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About Us
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The GreenMicrofinance University Forum is dedicated to promoting students' exchange of ideas on international development topics focusing on microfinance, energy, environment, and health. We will facilitate social and academic networking to further the field, and eventually will launch GMf Fellows working in the developing world. The GMFC-UF will work closely with the online E-Library and will offer an opportunity for peer collaboration. It will also be an electronic bulletin board for job and volunteer project recruiting. |
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Focus: Partnerships and Development Elizabeth is co-founder and President of GreenMicrofinance. For twenty-eight years, Elizabeth has worked in community-based economic development. For 7 years, she lived in rural communities with her family while serving in the Commonwealth of Dominica and in Nepal under the United Methodist Church.
In 1979 while living in Dominica, she facilitated the organization of one of the first Trickle Up (TUP) groups in the world, The Banana Bunch. She continued as a TUP Coordinator while in Nepal for 3½ years.
After returning to the United States from Nepal, Elizabeth joined the newly-formed Working Capital - now merged with ACCION. Her leadership over 10 years assisted Working Capital to become the foremost U.S. microfinance institution. The organization received the First Presidential Award in Microenterprise Development for Innovation from President Bill Clinton at the White House in 1997.
Subsequently Elizabeth joined Christian Children's Fund (CCF) as Washington Director. Her efforts included the organization and leadership of CCF MEDI (Microenterprise Development Initiative), comprised of CCF senior staff in Uganda, Guatemala, Senegal, Mexico, and Thailand. Later in her career, she provided technical support and training in Kenya, Ivory Coast, Thailand, India and the Philippines for ADRA International and World Relief.
Elizabeth co-founded GreenMicrofinance in 2002. Her vision is for GreenMicrofinance to lead the field of microfinance, ensuring that the principles of sustainable development are integrated into all lending policies and programs. She initiated and co-facilitated the cutting-edge conference, Microenterprise and Environment Conference held at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in 2004. During this conference, participants from over 10 countries developed the Guiding Principles for Microenterprise and the Environment.
In 2006, Elizabeth co-facilitated the Wharton-Green Microfinance Roundtable: Microfinance and the Environment. This roundtable was unique in format and brought many high profile practitioners, donors, and researchers together to discuss the opportunities and challenges in the area of microfinance, poverty reduction, and environmental sustainability. She is has a MS in International Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University and a MS in Management from Antioch University New England. |
Focus: Strategic Planning and Business Development
Thomas retired in 2002 from an interesting and creative real estate career spanning forty-five years. As vice president, he subsequently has devoted significant effort toward the success of GreenMicrofinance. He also serves as board chair of GreenMicrofinance Center, a newly formed, non-profit organization.
He began his professional career in Richmond, Virginia, where he ultimately specialized in commercial site selection, leasing, and retail store operations. After acquiring substantial experience as a licensed broker, Thomas joined a growing retail franchise chain in central Virginia as a corporate officer and Director of Real Estate Development. He was directly involved in the negotiation of all contracts, leases, and financing, as well as joint venture agreements.
Over time, Thomas’ experience was enhanced by valuable, routine exposure to retail franchising and store operations. Concomitant with his corporate responsibilities, he became a founding co-partner and president of a very successful neighborhood grocery store. In this position, he remained pro-active in retail store management for ten years.
After resigning his position in Virginia in 1987, Thomas sold his going concern, financial interest to his managing partner, and entered into an intensive period of apprenticeship and study in real property analysis and valuation in Orlando, Florida. After several years, he sat for licensing exams and was certified by the State of Florida as qualified by experience and training to value the most complex commercial properties.
His extensive commercial real estate and business background has provided a solid and practical foundation for economic and valuation theory. His practice ultimately encompassed a broad sweep of commercial property valuation, market feasibility studies, and financial analysis. Much of his later work was highly complex and specialized.
Thomas is a trained hospice care worker. He serves on the board of a charitable organization that, for over twenty years, has focused on the education of and outreach to those of limited resources, primarily in the Philippines and in Africa.
Thomas earned his BA Degree in Fine Arts from The College of William and Mary in Virginia. Subsequent education includes some twenty courses; such as Risk Analysis, Capitalization Theory, and Regression Analysis, through the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers, as well as three years of post-graduate studies. |
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