Team

Board

Dr. Querine Hanlon

President

Dr. Querine Hanlon

President

Querine Hanlon is the founding President of Strategic Capacity Group. Dr. Hanlon brings considerable capacity building experience and expertise in creating professional education schools and specialized programs in the U.S. and abroad for military, government, and civilian students.

As a professor and dean in the U.S. Professional Military Education system before creating SCG, Dr. Hanlon led the redesign and accreditation of strategic-level education programs for the U.S. military as it grappled with the institutional requirements and needs of the post-9/11 security environment. She designed a post-9/11 focused security studies curriculum for the newest degree-granting college at National Defense University (NDU) and created NDU’s first satellite campus at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Dr. Hanlon has also conceptualized and created curricula for partner institutions. At the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), Dr. Hanlon created innovative regional security sector programming in response to the Arab Spring that was recognized by the U.S. Department of State as a one of a kind standard for future programming. Dr. Hanlon has considerable expertise in Security Sector Reform (SSR). She has served on security sector assessment trips to Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco for the U.S. government and has advised government and international organizations how to design security assistance programming to deliver strategic and sustainable results.

Dr. Hanlon holds a PhD and MALD from the Fletcher School and a BSFS from Georgetown University.

Professor Ross Harrison

Secretary

Professor Ross Harrison

Secretary

Ross Harrison is on the faculty of the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where he teaches Strategy, and the University of Pittsburgh, where he teaches Middle East Politics and U.S. Foreign Policy Towards the Middle East. Harrison is also a senior scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC. Harrison authored Strategic Thinking in 3D: A Guide for National Security, Foreign policy and Business Professionals and co-edited with Paul Salem a 2017 book, From Chaos to Cooperation: Toward Regional Order in the Middle East. He is completing a new book on the civil wars in the Middle East with co-editor, Paul Salem, which will be released in 2019.

Professor Harrison lectures regularly on matters related to strategy and as well as Middle East politics at the U.S. Department of State, the National War College, National Defense University, The Navy War College, the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute, Georgetown University, the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and the Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies.  He is also part of a back channel diplomatic initiative relating to Syria, Iraq and Yemen, and has been a member of several study groups and Track II diplomatic initiatives related to the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy. Every summer Harrison teaches strategy to senior military and government officials in Tbilisi, Georgia. Prior to his academic career, Harrison was Executive Vice President of Tapco International, a global building products company and concurrently served as CEO of one of Tapco’s largest divisions, Builders Edge. He was instrumental in the company’s global expansion and its mergers and acquisition strategy.

Professor Harrison has been published in policy related journals such as The National Interest, Al Monitor, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Parameters, Huffington Post, Orient and al-Jazeera.

Dr. Richard Shultz, Jr.

Director

Dr. Richard Shultz, Jr.

Director

Dr. Shultz is the Lee E. Dirks Professor at the Fletcher School, Tufts University, where he teaches graduate-level courses on various aspects of international security affairs and war studies. He also is the Director of the Fletcher School’s International Security Studies Program, which is dedicated to graduate-level teaching and research on a broad range of conflict, defense, and strategic issues. Professor Shultz has held three chairs: The Olin Distinguished Professorship of National Security Studies at the U.S. Military Academy, Secretary of the Navy Senior Research Fellow at the U.S. Naval War College, and Brigadier General H. L. Oppenheimer Chair of War-fighting Strategy, U.S. Marine Corps.

Since the mid-1980s, Dr. Shultz has served as a security consultant to various U.S. government departments and agencies concerned with national security affairs. Currently, he is a Senior Fellow at the Special Operations Command’s Joint Special Operations University. In this role, he deploys abroad as a member of military education teams to teach terrorism/counterterrorism and special operations integration courses to foreign military officers. In the last three years, in the Middle East, this has included programs in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Tunisia, and Morocco. As a senior fellow, he also conducts unclassified research and prepares studies for publication in SOCOM/JSOU’s monograph series.

In 2015, Professor Shultz initiated a new research project which examined military innovation in the war in Iraq. The research puzzles this study addressed focuses on how and why Task Force 714 was able to learn and innovate in the midst of war. The study was first published as a monograph in June 2016 as Military Innovation in War:  It Takes a Learning Organization--A Case Study of Task Force 714 by U.S. SOCOM’s JSOU Press. Three subsequent articles have been published based on further research. "Post-9/11 Wartime Intelligence Analysis," Intelligence and National Security (forthcoming No. 6, 2018); “The Irreducible Minimum: An Evaluation of Counterterrorism Operations in Iraq,” PRISM: The Journal of Complex Operations (No. 3, 2018); and “U.S Counterterrorism Operations during the Iraq War:  A Case Study of Task Force 714,” Studies in Conflict and Terrorism (Fall 2016).

Dr. Shultz’s recent books include Prioritizing Security Sector Reform: A New U.S. Policy (U.S. Institute of Peace Press, 2016), The Marines Take Anbar: The Four-Year Fight against Al Qaeda (Annapolis, MD: The Naval Institute Press, 2013), Insurgents, Terrorists, and Militias: The Warriors of Contemporary Combat (Columbia University Press, 2006; 2009), and The Secret War against Hanoi: Kennedy’s and Johnson’s Use of Spies, Saboteurs, and Covert Warriors in North Vietnam (New York: Harper Collins, 1999; 2000).

Dr. Alejandra Bolaños

Senior Director of Knowledge Management

Dr. Alejandra Bolaños

Senior Director of Knowledge Management

Dr. Alejandra Bolanos is one of the founding members of Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) and serves on its Board of Directors. In 2020, she returned to the organization as a Senior Director leading SCG’s advancement in the areas of Knowledge Management; Assessment, Monitoring, and Evaluation (AM&E); and by contributing to institutional, strategic, and programmatic design. Dr. Bolanos brings over two decades of experience in the private and public sectors. Her areas of practice and subject matter expertise include Security Sector Reform, Institutional Capacity Building; Defense Institution Building, Defense and Security Governance; enterprise management; policy and strategy formulation; strategic planning; assessment, monitoring and evaluation; and ministerial/force design and professionalization. She has led program conceptualization, management, and implementation in the United States, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Before rejoining SCG, Dr. Bolanos worked for the Department of Defense (DOD) in direct support of policy priorities for Security Cooperation in the Western Hemisphere. In this role, she designed and supported tailored (executive) engagement products to enhance partner capacity in the areas of governance and enterprise management of key defense and security institutions. She also served at National Defense University (NDU), designing, managing, and implementing professionalization and instruction programs for law enforcement, armed forces, and civilian counterparts in support of the U.S. interagency response to capacity building requirements of more than 100 countries. Under the auspices of DOD, she advised senior government officials and informed policy and decision-making in the following areas: country and regional strategies, multiagency response to policy and strategic priorities, and in-depth programmatic insight on stabilization, countering violent extremism (CVE), combating terrorism (CT), and combating organized crime. Before formally joining DOD, Dr. Bolanos’ professional and academic career focused on combating terrorist networks. Working as a senior analyst in private sector institutions that pioneered the collection of online intelligence and the use of information technologies for the non-kinetic disruption of terrorism, her team provided support to the intelligence communities of the Five Eyes and select European partners. She has held research, advisory, and fellowship assignments in various research and academic institutions including the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) in Singapore, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, and Bosphorus University in Istanbul. She holds a MALD and PhD from the Fletcher School and a BA from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) in Mexico.

Staff

Amgad Abdelfarrag

Finance and Operations Officer
Finance and Operations Officer

Amgad Abdelfarrag

Finance and Operations Officer

Amgad Abdelfarrag joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in November 2023 as a Finance and Operations Officer. Mr. Abdelfarrag provides essential financial and administrative support for SCG’s global portfolio of grants and programs. 

