The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Michele Weldon as head of partnerships and development.

 

In this role, Michele will work with the Partnerships Office and relevant IRRI staff in strengthening the institute’s relations with the national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) of partner countries. Together with the Donor Relations and Project Coordination (DRPC) Unit, Michele will also help bolster IRRI’s capacity to identify and develop funding partnerships with key philanthropic entities.

 

Michele brings to IRRI more than twenty years of experience in managing development and environmental programs with think tanks, the private sector, nongovernment organizations, and the United Nations (UN). She has a wide range of experience across many countries, including Spain, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Thailand, and India. She has served in the World Health Organization and the UN Women, among others, before coming to IRRI.

 

Michele looks forward to working with colleagues and partners to expand IRRI's excellent work. “I am honored to be joining IRRI in its 55th year,” she stated. “I also feel fortunate to be working in South and Southeast Asia where I have lived and worked for over 30 years.”

 

Michele assumed her role on 23 November 2015. She will be working at the IRRI India office in New Delhi until July 2016 to initially focus on South Asia. In the meantime, she will be traveling to and from the Philippines before she settles in Los Baños from then onward.