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Nicholas Allen is the Vice President overseeing NRECA International’s electrification projects. Nick has worked for NRECA International for over 15 years as an electrification engineer, project manager and electrification expert on a series of projects in Senegal, DRC, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Liberia, and Ghana.
Nick is an expert in geographic information systems applied for electric power distribution systems and off-grid energy solutions. He also has extensive experience in technical, financial and sustainability analysis of grid and off-grid rural utilities. Nick has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University and an M.A in International Environmental Policy from Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
Contact: nhallen@nreca-intl.org
Luis has more than 20 years of experience in the areas of rural electrification and renewable energy. During this time, he has helped implement and manage projects that include utility management and construction, electric service expansion and optimization, and strategic business planning. Luis has used his skills and expertise to support challenging projects in a variety of economic and geographical environments to include Republic of Georgia, Ukraine, Guatemala, Nigeria, Mozambique and Venezuela. Luis also managed an NRECA International rural electrification project in Liberia that included the establishment of the Totota Electric Cooperative that is currently used as the model for sustainable and successful rural electrification for the Liberian government. Prior to joining NRECA International in 2015, Luis was the contract administrator for Industrias Metalurgicas Pescarmona in Venezuela. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Simon Bolivar University in Caracas, Venezuela.
Contact: larismendi@nreca-intl.org
Frank Bergh, P.E. is a Senior Electrical Engineer, supporting NRECA International’s electrification projects with an emphasis on energy access in off-grid and microgrid contexts. Frank joined NRECA in 2020 and brings more than 12 years of experience in renewable energy, energy storage, electrical transmission planning, and microgrids. He is a licensed professional engineer in Illinois.
Frank began his career as a transmission planning consultant with Burns and McDonnell, where he was responsible for grid integration of utility-scale wind and solar projects. He later led grid-interconnection projects for Nordex wind turbines in North and South America. He has also worked extensively on solar energy and battery projects with SoCore Energy and Edison Energy.
Since 2005, Frank has served on several overseas projects as a volunteer with Engineers Without Borders, USA, and previously served as a member of the organization’s Board of Directors. Prior to NRECA International, Frank served as an independent consultant working on projects in Africa and the Caribbean with his firm Beyond The Grid, PLLC. Frank also co-founded JustDesign Cooperative, a multi-disciplinary design cooperative in 2017.
In 2015, Midwest Energy News named Frank one of the Top 40 Under 40 Energy Professionals in the Midwest. Frank has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Spanish from Washington University in St. Louis. In 2023, Frank received an Emerging Leader Award from the dean of engineering at Washington University. Frank is also a graduate student in Next Generation Power and Energy Systems at the University of Colorado Boulder, with his master's degree anticipated in 2024.
Eric Bidong is the project coordinator for the GIS Integration Project, a project funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, to support the National Electricity Company of Senegal (SENELEC) to integrate and improve it's Geographic Information System with other business systems that SENELEC uses. Eric joined NRECA International in June, 2022 and began as a GIS specialist coordinating a feasibility study in Burundi. Eric has almost 8 years of experience in electrification and solar minigrid modeling, installation, operations, as well as technology integration in power systems. Prior to joining NRECA International, Eric was the head of platform hardware for NURU, a company specializing in mini grids in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Eric is based in Dakar, Senegal, and holds a Computer Engineering Bachelor's degree from the Christian Bilingual University of Congo.
Contact: EricBidong@nreca-intl.org
Cristina brings more than 9 years of experience in supporting countries with their energy access and transition strategies, having designed, managed, and implemented different projects in Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. That experience encompasses delivering data-driven geospatial models for electrification (grid and off-grid), clean cooking access planning, and reinforcing institutional and community capacity on energy transition and sustainable development. She has also designed and deployed field data collection and lead activities to improve collaboration between cross-sectoral stakeholders and unlock access to finance.
Before joining NRECA International, she worked as an Energy Planning Specialist at the UN organization Sustainable Energy for All, where she contributed to accelerating the development and adoption of Integrated Energy Access Plans to support countries to achieve universal energy access. Cristina helped establish a Centre of Excellence to develop innovative tools, knowledge products and impactful capacity building programs. Prior to that, she worked for the UProjecDK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office-funded program Climate Compatible Growth, as a researcher and project manager of a UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UK-PACT) project which helped integrate energy planning initiatives in East Africa.
