Beth Porter, Vice President, Program Services, joined Freedom
from Hunger in 1999. She has 15+ years of experience in microfinance and organizational
development in more than 25 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. As
Vice President of Program Services, Ms. Porter leads the development of program
strategy and oversees strategy implementation, primarily through managing service
delivery to Freedom from Hunger service centers and partners around the world.
Ms. Porter serves on the board of directors of CRECER (Crédito con Educación Rural), a Bolivian microfinance institution, and helped transform it into an independent organization. She has served on the faculty of the Microfinance
Training Program for business planning and technical assistance courses. She
serves on the loan committee of Microcredit Enterprises, helped found MicroVest,
a debt and equity investment fund, and serves on the board of the Microdevelopment
Finance Team, a public-private consortium championing an end-to-end system of
microfinance services. She holds a Master of Arts in International Affairs from
the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor of
Arts in International Relations from Stanford University. Ms. Porter, who speaks fluent French and is proficient in Spanish, is married with two daughters.
When asked what inspires Beth to devote so much time and energy to her work,
she said, "It's the people: poor women, staff of partner organizations,
our team at Freedom from Hunger and our supporters from around the world that
inspire and motivate me to do more. From talking with poor women in Bolivia,
Burkina Faso, or the Philippines, I know that our work is helping them improve
their families' lives--and they are so proud of their accomplishments! From
working with the staff of our partner organizations, I know that their dedication
and determination to help their fellow citizens will ensure that high-quality
services are provided sustainably. From leading our program team at Freedom
from Hunger, I know that their commitment and ability to adapt appropriate technologies
to a variety of country contexts means that we will continue to help women around
the world. And from listening to the responses of our many supporters--board
members, volunteers, and donors--I know that others recognize the distinctive
contribution of Freedom from Hunger to make the world a better place."
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