Mona-Mae Juwillie

Mona-Mae Juwillie is a first-generation American from Germantown, Maryland, a diverse suburb of the DC metropolitan area.  As a child, while visiting her immigrant parents home countries of Cote d Ivoire and Liberia, she witnessed unstable electricity, poor water sources, and children in poverty and out of school.  A few years after the visit, three of her family members died from non-communicable diseases, known to be treatable if diagnosed early, due to unreliable medical services.  Thinking about her family, improving access to critical resources and systems spurred her pursuit of a career in the development sector.  Mona-Mae attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with a major in International Studies and a double minor in Global Health and Sustainability.  While at Miami, she volunteered with Saha Global, a nonprofit in Tamale, Ghana, working with local women to implement a sustainable clean water business.  She also studied abroad in Geneva, Switzerland, and participated in various intergovernmental organization briefings while researching and trade policys unequal impacts on low- and middle-income countries economic development, through her internship.  The highlight of her undergraduate experience was her Global Health minor, participating in case competitions and learning foundations in grant writing to develop creative solutions to issues impacting communities across the world.  She is passionate about the intersection of global health and education enhancing community economic development.  After graduating, Mona-Mae began her development career in project management of government-funded global health programs.  She provided administrative support to the Global Health Supply Chain Program- Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project sub task orders.  Currently, she works for Abt Associates, supporting multiple projects in their East, Central, and Southern Africa portfolio, collaborating with technical international staff, and managing contractual implementation.  She also volunteers with her local African Affairs Advisory Group, connecting the African community in Montgomery County with local government officials and resources.  Mona-Mae plans to complete a degree in Development Management, with a concentration in Global Health, to build analytical skills and knowledge in capacity strengthening, to respond to the call to promote locally led solutions.  She is excited to commence a career with USAID as a future Program/ Project Officer to collaborate with stakeholders and participate in planning and managing USAID programs globally.  In her free time, Mona-Mae loves karaoke, crocheting, and being a dog foster mom.