TPI Welcomes Three New Staff Members in July

TPI is thrilled to have welcomed three new staff members to its team in July.  Simon Delekta, Program Manager of TPI’s Center for Global Philanthropy will work closely with Paula Johnson, Director of the Center and will also lead TPI’s efforts to create the Community Foundation Global Giving Network.  Nastassja Garcia and Colleen Kelly, Program Assistants, will help manage TPI’s scholarship opportunities while also providing philanthropic advising research and support.

Simon Delekta is the Program Manager of the Center for Global Philanthropy, where he works with colleagues and clients to strengthen, support, and improve global philanthropy, especially related to global development. Simon spearheads long-term projects to improve the efficiency and impact of international giving from the United States, including New England International Donors (NEID) and the Community Foundation Global Giving Network (CFGGN). His work also includes advising, evaluating, and planning with individual donors and foundations to help enhance their efforts.

Prior to joining TPI, Simon directed advocacy and voter education efforts for the New York League of Conservation Voters and managed government and community affairs for The New York Public Library. He brings experience and training in project management and evaluation, strategic planning, and civic engagement.

Simon holds a Master’s degree in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, where he specialized in development economics, analytic frameworks, and negotiation and conflict resolution. His thesis focused on philanthropic and government collaboration in post-conflict states, using Liberia as a case study. Simon also holds a bachelor’s degree from Bates College.

Nastassja Garcia, Program Assistant, assists TPI staff and clients by organizing, managing, and overseeing ongoing projects, including TPI’s college access and success initiatives. She also conducts research and provides administrative support. Prior to joining TPI, Nastassja worked as a Development Assistant at Physicians for Human Rights. There she worked closely with the Major Gifts Officer on event planning and individual major donor follow up strategies.  She also worked as a Project Development Intern at Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, where she created a proposal for the expansion of an annual program that sends young women to the United Nations Conference on Women. Nastassja is a graduate of Bentley University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies with minors in Business and Gender Studies.

Colleen Kelly, Program Assistant, assists TPI staff and clients by organizing, managing, and overseeing ongoing projects, including work with our Center for Global Philanthropy and various family foundations.

Before joining TPI, Colleen worked in the non-profit sector in Nicaragua as Communication and Promotions Assistant at La Esperanza Granada where she managed the organization’s online presence and social media, as well as worked directly in the local schools with children. She also was the development assistant to Mujer y Comunidad, a local women and children’s rights organization that empowers and educates women and young people in the rural community of San Francisco Libre. Colleen has also interned with UK Parliament in London, creating media strategies and handling online public representation of her Member of Parliament.

Colleen graduated summa cum laude from Northeastern University with a dual degree in International Affairs and Political Science with a focus on Latin American studies.