Senior, 1977 The Henry Scott Outstanding Church Member Award, 1977 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, 1977