Deanna Smith

Director, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, & Learning (MEAL)

MS, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA BS, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Deanna Smith has been a resident of Malawi for the past seven years managing diverse public health projects, budgets and monitoring and evaluation systems. She has worked with both indigenous and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as donors such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). She specializes in areas of public health, development, data analysis, youth and gender initiatives. Deanna has managed multi-million dollar PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) funded initiatives and helped ensure their success. From 2016 to 2018 she worked on the globally recognized DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS Free, Mentored, Safe) program in Malawi focused on reducing new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women through an evidence-based and multi-faceted approach.

Deanna currently serves as a board member for HeR Liberty in Malawi providing strategic insight and direction to the program. In her free time she regularly mentors adolescent girls in the greater Lilongwe area as well as acts as a facilitator for an annual youth leadership conference.

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We are an ambitious and dynamic team of public health and development practitioners eager to develop new tools, knowledge, ideas, and methods to improve lives across the globe.

The Center for Research & International Development (CenRID) is a global nonprofit organization based in New York, NY that focuses on development research and project implementation.

Our purpose is to implement evidence-based interventions and conduct high-quality research aimed at discovering new knowledge to improve the education and healthcare delivery and access for vulnerable populations.

Our Mission

Our Vision

To use data driven research to improve healthcare delivery and access, and education for vulnerable populations and communities.

CenRID envisions a world where everyone attains the right to a high quality of life.

Integrity

Honesty and integrity are the nucleus of our identity. They are the foundation of every successful and impactful intervention we implement. We remain steadfast to doing the right thing for the individuals and communities with which we work, and ensuring that our research methods and program interventions adhere to the highest ethical standards.

ACCOUNTABILITY

We are transparent and we expect to be held accountable by the communities we serve and our donors; it is how we earn their trust. We will always take responsibility for our actions and address any missteps. We are an ambitious organization and we will learn as we grow.

PrOGRAM SUSTAINABILITY

We conduct a readiness assessment prior to each program or intervention. This implementation approach enables us to develop an intervention strategy that is reflective of the priority needs, concerns, and views of the community, which in turn empowers the community to take ownership of program or intervention

partnership

We believe effective teamwork and collaboration maximizes each partner's expertise and capabilities, and thus drives positive results.

Innovation

We enthusiastically pursue innovative knowledge, ideas, tools, and methods that would catalyze the achievement of our project goals.

respect & cultural sensitivity

Our goal is to modify behaviors, not cultures. We strive to ensure that our program delivery methods are culturally compatible.

OUR TEAM

Our dedicated leadership team is made up of experts who are committed to our mission and vision.