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| | Information about the Founders
| Damion Croston, Director of Operations. Damion is responsible for overseeing the operations and maintenance of PE’s plantations as well as fostering community relationships with PE’s partner communities in Panama. His background is in rural economic development and he currently works with several nonprofit organizations helping to create economic opportunities for underserved communities in the rural Appalachian region of the United States. Damion joined the Peace Corps in 2003 working with indigenous communities in Panama’s Darien Province. During his service he provided support for a variety of development projects including the promotion of a regional tourism circuit; creation and organization of a community-run technology center; and construction and management of a local artisan store with overnight lodging for tourists. Upon completion of his service in 2006 he returned to the U.S. and co-founded Planting Empowerment along with his partners. Damion received a BS in Business Administration from The Ohio State University in 2002 and an MA in International Development from Ohio University in 2009.
dcroston@plantingempowerment.com | | Jose Deago, Head Forester. Jose has over 15 years of working in native species forestry. He co-founded the Panamanian native species program PRORENA under the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and has consulted on projects with USAID and The Nature Conservancy. Jose’s expertise is community forestry, including collection of native tree seedlings, nursery development, and teaching of project management. | Andrew Parrucci, Director of Marketing. Andrew entered the Peace Corps in 2004 after receiving his degree in Product Design from Virginia Tech. Interested in putting his creative problem solving skills to work for a good cause, Parrucci oversaw the design of two small aqueducts in his communities, and initiated their respective constructions. He also worked to introduce sustainable technologies such as rainwater collection and solar water purificationat the local level. The persistent deforestation and lack of economic opportunities in the area was an ongoing concern during Parrucci's service, but efforts to combat them had proven ineffective. Sensing the need at the grassroots level for a more efficient response, Parrucci began to lay the groundwork for Planting Empowerment in 2006. He currently manages marketing activities for a green store in Washington DC.
amparrucci@plantingempowerment.com | |
Andrew Wulf, Strategic Advisor. Wulf arrived to Panama with the Peace Corps in mid-2003. As an economic development volunteer, he worked in rural Panama with farmers in agbusiness, microfinance, IT and community development over three years. Wulf then returned to the States to attend graduate school at the #1 international business school, Thunderbird School for Global Managment in Phoenix, AZ. During his studies he joined three other Peace Corps Volunteers to help found Planting Empowerment, S.A., their incentive-based solution to traditional grassroots environmental and social development. Wulf graduated from Thunderbird in May and currently works as the Strategic Advisor for PE, as well as holding-down a day job as in Product Management for the largest berry company in the world, Driscoll's, in California. He will hopefully be working with farmers in Latin America with both jobs for many years to come.
ajwulf@plantingempowerment.com | |
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