Cristina holds a PhD degree in Sustainable Energy Access from ETH Zurich (Switzerland), a M.Sc. degree in Management and Engineering of Environment and Energy from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain) and Institut Mines Télécom Atlantique – Nantes (France), and a B.Sc. degree in Civil Engineering from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (Guatemala).
Fernando Ghetti has more than 20 years of experience in electricity distribution management, design, construction, operations, and maintenance. During his time with the NRECA International team, Fernando has completed assignments in the design and construction and supervision of power distribution systems in Haiti and Liberia. Fernando has served as the Project Director for the PPSELD (Pilot Project for Sustainable Electricity Distribution) Utility since 2020. PPSELD is the only power utility in the country that provides reliable power to consumers in the country. Prior to joining NRECA International, Fernando was a manager at the ELFEC Utility serving 350,000 consumers in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of La Plata in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Zully Guzman joined NRECA International in 1997, and is based in our office in Guatemala. She is currently responsible for accounting, legal and fiscal activities for the Guatemala office and serves as the liaison with NRECA Intenational's headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. Zully also is responsible for overseeing the logistics and security for all electrification projects in Guatemala. She has more than 25 years of experience and most recently provided administrative and financial oversight for NRECA International's PSELD-T project in Haiti.
Zully received a degree in Accounting from the Commercial Institute Rómulo Gallegos Freire, Guatemala.
Maruf Hasan is the senior distribution planning engineer and supports NRECA International's electrification projects. He served as the Country Director for Uganda and plays a key role in supporting projects in Bangladesh and Africa.
Maruf began his career almost 20 years ago at NRECA International as a distribution engineer in planning, design, and construction supervision. His area of expertise includes system planning, loss reduction, low-cost distribution technology development, integration of distributed generation, and design and construction of distribution lines. Maruf innovated an affordable house wiring design in Uganda that has the potential to bring electricity to millions of people in Uganda and throughout sub-Saharan Africa. He also designed and implemented an open-wye-open-delta low-cost distribution system in Tanzania.
Maruf holds a Master of Engineering in Electric Power Engineering from Liverpool John Moores University, UK.
Contact: mhasan@nreca-intl.org
Mohamed Mahamudul Hassan has worked for NRECA International for 6 years as an GIS Specialist on a series of projects in Angola, Bangladesh, Burundi, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. He has almost 10 years of experience in the geospatial information systems (GIS) arena, to include data collection, processing analysis, and spatial data visualization. Using his GIS skills in the power distribution systems and off-grid energy solutions area, Hassan was heavily involved in the massive geospatial data collection of MV infrastructure and evaluating electrification expansion planning (grid and off-grid) for several projects. His areas of expertise include automating and scripting GIS processes, overseeing data flow, creating and managing geospatial databases and developing maps and aerial photography. Hassan holds a Master of Science in GIS for Environment and Development from Jahangirnagar University in Bangladesh, and Bachelor of Urban and Rural Planning from Khulna University in Bangladesh.
Contact: mahamudul.hassan@nreca-intl.org
Zuraidah Hoffman is responsible for all communications activities for NRECA International, and since 2013 has focused her work on promoting the team's work, and how lives are positively impacted by the availability of reliable electricity.
Zuraidah is an experienced storyteller, producer and communicator. To support the team, she has traveled to countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to illustrate why rural and impoverished communities need access to affordable and reliable electricity to experience social and economic growth. To do this, Zuraidah has produced award-winning stories that promote the electric cooperative business model as a way for these communities to own and chart their future. Zuraidah has also worked in Haiti, Ethiopia, Uganda and Liberia to develop and implement outreach plans to help illustrate that a better life starts with power.
Zuraidah received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Contact: zhoffman@nreca-intl.org
Ingrid Hunsicker has been with NRECA International for 27 years, starting at the Guatemala regional office. As Senior Program Manager, Ingrid directs and manages the NRECA member-sponsored volunteer program that enables electric cooperatives throughout the United States to participate in voluntary assignments in developing countries, and encourage on-going working relationships among U.S. and international cooperatives.
