Michael Deal, Executive Director & CEO

Mr. Deal brings an impressive and widely-varied professional background in international business and development to his new leadership role, having served in a number of executive management positions over his career. He was USAID Mission Director in Colombia, culminating a 28-year Foreign Service career which included assignments as Acting Assistant Administrator and Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Latin American Bureau with responsibility for overseeing16 field missions and 3 regional programs. His career has included assignments in six developing countries. He achieved the rank of Minister Counselor in the Senior Foreign Service and received the Administrator's Outstanding Career Achievement Award.

Following his years at USAID, Mr. Deal served as President and CEO of Crown Agents USA, Inc., where he directed the rapid ramp-up of U.S. operations for this global international development company with nearly 1000 employees in 40 countries. He led the firm in building a competitive position in the U.S. market, expanding revenue by more than 500%, opening nine overseas offices in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and building strong partnerships across a range of sectors. Major program initiatives included combating HIV/AIDS and malaria in Africa, promoting good governance through customs, tax, and procurement reform, and anti-corruption training under programs funded by USAID and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

Deal speaks fluent Spanish and completed a post-graduate fellowship at the Universidad La Catolica in Lima, Peru. He has an MA in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University and a BA from St. Joseph's University. He was a Finalist for Rotary International's Global Service to Humanity Award in 2008 and 2009.

Shakil Tabassum, Chief Financial Officer

Shakil Tabassum is an experienced finance expert who has worked for over twenty years in the international development field, providing financial management for various nonprofit organizations. He has contributed his expertise to projects in Pakistan, Zambia and Afghanistan. Mr. Tabassum formerly held a position as Chief Financial Officer for LEAD International, managing 13 offices worldwide. He was also the Controller for CARE International in Lusaka, Zambia where he established a new finance department and has had extensive experience with USAID, UNHCR, UNDP, CIDA, FAO,DAI and ODA. Most recently, Mr. Tabassum worked as an independent strategic consultant conducting analyses and improving overall financial operations for nonprofit institutions.

Soeun Seng, Accountant

Soeun Seng has worked in Finance and Administration for over 10 years in his native Cambodia. He has supervised and trained finance and program management teams for organizations such as the Danish Red Cross, World Wildlife Fund, the Arbitration Council Foundation (ACF) Cambodia and World Vision. Throughout his experience with international development projects, he has interacted with USAID, CIDA and UNICEF. Mr. Seng received his Bachelor's degree in Accounting from the National Institute of Management in Phnom Penh and an MBA in Accounting from Maharishi University in Iowa.

Esther Choe, Program Accountant

Esther S. Choe has eight years of extensive experience in business administration and accounting. Ms. Choe holds a BS in Accounting from George Mason University and is currently a CPA candidate. She has knowledge of executing grants to ensure that contract terms for invoicing and reporting are met under government regulations and also has experience with analyzing budget proposals for government contracts. Ms. Choe has worked with private sector companies and nonprofits such as Midego, Inc., J Roberts, Inc., Lani Eko CPAs PLLC / Ernst & Young Audit Team at U.S. Department of Education, and Global Technology Systems Consortium.

Lorenz Wild, New Business Development & Program Manager

Lorenz Wild brings six years of diverse international economic development experience to the VEGA team. While employed by Chemonics International, he managed various multi-million dollar USAID programs. In Kyrgyzstan, he built local capacities on a USAID enterprise development project implemented by the Pragma Corporation. Mr. Wild has contributed to sustainable economic growth through work with NGOs and within the private sector in Ethiopia, Niger, Ecuador, Guatemala, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. His professional experience includes value chain analysis, SME development, entrepreneurship, organizational development, program management, and marketing. Through volunteer assignments for Land O'Lakes International and two VEGA Member programs, the MBA Enterprise Corps, and MBAs Without Borders, Mr. Wild gained a member-based perspective on VEGA programs. He has a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and an MBA with a focus on international business from the University of Arizona. He is fluent in English, Spanish, and German, and conversant in French, Russian,and Amharic.

Renee Gifford, New Business Development & Program Manager

Renee Gifford has twelve years of experience managing economic growth programs ranging from $12 million to $300 million, including private sector development, microfinance, trade and financial services, and small and medium-sized enterprise support programs in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. She has contributed to the design and start-up of a number of programs and was one of the first three staff members of VEGA. Ms.Gifford has also provided monitoring and evaluation, grants management, and training services for a range of organizations including The QED Group, International Relief and Development, AECOM International Development, and World Learning. Ms. Gifford received an MBA from The George Washington University and a BA from the University of Pittsburgh. She is conversant in Spanish and Arabic.

Derek Watkins, Executive Assistant
Derek Watkins joined VEGA Alliance in September of 2011. He brings two years’ experience in economic growth research in both the non-profit and private sectors. He currently supports Michael Deal, Executive Director & CEO, on the coordination of a variety of administrative projects. Before joining VEGA, Mr. Watkins worked at Management Systems International, an international development firm. There he supported project managers and contract administrators in the field while working toward goals of improving public management and fostering entrepreneurship worldwide. Derek graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University with a B.A. in Political Science and minor in Economics.

Komivi Doglo, Accounting Intern
Komivi Doglo has more than ten years’ experience in business management and customer service. He also has experience managing financial resources of companies. Previously, Mr. Doglo worked on a business management team in his native Togo and had worked with Giant Food since 2000. He received BS in Finance from George Mason University and Bachelor of Legal Sciences in Business Law from University of Lome (Togo). He is currently enrolled in Accounting Career Studies Certificate program at Northern Virginia Community College. Komivi has the ability to communicate fluently in English, French, and Ewe.

May Kosba, Business Development Coordinator
May Kosba is an Atlas Service Corps Fellow from Egypt in the U.S. She has five years of experience in the nonprofit sector and has worked in various capacities as a Senior Program Specialist writing reports, grant proposals, and training curricula. She has worked as a youth and community development trainer and translator for a diverse list of organizations, including One World Foundation for Development and Civil Society Care, Etijah-Youth and Development Consultancy Institute, United Group Attorneys at Law & Human Rights Advocates, and several other agencies. Ms. Kosba is an advocate for youth and women’s freedom of choice and participation.  She’s featured on different media outlets advocating for youth and women’s role in the Arab Spring. She co-Authored “Hello, It’s a Muslim Calling” as a youth-led initiative to challenge stereotypes and Islamophobia.

Allie Kleinman, Tourism Development Intern
Allie Kleinman is in her final year of graduate school at The George Washington University, where she is pursuing a Master of Tourism Administration with a concentration in Sustainable Destination Development.  Ms. Kleinman has worked in the hospitality, tourism development, and marketing sectors. She has traveled extensively for work and pleasure, spending one month volunteering in Brazil, two years teaching English in Spain, and one year backpacking and working in New Zealand and Australia. Ms. Kleinman received a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from American University in Washington, DC. She is conversant in Spanish.