Media CenterU.N. Climate Change Conference 2023 Press Kit

This CRS COP28 Press Kit contains expert biographies, policy briefs, loss & damage studies and more. It is intended to serve as a companion to the CRS delegation attending COP28 and assist the media in reporting on the conference, CRS’ stance on climate change, and the climate crisis at large. High-resolution images are also available for the media to use with proper attribution. For those wishing to speak with any of the below climate experts, please email [email protected].

 

BIOS

Sodio Amakala
Country Representative, Catholic Relief Services Madagascar
 

Sodio Amakala serves as the country representative for CRS in Madagascar. Sodio has more than 25 years' of experience working for governments and non-governmental organizations, including 18 years at CRS. Sodio has held positions across the African continent, including in the Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Congo Brazzaville, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Sodio is fluent in French and English.

 

Gina Castillo, Ph.D.
Senior Researcher & Policy Advisor
 

Gina Castillo leads CRS' global advocacy and policy research on climate change. A former senior manager in agriculture and climate change at Oxfam International, Gina helps shape CRS' policy positions on climate change, loss and damage, resilience in agriculture, food security, and adaptation.

Originally from Ecuador, Gina has a doctorate in anthropology from York University in Toronto, Canada. She is fluent in English and Spanish.

Geoff Heinrich, Ph.D.
Senior Technical Advisor, Agriculture and Rural Development
 

Geoff Heinrich is a senior technical advisor for CRS in agriculture and rural development, particularly in Africa. His expertise includes climate-smart agriculture; land restoration and management; market systems; seed systems; and community engagement and mobilization.

Prior to joining CRS, Geoff spent 10 years researching farming systems in Botswana as an associate professor for Kansas State University. He also spent 10 years as a scientist and senior manager with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, where he worked to improve smallholder production systems across eight countries in southern Africa. Geoff has a bachelor's and a master's degree in crop and soil science from Michigan State University and a doctorate in agronomy from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Alejandro Martínez
Director, Water-Smart Agriculture
 

Alejandro is the director of water-smart agriculture for CRS' Latin America and Caribbean region. Based in Nicaragua, Alejandro oversees water-smart agricultural programming across five countries. Prior to joining CRS, Alejandro spent 14 years at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Belize. A native of Nicaragua, Alejandro has a bachelor's degree in physics from Denison University and a master's degree in engineering and public policy from Washington University. Alejandro is fluent in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
 

Caroline Millet
Senior Advisor, Climate Change
 

Caroline Millet leads CRS' climate change emissions reduction strategy. Based in Senegal, Caroline spearheads the agency's climate action working group, which is charged with finding ways to reduce CRS' environmental footprint and build staff engagement around the issue.

Caroline has spent 13 years working in humanitarian and protracted emergency responses. She has also worked on conflict analysis and crisis response. Caroline is fluent in French, English, and Spanish.

Rado Ravonjiarivelo, Ph.D.
Environmental Compliance & Climate Integration Program Manager, CRS Madagascar
 

Rado Ravonjiarivelo is an environmental compliance & climate integration program manager for CRS in Madagascar. With more than seven years' experience in environmental management, humanitarian assistance, and development programming, Rado holds academic degrees in geology and hydrology, as well as a doctorate in diplomatic studies. Rado is fluent in Malagasy, French, and English.

 

Ando Raonitsoa
Climate Integration Specialist

Ando Raonitsoa is a climate integration specialist for CRS, based in Madagascar. Ando's expertise lies in integrating climate considerations into various humanitarian and development programming sectors, emphasizing resilience. Ando is a passionate advocate for biodiversity, ecosystems, and nature-based solutions. She is fluent in Malagasy, French, and English.


 

Silvia Salazar
Institutional Management Manager
 

Silvia Salazar is the institutional management manager for CRS' land restoration programming, where she works on the implementation of the organization's water-smart agriculture approach across five countries. Sylvia has a master's degree in public policy and a background in gender and rural development. Sylvia is fluent in Spanish.
 

 

Olaf Westermann, Ph.D.
Senior Technical Advisor, Climate Change and Land Restoration
 

Olaf Westermann is CRS' senior technical advisor on climate change and land restoration programming. In addition to his role at CRS, Olaf is a board member for the Global Evergreening Alliance and has been on the steering committee for Regreening Africa. From 2008 to 2014, Olaf worked for the Danish Development Agency as a senior advisor on protected areas management and climate change in Bolivia and with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Colombia. At CIAT, he conducted research on the social and organizational aspects of watershed management. Olaf holds a doctorate in social science from the Roskilde University.

 

RESOURCES

• What is COP28 and Why Does It Matter?
• COP28: The Case for a Quantum Leap in Climate Action Policy Brief
• Unheard, Uncharted: A holistic vision for addressing 'non-economic' loss and damage
• Loss and Damage in Madagascar: Paddling Against a Stream
• CRS' Climate Change Campaign webpage
• Photos for Media Use