Speakers

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  Carol Spahn Peace Corps - Director
  

  Carol Spahn

  Peace Corps - Director

  Carol Spahn was sworn into office as the 21st Director of the Peace Corps on December 21, 2022.

  Director Spahn brings more than 25 years of public and private sector experience and has worked in countries around the world on issues ranging from small business development and infectious disease prevention to women’s empowerment.

  She most recently served as the Peace Corps’ chief executive officer and, prior to that, as acting director. Previously, Director Spahn was also the Peace Corps’ chief of operations in the Africa Region and the country director of Peace Corps/Malawi.

  Director Spahn’s Peace Corps roots extend back to when she was a Volunteer from 1994 to 1996 in Romania, where she served as a small business advisor.

  Before returning to the Peace Corps as country director, Director Spahn was senior vice president of operations at Women for Women International, an organization serving marginalized and socially excluded women in conflict affected countries. Prior to that, Director Spahn served as executive director of Accordia Global Health Foundation, a nonprofit focused on creating sustainable centers of excellence in health in Africa. She served as vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer of Small Enterprise Assistance Funds, a nonprofit private equity fund manager that invests in small- and medium-sized companies in developing countries. She has also held positions at leading private sector institutions, including GE Capital and KPMG Peat Marwick.

  Director Spahn holds a bachelor’s degree from the Catholic University of America and a master’s degree in international development from the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs.

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  Amy Parsons Colorado State University - President
  

  Amy Parsons

  Colorado State University - President

  Amy Parsons is the 16th President of Colorado State University. Prior to being named the President of Colorado State University, Amy Parsons served in various senior executive leadership roles at CSU and the CSU System and combines her higher education experience with a private sector background. Prior to her most recent role as CEO of Mozzafiato, LLC, Parsons was executive vice chancellor of the CSU System from 2015-2020; vice president for university operations at CSU from 2009-2015; deputy general counsel and associate legal counsel at CSU Fort Collins from 2004-2009. As vice president of operations at CSU, she helped navigate through the fiscal challenges of the Great Recession, supported the first comprehensive salary equity survey to uncover and remedy gender-based inequities, and oversaw an historic physical transformation that included construction and renovation of state-of-the-art classroom buildings, parking structures, research facilities, and an on-campus stadium. She worked as a litigation attorney for Denver-firm Brownstein, Hyatt, & Farber (now Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, Schreck) from 1999-2004.

  Parsons holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from CSU and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado.

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  Kerri Murray ShelterBox - President
  

  Kerri Murray

  ShelterBox - President

  Kerri Murray serves as President of the global disaster relief charity, ShelterBox USA. Kerri has worked since 2009 in disaster relief, often serving on the front lines of disaster. Prior to working in nonprofits, she spent 13 years as a pharmaceutical executive for GlaxoSmithKline. Kerri is a proud member of the Montecito Rotary Club and served for six years as Board President for GIRLS ROCK Santa Barbara. No stranger to helping others, listen to hear how the disaster in Haiti and other coincidences helped Kerri decide to work with ShelterBox USA.

  Based in Santa Barbara CA, Shelter USA has provided shelter, warmth, and dignity as it responds urgently to earthquake, volcano, flood, hurricanes, and other world emergencies for 21 years, 300 emergencies, 107 Countries, and more than 2.2 million people. Providing shelter, essential household supplies, and a team to help during a crisis is her gift to help build a far better world.