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Dr. (Ts’gye) Rachel T. Leslie

Board Member

Dedicated and detail-oriented professional with extensive experience in analyzing, designing, and evaluating organizational needs to ensure alignment with organizational and client goals. Recognized for effectively developing and managing multiple priorities and tasks without compromise to quality. Known for subject matter expertise in formulating and recommending solutions to improve process efficiency. Equipped with articulate communication and interpersonal skills in building positive work relationships and skill at motivating team members and clients.

Core competencies include:

– Writing and composition (e.g. proposals, grants, articles)
– Project risk analysis
– Drafting of reports and proposals
– Teaching/Training
– Drafting of budgets and action plans
– Public events
– Television and radio interviews, PR
– Event planning
– Liaison
– Editing
– Conceptualization of strategic project proposals
– Finance acquisition
– Research
– IT and computer skills (including MS Office Programs)

OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

2020 Book Release: Teaching the Children of Tewahedo: Africa and the Ethio-Judeo-Christian Legacy, Red Sea Press/Africa World Press Inc.
2016 – Keynote Speaker/Presenter at the Pan-African Women of Faith Conference on Poverty and Hunger. Presented on the necessity for addressing the structural and historical causes of poverty and hunger. Sponsored by Bread for the World and included forums at the Congress of the United States.
2016 -Represented the Ethiopian Orthodox Church at the Pan – African Women of Faith on Poverty and Hunger Conference sponsored by the World Council of Churches and Bread for the World, USA. Presented a well-received talk on the historical, structural, and academic root causes of global poverty.
2007 – Founded Millennium Development Concepts, LLC a consultancy firm that brings together technical capacity, funding, and commodities to assist incumbent governments in the ‘developing world’ design and execute projects that will support the sustainable achievement of the millennium development goals. See project areas below (Also worked with Government of Peru on design and funding of renewable energy solutions with the support of the Inter-American Bank).
2005 – Supported the Government of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Tourism (Minister Yusuf) and contributed to the conceptualization and execution of the “Africa Unite” Concert and United Nations development conferences surrounding the event and coordinated with the themes of the social justice-related songs of Bob Marley. Organized fundraising and successfully secured sponsorship from Palm Pictures, (Chris Blackwell), Sprint, the World Bank and UNICEF
2005 Conceptualized and executed an analysis of endogenous justice systems in Ethiopia to explore innovative alternatives to redressing the incarceration of juveniles with approval and support of the Ethiopian Government
Raised funds for the Africa Unite Event from the World Bank, private companies and agencies. Cooperated with World Bank Director Ishac Diwan (now a professor at Harvard University)
2005 Published an article on Nobel Prize Laureate Wole Soyinka
2003 – Designed Gender Course as a Full-time Senior Lecturer for Philosophy at Addis Ababa University
2000 – Conceptualized and executed an analysis of endogenous justice systems in Ethiopia to explore innovative alternatives to redressing the incarceration of juveniles. Research in conflict zones authorized and approved by the Government of Ethiopia and recognized by the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
1999 – Conceptualized, planned and executed the 1999 All Africa Conference on African Principles of Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation (Hosted by the United Nations Economic Community for Africa (UNECA), Ethiopia and funded by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Department for International Development (DFID)
1999 – Wrote and delivered the keynote speech “The Need for African Principles of Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation” which was delivered after the opening speech of the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
Present – United Nations University for Peace (UNIPEACE) quotes my keynote speech on its website
Organized the public openings of several tech companies in Germany
Founded an internet start-up in Germany (MyVirtual AG) serving German corporations that designed some of the first solutions for Deutsche Aerospace, AG and Siemens, AG, etc.
Diverse consultancies for supranational organizations and NGOs.

LANGUAGES

English, German, Amharic, French, Classical Ethiopic (i.e. Gi’iz), Egyptian Coptic

EDUCATION

Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literature
The Catholic University of America
Washington, D.C.

Doctorate in Religious Studies 2017
Doctor of Ministry
Dissertation Project Focus:
Ethiopian Orthodox Church Theology and History
Howard University

Howard University School of Divinity, Washington, DC

Amharic and Gi’iz Studies 2010 – 2016
Ethiopian Orthodox Church Washington, DC

Begena and Gi’iz Studies
Mihur Eyessus Monastery, Gurage 2017

B.A. Sciences and Arts
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 1995 – 1991
(Including Studies at Ludwig Maximillian University in Munich, Germany)