New Peace Corps Country Director Kury Cobham was scheduled to arrive in Guyana yesterday, replacing outgoing Director Linda Arbogast.
A release from the US Embassy said that Cobham has more than 15 years of international experience in programme design, management, citizen engagement, economic development and capacity building initiatives.
Cobham’s past work experience includes stints with Family Health International, the World Bank, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The release said that she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer from 1990–1994, first as an English Teacher in Equatorial Guinea, and later as a Teacher Trainer in Namibia.
Cobham holds a BA in Spanish from Macalester College and an MA in International Affairs, Political and Economic Development from Columbia University.
The Peace Corps was first welcomed to Guyana in 1966 and served the development interests of the country until 1971. Peace Corps Volunteers returned to Guyana in 1995 to work as community-based promoters in the sectors of health and education.
On June 30, 2016, the release noted that the Guyana Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Peace Corps to support ongoing activities concerning environmental protection and sustainable use and management of Guyana’s natural resources.