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Russ Klein
Program Officer
Takoma Park, MD

Main Responsiblities

As the Program Officer, Russ’ primary responsibilities include conducting a preliminary LIS in Colombia as well as researching relevant landmine information on Latin America. He also co-manages the recruitment of LIS teams and facilitates logistical operations for SAC HQ and field staff with foreign consular offices and relevant international bodies. He is also responsible for carrying out other tasks as may be required by the Executive Director.

Background

Russ began his career in February of 2000 as a Water and Sanitation Technician with the Peace Corps in Honduras. He focused on gravity fed water system construction and maintenance in rural communities. This included activities such as topographic studies, water system construction, and water board development. Upon his return to the United States, he spent a brief period working for the government of the District of Columbia in the Department of Human Services. He worked as a translator for non-English speaking customers before returning to school to begin working towards his Masters in International Development.

Education

Russ received a dual B.S. degree in Animal Sciences: Pre-veterinary Medicine and Spanish from the University of New Hampshire in 1999. In 2005, he completed a M.S. degree in International Development Management with a focus on Humanitarian Relief from the American University in Washington, D.C.

All the Rest

He speaks fluent Spanish and English and bakes a mean chocolate chip cookie.