Mr. Abdelfarrag began his finance and accounting career in 2009 at the Northern Virginia Community College Alexandria Campus as a Fiscal Technician and Third-Party Contract Specialist. Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Abdelfarrag served as a Senior Accountant for Northern Virginia Community College – Office of the Controller. In this role, he supported the college’s accounting functions including Accounting Operations and Financial Reporting, Funds Management, Monthly Banks and Accounts Reconciliation, General Ledger, and day-to-day accounting operations. 

Mr. Abdelfarrag received an MBA with a concentration in Accounting from Strayer University. Mr. Abdelfarrag is Fluent in Arabic.

Jimena Allendelagua

Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator

Jimena Allendelagua

Project Coordinator

Jimena Allendelagua joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in 2021 as a Project Coordinator in the Knowledge Management Department, supporting SCG’s monitoring and evaluation activities.

Prior to joining SCG, Ms. Allendelagua worked as an independent consultant monitoring social programs for non-profit organizations in Mexico. Ms. Allendelagua also worked at the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she served as an Advisor for North American Affairs to the Minister’s Chief of Staff. In this role, she supported the analysis of the trade agenda with the United States and Canada and represented the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during USMCA renegotiation rounds.

Ms. Allendelagua holds a Master of Public Policy Degree from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago and a BA in International Relations from El Colegio de Mexico, where she wrote a thesis on transnational advocacy networks. Ms. Allendelagua speaks French and has lived and studied in Japan.


Destiny Alsup

Project Assistant
Project Assistant

Destiny Alsup

Project Assistant

Destiny Alsup joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in June 2023 as a Project Assistant to support SCG’s Global Corrections Program at the International Corrections Academy - Colorado (ICA-C) in Cañon City, CO.

Prior to joining SCG, Ms. Alsup worked at Valley View Health Care as a Front Desk Receptionist. She has experience working as a sales associate, retail sales associate, and cashier and served in various roles providing customer service in both the retail and tourism industries.

Ms. Alsup graduated from Pueblo Community College with an Associate of Arts degree in Psychology.

Tobias Anthony

Finance and Operations Assistant
Finance and Operations Assistant

Tobias Anthony

Finance and Operations Assistant

Tobias Anthony joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in February 2023 as a Finance and Operations Assistant, providing financial and administrative support for SCG’s global portfolio of grants and programs.  

Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Anthony worked as a Field Organizer on Congressional campaigns. While on the campaign trail, Mr. Anthony recruited volunteers, participated in voter outreach programs, and helped organize campaign events. Mr. Anthony also has experience working as an Account Coordinator at a public relations agency in the cybersecurity, healthcare, and artificial intelligence fields.

Mr. Anthony graduated from the College of William & Mary in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in History.

Jean-Marc Barattolo

Senior Police Advisor
Senior Police Advisor

Jean-Marc Barattolo

Senior Police Advisor

Jean-Marc Barattolo joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in 2019 as a Senior Police Advisor deployed to Niger in support of SCG’s Community-Oriented Policing and Academies of Excellence programs in the Sahel.

Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Barattolo served for 31 years in the French National Police and the Public Order Management Directorate. As a Commissioned Officer, he dealt with operations and high-risk interventions at various posts and functions, including Leader of the Special Protect and Arrest Unit, Operations Officer in Marseille, and Head of the support unit in Mayotte (Comoro island) 2006-2099. His fields of expertise are operations, crowd control, operational planning, and tactical training. Mr. Barattolo also served as the Head of the Training Department and deployed to two European Union Police missions in Bosnia-Herzegovina (2002-2004) and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (2005-2006).

Mr. Barattolo has also served on multiple UN Missions, including Haiti and the Central Africa Republic (CAR). In Haiti, he served as a Formed Police Unit (FPU) trainer (2010-2011) and in CAR as an FPU Coordinator (2016-2017), Deputy Commander of the Bangui Task Force (2017-2018), and Sector Commander in Bria (2018-2019). In these roles, he oversaw 1,400 officers and the protection of civilians, IDP camp security, and implementation of urgent temporary measures to fight against armed groups and insecurity.  Certified to assess FPU operational capacity prior to deployment, Mr. Barattolo conducted FPU assessments for missions in Mauritania and the Republic of Congo. In 2015 and 2016, he was selected to serve in the UN Police Division in Jordan and in Cameroon as an UN certified trainer in weapons handling, public order management, and police tactics and technics. He also trained FPU trainers from various Police Contributing Countries in English and in French. His overseas experience includes training Palestinian Special Police Forces (2010) and battalions assigned to the security of the presidential election processes in Democratic Republic of Congo (2010), Botswana (2011), Malaysia (2014), South Africa (2014), Nigeria (2015), and Senegal (2016).

Mr. Barattolo completed the French Superior National Police Academy program. He is the recipient of several awards from the European Union and the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations. He was also awarded the Haitian and Cameroonian National Order of Merit and several commendations by the French government, including the National Police Honour Gold Medal for conducting an operation to rescue hostages in CAR.

Abderrahmane Benali

Senior Police Trainer
Senior Police Trainer

Abderrahmane Benali

Senior Police Trainer

Abderrahmane Benali joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in December 2019 as a Senior Police Trainer supporting SCG’s program in the Central African Republic (CAR).

Before joining SCG, Mr. Benali had a successful 27 year career within the Algerian Gendarmerie, occupying several leadership positions including as head of the Special Operations Regiment, and retired at the executive level in 2019. As the Head of Training of two special units and Head of the Security Office and Commander of a special regiment, Mr. Benali participated in the development of the first pre-deployment training curriculum for Formed Police Units (FPU) serving in UN peace operations as part of the African Standby Force (ASF). Early in his career, Mr. Benali served as United Nations Police (UNPOL) part-time facilitator at Ecole de maintien de la Paix (EMP) in Bamako, Mali. He also has experience leading six training courses abroad, three for the Gendarmerie of Niger in 2003 and three for the Malian Gendarmerie in 2004. In 2013, Mr. Benali was selected for the National War College in Algiers, Algeria.

Mr. Benali has numerous military and law enforcement management diplomas and certificates from several elite units, including the French Gendarmerie Special Unit (GIGN) and the Austrian National Police Special Unit (EKO COBRA). He is fluent in Arabic, French, and English.

Amadou Berthé

Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator

Amadou Berthé

Project Coordinator

Amadou Berthé is a Project Coordinator for Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) based in Bamako, Mali to support SCG’s Global Operations Team. 

Mr. Berthé joined SCG in 2018 as a Project Assistant, supporting SCG’s portfolio of projects in Mali and across the Sahel before being promoted to in 2019. In this role, Mr. Berthé supported the implementation of SCG’s five year Academies of Excellence project in Mali and the Law Enforcement Expertise Program (LEEP) election security training activities in Sierra Leone. Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Berthé served as a Legal assistant at Satis Partners Law Firm in Bamako, Mali and as a Legal Assistant for the U.S. Embassy in Bamako, Mali, providing support to the Resident Legal Advisor. In this capacity, Mr. Berthé was in charge of researching issues of law and procedure and planning and coordinating training programs, visits, and conferences.

Mr. Berthé obtained a Diploma of General Law from the University Gaston Berger of Saint Louis in Senegal. He also graduated from the Catholic University of West Africa in Bamako, Mali with a Master’s Degree in Business Law. Mr. Berthé is fluent in French, English, and Bambara.


Paolo Bonanno

Senior Police Advisor
Senior Police Advisor

Paolo Bonanno

Senior Police Advisor

Paolo Bonanno joined Strategic Capacity Group in July 2020 as a Senior Police Advisor supporting community policing initiatives in the Sahel region.

