You are on page 1of 6

Ridwansyah Yusuf ACHMAD

Public Policy Advisor to the Mayor, Bandung City Government, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

Ridwansyah Yusuf Achmad is international cooperation and public policy advisor to Mayor Ridwan
Kamil of Bandung city, Indonesia. One of his key responsibilities is to attract international
communities to invest and participate in the USD 8 Billion-City Infrastructure Development Plan and
engaged with international contacts in the private sector, government, NGOs, and development
agencies. Mr. Achmad is also active role in several non-profit organizations as president of the Institut Teknologi
Bandung Student Union, chairman of the Indonesia Student Association in the Netherlands and co-founder of Bandung
Strategic Leadership Forum.

Mr. Achmads honors include the Ashoka Young Changemaker award which recognized his work with the Cancer Buster
Community. He holds a bachelors degree in regional and urban planning from Institut Teknologi Bandung and a Master
of Arts in governance, policy and political economy from the International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University
Rotterdam.

Raumesh AKBARI
State Representative, Tennessee General Assembly, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Raumesh Akbari has represented House District 91 (Memphis) since the fall of 2013. She is a
member of the House Criminal Justice Committee and Subcommittee, the House Education
Administration and Planning Committee, and the House Ethics Committee and Subcommittee, and
since the beginning of the current 110th General Assembly, she has served as the House Democratic
Floor Leader. In addition, she is currently chair of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators; treasurer of the
National Black Caucus of State Legislators; a state director within Women in Government; and financial secretary of the
National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women. Representative Akbari has represented Tennessee by
participating in programs in Canada, Australia and China. In July of last year, she received a special honor as she was
invited by the Democratic National Committee to speak before the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

Representative Akbari is the recipient of several honors and awards from the Council of State Governments and its
affiliated Southern Leadership Conference; the National Council of State Legislatures; the State Legislative Leaders
Foundation; the National Juvenile Justice Network; and Governing Magazines Governing Institute for outstanding
appointed or elected women officials. In her home city, she has received honors from The Memphis Flyer and The New
Tri-State Defender, two area news publications; the Memphis Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women,
Inc.; and advocacy groups as SisterReach, Inc.; and Mothers of the NILE, Inc. Representative Akbari is a graduate of
Washington University and the Saint Louis University School of Law.

Mr. Henry AQUINO


State Representative, Hawaii State Legislature, Waipahu, Hawaii, USA

Henry Aquino is a five-term member of the Hawaii State House of Representatives, first elected in
November 2008. He represents the 38th House district of Waipahu. He currently serves as chairman of
the House Committee on Transportation and is responsible for legislative policies related to Hawaiis
state highways, freeways, harbors, and airports. He formerly chaired the House Committee on Public
Safety which oversees law enforcement, first responder/emergency management and
prison/correctional systems. From 2013 to 2014, he served as House Majority Policy Leader, crafting a policy package
with the Hawaii State Senate that addressed important issues related to the states growing senior population and the
protection of Hawaiis unique environment.

In addition, since 2010, Representation Aquino has served as executive director of the Waipahu Community Association,
a non-profit organization whose mission is to strengthen the communitys vitality through economic development
projects, and social and cultural programs and activities.
Outside of his legislative duties and non-profit work, Representative Aquino devotes time to various community
organizations including the Waipahu Community Foundation, Leeward Oahu Lions Club, Waipahu Alumni Association,
Pacific Century Fellows, Hawaii Chinese Kenpo School of Self-Defense and the Democratic Party of Hawaii. He holds a
Master of Arts in communication from Hawaii Pacific University and a Bachelor of Arts in public administration from the
University of Hawaii, West Oahu.

