Tessy is the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), Finance, Grants and Administration (FGA) on the USAID/Djibouti Supporting Civil Society Engagement in the Local Development Process Activity (CEAA) which aims to strengthen citizen participation for more inclusive governance and better service delivery.
Before her current role, she also served as a Field-based Operations Manager (a key personnel position) and a member of the SMT in a DCOP equivalent role under the USAID/OTI Niger Stability Support Initiative (NSSI).
Tessy is a seasoned international development professional with five years of progressive management experience leading and managing the operational implementation of $9-$72 multi-million-dollar USAID-funded programs in Haiti, Senegal, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, Niger and Djibouti within the Field Office (FO) and Home Office (HO). Throughout her roles at Kaizen, she leverages her strong understanding of HO’s internal processes as well as her knowledge of FAR and AIDAR to ensure compliance with USAID policies and procedures, filling the operational gaps and serving as an effective conduit between HO and FO. She specializes in improved operational systems, grants and Finance across various sectors; most notably, civil society and transition initiatives.
Tessy graduated from the University of South Florida (USF) with a bachelor’s in international studies and minors in philosophy and economics. She was a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow at Princeton University and completed the Honors research program at Exeter University. She speaks fluently Haitian Creole, French, Spanish and English.