Before joining SCG, Mr. Bonanno worked as public security expert for the Swiss NGO Coginta in Chad and served as public order advisor in the Police Division of the UN Department of Peace Operations. During this UN assignment, he supported the start-up phase of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), serving as Chief of Operations in Bamako, Mali, and in Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR). Mr. Bonanno also deployed to several European Union and UN missions, in both conflict and post conflict settings, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Haiti. With extensive experience in the National Police of France as Deputy Head of Operations and Head of the Personnel and Training Office, Mr. Bonanno was selected as a member of the UN Group of Experts that developed the first pre-deployment training curriculum for Formed Police Units serving in UN peace operations, working both in New York and at Fort Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania. As a firearms, police techniques, public order, first aid, and close protection instructor, Mr. Bonanno has delivered training in Morocco, Cameroon, Botswana, Nigeria, Ghana, USA, Russia, Bangladesh, India, Guinea, Libya, Italy, Jordan, Benin, and Sierra Leone.

Mr. Bonanno was commended for his service as the first commander of MINUSCA Joint Task Force in Bangui, a unique unit composed of police officers and military staff that operated during the visit of Pope Francis to CAR in November 2015. Mr. Bonanno completed the course for commissioned officers at the Nice National Police Academy in 1994. He is fluent in French and English.

Andres Borjas

Senior Project Assistant
Senior Project Assistant

Andres Borjas

Senior Project Assistant

Andres Borjas is a Senior Project Assistant in the Knowledge Management (KM) Department, where he assists in collecting, coding, analyzing, and reporting data for projects across Strategic Capacity Group’s global portfolio and contributes to the development and deployment of data collection instruments in various languages in support of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) requirements.

As a member of the KM Department, Mr. Borjas also provides cross-functional assistance to other SCG departments delivering capacity-building and other programmatic activities domestically and internationally, including logistics services, client support, and interpretation assistance. Mr. Borjas frequently conducts research in support of organizational initiatives and grant proposal developments. Mr. Borjas joined SCG in 2022 as a Project Assistant after successfully completing a one-year internship in the KM Department. Before coming to SCG full-time, Mr. Borjas held intern roles at the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, the United States Department of Commerce, the Mexican Secretariat of Economy, and UC Berkeley.

Mr. Borjas holds a double BA in International Relations and Political Science from Tufts University. He is a native Spanish speaker.

Pascal Cuffaut

Senior Training Advisor
Senior Training Advisor

Pascal Cuffaut

Senior Training Advisor

Pascal Cuffaut joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in 2020 as a Senior Training Advisor.

Mr. Cuffaut served for 36 years in the French National Gendarmerie and Public Order Management as an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) platoon commander specialist. As a Non-Commissioned Officer, Mr. Cuffaut dealt with Public Order Management in France and in French overseas territories (French Guyana, La Réunion island, Mayotte). He was also designated by the Ministry of International Cooperation to conduct crowd control training in Liberia and in Cameroon. Mr. Cuffaut served on multiple UN Missions, including Cambodia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Haiti and the Central Africa Republic (CAR), principally as an Individual Police Officer (IPO) providing mission induction training.  He has also conducted Selection Assistance and Assessment Team (SAAT) in numerous UN Police contributing countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nepal, Russia, Kirgizstan, Ukraine, Romania, Czech Republic, Italy, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Senegal, and Nigeria. In Haiti and in the Central Africa Republic in 2014 and 2016 respectively, he served as a Formed Police Unit (FPU) trainer at the FPU Coordination Unit. Mr. Cuffaut is certified by the United Nations to assess FPU operational capacity prior to deployment. In 2016, he was selected to serve in the UN 

Police Division in Cameroon as an UN certified trainer in weapons handling, public order management, and police tactics and techniques. 

Mr. Cuffaut is the recipient of several French military, European Union, United Nations, and foreign medals. He is fluent in French and English.

Marco Davì

Senior Program Officer
Senior Program Officer

Marco Davì

Senior Program Officer

Marco Davì joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in 2020 as a Senior Program Officer supporting community policing and capacity development initiatives in the Sahel region.

Before joining SCG, Mr. Davì worked as a consultant for the World Bank, focusing on the development of United Nations – World Bank strategic and programmatic partnerships in fragile and crisis-affected countries. Serving as a UN Security Sector Reform Officer, he was deployed in Burkina Faso, in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), and in the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI). In this capacity, Mr. Davì coordinated strategic advice and institutional capacity development programs to improve accountability and democratic oversight of the security sector, including strengthening mutual trust between security providers and local communities. Prior to his peacebuilding and stabilization experience, Mr. Davì worked as an Analyst with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Albania, focusing on results-based management.

Mr. Davì holds a Master of Science in International Relations with Distinction from the London School of Economics and Political Science. From the University of Turin (Italy), Mr. Davì received a Master of Arts in International Affairs and Human Rights and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies.

Abdoulaye Dembele

Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator

Abdoulaye Dembele

Project Coordinator

Abdoulaye Dembele joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in February 2019 as a Project Coordinator based in Bamako, Mali to support SCG's projects in Mali and across the Sahel.

Before joining SCG, Mr. Dembele worked for five years as a Program Assistant for Winrock International, supervising projects in Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea. Mr. Dembele has also consulted with the World Bank on matters relating to Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in northern Mali and refugee living conditions in both Mali and Burkina Faso.  Mr. Dembele has served as a trainer at the Mali National Gendarmerie School, the Peacekeeping School of Bamako, and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) for the United Nations Police (UNPOL). He has extensive expertise in the areas of Criminology, Military Leadership, Conflict and Operational Stress Management, and Methods of Elaborating Operational Decisions.  Further, Mr. Dembele served as an analyst with Mali’s Military Security Intelligence.

Mr. Dembele has received numerous distinctions from the Malian Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs. He holds an MA in Criminal Psychology and Rural Sociology from the University of Cocody, Côte d'Ivoire. Mr. Dembele is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Social and Clinical Psychology at the University of Colorado. Mr. Dembele speaks French, English, and Bambara and is proficient in Spanish.

Andrea Dew

Division Head, Strategic Capacity Building Programs
Division Head, Strategic Capacity Building Programs

Andrea Dew

Division Head, Strategic Capacity Building Programs

Dr. Andrea Dew serves as Division Head of Strategic Capacity Building Programs at Strategic Capacity Group (SCG), overseeing program management, research, and curriculum design.

Prior to joining SCG in 2022, Dr. Dew was the founding Co-Director of the Center on Irregular Warfare & Armed Groups at the US Naval War College, and the T.C. Sass Chair of Maritime Irregular Warfare. She has 20-years’ experience designing curriculum for red team scenarios and table-top workshops in the U.S. and internationally. She has published four books and multiple articles on strategic communications, irregular warfare, the Indian Ocean region, and lone-actor terrorism. Dr. Dew also lived in Japan for eight years and speaks fluent Japanese.

Dr. Dew earned a Ph.D. in International Relations with a focus in International Security Studies, International Communication, and Technology Policy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. She holds as Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in History from the University of Southampton, UK.

Issa Diarra

Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator

Issa Diarra

Project Coordinator

Issa Diarra joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in January 2019 as a Project Coordinator based in Burkina Faso to support SCG's community policing and capacity building programs in the Sahel.

Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Diarra worked for mining companies and the African development bank program, where he focused on taxes and financials. From 1999 to 2005, he was the financial manager of Group Hage in West Africa, an organization that specializes in manufacturing building materials.

Mr. Diarra holds two Master's degrees from Thomas Sankara University, one in Accounting, Finance, and Audit and the other in Technical and Vocational Education. He is fluent in French, Moore, Dioula, Kasséna, and has some facility in Arabic.


