Seattle International Foundation (SIF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jovana Ríos Cisnero to the organization’s Board of Directors, for a three-year term, which began on December 2023.
“I’m honored to join SIF’s Board of Directors. I’m excited to bring my lived experience as Central American and co-create with an amazing group of leaders to advance SIF’s mission,” said Jovana Rios.
Jovana is a Panamanian woman of Afro-Indigenous descent and is based in Panama City, Panama. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Women’s Link Worldwide, an international nonprofit organization focused on litigation and advocacy in the interest of women and girls’ rights. She previously held roles at Save the Children International, in the private sector, and as a consultant to the United Nations Population Fund, and is the former Board Chair of Fòs Feminista. She brings more than a decade of experience in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights as well as organizational governance at the local, regional, and international level.
“The SIF board is grateful and delighted to have such an experienced, courageous, and compassionate leader join our Board. Jovana brings the perspective of both a front-line regional expert as well as that of a dynamic systems changer, and will be a vital propellant to SIF’s mission,” expressed Tony Mestres, Chair of SIF’s Board of Directors.
“I am honored to welcome Jovana to our board of directors,” said Adriana Beltrán, SIF’s Executive Director. “During a time of profound challenges in the region, her leadership and commitment to advancing human rights in Central America will make an invaluable contribution to our efforts to support and amplify the voices of those advocating for change in the region.”
Jovana has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, postgraduate degrees in Higher Education and Executive Management, and an MBA in Human Resources from the Inter-American University of Panama. She also has a specialization in Public Policy from The George Washington University.
Jovana will serve on the Board of Directors alongside current members Tony Mestres (President), Michele Frix (Vice President and Secretary), and Serena Cosgrove (Treasurer).
