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| Speaker's Profile |
| Name: |
David J. Saunders |
| Title: |
DIRECTOR |
| Company: |
ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES CONSTITUENCY FOR AFRICA |
| Industry: |
Non-Profit/NGO |
| Profile |
Mr. David J. Saunders is the Director for Administration and Management Services for the Constituency for Africa (CFA) – which is the premiere advocacy-based non-governmental organization based in the United States that focuses on the issues, concerns and challenges of Africa and its people. In this capacity, he brings to CFA an extensive background in business management and administrative expertise within the public and private sector as a consultant and technical advisor.
His major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: oversight of CFA’s African Trade and Investment Policy (ATRIP) Program which was awarded under a grant by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to increase business linkages between small and minority enterprises that are interested in doing business in Africa; ongoing implementation of an Export Trade Assistance Training (ETAP) Program with the Small Business Administration’s Office of International Trade which offers training and capacity development initiatives for small and medium-sized enterprises that are interested in doing business with Africa; and coordinator of CFA’s African Internship Immersion Program for American college and university students that are interested in enhancing their knowledge, skills and abilities with regard to U.S.-Africa foreign policy matters.
In addition, he is directly responsible for assisting the President & CEO of CFA with organizing, managing and evaluating CFA’s various advocacy outreach initiatives to include town hall meetings, workshops, seminars, forums, roundtables, conferences and symposiums as well as press conferences. All of the above activities and events can range in topics from HIV/AIDS and related health care challenges, to trade and investment opportunities, to conflict resolution and good governance initiatives. He has also traveled extensively throughout all of the regions of Africa, with the exception of Central Africa, and has visited twenty-five African nations at least once over the past seven years.
In 2002, he was appointed to the United States Advisory Boards of the American and African Business Women’s Alliance (AABWA) and the Franchise3Group (F3G). He is also a frequent panelist of many radio, television and internet programs focusing on trade, travel and tourism opportunities to the African Continent as well as a featured writer of several trade publications to include the Africa Travel Magazine and Black Meetings & Tourism Magazine. Recently, he was appointed Vice Chair of the North American Steering Committee for the First Annual African Tourism Investment Symposium (FAATIS) which will take place in Kampala, Uganda in 2004.
His previous professional and corporate affiliations included, but were not limited to, the following: Member of the District of Columbia’s Chamber of Commerce (DCCC) Executive Board of Directors, Vice Chairperson of both the International Trade Committee and the International Travel and Tourism Subcommittee of the DCCC; Associate Member of the Black Presidents’ Roundtable Association (BPRA); and Member of the National Board of Directors of Blacks In Government (BIG).
He was also a Special Advisor to Howard University’s Small Business Development Center (HUSBDC) as well as a Member of the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Washington Metropolitan Area Advisory Council. In addition, he was a Special Advisor to the District of Columbia’s 1995 Delegation to the White House Conference on Small Business (WHCSB).
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