PDI Staff Profiles
Roger Swartz: Executive Director
Roger Swartz joined the PDI team as Executive Director in November 2010. Roger brings significant leadership experience in public health policy and practice. Roger came to the PDI from the Boston Public Health Commission where he was Director of the Community Initiatives Bureau for ten years. In this role, Roger was responsible for managing staff and programs in the Divisions of Chronic Disease Prevention & Control (including food systems, obesity and physical activity), Environmental Health, Healthy Homes & Community Supports and Civic Engagement & Advocacy. Roger also worked for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and was instrumental in establishing the Tobacco Prevention & Control Program in MA. In addition, Roger brings significant experience managing and implementing international public health programs having worked in Africa and the Middle East. He has worked with John Snow, Inc., World Vision International and the Peace Corps.
Monique Sternin: Senior Consultant
Monique and her husband Jerry developed the Positive Deviance approach over the last two decades. In addition to using the PD approach to fight childhood malnutrition in the developing world, Monique has promoted the use of the PD approach in various sectors, such as advocacy against female genital mutilation (FGM) in Egypt, condom usage for commercial sex workers in Myanmar, and maternal & newborn care in Pakistan. Monique’s passion for the PD approach stems from its successful impact in improving lives of thousands of women and children throughout the world and providing a powerful tool for communities to solve seemingly intractable problems.
Randa Wilkinson: Director of Training
Randa Wilkinson joined the PDI in August 2009 as Director of Training. Randa has had extensive experience in implementing PD in the context of childhood malnutrition in Indonesia and piloting the PD approach for goiter with government counterparts. Her overseas work began in Mauritania as a Peace Corps Volunteer working with mothers and malnourished children. More recently, she was the technical advisor for a USAID funded Maternal and Newborn project in Indonesia.
Alexis Brooke Felder : Communications and Web Specialist
Alexis joined the PDI team in June 2008 as Program Coordinator and in December 2009 transitioned into the position of Communications and Web Specialist. Alexis is currently working on expanding the PDI website to become a more interactive, useful space for PD practitioners worldwide. Before working at the PDI, Alexis served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kyrgyzstan.
Brian Jewell: Program Coordinator
Brian joined the PDI team in October 2009. Brian came to the PDI from the publishing world, where he was a graphic designer, reporter and editor. Brian has experience with online collaboration and outreach, both “officially” and as a volunteer webmaster and publicist, and is excited to join the PDI team.