Elhadji Diop

Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator

Elhadji Diop

Project Coordinator

Elhadji Diop (EJ) joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in January 2020 as a Project Coordinator based in Dakar, Senegal to support SCG's projects in Senegal and across the Sahel.

Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Diop worked for five years as an interpreter and training coordinator for the Marine Special Operation Team in Senegal and Niger. In this role, he was in charge of the planning and execution of the Cultural Understanding and Leadership Program for U.S. Army Cadet Officers. Additionally, Mr. Diop has eight years of experience providing logistics support to the INL State Department IPPOS program, where he was in charge of supporting pre-deployment training of FPU's and IPOs in Mali, Senegal, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso. Mr. Diop has worked with the Legal Attaché office in Dakar as a Training Facilitator. He has extensive experience working for the Senegalese Government, National Gendarmerie, the National Police, and the Ministry of Defense.

Mr. Diop holds a BA in English and British Civilization Studies from Cheikh Anta Diop University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Diplomatic and Strategic Studies from the Centre d'Etudes Diplomatiques et Stratégiques Dakar. Mr. Diop has received numerous distinctions from the Senegalese Gendarmerie, the U.S. State Department, and the FBI. He is fluent in French, English, and Wolof.

Toufiq Ekram

Accounting Officer
Accounting Officer

Toufiq Ekram

Accounting Officer

Toufiq Ekram joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in March 2023 as an Accounting Officer, providing essential accounting support for SCG’s Finance and Administration Department.

Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Ekram served as a Grants Accountant at the Northern Virginia Family Service, where he was responsible for ‍managing financial transactions and reporting for numerous federal and non-federal grants. Mr. Ekram was responsible for managing collaborative partnerships between the finance department and assigned programs, performing detailed financial analysis and reporting, and completing monthly close processes.

Mr. Ekram holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the Fisher School of Accounting at the University of Florida. He is fluent in Bengali.

Angela Fifer

Deputy Director of Accounting
Deputy Director of Accounting

Angela Fifer

Deputy Director of Accounting

Angela Fifer is the Deputy Director of Accounting at Strategic Capacity Group (SCG), managing a team of accounting officers within the Finance and Administration Department and overseeing day-to-day accounting operations for the organization.

Ms. Fifer joined SCG in November 2019 as the Senior Accounting Officer before she was promoted to lead the accounting team in March 2021.  Ms. Fifer has over twenty years of combined experience in financial accounting and reporting, federal government contracts and awards, and budgeting.  Prior to joining SCG, Ms. Fifer served at non-profit organizations in the Washington, D.C. area, including National Quality Forum and the National Democratic Institute.  

Ms. Fifer received a BBA in Accounting from Howard University.


Amadou Fofana

Senior Police Advisor
Senior Police Advisor

Amadou Fofana

Senior Police Advisor

Amadou Fofana joined the Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in October 2019 as a Senior Police Advisor to support SCG’s program in the Central African Republic (CAR).

Mr. Fofana has twenty-eight years of professional experience, including fifteen in the field of policing focused on international peacekeeping, law enforcement, and medical practice. Previously, Mr. Fofana served as a Course Director at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) and head of the police training unit at the École de Maintien de la Paix Bamako (EMPABB). In these roles, he developed course curriculum for Formed Police Unit pre-deployment training and certification and police middle management training. Mr. Fofana has also served as a lecturer and consultant for the United Nations, the African Union, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and he has managed several training teams throughout Africa during his career. Mr. Fofana first joined the police as a medical officer for a community health management system after earning his advanced police diploma.

Mr. Fofana is a UN Integrated Training Service (ITS) certified adult trainer. He earned a Master’s Degree in criminal justice, governance, and police science and a Bachelor of Science Degree from China Medical University (CMU) in China. Mr. Fofana is fluent in French, English, Chinese and Bambara and proficient in Russian and German.

Julia Gerdak

Senior Human Resources Officer
Senior Human Resources Officer

Julia Gerdak

Senior Human Resources Officer

Julia Gerdak joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in April 2022 as a Senior Human Resources Officer, supporting benefits compliance and reporting, performance management, recruitment, and employee relations.  

Prior to joining SCG, Ms. Gerdak served as a Human Resources Generalist at Kastle Systems International LLC. In this role, Ms. Gerdak supported all areas of HR Operations including managing corporate benefits and wellness programs, handling benefits compliance and reporting, and administering performance reviews, merit, and leave of absence processes.

Ms. Gerdak holds a Master of Professional Studies in Human Resources Management from Georgetown University and a Master’s Degree in Psychology from Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University in Russia. Ms. Gerdak is fluent in Russian and has elementary knowledge of Italian.

Jason Gorden

Senior Program Officer
Senior Program Officer

Jason Gorden

Senior Program Officer

Jason Gorden joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in December 2023 as the program manager for the global ILEA logistics program supporting the U.S. Department of State.

Prior to his arrival at SCG, Mr. Gorden dedicated over two decades to serving in the U.S. Army, beginning his career with involvement in the Patriot Missile Air Defense System. His professional background is centered around talent acquisition, operations, and project management. As a Senior Operations Manager for U.S. Army Special Operations, he managed a global recruitment and selection program that was critical to organizational success. 

Mr. Gorden holds an MBA from Post University with a specialization in Project Management. He is PMP and Agile certified from the Project Management Institute. 

Farah Guerrero

Global Operations Team Manager
Global Operations Team Manager

Farah Guerrero

Global Operations Team Manager

Farah Guerrero is the Global Operations Team Manager at Strategic Capacity Group (SCG), managing a globally based team to plan, organize, and execute operations in support of SCG’s mission. 

Mrs. Guerrero joined SCG in July 2021 as a Project Coordinator to support the implementation of SCG’s Turn-Key Logistics project in Belize. She brings more than 20 years of diverse human resource, business, and project management experience to SCG. Mrs. Guerrero has served as a Partner at Salient Group LLP and as Executive Director for the Association of Real Estate Brokers of Belize. Mrs. Guerrero previously worked at the U.S. Embassy Belmopan, providing support to the Human Resources section for recruitment and staff actions. 

Mrs. Guerrero is a graduate of St. John’s College, Junior College. She has completed numerous training courses in strategic planning, customer service, management, and human resources and has received several awards, including a Meritorious Honor Award, from the U.S. Department of State during her tenure. Mrs. Guerrero is a Certified Services Provider through the Caribbean Export Development Agency and is their 2021 recipient of the Caribbean Lawrence Placide Services Go Global Award. She is fluent in English and has intermediate-level knowledge of Spanish. 

Amanda Hague

Director of Finance and Administration
Director of Finance and Administration

Amanda Hague

Director of Finance and Administration

Amanda Hague joined Strategic Capacity Group in June 2017 as the Director of Finance and Administration where she serves as SCG’s chief financial officer and head of Human Resources.

Prior to joining SCG, Ms. Hague was the Director of Finance and Human Resources at BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI), a non-profit economic development organization in Rockville, Maryland. Previously, she served as the Administration, Communications, and Events Manager at Rockville Economic Development, Inc. in Maryland.  

​Ms. Hague received an MBA from The George Washington University and a BA in German from The State University of New York at Oswego.

Hesham Hassanein

Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator

Hesham Hassanein

Project Coordinator

Hesham Hassanein joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in July 2023 as a Project Coordinator supporting the Global Corrections Program in Sykesville, MD.

Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Hassanein served as an English and Arabic teacher at Tarbiyah Academy in Elkridge, Maryland, and as an English teacher at Pungam and Dae Chon Middle Schools in Gwangju, South Korea. In these roles, Mr. Hassanein worked on curriculum design, as well as lesson planning, organizing field trips, parent-teacher communications, and classroom organization.

