Caribbean Development Leader joins Counterpart board

WASHINGTON DC – A distinguished Caribbean development leader has joined the Board of Counterpart International.

Ms. Natasha Despotovic, Executive Director of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) of the Dominican Republic, was unanimously elected onto the Counterpart International Board, and “will add enormous intellectual capital to our work as we seek to be more helpful to the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Lelei LeLaulu, Counterpart’s President.

Ms. Despotovic also is co-founder and Vice President of Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), GFDD’s sister organisation and a think tank created by Dr. Leonel Fernández upon the completion of his first mandate as the president of the Dominican Republic in the year 2000.

“She has an unusual and most valuable mix of experience in high-level government, think tanks and the non-profit development world,” said LeLaulu of Despotovic, who during the first Fernández administration was the Assistant for International Affairs to the President. She also was responsible for coordination and supervision of development projects with external funding at the Technical Secretariat of the Presidency.

Born in Zagreb, Croatia, Ms. Despotovic has published widely and lectured internationally on development and its links to education, information technology and innovation, environment, international relations, multiculturalism, and corporate social responsibility. Originally a graduate in French, English, Spanish literature, linguistics and philosophy, she has worked extensively in private, public and non-profit sectors across Europe, Morocco, Dominican Republic, and the United States. She is fluent in seven languages.

“Counterpart International has done some highly innovative work on coral regeneration; mobilizing rural poor into growing niche products for assured markets; and continues to be most helpful to the people of my region (in Latin America and the Caribbean) – so it is an honor to be able contribute to its well known good governance structure,” said Ms. Despotovic after her election.

In addition to the Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx) in Latin America and the Caribbean, Counterpart International also has set up projects on Coral Gardens reef regeneration, environmental conservation, sustainable tourism, food security and sustainable agriculture, information technology training for at-risk youth, and corporate social responsibility. Among other things, Counterpart partners with Coca-Cola on HIV/AIDS initiatives aimed at youth, and works extensively with the Maya communities of Central America.

Since 1965, Counterpart has given people a voice in their own future through smart partnerships, offering options and access to tools for sustained social, economic and environmental development. Operating on five continents, Counterpart is supported by the generosity of its corporate and individual donors, foundations, host countries, multilateral institutions and several U.S. government agencies.