South North Nexus – Working Together for Our Shared Future!

MEET THE TEAM
​BOARD MEMBERS

Deborah Hines
Co-Director and Board Member

started her career in Kenya working with communities on agro-forestry and clean energy solutions. Her over thirty years of experience includes field-level technical support, policy, strategy, knowledge management, evaluation and diplomacy. Her career has included working with the UN World Food Programme (WFP)...
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Deborah started her career in Kenya working with communities on agro-forestry and clean energy solutions. Her over thirty years of experience includes field-level technical support, policy, strategy, knowledge management, evaluation and diplomacy.  Her career has included working with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), World Bank (Adaptation Fund and the GEF), Canadian Government, including Environment Canada and the Canadian Development Agency, US Agency for International Development, and assignments with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and other bilateral and nongovernmental institutions in Africa, Latin American, the Middle East and Asia. A USA/Canadian national with a MF, and PhD level work in Natural Resource Economics (Duke University).
Deborah’s extensive experience includes working with communities on issues related to climate change, natural resource management, integrating the right to food and gender empowerment in sectoral policies, putting development actions in humanitarian assistance, and finding durable solutions for refugees and those in situations of displacement. She has taught university students and conducted research on endangered species management, gender empowerment, community-level food systems, and agro- and social forestry systems.

Susan Higgins
Board Member

is a water resources management and policy professional with 35 years of experience...

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Susan Higgins has a 35-year background in water resources management and policy. In her current work with the Center for American Indian and Rural Health Equity and Montana, she facilitates connections between health researchers and rural communities in Montana, and works with a team assessing the impacts of climate change on human health. She also served as a water planner for the State of Montana and as Program Director for The Tributary Fund where she facilitated research activities and exchanges in Mongolia, Bhutan and Montana.
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A trained facilitator, Sue has been actively engaged in water planning and natural resources facilitation and has co-authored guides for educators and landowners on topics such as wetlands management and streambank stabilization. She was a consultant for the Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent and the Montana National Drought Resiliency Project. A past board member to the Society for Conservation Biology’s Working Group on Religion and Conservation Biology she and a colleague developed best practices for scientists conducting research internationally in faith and indigenous communities. She holds a BS in biology and an MS in natural resources management. Sue lives in Bozeman, Montana with her family.

Justin Haring
Board Member and Treasurer

Justin served in the Peace Corps in Jinotega, Nicaragua as an agriculture volunteer from 2003-2005…
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Justin served in the Peace Corps in Jinotega, Nicaragua as an agriculture volunteer from 2003 - 2005 and stayed in-country developing and managing business activities until 2007. Justin earned a master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language and spent 7 years teaching international students from all over the world at the University of Minnesota.
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Since 2014, Justin has lived in Bozeman, Montana where he uses his diverse skills as a planner and educator to help his business’ clients make sound financial decisions and plan for the future. Sharing knowledge and collaborating to solve the important problems facing the world and her people is central to his personal philosophy. Justin enjoys travelling and meeting people from diverse places and sharing in cultural exchange.

William Vigil
Co-Director and Board Member

is a Nicaraguan/Australian national and has an MA in Economic Development (The American University, Washington, DC), with more than thirty years of experience in international development and a blend of on-the-ground field experience with policy, planning and diplomatic efforts. He has worked with the UN World Food Programme…

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William is a Nicaraguan/Australian national and has an MA in Economic Development (The American University, Washington, DC), with more than thirty years of experience in international development and a blend of on-the-ground field experience with policy, planning and diplomatic efforts. He has worked with the UN World Food Programme in Africa, Latin America and Rome, with the Canadian Government, the European Union, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), UNDP, and UNICEF, and has served with the Nicaraguan government as technical national counterpart to the UN system, and in diplomatic posts  in Managua,  Washington, and New York as acting Representative of Nicaragua to the U.N.
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William has supported the LAC region as well as Eastern and Southern African countries in disaster preparedness and emergency response, including conducting, simulations, disaster assessments, and incorporating new technologies in emergency response. William took early retirement from the United Nations in late 2019. His last post was Country Director for the World Food Programme in the Dominican Republic. He is affiliated with several professional organizations such as the Social Advisory Group of FUNIDES (Nicaragua), Associate of the Inter-American Dialogue (Washington, DC) and Rain Barrel Associates (New York).

Helen Papper
Board Member

is a conflict and post-conflict strategist and leader with extensive experience in diplomacy, advocacy…

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Helen is a conflict and post-conflict strategist and leader with extensive experience in diplomacy, advocacy, and communications. She has  dedicated her career to giving a voice to the most vulnerable communities, and empowering women and girls in conflict and post-conflict contexts. She directed the UN Information Center for Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela, where she led strong advocacy programs in the fields of gender, climate, environment, social inclusion, and education aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda. Additionally, she is a recognized public speaker on gender violence and is called upon to give conferences and help develop advocacy tools to influence policy.

Helen worked in several peacekeeping missions for the United Nations in Mali, Sudan, South Sudan and Haiti, where she developed radio stations to support electoral and peace implementation processes, ensuring protected spaces for women and youth to have a recognized voice in the changing landscapes of their countries. She supported the African Development Bank in their HQ transition from Tunisia to Cote d’Ivoire. Her background in Political Science and Broadcast Journalism led her to start her career as an international journalist and foreign policy analyst.

Henry Vega
​Technical Advisor

Dr. Vega is well versed in market access issues and trade barriers, food security and international development…
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​Dr. Henry Vega has solid experience in international agriculture and development. He is well versed in market access issues and trade barriers, food security, and international development. Throughout his academic and professional career, he has developed extensive policy analysis experience in the areas of agricultural trade, transportation supply chains, food safety, biotechnology, and resilient agriculture.

Dr. Vega recently contributed to the development of Salesian Missions’ strategy to deliver food and nutritional assistance to at-risk youth in Venezuela. Dr. Vega received his agriculture engineering degree from the Army Polytechnic School of Ecuador in 1998. As a 2000 Fulbright scholarship recipient, he relocated to the United States to pursue graduate studies and subsequently received a Master of Science in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Clemson University. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from George Mason University. His doctoral studies encompassed double concentrations in (i) Regional Development and Transportation and (ii) Global and International Systems.​

PARTNERS

Together we can do more

No single entity can address the complex challenges we face today. SNN gives priority to long- term relations and strategically working with a range of stakeholders to address the pressing problems we face – climate, migratory, environmental, social, economic. Understanding these interrelated risks and who is most vulnerable is an urgent priority that requires united and complementary efforts.
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SNN collaborates with other established organizations. With BioRegions International, for example, we share their core concern to support community-based activities in Mongolia through holistic actions that promote social and ecological integrity.

Our global partners

• Nicaragua: CALPI (Centro de Asistencia Légal a Pueblos Indígenas)
• Colombia:  Fundación Social Tierra de Indios
• Kenya: BLEC, Inclusive Concepts
  
• Mongolia: BioRegions International
• Ecuador: EcoDecisión