Mr. Hassanein holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and a TEFL certification from the University of Toronto in Canada. Mr. Hassanein is fluent in Arabic and has elementary knowledge of Spanish and Korean.

Patcharin Hongprapat

Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator

Patcharin Hongprapat

Project Coordinator

Patcharin Hongprapat joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in February 2022 as a Project Coordinator based in Bangkok, Thailand to support SCG’s projects in Southeast Asia. 

Ms. Hongprapat previously served as a director at N.C.C. Management & Development PCL. She has over 15 years of experience as a professional conference organizer, planning international conferences from design to full logistical execution, for events ranging from hundreds to thousands of delegates. Earlier in her career, Ms. Hongprapat was a Manager of Strategic Intelligence Center at Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), where she gained experience organizing educational forums and meetings across the Asia Pacific region, including in China (PRC), Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Korea (ROK), Macau SAR, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.  

Ms. Hongprapat received her Master of Management Degree from the College of Management, Mahidol University and a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Chulalongkorn University. Patcharin is fluent in Thai and English.

Jeffrey Hunter

Security Manager / Senior Police Advisor
Security Manager / Senior Police Advisor

Jeffrey Hunter

Security Manager / Senior Police Advisor

Jeffrey Hunter joined Strategic Capacity Group in June 2015 as a Senior Police Advisor to support SCG’s SSR and Border Security Programs in North and West Africa. Since July 2019, Mr. Hunter has served as SCG’s Security Manager overseeing the organization’s global operations.

Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Hunter completed a 32-year career in policing with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and retired at the Executive Level in 2013. His duties included serving as a National Director for the RCMP's Critical Incident Program, among other senior management positions. Mr. Hunter has worked as a Senior Policing Advisor in Afghanistan, Tunisia, and Mali for various governments and international organizations including Global Affairs Canada, the European Union in Afghanistan (EUPOL), NATO, and the U.S. Department of State.  He has extensive international experience in Indonesia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Tunisia, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and France.

Mr. Hunter has numerous law enforcement and police management diplomas and a certificate from the Canadian Police College.

Kaltrina Jacimi

Division Head, Turn-Key Logistics Programs
Division Head, Turn-Key Logistics Programs

Kaltrina Jacimi

Division Head, Turn-Key Logistics Programs

Kaltrina Jacimi is the Division Head of Turn-Key Logistics Programs at Strategic Capacity Group (SCG), overseeing a portfolio of projects in Haiti and Thailand, as well as Global Law Enforcement and Corrections Programs offering specialized instruction for international delegations in the United States.

Ms. Jacimi joined SCG in April 2023 as a Senior Program Officer, where she successfully managed SCG’s capacity-building program in Liberia. Prior to her tenure at SCG, Ms. Jacimi held the position of Senior Program Officer at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), where she was responsible for shaping a multi-million grantmaking and democracy promotion portfolio in Europe and directing a diverse team of program staff. Previously, Ms. Jacimi designed security sector reform projects, organized trainings for law enforcement officials, and assessed security processes to build local capacity for Analytica, North Macedonia’s leading think tank. In this role, she closely cooperated with European thinks tanks, including the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF). Her extensive experience includes managing projects funded by U.S. Department of State, USAID, EU, and OSCE, focusing on countering violent extremism (CVE) and enhancing security sector capacity. Her research on CVE was used to inform North Macedonia’s first National Strategy for Countering Violent Extremism (2018-2022). 

Ms. Jacimi is a Fulbright Scholar. She holds a Master of Arts in Security Studies from Kansas State University and an M.A. in Diplomacy and Foreign Policy from Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, North Macedonia. She is fluent in Macedonian, Albanian, and in former-Yugoslav languages.

Shaughan Jackson

Senior Training Advisor
Senior Training Advisor

Shaughan Jackson

Senior Training Advisor

Shaughan Jackson joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in September 2022 as a Senior Training Advisor.

Mr. Jackson is an experienced international trainer and advisor, supporting military, law enforcement, emergency services and protective services. He has served as an International Peacekeeping Police Operation Support (IPPOS) Team Leader and Senior Training Advisor for the Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and as a Protective Service Specialist and Paramedic in Iraq for the INL Civilian Police (CIVPOL) Program “Shark Teams” and in Afghanistan for the Department of Defence, US Army Corps of Engineers, Reconstruction Security Support Services (RSSS) Program. Mr. Jackson has also served as the Assistant Director for Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Gauteng Department of Health, Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) and as a Platoon Commander for the Johannesburg Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Public Safety Directorate. As a Reserve Police Officer, he served on the Johannesburg Flying Squad (Emergency Services Unit) for the South African Police Service (SAPS) and as a Combat Medic with the South African Medical Services (SAMS) for the South African Defence Force (SADF).

Mr Jackson is a Registered Critical Care Paramedic with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. He holds certifications in Special Weapons and Tactics, High Threat Protection Operations, Battlefield Advanced Trauma Life Support, Tactical Emergency Medicine, Aviation Health Care Provider, International Trauma Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Paediatric Advanced Life Support, and Urban Search and Rescue.

Lis Kabashi

Senior Project Coordinator
Senior Project Coordinator

Lis Kabashi

Senior Project Coordinator

Lis Kabashi is a Senior Project Coordinator at Strategic Capacity Group (SCG), supporting the design, planning, and implementation of projects under SCG’s global Law Enforcement Expertise Program (LEEP).

Prior to his promotion, Mr. Kabashi served as a Project Coordinator in the Global Operations Department, where he supported the successful planning and execution of capacity-building events, including negotiating and drafting vendor services agreements, communicating and coordinating with host nation partners, vendors, and participants, and implementing risk mitigation and safety strategies. Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Kabashi worked as an Executive Assistant to the Ambassador of Kosovo in Washington, DC. As an Executive Assistant, he managed Ambassador’s agenda and day-to-day calendar, and directed high level delegations from Kosovo during their meetings with U.S. government officials. At Seton Hall University, as an Abd-El Kader Fellow, he conducted research and policy in support of U.S. Army Africa/Southern European Task Force (G2) and presented his work at the White House and the Pentagon. Previously, Mr. Kabashi supported the Consul General of Kosovo in the UN Security Council regarding the status of the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo.

Mr. Kabashi holds a Master of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy from Seton Hall University, specializing in International Relations and Diplomacy, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the American College of Thessaloniki. He is fluent in Albanian and has elementary knowledge of Arabic and Greek.


Oumar Konipo

Country Director, Mali
Country Director, Mali

Oumar Konipo

Country Director, Mali

Oumar Konipo joined SCG in 2017 as a Field Logistics Coordinator, supporting SCG’s portfolio of projects in  Mali and across the Sahel.

Prior to his role at SCG, Mr. Konipo worked for the U.S. Embassy in Mali, where he provided simultaneous and consecutive interpretation services for the Regional Security and Legal Advisor Offices. There he also served as a Senior Economic and Commercial Specialist, working across multiple offices and directorates on issues related to peace and governance, trade, money laundering, and economic development and growth. Earlier in his career, Mr. Konipo worked for the Government Investment Center (CEPI) as the Chief of the Small Business Assistance Division and the Chief of Projects.

Mr. Konipo received an MBA from Northeastern University and a BS in Civil Engineering from Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs in Bamako, Mali. He is an active member of the Lions Club International, currently serving as the District Secretary for eight countries in West Africa. Mr Konipo is the recipient of numerous awards, including two Meritorious Honor Awards from the U.S. Embassy in Bamako and a Superior Honor Award from the U.S. Department of State.

