Senior Vice President, Programs

Sheryl Cowan, CNFA senior vice president, Programs, has more than 25 years of experience in development with a special focus on advancing food security and strengthening livelihoods, and a strong record of program design and management, training, and capacity-building.

Before joining CNFA in 2015, Cowan served in a variety of development positions, including as director, Sustainable Food and Agriculture Systems, for International Relief Development, Inc., deputy resident country director in Mali for a $465 million contract for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Peace Corps country director in Benin, and country director in Niger and Mali for Africare. Cowan began her career as an agriculture Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho.

Cowan currently manages a portfolio of agribusiness-focused contracts and grants in eight countries. Proficient in French, Cowan holds a Master of International and Intercultural Management with a dual concentration in Sustainable Development and Training from the School for International Training.