Mr. Karimullah BAIG


Regional Program Coordinator, Economic Transformation Initiative Gilgit - Baltistan, Gilgit, Pakistan

Karimullah Baig is regional program coordinator of the Economic Transformation Iniative Gilgit
Baltistan, is a 7-year government funded program (2015-2022) to improve income and reduce poverty
and malnutrition in the rural areas of Gilgit-Baltistan. One of the programs main objectives is to
increase production and productivity through the development of 50,000 acres of irrigated crop land
which will benefit around 500,000 land holders; improve the connectivity to markets; and promote the demand driven
value chain of regional products. As program coordinator in the districts of Diamer and Astore, Mr. Baigs responsibilities
include working with government departments, community organizations and private sector businesses to promote
agriculture value chains in Gilgit-Baltistan, and to build the capacity of communities by helping them create management
teams.

In addition to his work in development, Mr. Baig has founded various civil society organizations including the Lahore
Students Association and the Zulfiqarabad Youth Organization and Human Resource Development Center, Gilgit. In
consultation with locals, he has also designed various life skills development programs for youth and adolescents, and he
has served as youth director of the Pakistan-US Alumni Network.

Mr. Baig started his career in development as a project coordinator for the Aga Khan Rural Support Program and worked
mainly on projects for adolescent and youth development and economic development. He has received honors and awards
for his efforts in youth civic engagement and he holds a bachelors degree in economics and politics from Lahore
University of Management Science.

Charling CHEN
Landscape Designer, Pamela Burton and Company, Los Angeles, California, USA

As a designer for Pamela Burton and Company, an internationally recognized landscape architecture
firm based in Los Angeles, Charling Chen specializes in projects for schools, hospitals, civic centers,
and other public spaces. Her prior work experience with public institutions, nonprofit organizations,
and communities in St. Louis, Birmingham, Paris, Taipei, and Nairobi brings a multidisciplinary and
global perspective to her projects. Driven by a commitment to sustainable placemaking, Ms. Chen believes design serves
a critical role in shaping society. Ms. Chen earned her Bachelor of Arts in architecture from Washington University, St.
Louis.
Touhidul Hoque CHOWDHURY
Assistant Director, Programming and Planning, Institute of Development Affairs, Sylhet, Bangladesh

Touhidul Hoque Chowdhury is assistant director of program and planning at the Institute of
Development Affairs in Bangladesh. The institute supports programs that empower women,
encourages healthy living, ensures transparency and accountability of public spending,
responsiveness of public services, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation planning, and
expand education opportunities for children. He has more than 15 years of experience as a development activist working
in education, governance, research and development.

Mr. Chowdhury is a US Department of State International Exchange alumnus and participated in the 2015 Community
Solutions Program, a leadership program funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In 2016, he received
an award from the US Department of State sponsored Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund for his project on ensuring
fiscal transparency of local government budget planning and implementation through peoples participation. Mr.
Chowdhury holds a masters degree in statistics from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet,
Bangladesh. In 2017, he was awarded the Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship (JJ/WBGSP) to pursue his
masters in development studies, major governance and development policy at the International Institute of Social Studies,
The Hague, Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

Ms. Yu GENG
Urban Program Manager, Institute for Sustainable Communities, Beijing, China

Yu Geng is urban program manager at the Institute for Sustainable Communities in Beijing. She
served as project manager of the Climate Smart Low Carbon Cities project (January 2016 to July
2017) to give Chinese urban practitioners the skills and tools to effectively implement low carbon
policies. This project supported four leading Chinese cities to advance low carbon initiatives;
strengthened local leaders ability to implement practical, proven low carbon development activities;
provided capacity building on practical, China-specific tools that enable public and private sector actors to take action to
reduce emissions; and accelerated U.S.-China collaboration on low-carbon urban development.

Ms. Geng co-authored Transformation of China Industrial Development Zones: Towards a Low Carbon Future, and
Establishment and Verification of the Eco-Management and Audit System. He earned her Master of Science in
environmental engineering from Tianjin University and her Bachelor of Science in chemical process equipment from the
University of Science and Technology Hebei.

