WHO WE ARE
Dr. Jatinder Cheema, Director
For nearly thirty years, Dr. Cheema has worked in international development in Central Asia, Armenia, South Asia, Afghanistan, and countries in Africa.
In 1973, Cheema moved permanently to the United States for postgraduate studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. After graduating, she worked with International Organizations as a development consulted. In 1991, she joined the United States Agency for International Development as a career Foreign Service Officer.
After retirement, Cheema, founded “A Place to Be” for creative conversation and learning in Madison, Wisconsin where she currently lives with her husband. She continues to actively engage in local development issues.
Cheema is passionate about writing. At a Place to Be, Cheema completed her mother’s memoire, “A life as I Remember – A life History of Raminder Kaur Cheema,” which she published in 2016. In January 2023, Cheema published the first part of her memoir - The Black Attache - Vignettes from a life by JK Cheema. The book is available at Amazon.
Cheema has a master's in social work, A master's in public health and a PhD in Social Sciences. She has a certificate in Literary Writing from the University of Wisconsin, Madison