New Peace Corps Country Director arrives in Guyana

The new Country Director for Peace Corps, Kury Cobham, arrived in Guyana on Thursday, replacing outgoing Director Linda Arbogast.

Cobham has more than 15 years of international experience in programme design, management, citizen engagement, economic development and capacitybuilding initiatives. She has worked for multilateral, non-governmental and community-based organisations, and has expertise in developing, implementing and monitoring multimillion-dollar country portfolios.

Cobham’s past work experience includes stints with Family Health International, the World Bank and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). She also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer from 1990–1994, first as an English Teacher in Equatorial Guinea, and later as a Teacher Trainer in Namibia.

Cobham holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish from Macalester College and a Master of Arts Degree in International Affairs, Political and Economic Development from Columbia University.

The Peace Corps forms an important part of the US Mission in Guyana. Peace Corps was first welcomed to Guyana in 1966 and served the development interests of the country until 1971. Again in 1995, Peace Corps Volunteers returned to Guyana to work as community-based promoters in the sectors of health and education.

On June 30, 2016, the Guyanese Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Peace Corps to support ongoing activities concerning environmental protection and sustainable use and management of Guyana’s natural resources.