Erica is a Senior Technical Expert with IREXs Center for Applied Learning and Impact (CALI) where she is supporting IREXs vision of creating and integrating MERL Policies and Standards across all stages of the program life cycle.

Erica has worked with the IREX New Business Development Unit (NBDU) to socialize MERL standards and integrate MERL methods, best practices and inputs into program design. She is taking lessons learned from that process to do the same with the Global Practices teams across start-up, implementation and close-out of programs. Parallel to that work, Erica is working across IREX teams to develop and update the IREX MERL Policy and Standards, making them more accessible, feasible, and realistic to add value to what IREX does and learns across practices, approaches and regions.  

After an early career in the restaurant/nightclub business, Erica pivoted in the early 90’s, when, as an Anthropology student/SCUBA Dive Master living in the Middle East, she caught the “nomad” bug. Her international development career started as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jordan (1997-2000), followed by graduate studies at the School for International Training (2003).  Leaving the US for a posting in Somalia in 2002, Erica remained primarily overseas for the next 20 years, working across east and southern Africa, with additional time spent in the Middle East and Nepal.

As the Sudan Country Representative for USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives, Erica led programming focused on democracy and governance work through media, peacebuilding and civil society strengthening.  Subsequently, she transitioned to work focused primarily on improving household income and food security through programs using a variety of approaches from agricultural inputs to vocational training to cash transfers. This included a directorship of a Mercy Corps Zimbabwe led consortia, leadership of 4 country teams for Farm Africa, and work with organizations such as Population Services International, Danish Refugee Council, International Federation of the Red Cross, and many others. In 2013, Erica transitioned to full-time consulting and has specialized, since then, in M&E and new business support, primarily to USAID funding programs.