Join us for an engaging conversation with Katie Taylor, Executive Director of the Pan American Development Foundation (and board member of the Tigard-based Medical Teams International) about the work they are doing to serve vulnerable peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean through sustainable community development. 

Established by the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1962, the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) has, with the rise of climate refugee-ism, migrants, and displaced persons, climate and natural disasters, and threats to the livelihood of indigenous populations, among other pressing issues, become ever more vital, reaching more than 92 million people over the last decade, investing more than $600 million in development resources throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. How are investments in civil society and democratization across Latin America and the Caribbean improving lives for girls and women, and other vulnerable groups? What are the root causes of the current migration crisis and where is that going? Will the U.S. receding from international agreements, how will these challenges effect Pan-American relations going forward? What will it take to develop a triple bottom line (environmental, social, economic) and enable self-reliance among those who have been affected by civil conflict, human crisis, disasters or other situations - and importantly what can ordinary citizens do to make a difference?

Katie Taylor is Executive Director of the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), a nonprofit which seeks to create a just, peaceful, and prosperous hemisphere where every person has the opportunity to thrive. Prior to this role, Katie was Deputy Assistant Administrator of Global Health at USAID, with a focus on maternal and child survival and health.   In addition to her work at PADF, Katie serves on the boards of Medical Teams International (an Oregon-based non-profit delivering life-saving medical care to people in crisis) and Muso Health (a Mali-based, innovative, community health nonprofit), and has sat on the boards of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, and of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health, which she co-chaired with chair Mrs. Graca Machel. Katie holds a Masters’ Degree in international business from Georgetown University and received her B.A. degree from Yale University. She speaks four languages fluently and has lived and worked on five continents.

Cosponsored by Medical Teams International