Lisa Kuennen-Asfaw

Title: Director, Public Resource Group

Areas of Expertise: Food aid, food security, hunger

Languages Spoken: English

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Biography

Lisa Kuennen-Asfaw is director of CRS' public resource group, based in Baltimore. She is responsible for acquiring and managing financial resources and food aid provided by the United States and other governments for use in CRS programs around the world. She oversees the development of agency public policy related to foreign aid, hunger and food security.

Ms. Kuennen began her career in international development with the Peace Corps in Cameroon. She joined CRS as a project manager and later served as assistant country representative for Cameroon, and also oversaw projects in Chad and Equatorial Guinea. She later served in Ethiopia as assistant country representative and head of program development.

Ms. Kuennen transferred to Baltimore after being appointed CRS public donor liaison for East Africa. She subsequently served as director of the public donor relations unit (responsible for maintaining key relationships at USAID), Asia regional team leader and recruitment and employment manager. In 1998, she became Title II (Food for Peace) resource manager. Title II is the U.S. government program designed to address the causes of food insecurity among vulnerable populations. She developed CRS' capacity to acquire and manage Title II resources. She also managed the funds awarded to CRS by Food for Peace to improve the agency's capacity to use Title II food aid resources effectively. She became the director of CRS' public resource group in 2002.

Ms. Kuennen has a B.A. in linguistics from the University of Chicago, and a M.B.A. in international business and a M.P.A. in public administration, both from the Monterey Institute of International Studies.