Ms. Phoebe HARRISON


Senior Planner, Planisphere, Melbourne, Australia

Phoebe Harrison is a passionate and committed built environment professional whose key interests
include consensus-building and flexible approaches to urban planning. She currently serves as senior
planner at Planisphere, a planning and design consultancy based in Melbourne, and has experience in
regional and local government, with a strong grasp of legislation and policy implementation. Ms.
Harrison has worked on a diverse range of projects including visual landscape assessment studies, township structure
plans, social infrastructure plans, land use strategies, community and stakeholder engagement exercises, in-depth research
and development assessment. She holds a Master of Urban Planning and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the
University of Melbourne.
Mr. Ryan Victor MIRANDA
Learning Manager, Development Academy of the Philippines, Graduate School of Public &
Development Management, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Ryan Victor Miranda is learning manager at the Development Academy of the Philippines, Graduate
School of Public and Development Management, where he facilitates the learning process of the
public safety officers in the masters program of development and security. Mr. Mirandas
background in government service and with NGOs has led him to a number of volunteer opportunities and community
leadership roles. He previously served as a community developer in Zamboanga City, where he focused his work on
teaching children and adolescents in recovery shelters about community peacebuilding. Before that, Mr. Miranda served
as chief of staff to the commissioner representing Mindanao in the National Youth Commission and from 2013-2015, he
worked as a private secretary to the governor of the province Zamboanga del Norte.

In addition, Mr. Miranda has participated in two international organization-funded programs; USAIDs Enhancing
Governance Accountability and Engagement Project and Ateneo de Zamboanga Universitys SUGPAT Arts for
Development Program in partnership with UNICEF. He is also a member of the Young Southeast Asia Leaders Initiative.
Mr. Miranda was honored with the Young Peace Weaver award in 2013 for his contribution to peacebuilding in the region
and as an alumnus of the Philippine Youth Leadership Program at Northern Illinois University, he represented the country
in exchange programs to Hong Kong, Japan, and Malaysia.

Mr. Miranda graduated cum laude with a bachelors degree in mass communication from Ateneo de Zamboanga
University.

Ms. Okky OKTAVIANI


Assistant Advisor to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning, Analysis and Oversight of Priority
Programs, Executive Office of the President, Republic of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia

Okky Oktaviani currently serves as assistant advisor to the deputy chief of staff for planning, analysis
and oversight of priority programs in the Executive Office of the President, Republic of Indonesia.
The offices main task is to provide support for the president and the vice president in three strategic
areas; national priority programs, political communication, and the management of strategic issues. Ms. Oktaviani handles
infrastructure programs and manages the Communication Department of LAPOR!, an online national public service for
handling community concerns.

Ms. Oktaviani is also a member of the Model United Nations and once served as head delegate of Universitas Indonesias
Delegation to the prestigious European International Model United Nations in 2014. She received her bachelors degree in
communications from Universitas Indonesia and was an awardee of the Kennedy Lugar Youth Exchange and Study
Program, a sponsored exchange student program to the United States from 2009-2010.

Mr. Brian PLATT


Director/Chief Innovation Officer, Office of Innovation, City Hall, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

Brian Platt is chief innovation officer for Jersey City, New Jersey and helped to establish the Jersey
City Office of Innovation, formed through a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies in 2015 to help
address Jersey Citys most complex challenges. The team utilizes a data driven, collaborative,
community based approach to problem solving and has so far focused on supporting small businesses
and mitigating local flooding and pollution of waterways through better storm water management.

In addition, Mr. Platt teaches Olympic weightlifting at CrossFit Jersey City, is a volunteer emergency medical responder
with United Rescue, and is a former Captain of his hometown volunteer fire department. He previously worked for
McKinsey & Company and was a kindergarten teacher with Teach for America. Mr. Platt was recently included on the
2017 Traeger List as one of the top 100 local government leaders in the United States. He holds a masters in public
administration from Columbia University.
Mr. Ahmad RIFAI
Director, Kota Kita Foundation, Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia

Ahmad Rifai is co-founder and director of the Kota Kita Foundation in Central Java, Indonesia. Since
2010, Kota Kita has been working in different cities across Indonesia and encouraging citizen
participation and collective action to bring about change. Mr. Rifai currently promotes a national
platform for engagement and sharing called Urban Social Forum and the Right to the City movement
in Indonesian cities and regions across Southeast Asia. Kota Kita also established the Urban Citizenship Academy where
he is actively involved with assisting young urban activists in different cities with developing projects in their community.

