Jatinder K. Cheema Bio
Education:
MSW University of New Delhi
MPH University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Ph.D. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Experience:
Founder of A Place to Be: A Place to Be meets a community need for a place to discuss progressive issues and provides a forum for networking and for creative conversations. For details please see www.aplacetobewillystreet.com
Mission Director United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Armenia, West Africa Regional Mission located in Ghana and in Eritrea.
USAID Mission Directors are responsible for providing oversight; ensure accountability and effectiveness of United States Government’s Foreign AID assistance managed by USAID. USAID Mission Directors are the chief development advisors to US Ambassadors and to host country high level officials. USAID manages and implements programs in many sectors, primarily, Food security and Agriculture, Health, Economic Growth, Rule of Law and Governance, etc – for details please see www.usaid.gov
Senior Policy Advisor and Deputy Mission Director/USAID/Afghanistan: Chief interlocutor for USAID and the US Embassy on program policy issues related to foreign assistance for the Mission. As required by the Mission Director and the Ambassador, liaised with senior donors and government officials for high priority, politically visible proposals and concepts and assists the Mission to address the highest-priority needs of Afghanistan.
Deputy Mission Director, USAID/Armenia: Performed all duties as the Mission’s Deputy Director to ensure programmatic, fiscal and management accountability and efficiencies.
Regional Supervisory Development Officer, USAID Mission for Central Asian Republics (CAR) located in Kazakhstan: Responsible for social sector reforms and directed and managed the most successful health reform project on a regional basis. Advised the Ambassadors and host country counterparts of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on needed reforms and interventions that promoted a market based economy and social sector sustainable reforms.
Health Officer, USAID/Burkina Faso: Successfully negotiated with the Government of Burkina Faso a robust health sector reform program which was largest program in the Mission.
Health Advisor USAID/Bangladesh: As a consultant to the USAID Mission designed and managed health and family planning programs.
Chief of Party, Regional University Research Operations Research Project, based in Bangladesh: Responsible for operations research projects to improve program efficiencies in the health sector in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, India and Bangladesh
Consultant with World Bank: Responsible for evaluating health projects in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand and Jamaica.
Foreign languages: Some French and Russian, Hindi and Punjabi, currently learning Spanish.
USAID Awards: Five Meritorious Honor Awards and five Superior Honor Awards.