Mackenzie McGrath

Vice President of Programs at First Descents

Mackenzie McGrath has a diverse and extensive work experience. Mackenzie started their career as an Educator at Madaa Community Center in 2008, where they designed and led a summer outdoor experiential education program for displaced Palestinian youth in Israel. Mackenzie also taught trauma-informed yoga to youth in the West Bank.

In 2009, they became a Refugee Caseworker at Church World Service in Nairobi, Kenya. Mackenzie'srole involved supporting refugees in escaping war and conflict, as well as assisting with their resettlement in the US. Mackenzie worked extensively in Kakuma Refugee Camp and Dadaab Refugee Camp.

From 2007 to 2009, McGrath worked as a Community Outreach/Disaster Lead at the American Red Cross. Mackenzie'sresponsibilities included conducting public outreach on disaster awareness and response, as well as collaborating with non-profit and government partners to improve service delivery.

In 2011, McGrath joined USAID as a US Foreign Service Officer. Mackenzie specialized in designing and managing humanitarian aid and development programs worldwide, with a focus on strategy formulation, project design, monitoring and evaluation, public-private partnerships, and gender programming.

In 2014, they founded Enso LLC, where they worked as an independent consultant for international aid and development organizations. Some of their notable projects included providing business development and operations support for International Development Enterprises (iDE) in Africa and Asia. Mackenzie also served as an outreach consultant for the Oskar Blues Can'd Aid Foundation, managing event planning and social-cause marketing activities.

Most recently, they held roles at First Descents, starting as the Director of Programs in 2018 before becoming the Vice President of Programs in 2022.

Overall, Mackenzie McGrath's work experience showcases their expertise in program management, humanitarian aid, and development, as well as their dedication to supporting marginalized communities and promoting social change.

Mackenzie McGrath has a diverse education history. Mackenzie began their higher education at the University of Denver - Josef Korbel School of International Studies, where they pursued a Master of Arts (M.A.) in International Studies and earned a Certificate in Humanitarian Assistance from 2007 to 2009. During this time, their field of study is not specified.

Later, in 2017 and 2018, Mackenzie attended Harvard University and obtained a Certificate in Global Mental Health: Trauma & Recovery. Mackenzie'sfield of study during this certification was Global Mental Health.

In 2008, Mackenzie briefly attended The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where they pursued a Master's degree in International Human Rights Law Clinic.

Mackenzie'sundergraduate education took place from 2000 to 2005 at American University, where they obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.

Lastly, Mackenzie attended West High School from 1997 to 2001 for their secondary education, but no specific degree or field of study is mentioned.

In addition to their formal education, Mackenzie also obtained various certifications. These include NOLS Wilderness Risk Management for Administrators from NOLS in November 2019, Mental Health First Aid from First Aid Mental Health in December 2018, Global Mental Health from Harvard University in May 2018, AIARE I from the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) (year and month of completion not provided), Single Pitch Instructor from the American Mountain Guides Association in August 2017, Advanced Program Design from USAID (year and month of completion not provided), Hakomi I from the Hakomi Institute (year and month of completion not provided), Monitoring and Evaluation from Social Impact (year and month of completion not provided), and Program Design from USAID (year and month of completion not provided).

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Timeline

  • Vice President of Programs

    January, 2022 - present

  • Director of Programs

    May, 2018