Michael Leibold

Site Manager
Site Manager

Michael Leibold

Site Manager

Michael Leibold joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in October 2022 as a Site Manager to support SCG’s Global Corrections Program at the International Corrections Academy–Colorado.  

Mr. Leibold has twenty-seven years of military and corrections experience training, mentoring, and supervising security professionals and directing national level training. As a leader who worked with both military and civilian components stateside and abroad, Mr. Leibold served five years in Afghanistan as an Advisor with the Corrections System Support Program and two years working with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan/Ministry of Counternarcotics for the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the INL/Kabul Counternarcotics Program. He has also served as a Learning and Development Manager, Senior Correctional Officer, and Transportation/Release Officer at a U.S. Marshals Service Facility, as a Transportation and Security Manager at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Facility, and as Corrections Staff Instructor for the State of Arizona Department of Corrections.

Mr. Leibold has State of Arizona Correctional Officers Training Academy certifications and Department of Defense basic, advance and primary leadership certifications, as well as Department of State Civilian Police and Foreign Affairs Counter Threat training and Master Key Leadership certifications.

Ferenc Less

Senior Police Trainer
Senior Police Trainer

Ferenc Less

Senior Police Trainer

Dr. Ferenc Less joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in 2021 as a Senior Police Trainer for SCG’s security sector capacity building project in Liberia.

Prior to joining SCG, Dr. Less spent 30 years serving in the Hungarian Police. He started his career as a patrol officer at the Rapid Response Unit, the largest Hungarian Police Department that performs public order, police patrol activities, and operations nationwide. He participated in numerous police operations and led police units on team, platoon, and company levels. In his last position at the Hungarian Police, Dr. Less served as the Head of the Dog Handlers and Service Dog Training Centre and as Secretary of Kynopol, the EU network for service dog professionals. Dr. Less has extensive international experience, delivering public order training in Russia, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan and Georgia for various international organizations. For the United Nations, he served as a UNPOL instructor in the Ivory Coast and developed UN Formed Police Unit pre-deployment training. Additionally, he has ten years of research, teaching, and administrative and management experience at the National University of Public Services in Budapest, Hungary.

Dr. Less holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Police Administration from the Police University of Budapest, and a Master’s Degree of Security and Defense Policy and a Ph.D. in Military Science from the National University of Public Services of Budapest. He is fluent in English and Russian.

Ibeth Lopez Marroquin

Project Assistant
Project Assistant

Ibeth Lopez Marroquin

Project Assistant

Ibeth López Marroquin joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in October 2023 as a Project Assistant based in Guatemala City, Guatemala to support SCG's Global Operations Team.

Prior to joining SCG, Ms. López Marroquin worked in the banking, financial services, and consumer goods industries in an array of different roles such as Transitions Coordinator, Procurement Operations Assistant Manager,  and Executive Assistant, among other administrative positions. 

Ms. López Marroquin has completed training courses in free-form translation, Lean Methodology, Six Sigma and Customer Service, and is fluent in Spanish and English. Ms. López Marroquin will obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in International Affairs from Rafael Landivar University in 2024. 

Marin Mikulec

Senior Training Advisor
Senior Training Advisor

Marin Mikulec

Senior Training Advisor

Marin Mikulec joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in 2022 as a Senior Training Advisor.

Mr. Mikulec is an experienced international trainer and advisor. Since 2016, he has served as an International Peacekeeping Police Operation Support (IPPOS) Mobile Trainer and Senior Training Adviser for the Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). From 2009-2015, he served as a UN Mobile Training Team (MTT) trainer, and he completed three missions in MINUSTAH (Haiti) as a Formed Police Unit (FPU) coordinator and trainer.  As a member of an international contingent, Mr. Mikulec worked at the Jordan International Police Training Center (JIPTC) as a trainer and team leader assigned to support the training of Iraqi police officers. As a firearm, police techniques and tactics, public order management, command staff, and close protection trainer, he has delivered training in India, Botswana, Togo, Senegal, Cameroon, Rwanda, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Jordan, and Haiti. In 2014-2015, Mr. Mikulec was selected to serve on a UN group of experts to revise and develop a new pre-deployment training curriculum for Formed Police Units serving in UN Peace Operations. Mr. Mikulec has 24 years of experience in law enforcement serving in the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Croatia as an operator in the Special Police Unit, investigator in the Drug Unit, Deputy Chief of Operations in the Police Operations Center, and Deputy Unit Commander in the Intervention Police Unit.

Mr. Mikulec completed studies at the University for Physical Culture, in Zagreb, Croatia, and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Police Studies, Police Management, Criminology and Law Enforcement. He is fluent in English and former Yugoslavian languages, and proficient in French.

Elisa Montealegre

Senior Program Officer
Senior Program Officer

Elisa Montealegre

Senior Program Officer

Elisa Montealegre is a Senior Program Officer at Strategic Capacity Group (SCG), serving as the program manager for the Global Corrections Program.

Previously, Ms. Montealegre served as a Team Lead, managing Global Operations Department teams to plan, coordinate and execute logistical support for SCG’s technical training and capacity building programs across the globe. Ms. Montealegre joined SCG in February 2020 as a Project Coordinator. Prior to her work at SCG, Ms. Montealegre served as an Account Manager for VMware, Inc. working with both the private and public sectors in Latin America. In this role, Ms. Montealegre traveled in region to support local resellers and on average exceeded sales targets by over 50 percent.  

Ms. Montealegre holds a double degree in Foreign Affairs and Latin American Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Virginia (UVA). At UVA, Ms. Montealegre was awarded two Jefferson Public Citizen (JPC) grants to support the successful implementation of a research-based mentoring program for women in Nicaragua.  Ms. Montealegre is also a Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Program Fellow. She is fluent in Spanish.

Nataliya Morozova

Program Officer
Program Officer

Nataliya Morozova

Program Officer

Nataliya Morozova joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in October 2022 as a Program Officer to support SCG’s global capacity building projects and programs.

Prior to joining SCG, Ms. Morozova was a Program Manager at Language on Demand, Inc, a government contracting company providing language services to federal and commercial clients worldwide. She managed multiple, high-level projects for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Federal Trade Commission. Ms. Morozova was responsible for developing and submitting bids to federal agencies and private firms seeking language instruction. Ms. Morozova was also responsible for recruiting, interviewing, and hiring more than 50 language instructors in more than 25 languages and for monitoring and tracking more than 100 language classes annually.

Ms. Morozova graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Affairs and received a Certificate in Leadership Principles from Harvard Business School.

Gabriela Nava-Campos

Deputy Director of Knowledge Management
Deputy Director of Knowledge Management

Gabriela Nava-Campos

Deputy Director of Knowledge Management

Dr. Nava-Campos is a Deputy Director of Knowledge Management and leads SCG’s assessment, design, monitoring, evaluation, and learning (ADMEL) for a global portfolio of projects.

Dr. Nava-Campos joined SCG in 2020 as a Senior Program Officer before her promotion to Deputy Director. She developed a comprehensive MEL framework for the International Police Peacekeeping Operations Support (IPPOS) Program and integrated components of that framework into the Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs’ DevResults platform. Dr. Nava-Campos has designed and conducted assessments on Senegal and Ghana’s capacity to train and deploy peacekeepers using instruments and methodologies later employed in Cameroon, Jordan, Rwanda, and Togo. She also developed a gender mainstreaming measuring instrument used to assess Jordan’s efforts to increase the participation of women in peacekeeping. Dr. Nava-Campos’ ADMEL experience spans more than 20 years of work with government agencies, private sector companies, and NGOs on a wide range of projects financed by organizations such as USAID, Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), Open Government Partnership (OGP), Global Development Network (GDN), and World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Her international experience as an evaluator and instructor also includes Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, and El Salvador. 

