Olsem Wanem!

I’m thrilled to introduce myself as a Friends of Vanuatu board member. My connection to Vanuatu began in 2003 when I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in North Pentecost, and it left an indelible mark on me. Since then, I’ve remained actively engaged with the country and its people, maintaining personal connections and even visiting my community with my family in 2020.

In my professional life, I co-own an ecological restoration design/build company in northwest Montana. We’ve grown from humble beginnings to employing 30 people and running a retail native plant nursery.

What excites me about the Friends of Vanuatu organization is the opportunity to continue making a positive impact. I’m eager to work with fellow board members and our community to enhance the organization’s mission and further our connections with Vanuatu.

Hi Everyone!

I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Vanuatu from 2006-2007 with group 19A. I served on the island of ‘black magic’, Ambrym, working with a group of women on leadership and economic development. I’m originally from Northern California but now live in the DC area with my Ni-Vanuatu husband and 2 kids. After serving in the Peace Corps I realized I wanted to keep working in international development and luckily found a job with the USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service working on agriculture development and trade. I still enjoy taking long walks in the bush and making laplap with my family.

Dr. Ploeger served as an education volunteer at Bwatnapni Junior Secondary School in Central Pentecost in 2003-05 (group 16B), where he taught math and science and helped launch the school’s first Grade 9 and 10 programs.  His time in Vanuatu shaped his life in countless ways, and he’s honored to serve as a board member of Friends of Vanuatu.

Professionally, he works in international education leadership and currently serves as the Director General of the American School of Asunción in Paraguay.  He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Summer Principals Academy at Teachers College, Columbia University.

He is grateful for the opportunity to give back to the country and community that gave so much to him, and he’s excited to support FOV’s mission and deepen connections among our global Vanuatu family.

Hello all!

2009-2011, Group 22. I served as a Community Development Volunteer in Vanuatu on the Island of Pentecost. I lived on Northern Pentecost in the village of Atabulu. My projects varied from teaching Business Management & Hospitality at the Agape Educational center to starting a Fowl (Chicken Egg) business. The Fowl business raised small fowl for egg production. This was my major project in the two years serving on Pentecost and would go on to become a self-sufficient business that fully funded the Agape Educational Center. I truly enjoyed my time in Vanuatu and still call it the greatest adventure of my life so far.

After returning to the United States, I began working for USDA, Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) in 2014 joining the Afghanistan Reconstruction team in Washington, DC. After working for FAS for nearly three years, I decided to return to California’s Central Valley and start a career in Production Agriculture.

Today, I continue to work in California’s Agriculture Industry and the Ag Technology sector. I truly love working in Agriculture as it brings me closer to understanding the people and cultures I visit around the world.

Aaron served as a Community Health Volunteer with group 28 from 2016-2018. He was posted to the Endu Dispensary in S/E Amrbym. He extended to work in the office for a third year as a Peace Corps Volunteer Leader.

After his service he moved back to Michigan and started working for the State of Michigan where he has been for the past few years.

In his free time he enjoys playing the trombone, camping, traveling, and going to the beach.

Matt served as an agro-forestry volunteer in Lovanualikoutu, Ndui Ndui, West Ambae in Group 16A from 2003-2005 and then reinstated to serve in Kerepua, West Santo from 2006-2007. His primary project work included vanilla, black pepper, sandalwood, taro, cacao, conservation, sustainable forestry, and working with women’s groups.

Upon returning to the United States, Matt worked for a variety of public, governmental, and non-profit entities across the US in fire ecology, forestry, botany, trails, and ornithology.

Matt is currently the Associate Director of Science and Stewardship for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, where he has served for 9 years. His project work includes forest health, non-native invasive species management, public policy, wildlife habitat management, and recreation ecology.

Hollingsworth was born and raised in Vanuatu on Ambae. During his time in schools he had the opportunity to undergo leadership roles from class prefect to dorm master. He graduated from TAFE Queensland, Australia with an advanced diploma in renewable energy technology. He has worked in the renewable energy industry sector around the Pacific including Clay Engineering (Suva), Solar Rollout Manager: Digicel Vanuatu, Sales: Greentech LTD, and Power Systems Design Engineer: Energy Engineers Pacific.

Hi hobbies include researching new ideas online, traveling, playing soccer, fishing, trying different foods, hanging out with friends, and riding dirt bikes.

He is eager to contribute his skills to FoV2 and is looking forward to playing a vital role in supporting the growth of our organization base over the short and long-term.

Charlie served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Vanuatu from 2006 – 2008 as a business enterprise volunteer. He has been active in Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Colorado as a member of the Welcome Wagon Committee for the past six years. As a Rotarian he has served as the club president, international service chair and club foundation president for the Denver LoDo Rotary club. Charlie’s club has started a satellite group whose members all served as Peace Corps Volunteers. The group has doubled the size of the club and brought new energy. Within Rotary he has worked with other RPCV Rotarian to promote the signing of the partnership agreement between Peace Corps and Rotary International. Within that project he currently serves on multiple committees to help develop new leadership. In his neighborhood, Charlie serves on three committees being a co-lead on the Golden Triangle Creative District Improvement committee. Charlie retired from the Downtown Denver Partnership in 2018 where he worked in operations for the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District and the 14th St. General Improvement. In that role he was the subject matter expert for growing trees in a downtown urban setting and called the “wizard of watts” in working with 16th St. Mall vendors to ensure that their electrical needs could be met. And for fun Charlie plays guitar almost daily developing his fingerstyle guitar chops. Charlie is past president of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Colorado, Denver LoDo Rotary Club and Partnering for Peace: Friends of Peace Corps and Rotary.