![]() Dr. Koffi Dessou is the interim Director of the Office of Equity and Human Rights for the City of Portland. He previously served as Equity and Business Operations Manager for the city, and in 2012 created Portland's Equity Training and Education program. Dr. Dessou has 28 years of experience in public administration, business administration, nonprofit administration, and community-based leadership. Prior to moving to Portland in 2008 with his wife and their four children, Dr. Dessou lived in Togo, where he worked in a variety of roles for the US Department of State at the American Embassy in Togo over 16 years. He analyzed and reported on good governance, human rights practices, human trafficking, and international freedom of religions and beliefs. He promoted human rights through education, projects designing and allocating USAID and other US government funds to governmental and nonprofit organizations. Dr. Dessou also coordinated conflict resolution and civil-military relations programs to improve understanding and relationship between security forces and civilians. He served consecutively as human resources assistant, manager of community development and democracy-human rights funding programs, specialist of political, economic and commercial affairs, and coordinator of International Military Education and Training programs.
Founder and Executive Director, Catalyst Foundation
![]() Caroline Nguyen Ticarro is the founder of Catalyst Foundation, a Portland-based humanitarian organization that helps build communities in Viet Nam to fight human trafficking. Catalyst Foundation supports community programs in Viet Nam to provide basic needs, job opportunities, counseling, and education. In 2012, Ms. Ticarro’s work was highlighted on “CNN Freedom Project,” a 3-part series on CNN International.
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