New leader announced for ALWS

Ms Jamieson Davies will be the new Executive Director of Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS).

The Board of the LCA’s aid and development agency announced the appointment last week. Ms Davies replaces Chey Mattner, who has accepted a role with the Lutheran World Service Department of the Lutheran World Federation in Geneva.

Ms Davies grew up as an active Lutheran in the United States of America, and served in youth ministry in her church and on university campus. She has a Masters degree in International Affairs and African Studies from the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, and a Bachelors degree in Psychology and German Studies from Georgetown University.

Ms Davies began her career working for the US-based Catholic Relief Services, where she gained more than 20 years of international relief and development experience in Africa, Central America and Southeast Asia. Her most recent position has been Head of International Programs with Caritas Australia, the Australian Catholic agency for international aid and development.

In this latter role, she has teamed with ALWS in several important partnerships and sits on the ALWS Program Advisory Committee.

Program Director Leah Odongo has been acting executive director since Mr Mattner’s departure from ALWS early last month, and will remain in the role until Ms Davies takes up her position.