We want you to meet our staff! Though you may know some of them, or have met them if you’ve visited, we want to share more about them and what they do for CEPAD.

Meet Dámaris Albuquerque, CEPAD’s Executive Director who has been working with CEPAD for 41 years. She started in March of 1978 as the Masaya office secretary before being named office coordinator, followed by Executive Director’s assistant to Dr. Gustavo Parajón, CEPAD founder, and has now served as our Executive Director since 2001.

On a typical day, Dámaris replies to donor emails, approves information to send to donors, meets with directors of CEPAD staff, answers questions at our regional offices about funds, checks on the available funds in the bank, authorizes payments, and signs checks. She also spends some time visiting CEPAD offices around Nicaragua as well as the communities in which we serve.

“What I like most about working with CEPAD is the contact with people in distinct areas like the people in the communities we work with, international and Nicaraguan churches that support us, pastoral groups, CEPAD staff, and knowing that we all have something to add. We’re all important and we all want our country to get better.”

“Thank you to the donors that share our mission. Each one from your own place, with your own problems, and your own dreams. In Christ, there are no borders!”

We are thankful for Dámaris’ leadership skills, optimistic presence, and how she supports all of CEPAD’s offices. She provides wisdom and guidance as we strive to work towards helping rural Nicaraguans break the cycles of poverty and hunger through sustainable community development.