As a Senior Director, ARISE Fund Operations, Kendra’s primary responsibility is to lead design and implementation of program operations. She is a fast-paced efficiency enthusiast with strengths in strategic program and project management focusing on systems strengthening, sustainability and partner relationships.
Kendra previously worked as a consultant to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as a Senior Project Manager supporting the Platforms team, specifically focusing on setting up the ARISE program targeting optimization and sustainability of NTD delivery programs. She has seven prior years of experience working at the foundation on the NTD team where she built expertise in impact investing, grant and partner management, and NTD programs. Between these two terms, Kendra has consulted on a range of programs targeting NTD control and elimination efforts and data capacity building in Africa and Asia. Amongst these, she spent time in Tanzania providing technical support and supervision to Sightsavers’ NTD program and subsequently joined Oriole Global Health to serve as the Senior NTD Program Manager and trachoma technical focal point for the UK government’s flagship multi-country NTD program.
Kendra holds a Master of Science in epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Physiology from Washington State University.
Kendra lives in Seattle where, outside of work, she enjoys everything outdoors including hiking, camping, backpacking, and skiing.