Dr. Nava-Campos has a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University, a Master in Public Policy Degree from Harvard University Kennedy School, and a B.A. in International Relations from El Colegio de Mexico. She is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and French.

Matthew Needham

Project Assistant
Project Assistant

Matthew Needham

Project Assistant

Matthew Needham joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in September 2023 as a Project Assistant within SCG’s Global Corrections Team. 

Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Needham worked as a graduate fellow at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in New York as part of the Africa & MENA Public Partnerships team. At UNICEF, Mr. Needham worked with the Senior Advisor for Muslim Philanthropy on crafting an organization wide plan to better coordinate regional efforts. While there Mr. Needham coordinated closely with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) on The Global Muslim Philanthropy Fund for Children, a joint fund with UNICEF, targeting High Net Worth Individuals and Foundations for donations to development projects. 

Mr. Needham holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations & Political Science with a minor in French from Syracuse University. Mr. Needham speaks French and basic Italian.

Alexander Perez

Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator

Alexander Perez

Project Coordinator

Alexander Perez joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in October 2023 as a Project Coordinator to provide turn-key travel and logistics support for international delegates attending symposia at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Roswell, New Mexico.

Mr. Perez brings ten years of experience from the hospitality and tourism industries, having served as an Operations Manager and as the Director of Sales and Marketing for different hotel property management groups in Roswell and Albuquerque, NM. In these roles, Mr. Perez was responsible for hiring, training department managers to achieve and maintain organizational standards for annual quality audits, and for developing strategic marketing and promotional campaigns to generate top line business revenue. While based in Roswell, Mr. Perez has provided various logistical support to the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) and its visiting international delegations.

Mr. Perez graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. He is fluent in Spanish.

Wilnie Petrash

Director of Finance and Administration
Director of Finance and Administration

Wilnie Petrash

Director of Finance and Administration

Wilnie Petrash joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in February 2024 as the Director of Finance and Administration.  In this role, she serves as SCG’s Chief Financial Officer and head of Human Resources. 

Mrs. Petrash has over seventeen years of experience in program, corporate finance and administrative management. She has extensive experience with USAID, EU, and foundation funding, financial management, and oversight.  Prior to joining SCG, Ms. Petrash worked on the USAID Global Supply Chain project at Chemonics International as the Maternal Child Health & Zika Task Order Finance Director.  Ms. Petrash also served as the Director of Management Reporting, Planning and Analysis at Women for Women International. 

Ms. Petrash received an Executive MBA from Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business in 2019. She speaks French and Creole.

DeeDee Rodriguez

Senior Police Advisor
Senior Police Advisor

DeeDee Rodriguez

Senior Police Advisor

DeeDee Rodriguez is a Senior Police Advisor supporting Strategic Capacity Group’s program in Sierra Leone.  

Ms. Rodriguez has 16 years of international policing experience serving with the United Nations as an UNPOL in various positions (Regional Advisor for Trafficking in Persons, Narcotics, and Missing Persons; Station Commander; Executive Officer for the Deputy Police Commissioner of Operations; Executive officer of  UNMIK Police Commissioner), the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) in Kosovo as Advisor to Kosovo Police Chief of Staff,  and the DOJ International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) as Senior Advisor/Instructor for Anti-Trafficking in Persons Program. She recently served for three years supporting UN Police Headquarters Standing Police Capacity. Ms. Rodriguez is also an UN Certified Master Instructor for Monitoring, Mentoring, and Advising, and Capacity Building and Development. Her international police work has included deployments to Kosovo, Guinea-Bissau, Italy, Haiti, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, South Sudan, Jordan, and Sierra Leone.  Ms. Rodriquez served as a Detective First Class and a Deputy Coroner in Montana. During her time with the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office, she earned a national certification in Computer Forensics Analysis, Child Forensic Interviewing, and an Emergency Medical Technician Certification. 

Ms. Rodriguez holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and numerous certificates. She received the Ravalli Country Domestic Violence “Courage Award” and was recognized for “Making a Difference for Women” by the Soroptimist Association.

Ruth Roy

Senior Police Advisor
Senior Police Advisor

Ruth Roy

Senior Police Advisor

Ruth Roy joined Strategic Capacity Group in 2017 as a Senior Police Advisor to support SCG’s projects in North Africa and the Sahel.

Ms. Roy is a retired police Inspector with over 30 years of completed service with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Throughout her career, Inspector Roy worked throughout Canada and around the globe to improve police training programs with a special emphasis on gender sensitivity and balance. As a first responder constable, she was involved in several community policing initiatives throughout Canada. Inspector Roy also created a Women’s Advisory Committee for the Commanding Officer of Nova Scotia. As the Director of Basic Training for the United Nations Mission in Haiti, she improved the Basic Training Program for the Haitian National Police and developed training for police cadets on gender sensitivity.

Ms. Roy holds a Certificate in Police Leadership from Henson College and a Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in Management from Mount Saint Vincent University. She has received numerous honors, including the 2013 NAWLEE/Motorola Woman Law Enforcement Executive of the Year Award, a United Nations Peacekeeping Medal, the Atlantic Women in Law Enforcement’s Police Woman of the Year Award, and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.  

Gloria Ruiz

Assistant Global Operations Team Manager and Shift Supervisor
Assistant Global Operations Team Manager and Shift Supervisor

Gloria Ruiz

Assistant Global Operations Team Manager and Shift Supervisor

Gloria Ruiz is the Assistant Global Operations Team Manager and Shift Supervisor at Strategic Capacity Group (SCG), supporting the management of a globally based team to plan, organize, and executive operations in support of SCG’s mission.

Ms. Ruiz Gloria joined SCG in March 2021 as a Project Assistant to support the implementation of SCG’s Turn-Key Logistics project in Belize and subsequently served as a team lead for the planning and execution of logistics for SCG’s global portfolio of projects.  Prior to joining SCG, Ms. Ruiz worked in the hospitality, banking, and legal sectors. In these roles, she managed day-to-day and long-term logistics planning for events and activities. 

Ms. Ruiz holds a Bachelor of Science from the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology in Taiwan, R.O.C. She is fluent in English and Spanish.


Nannaphas Rungrueng

Project Assistant
Project Assistant

Nannaphas Rungrueng

Project Assistant

Nannaphas Rungrueng joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in October 2023 as a Project Assistant based in Bangkok, Thailand to support SCG's Global Operations Team.

Prior to joining SCG, Ms. Nannaphas served as a Senior Program Assistant at PATH's Digital Square, Program Associate at The Aspen Institute - ANDE, and as National Consultant at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and International Trade Centre (ITC). She is an experienced event planner, has facilitated networking events, managed stakeholder relationships, and led assigned project initiatives on behalf of the organizations where she has served.

Ms. Nannaphas received her Master of Arts in International Studies from the University of San Francisco, where she conducted extensive research on microfinance and financial inclusion in Southeast Asia. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Language and Culture - International Program from Chulalongkorn University. Ms. Nannaphas is fluent in Thai and English.

Pakin Santanan

Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator

Pakin Santanan

Project Coordinator

Pakin Santanan joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in March 2021 as a Project Coordinator based in Thailand to support SCG’s capacity building projects in Thailand and across Southeast Asia.

Mr. Santanan has over ten years of experience in development, training, and event management for both public and private sectors domestically and internationally. Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Santanan was the project director for Multiple Intelligence International. In this role, he facilitated several projects and events for the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Union, and United Nations. During his time with Multiple Intelligence International, he coordinated with local representatives in 17 countries across Asia and Oceania. Mr. Santanan has also served as a project coordinator for AIT Extension and the Asian Institute of Technology, where he managed several international projects.

