March 19, 2019
Fernando Snowden-Lorence, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Courtney Meyer, International Food Policy Research Institute
Amber Forbes, Inter-American Foundation
Students and community members interested in globally-engaged career paths gain new perspectives and job search insights from this interactive panel discussion. Three distinguished professionals from JPMorgan Chase’s Global Philanthropy Department, the International Food Policy Research Institute, and the Inter-American Foundation will share their stories and experiences, based on questions prepared in advance by International Institute MA students. A Q&A with the audience and a catered reception will follow.
Fernando Snowden-Lorence
Vice President, Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase
As a vice president in Global Philanthropy, Fernando Snowden-Lorence leads the Fellowship Initiative (TFI) in New York. Created by JPMorgan Chase in 2010, TFI is a nationally recognized youth development program that prepares young men of color for academic and professional success. Fernando manages the curriculum, partnerships, budgeting, and internal collaborations for the program. In addition, he has contributed to a number of employee resource groups including VETS, BOLD, and PRIDE; he has served as the co-chair of the Advocacy and Community Partnerships Committee for the Hispanic and Latino Business Resource Group, Adelante.
A veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Fernando served in the United States Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve for nine and a half years, where he held the rank of Staff Sergeant. Before joining JPMorgan Chase, Fernando spent 15 years working in education, volunteer management, and political advocacy, and he was an entrepreneur in the non-profit and youth development fields. He has held senior leadership roles in regional non-profits working throughout the Northeast focused on community and civic engagement, next generation learning models, and educational diversity. He holds a B.A. in organizational anthropology and philosophy from Hunter College and lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife.
Courtney Meyer
Communications Specialist, HarvestPlus, International Food Policy Research Institute
Courtney Meyer is the communications specialist for HarvestPlus at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, D.C. HarvestPlus improves nutrition and public health by developing and promoting biofortified staple crops rich in vitamins and minerals. She draws on experiences as a storyteller, project manager, researcher, and editor to translate research and knowledge into impact and outcomes. Passionate about ending malnutrition, she has worked with the nongovernmental organization Helen Keller International, communicating their holistic efforts preventing malnutrition and blindness, and volunteered with the humanitarian organization Million Meal Movement to run meal packs and organize an annual million meal marathon.
Courtney is also a 12-year volunteer and leadership seminar chairwoman with Hugh O’Brian Youth (HOBY), a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring young people to become catalysts for positive change. Courtney graduated with distinction with a M.S. in development studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London, England). She holds a B.A. (Honors) in economics and management and international studies from Albion College in Michigan. Following graduation, she interned with the U.S. Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Paramaribo, Suriname. In 2018, she was awarded the college’s Young Alumni Award for exceptional achievement within ten years of graduating.
Amber Forbes
Senior Advisor, Inter-American Foundation
Amber Forbes is an international development specialist with nearly a decade of experience representing U.S. interests at diplomatic and development agencies. Currently a senior advisor at the Inter-American Foundation, Amber works directly with the CEO to promote inter-office collaboration, implement agency-wide strategies, and lead the agency's 50th anniversary campaign. Amber previously worked at the Department of State as a civil service employee in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs for seven years. She spent her first three years as a public affairs specialist in the Bureau’s Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs and later accepted a position as a social development officer in the Bureau’s Office of Economic Policy and Summit Coordination. In this role, she managed more than $3.5 million in presidential initiatives promoting women’s entrepreneurship and social protection throughout the hemisphere and was a member of the negotiating team for the VII Summit of the Americas. During her tenure at the Department of State, Amber completed a six-month rotation as a program officer at the Millennium Challenge Corporation where she managed the $277 million El Salvador Investment Compact. Amber holds a masters in public affairs from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School where she focused on international development. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan where she double majored in political science and Latin American and Caribbean studies.
This event was made possible thanks to generous funding from the International Institute, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, II Academic Services, Global Scholars Program, and Residential College. This event is also funded in part by a Title VI federal grant from the US Department of Education.
