Benevoles |
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Philip Lee
General Secretary
Philip Lee, a British national, joined WACC in 1975 and is currently General Secretary and editor of the international journal Media Development. Publications include Requiem: Here’s Another Fine Mass You’ve Gotten Me Into (2001); Many Voices, One Vision: The Right to Communicate in Practice (ed.) (2004); Communicating Peace: Entertaining Angels Unawares (ed.) (2008), and Public Memory, Public Media and the Politics of Justice (co-ed.) (2012). In January 2013 he was conferred Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa) by the Academy of Ecumenical Indian Theology and Church Administration in Chennai, India. Staff Liaison for WACC-North America Region, he speaks English, French and Spanish.
Sara Speicher
Deputy General Secretary
Sara Speicher, originally from the USA, joined the World Council of Churches in 1997 as a program assistant in the WCC
Joseph Patterson
Financial Controller
Joseph Patterson joined WACC in 2015 as Finance Manager with responsibility for accounting,
Sarah Macharia
Programme Manager for Gender and Communication and for Monitoring Rural Poverty Reporting
Sarah Macharia joined WACC in April 2007. Of Kenyan origin, she is a feminist political economist with a Ph.D. in Political Science from York University, Toronto, Canada. She has extensive work experience in the field of gender and human development having worked with various African civil society and international development
Lorenzo Vargas
Program Manager for Communication for Social Change
Lorenzo Vargas is a communication for development specialist and researcher on citizens’ media and digital rights. Lorenzo coordinates WACC’s Communication for Social Change programme, which supports community media and citizen journalism initiatives in Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Africa. Lorenzo holds a Hons. BA in Development Studies from York University, an MA in Communication from McGill University, an Advanced Diploma in Internet Governance from DiploFoundation (Switzerland) and has pursued further studies on media research and policy at the University of Brasilia and the University of Oxford. Prior to joining WACC, Lorenzo worked with the Mosaic Institute as a programme manager and strategic communication advisor. Lorenzo speaks English, Spanish, French (adv.), and Portuguese (int.).
Marites (Tess) Sison
Communications
Marites (Tess) Sison has more than three decades of experience in journalism. She has worn many hats – editor, copy editor, staff writer, international correspondent, and editorial coordinator – for print and digital publications in Canada, the United States and the Philippines. She has reported on human rights, social justice, immigration, gender equality, politics, foreign affairs and religion. Her work has been published in the Toronto Star, World Press Review, Inter Press Service, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and the Anglican Journal, among others.
Gisèle Langendries
Programmes and Funding Officer
Gisèle
Shari McMaster
Administrative Coordinator and Board Liaison
Shari McMaster joined WACC as the Administrative Coordinator with a view to providing assistance and support to the Secretariat and the Board after working for many years as a law clerk. She is a graduate of the Non-Profit Management course at Ryerson University.
Lisa Gu
Accounting Assistant
Lisa Gu joined WACC in March, 2019 as the Finance and Administrative Assistant. In addition to accounting certificates from both Tianjin and Toronto, Lisa is a graduate of the Tianjin Foreign Studies University with a Bachelor of Arts, Japanese.
Keith Nunn
IT Consultant
Keith Nunn joined WACC on a
Karri Whipple
WACC UN Liaison (New York)
Karri Whipple is a media specialist, writer, and intimate justice activist from the United States. Her work focuses on the intersection of trauma, identity, and religion. She is a doctoral candidate at Drew University and serves as a lecturer in Women’s and Gender Studies and Religion. She also consults for several interfaith organizations in New York City.
Saskia Rowley
Web Design and Communications Consultant
Saskia Rowley joined WACC on a part-time basis as a web design and communications consultant. An accredited designer, she
Simon Chambers
Head of Communications (ACT Alliance)
Simon Chambers has a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religious Studies from the University of Toronto and over 20 years of work experience in the Anglican Church in Canada. He moved to the position of Head of Communications for ACT Alliance from The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, Canada, where he served as a Communications Coordinator since 2010. From 2011 he served as the Chair of ACT Alliance’s Communications,
Joanna Patouris
Climate Change Communications Coordinator
Joanna has joined the ACT Alliance as a climate change communications coordinator. Originally from Swaziland, Joanna holds an MA in Environmental Studies, with a focus on climate change governance and development from York University and a BA in
Khodeza Hossain
Research Coordination Consultant
Khodeza Hossain joined WACC on a part-time basis as a research coordination consultant. She is a Results Measurement Specialist, with an expertise in designing and implementing M&E tools and techniques, advanced quantitative & qualitative research and diverse evaluation methods. She has worked in Women’s Economic Empowerment, Private Sector Development, Challenge funds, Skills & Employment, Poverty Reduction and climate change projects across Asia and Pacific. Khodeza has completed her MS and BS in Environmental Science and Management from North South University, Bangladesh. She speaks English, Bangla, Hindi and Urdu.
Robert Gray
Volunteer
Robert Gray joined WACC in 2009 as a volunteer. He is from l’Arche Toronto Community and comes into WACC once a week to assist with various administrative tasks.
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