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CNFA Announces Two New Vice Presidents
WASHINGTON, D.C.—CNFA welcomed Peter Dickrell as its new vice president of Programs in June, shortly after Sylvain Roy, who previously held the position, officially assumed his new role as CNFA’s president and CEO. As CNFA’s vice president of Programs, Dickrell provides program vision and ongoing technical assistance to CNFA’s worldwide portfolio. On August 25, Russ Webster joined CNFA as the new vice president for New Business Development. As CNFA’s vice president for New Business Development, Webster leads CNFA’s new business process, including the identification of upcoming opportunities, development of strategic partnerships, technical writing, and management of multiple proposal teams.
Dickrell brings more than 35 years of experience working in agribusiness and agricultural development. He began his career as a Peace Corp volunteer in Jamaica and went on to become a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service officer specializing in developing new export markets for U.S. agricultural products. He continued this work with the California Raisin Advisory Board while he attended San Joaquin College of Law and received a Juris Doctorate. Dickrell’s law practice included the major agricultural cooperatives in California, including Sun-Maid Raisins, Diamond Walnuts, and Land O’Lakes. During this time, he continued working with agribusinesses in the Philippines, Ecuador, Honduras, and Vietnam.
In 2000, Dickrell became chief of party of a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded dairy development project in Honduras. Over the next 13 years, he was instrumental in implementing USAID-funded projects in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq, Honduras, and Ecuador. These projects totaled more than $200 million and were pivotal in reconstructing agriculture in difficult and challenging environments. The USAID programs overseen by Dickrell resulted in 7,000 new jobs, over 100,000 total beneficiaries, the creation of 28 agribusiness and food processing factories, and the establishment of 10,000 hectares of new high-value agricultural production, including orchards and vineyards. Dickrell holds a degree in business management from St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota, and obtained his master’s degree in agricultural economics from Washington State University.
Webster brings extensive public and private sector leadership in rural finance, small enterprise development, governance, local economic development, policy, and regulatory reform to CNFA’s New Business team. With experience in more than 40 countries in regions all over the world, Webster has demonstrated a deep understanding of the international development industry and the management of developing successful business proposals.
His most recent position was as an independent consultant and advisor on business development strategies and action plans for organizational growth and diversification. Prior to his consultancy work, he served as the president of Cardno Emerging Markets USA for three years. While at Cardno, Webster managed a portfolio of contracts and cooperative agreements in excess of $200 million with multiple clients, including USAID, World Bank, AusAID, UK Department for International Development (DFID), African Development Bank, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Center for Disease Control, Nike Foundation, and other select commercial clients. Before that, he held senior leadership positions at DAI, Management Systems International (MSI), and Nathan Associates. Webster also served on the Boards for the Corporate Council on Africa, the Council of International Development Companies, Leadership Forum International and International Development Enterprises. He is a member of the Society for International Development and frequently lectures as a guest speaker for events sponsored by USAID, The George Washington University, Georgetown University, and MCC. He holds a Master’s of Public Administration in rural development administration from Michigan State University.
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About CNFA: CNFA, based in Washington, D.C., stimulates economic growth and improves rural livelihoods by empowering the private sector. CNFA’s unique approach is founded on six core capacities: 1) commercial input supply and farm services; 2) economic resilience and rapid recovery; 3) agricultural productivity, food security, and nutrition; 4) value chain development; 5) volunteer technical assistance and 6) access to finance. CNFA has worked in 42 countries worldwide and implemented more than $474 million in donor-funded programs. For more information, visit cnfa.org.