Dana L. Olds is a seasoned international development expert skilled in managing large-scale democracy and governance projects. Dana’s technical areas of expertise span: local governance, women’s empowerment, social accountability, civic education, elections, civil society development, decentralization, basic services improvement in education, health and water, community driven development, youth leadership, organizational assessment, capacity building, strategic planning, and proposal development. She has more than 15 years of project management experience in the US, Africa, Southeast Asia, Haiti and Afghanistan. Dana is a returned Peace Corps Senegal Volunteer and she has served as Director of Governance Programs for the International Rescue Committee in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In addition to her work with the IRC, Dana has worked with organizations including Chemonics International, Inc., International Foundation for Electoral Systems, and the World Bank, etc. She earned a B.A. in International Relations and Japanese from Lincoln University and she holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Rutgers University. Dana’s article “Microcredit, Social Capital, and Politics: The Case of a Small Rural Town – Gossas, Senegal” was published in the Journal of Microfinance.” Dana is a fluent French Speaker, and in addition to her professional pursuits, she’s passionate about Zumba, Spin, and Pilates. Dana is a founding member of One World Foundation that provides international service learning and education opportunities abroad and provides technical assistance on international development programs.