Jimena Niño is the chief of party of the Youth Resilience Activity, funded by USAID and the Colombia country representative. As the technical lead, she provides strategic guidance, communications strategies, and ensures innovation. She also fosters relationships with the Colombian government, private sector partners, and other international agencies. Previously, Jimena was the chief of party of ACDI/VOCA’s Indigenous People and Afro-Colombian Empowerment (IPACE) Activity in Colombia, funded by USAID. Prior to joining ACDI/VOCA in 2009, Jimena worked for the Colombian government, first with the Ministry of Environment and later for six years with the Presidency leading alternative development programs (in alliance with USAID programs) related to substituting illicit crops. She holds a BA in government and foreign relations from Universidad Externado (Colombia) and an MA in international cooperation from Universidad Complutense (Spain). Jimena has also completed courses in peacebuilding and corporate social responsibility with Universidad EAN (Colombia) and political science with Institut d´Etudes Politiques de Paris (France). She is fluent in English, French, and Spanish. Jimena received three Presidential Awards from ACDI/VOCA and an honorable mention from the 2014 Nonprofit PR Awards for “Best Media Relations Campaign.”
