Chris Dunford
We are very pleased to announce the election of Chris Dunford as Co-Chair of the Truelift Steering Committee. Chris was part of the founding committee of Truelift back in 2010 (then known as the “Seal of Excellence for Poverty Outreach and Transformation in Microfinance”) and has served with dedication on the Steering Committee since that time. He also serves on the Microfinance Technical Review Committee which is tasked with reviewing assessments of MFIs for recognition as a pro-poor practitioner.
Chris has recently agreed to prioritize his work with Truelift and accept the increased responsibility of the Co-Chair role given his passion for the pro-poor movement and Truelift’s work. We are thrilled to have Chris’ expertise, experience, and dedication in such an important role with Truelift.
Larry Reed, Director of the Microfinance Summit Campaign, and fellow member of the Truelift Executive Committee welcomes Chris’ increased commitment to Truelift:
“We are proud that someone with Chris’ stature in the industry, vision and passion has taken up the role of co-chair. Great things happen when Chris leads.””
JD Bergeron, Executive Director of Truelift, adds:
“One of the top benefits of participating in Truelift cited by members of the Steering Committee is that they get to work with such a wonderful group of individuals. Chris stands out in this group as the ultimate mediator, a patient mentor, and an inspiring voice that big challenges can be solved with simplicity. I am ecstatic to work more closely with Chris to push Truelift into its implementation phase.”
Chris has over 35 years of rural development experience in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the United States. He has recently completed his year-long blog project entitled The Evidence Project: What We’re Learning about Microfinance and World Hunger. With Freedom from Hunger, Chris was co-creator of the Credit with Education strategy with Ellen Vor der Bruegge and Kathleen Stack, and provided organizational leadership for 20 years. He stepped down as President in 2011, but for another two years continued to speak and write for international audiences on the impacts of microfinance for the chronically hungry poor, on measurement and management toward social objectives, and on integration of microfinance with life skills education and health protection.
Before joining Freedom from Hunger, Chris worked for the U.N. Environment Program in Nairobi, Kenya and then for USAID contractors in Tanzania, Botswana, Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire, and the Sudan. He was also a Research Associate in the Office of Arid Lands Studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Chris has a PhD in ecology (University of Arizona in Tucson) and a BS in biological sciences (Cornell University). He trained as an academic research scientist focused on the ecology of animal and human social systems. He has written two books on topics unrelated to international development – Programmed to Learn: An Essay on the Evolution of Culture with H. Ronald Pulliam (Columbia University Press, 1980) and Life List: A Birder’s Spiritual Awakening. Chris is also slowly but surely pursuing an intellectual passion for reconciliation of science and religion through his other blog, DarwinWatch ( www.darwinwatch.wordpress.com ).
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