Carrie Hessler-Radelet (Western Samoa) | New Head of Global Communities

Silver Spring, MD, Oct 03, 2022 — Carrie Hessler-Radelet (Western Samoa 1981-83) stepped into a new role as President & CEO of the international nonprofit organization Global Communities.

Hessler-Radelet has served as the organization’s President since April 2020, a position she assumed following a merger with Project Concern International (PCI).

“I could not be prouder and more honored to represent the thousands of Global Communities team members in more than 30 countries working every day to save lives, advance equity and secure strong futures,” Hessler-Radelet said. “We are incredibly well-positioned to advance our mission by connecting decades of proven programming with an adaptive mindset and fresh perspective as we stand with communities in meeting today’s most pressing challenges, from crisis and climate change to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In a world that is increasingly fragile, our experience and competencies across humanitarian assistance, sustainable development and financial inclusion enable us to accompany our partner communities towards a more resilient future where all can thrive.

“I am deeply grateful to my colleagues and our Board of Trustees for the faith and confidence they have placed in me,” Hessler-Radelet continued. “I especially want to thank our retiring CEO, David Weiss, for nearly two decades of contributions to Global Communities and for creating such a strong foundation from which to build. I am excited to take on this new challenge in support of our people, our mission and our partner communities around the world.”

“On behalf of our entire board, I am delighted to welcome Carrie to her new role and thank David for his 19 years of dedicated service to Global Communities,” said Richard F. Celeste, Co-Chair of the Global Communities Board of Trustees. “Carrie will build on David’s legacy, bringing a unique and powerful set of skills to increase the scale and impact of Global Communities’ work around the world. I know that all of my colleagues look forward to working with Carrie on our shared mission.”

Prior to serving as President & CEO of PCI, Hessler-Radelet served as Deputy Director and Director of the Peace Corps (2010-2017), leading America’s iconic international volunteer service organization and instituting historic reforms to modernize and strengthen the agency to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

Before being appointed to the Peace Corps by President Obama, Hessler-Radelet worked as the Vice President and Director of the Washington D.C. office of John Snow, Inc. (JSI), overseeing the management of public health programs in 85 countries around the world. Her decades of global health work also included serving as the lead consultant on the first Five-Year Global HIV/AIDS Strategy for President George W. Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), working with USAID in Indonesia on maternal and child health and HIV programming, founding the Special Olympics in The Gambia, and serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer with her husband in Western Samoa.