Monday, October 26, 2020
By: Russ SavageMaria Nelly Pavisich shares her story in this week's Member Spotlight.
I was born in Brasil and grew up in Bolivia. Later in life, I became a Croatian citizen (my grandfather was from Croatia) and a U.S. citizen. I speak Spanish, English, and Portuguese. I got my BA in Mass Communication from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and my MS in Information Resources Management from Syracuse University, NY. My daughter Daniella was born in Syracuse while I was pursuing my graduate degree. Besides inheriting my mix, she is also Lebanese, married to Adi, from India.
Rotary has always been a very important part of my life. My dad was a Rotarian for over 50 years in Bolivia, and my mom was part of what used to be called "the inner wheel." I was a Rotary Exchange student (as were most of my sisters) in Franklin, Pennsylvania, from 1978-1979. In 1991, a group of former exchange students chartered the Rotary Club Amboro, the first mixed gender club in my city.
A Rotarian for almost 30 years, I have served as club president (2001-2002), board member, committee chair, conference speaker, and international humanitarian grants project leader in areas of disease prevention and treatment, water, sanitation and hygiene, and basic literacy. I now serve in the International Service Committee and Embassy Relations Committee.
I moved to Washington, D.C., in 2005, the year my daughter started undergraduate studies at Harvard University, and I transitioned to international development work for good. Since then, I've worked for the Organization of American States, the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank in areas such as management consulting, knowledge and learning, organizational development, leadership development, and talent management. I am currently with the IDB, in charge of Special Programs, bringing young talent to the Bank and involved in various projects related to the Future of Work.Read More