Profile

Jeff Barnes, Director of Strategic Planning

From: St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Location: Guatemala

Jeff came to Common Hope in February 2001 to oversee the construction of New Hope Village, and since July 2003 has served as Director of Strategic Planning. In that capacity he works with staff in both Guatemala and the U.S. to identify goals, opportunities, and the means to achieve them. He also manages special projects, such as construction of the New Hope School and the policy restructuring initiative.

Fittingly, his own arrival in Central America came as the result of a combination of careful planning and a natural disaster. Hurricane Mitch struck during the week he was taking his oral exam for an MA degree in Central American economic history and development. Recognizing a hint when he saw it, he moved to Honduras, where he spent a year and half as a volunteer working with a reconstruction and community development project. In a previous life he was an Account Manager for an advertising agency.

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