Mr. Rifai holds an MSc in social development practice from University College London and a Master of Arts in
interdisciplinary Islamic studies from UIN Yogyakarta and McGill University. In 2016, he was a finalist in the social
impact category of the British Councils UK Alumni Award.

Mr. Arunvichet ROTH


Engineer and Architect, Taisei Corporation, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Arunvichet Roth serves as managing site engineer and architect on the government hospital-project
for TAISEI Corporation, a Japanese construction, civil engineering and real estate development
corporation that supports modern society and environmental protection through leading-edge
technologies. Mr. Roth previously worked as an architect for the Archetype Group and designed a
control tower, showroom, beer factory, a manufacturing facility, and a hotel for Phnom Penh. Before
that, he served as an engineer and site manager on a pig farm project for Kosal Co., Ltd.

Mr. Roth is founder and former president of Bridge Club Cambodia. In 2007, Mr. Roth participated in The Ship for
Southeast Asian Youth Program and in 2012, he served as a peace ambassador at The Asian-Pacific Children's
Convention in Fukuoka, Japan. He earned a bachelors in architecture from Royal University of Fine Arts and a
bachelors in civil engineering from Preah Kossmak Poliytechnic Institute, Phnom Penh.

Dr. Samiya Ahmed SELIM


Director, Center for Sustainable Development, University of Liberal Arts, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Samiya Selim is an associate professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development, an
organization devoted to interdisciplinary research, quality teaching, producing and disseminating
knowledge, establishing networks with universities and research centers for collaborative research,
and organizing actions to promote sustainable development in Bangladesh. The Center promotes a
multidisciplinary, trans-disciplinary and interdisciplinary education and research approach and its current work is focused
around the UN Sustainable Development Goals, climate adaptation, food security and disaster risk reduction.

Dr. Selim has studied and worked in the field of environmental conservation, climate change and sustainable development
in the United Kingdom for 11 years and specializes in ecosystem based management, sustainable livelihoods, socio-
ecological systems, climate change adaptation and resilience, ecosystem services, and science-policy interphase. Her
previous work includes mobilizing hard to reach communities from urban areas in getting involved in environmental
activities health/nature walks, food growing, conservation volunteering, green jobs, and environmental education. She
has also worked in the textile industry in Bangladesh implementing alternate cleaner technology, use of effluent treatment
plants and has organized multi-stakeholder meetings to discuss the issues of environment and health. Dr. Selim has two
masters degrees in sustainable development and conservation biology from the University of Leeds and a PhD in marine
ecology from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.
Mr. Imran ZARKOON
Director General, Quetta Development Authority, Government of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan

Imran Zarkoon is director general of the Quetta Development Authority for the Government of
Balochistan. The Quetta Development Authority is the sole organization administering development
projects in the only metropolitan city of Balochistan. Mr. Zarkoons recent projects include
eliminating heavy transport vehicles from the city, introducing energy efficient housing made of
environmentally friendly construction materials, and putting a halt to the irregular and unplanned expansion of the city.

Mr. Zarkoon has worked in civil service for ten years and is a firm believer of sustainable planning, development, and the
utilization of all accessible resources for making designs and creating cities of the future. Whether it is the transition from
the wind-swept lands to some of the most prestigious educational institutes of the country or the transition from executive
district officer to director general, Mr. Zarkoon knows the art of converting a humble start to a remarkable triumph.
Commissioned in the Balochistan Provincial Civil Service by the Balochistan Public Service Commission, Mr. Zarkoon
holds a masters degree in international relations from Qaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, and a bachelors degree in
political science and sociology from Government College University Lahore.

You might also like