In addition, her portfolio includes the stewardship of hundreds of donors throughout the country whose contributions assist NRECA International in its international initiatives. Her previous professional experience includes 10 years with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Guatemala working with internally displaced, returnees and refugees of Guatemala’s civil war that ended in 1996.
Contact: Ingrid.Hunsicker@nreca.coop
Faridul Islam is the Bangladesh Country Director, responsible for managing the team and overseeing all NRECA International project activities in Bangladesh.
Faridul has over 21 years of experience in administration, HR, and financial management. With his extensive experience in financial analysis and management, Farid helps the team to make informed business decisions that have contributed significantly to NRECA International's growth in Bangladesh. Faridul holds an MBA from the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh.
Contact: fislam@nreca-intl.org
Mohamed Nazrul Islam is an experienced IT professional with a diverse background in system analysis, design and development. With 18 years of experience in the field, Nazrul has honed his skills in commercial information systems and management information systems for electric utilities. His expertise lies in programming languages such as C & C++, C++ Builder & MS Visual C++, VB.Net, C#.Net, Borland Delphi, JEE, Java with Eclipse and Oracle J Developer 12c, PHP. He is also proficient in database management with experience in Oracle, MS SQL Server, Firebird, Postgres, MySQL and MS Access.
Nazrul holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and has completed specialized training courses in Oracle and Network+. He has worked across various countries including Bangladesh, South Sudan, Uganda, Pakistan, Haiti and Guatemala where he has contributed significantly to the development of several applications using open-source technology for electric utilities.
Nazrul continues to showcase his skills by leading the development of numerous applications that have helped to improve operations within electric utilities. Fluent in both English and Bangla languages, Nazrul is a highly valued member of any team seeking innovative solutions to complex IT challenges.
Contact: nislam@nreca-intl.org
Rakibul Islam brings over 13 years of experience in managing and maintaining geospatial information systems (GIS) and data, and is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of GIS projects. He works closely with the project managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to ensure that the GIS solutions are aligned with the business objectives of NRECA International.
Rakibul played key roles in developing the geospatial electrification platform that supports national electrification strategies, geospatial master plans, grid expansions and off-grid analyses. He was the GIS Information Management Specialist in NRECA International’s project with the Northern Electricity Supply Company in Bangladesh where 20,000 km electric lines and 1.7 million customers were geolocated. Rakibul also managed the effort to digitize about 20 million household structures and over 60,000 km of MV infrastructure and analyze electrification options for Ethiopia. He was also involved in developing and analyzing geospatial databases for projects in Kenya, Uganda, Colombia, Papua New Guinea, DRC, Malawi and The Philippines.
Rakibul has a master of science degree in GIS for Environment and Development from Jahangirnagar University, a Masters degree in Development Studies from East West University, and a Bachelor's degree in Urban and Rural Planning from Khulna University, all in located in Bangladesh.
Tajul has extensive experience in the field of software development. He is actively involved in system analysis, managing IT projects, and developing software for customer relationship management systems for electric utilities. His expertise also lies in identifying business requirements and translating them into effective technological solutions. Tajul holds a Masters in Science degree in Computer Science & Engineering from the University of Dhaka.
Guillermo Layerenza is an electricity distribution sector expert with more than 25 years of experience and he joined NRECA International in 2015. His areas of expertise include improving the performance of power utilities. Guillermo conducts business process redesign, assesses key performance indicators (KPIs), identifies best practices, cost optimization, analyzes and implements technical and commercial loss reduction programs and tariff studies. Guillermo also has extensive experience in conducting electricity transmission and distribution system planning, producing high and medium voltage power system modeling studies, developing capital investment plans and financial models for electric service providers, analyzing electricity market structures, and developing rural electrification studies and policy making and assessing renewable generation (solar and biomass).
Guillermo holds a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of La Plata, Argentina.