Mr. Santanan holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce, Thailand and a Master’s Degree in Science from the Asian Institute of Technology, where he received a full scholarship from the Royal Thai Government. Mr. Santanan obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Science from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Lardkrabang. He is fluent in both Thai and English.

Dale Sheehan

Special Advisor for International Cooperation
Special Advisor for International Cooperation

Dale Sheehan

Special Advisor for International Cooperation

Dale Sheehan joined Strategic Capacity Group in February 2017 as Special Advisor for International Cooperation.

Prior to SCG, Mr. Sheehan worked in law enforcement for over 35 years, including as Assistant Commissioner, Director General of Learning and Development, and an Adjudicator and Mediator for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). During that time, Mr. Sheehan published and co-edited Police Organization and Training, Innovations in Research and Practice, and spearheaded an effort with international partners in thirteen countries to broaden the appeal of public service through policing. He also served as INTERPOL’s first Director of Police Training and Development and as Director of INTERPOL in France and Singapore. Throughout his career, Mr. Sheehan has observed and participated in law enforcement capacity building and training initiatives in over 120 countries.

Mr. Sheehan holds a BA in Sociology/Criminology/Law from Carlton University and graduated from Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business Executive Strategic Human Resources Leadership Program.  Mr. Sheehan is the recipient of numerous awards, including the St Johns Ambulance Medal, the Canadian Peacekeeping Medal, United Nations Protection Force Medal, Canada 125 Medal, Saskatchewan Centenary Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Long Service Medal, and the Member of the Order of Merit. He sits on several Canadian and international boards of directors, including Past President, Canadian Association of Police Educators, INTERPOL Group of Experts Police Training, Canadian Police Knowledge Network, and the RCMP Quarterly Editorial Board.

Anthony Slocumb

Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator

Anthony Slocumb

Project Coordinator

Anthony Slocumb joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in October 2023 as a Project Coordinator in support SCG’s Global Corrections Program at the International Corrections Academy - Colorado (ICA-C) in Cañon City, CO.

Mr. Slocumb has 15 years of experience in management, operations, logistical support, and security with both military and civilian components in the United States, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. He has also conducted training in support of security and area operations with military and international partners in Africa and Iraq. He served as an operations coordinator supporting the movement of personnel and equipment in Afghanistan. As a facility manager, Mr. Slocumb was responsible for coordinating the movement of vehicles and for product, personnel, and time management to improve operations and profitability.

Mr. Slocumb holds a Master of Science in Political Science from Liberty University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Columbia Southern University.

Andrew Smith

Senior Program Officer
Senior Program Officer

Andrew Smith

Senior Program Officer

Andrew Smith joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in 2021as a Senior Program Officer supporting SCG’s law enforcement training and modernization programming globally.

Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Smith spent six years implementing rule of law programs for the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative, primarily in the Middle East and North Africa from both DC headquarters and field offices in Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco. He has a wide range of research and program management experience working on USG and non-USG funded programming in rule of law development and human rights, including judicial and criminal justice reform, access to justice, trafficking in persons, transitional justice, and peacebuilding and governance. He has lived and worked in Jordan and Italy in numerous capacities, and previously studied Arabic at the University of Jordan.

Mr. Smith holds a Master of Jurisprudence in Rule of Law for Development from Loyola University Chicago, School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Mary Washington.

Patthamaphong Sonthithai

Senior Project Assistant
Senior Project Assistant

Patthamaphong Sonthithai

Senior Project Assistant

Patthamaphong Sonthithai joined Strategic Capacity Group in November 2023 as a Senior Project Assistant supporting the Global Corrections Program in Sykesville, MD. 

Prior to joining SCG, Ms. Sonthithai worked for international tour operators in Bangkok, Thailand. As a travel consultant, she crafted personalized itineraries covering transportation, accommodations, tours, and plane tickets in Thailand to suit the lifestyles and preferences of Latin American and Spanish clients. Thereafter, she worked as a Medical Assistant Coordinator where she managed communications with British insurance policyholders abroad, facilitating medical assistance and coordinating transportation including air ambulance. She also worked as a trainee at the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Thailand. Ms. Sonthithai lived in South Africa for one year as an exchange student and in Colombia for four months to study Spanish at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellin with a scholarship granted by the Colombian government. 

Ms. Sonthithai holds a Master of Arts in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from Columbia University. She received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with honors from Chulalongkorn University. She speaks Thai, English, and Spanish.

Ali Souley

Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator

Ali Souley

Project Coordinator

Ali Souley joined Strategic Capacity Group in 2017 as a Project Coordinator to support SCG’s portfolio of projects across the Sahel.

Before joining SCG, Mr. Souley worked as a Translator and International Conference Interpreter. He also served as the Senior Officer of the National Democratic Institute-Niger, a Trainer in English Language Teaching, and an educational consultant. Mr. Souley founded two private schools in Niamey, Niger.

Mr. Souley holds a Ph.D. certificate in Education from Ahmed Bello University (A.B.U.) Zaria, an MA in Education from the University of Leeds, and an MA and BA in English Language from the University of Niamey.

Kemal Taban

Budget Coordinator
Budget Coordinator

Kemal Taban

Budget Coordinator

Kemal Taban is a Budget Coordinator at Strategic Capacity Group (SCG), providing budget design and management support to SCG programs worldwide.

Mr. Taban joined SCG in October 2022 as a Senior Project Assistant prior to his promotion. As a member of SCG’s Global Corrections Team, he supported the planning and execution of corrections trainings, which included negotiating and drafting agreements with vendors, providing on-site support to facilitate trainings, and communicating and collaborating with international partners. Prior to joining SCG, Mr. Taban worked as a Student Trainee at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., where he prepared regional briefs and detailed reports, maintained and facilitated communications between Washington and U.S. embassies abroad, and participated in meetings with senior-level U.S. and foreign government officials. Mr. Taban also has experience serving as a Paralegal in the fields of immigration, business, and litigation.

Mr. Taban graduated from The College of William and Mary with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a minor in Economics. He is fluent in Turkish and has elementary knowledge of Spanish and Arabic.

Kendal Wolf

Senior Program Officer
Senior Program Officer

Kendal Wolf

Senior Program Officer

Kendal Wolf joined Strategic Capacity Group in 2019 as a Senior Program Officer, leading monitoring and evaluation for SCG’s Academies of Excellence Program in Mali.

Mr. Wolf is a seasoned evaluator with twenty years of international affairs, education, and project management experience. He most recently directed evaluation at a leading non-profit institute that builds professional connections and international understanding between global policy makers and their counterparts in the Middle East. Previously, he ran a boutique consulting business for international organizations based in the Pacific Islands. Mr. Wolf has broad experience in education and evaluation, working in settings as diverse as Senegal, France, Cook Islands, and Fiji, as well as in various other locations throughout the United States.

Mr. Wolf holds a BA from Tufts University and a MALD from the Fletcher School. He also completed graduate studies in Education at George Washington University and was a Fulbright Teaching Fellow at the Université de Bourgogne.

Tinsaye Zewdie

Senior Staff Accountant
Senior Staff Accountant

Tinsaye Zewdie

Senior Staff Accountant

Tinsaye Zewdie joined Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) in May 2022 as a Senior Staff Accountant. Ms. Zewdie provides essential accounting support for SCG’s Finance and Administration Department. 

Prior to joining SCG, Ms. Zewdie served as the Senior Grant Accountant at the National Association Regulatory Utility Commission (NARUC) ensuring allocation of grants to proper project and expense accounts. Ms. Zewdie reviewed and processed all subcontracted work and expenditures and liaised with organizational departments. 

Ms. Zewdie holds an Associate of Science Degree in Accounting from Admas University in Ethiopia.  She is fluent in Amharic.