Contact: glayarenza@nreca-intl.org
Ernest Lupiya has experience in natural resource management and is skilled at mobilizing grassroots campaigns and teaching communities on alternate livelihood activities. He has experience in both quantitative and qualitative research and data analysis and speaks five languages. Prior to joining NRECA International in 2022, Ernest has helped implement various livelihood and community-based natural resources management projects with the United Nations Development Programme's Global Environment Facility, U.S. Agency for International Development, WeForest in Zambia and others. Ernest received his Bachelor of Science in natural resource management from the Copperbelt University in Kitwe, Zambia, and is currently pursuing a Master's in business administration.
Contact: elupiya@nreca-intl.org
Aaron Mineen is the project engineer for the Zambia Electric Cooperative Development Program. His responsibilities include gathering data to help determine sites for mini-grid projects for cooperative development, perform forecast analyses on customers and electricity demand, and providing all technical support to ensure successful project implementation.
Aaron also plays a key role in the continued success of the Totota Electric Cooperative in Liberia, where he assisted in the design of the project, supervised distribution line construction, trained the TEC staff on how to operate pre-paid meters, and he developed a data analysis software that increased efficiency at the co-op.
Aaron holds a bachelor of science degree in Electrical Engineering from Stella Maris Polytechnic University in Liberia.
Contact: amineen@nreca-intl.org
Yurlady Chaverra Palacios joined NRECA International in 2024, and is based in our headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. Yurlady plays a role in developing, designing, and implementing NRECA International's quality assurance program's policies and procedures. She will support business development activities and support project managers to monitor and evaluate the status of projects from the home office and at project locations.
Yurlady has a background in strategic business, economic and community development initiatives. Prior to joining NRECA International, Yurlady was a case manager for the Arlington County Department of Human Services. A few career highlights include serving as a Junior Advisor for the Columbian National Planning Department's Development Project Financial Fund in Bogotá, Colombia. She also was a coordinator for the program management unit of the Chocó Department Government in Quibdó, COlombia.
Yurlady has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, and a Master of Science degree in Marketing from Universidad Libre, in Cali, Colombia. She also has a Master of Science degree in International and Economic Development from the University of San Francisco, California.
Abdullah All Rafee is a senior geospatial information systems (GIS) analyst with more than 12 years of experience in this domain. His expertise includes developing GIS databases, managing field-level GIS teams, designing survey methodologies, and processing GIS data for project planning. He also creates social and demographic data profiles, conducts hydrological analyses, develops climate and disaster vulnerability maps, and analyzes satellite images.
Abdullah’s recent projects include the SOCOTECO II Project in the Philippines and the Northern Electricity Supply Company (NESCO) Project in Bangladesh. In both projects, he was responsible for developing android-based GIS data collection methodologies, designing survey tools, conducting field training, and ensuring data quality at the field level. Abdullah has also managed and supervised a team of satellite image interpretation experts to transcribe and extract image data for the entire countries of Angola, Papua New Guinea, and the DRC in 2019-2020.
Abdullah completed a Master's Degree in Disaster and Human Security Management from Bangladesh University of Professionals, and a Bachelor's Degree in Urban and Rural Planning from Khulna University, Bangladesh.
Shaheen manages the office accounts, ensures accurate financial records for the Bangladesh office. He also compiles, analyzes and generates financial data reports for the NRECA International office in Arlington, Virginia. Shaheen also provides IT support to maintain the optimal functionality of the office server and other end-user IT support services. Shaheen holds a master’s degree in business studies with a specialization in Management.
Contact: shaheen@nreca-intl.org
Jim Walsh is the director of business development, responsible for securing funding for new projects to fulfill NRECA International’s mission to increase electricity access in developing countries. Jim is an experienced project manager with expertise in project planning, risk evaluation, and business development. He has extensive experience in project conceptualization, mobilization, and international contracts and grants for a variety of development interventions, including electrification projects.
He started his career more than 25 years ago as a project development officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development and has lent his expertise and work experience in countries across all continents. In addition, Jim has received specialized training in a variety of areas including environmental assessment, new cooperative start-up, and project finance.
Jim has a BA in Political Science from the University of Chicago and attended graduate-level classes in economics from the George Washington University.
Contact: James.Walsh@nreca.coop