Press Releases:

Julie Mancini Joins Mercy Corps as Action Center Director

New Mercy Corps Action Center opens October 2009 with mission to educate and inspire action

April 30, 2009

Portland, OR – Mercy Corps is pleased to announce that long-time Portlander Julie Mancini has joined the organization to serve as director of the Mercy Corps Action Center – a new educational public space where visitors can learn about global issues and take meaningful action. The Action Center opens in fall 2009 and is located on the ground floor of Mercy Corps’ new global headquarters building in Old Town Chinatown. Mercy Corps CEO Neal Keny-Guyer says Mancini’s experience with youth programs made her a perfect fit for the job.

“A main goal of the Mercy Corps Action Center is to give young people in Portland a window to the world. It is critical that they have a greater understanding of complex issues like global hunger and poverty, and how their local actions can reverberate positively around the world,” says Keny-Guyer. Action Center exhibits emphasize development programs that work and creative solutions to global problems.

Mancini is perhaps most well-known for her stewardship of Portland Literary Arts, as director she managed outreach programs that brought literature into schools. She also worked as executive director of Caldera, which offers arts and nature programs to disadvantaged youth. And she’s served on the advisory board of Stand for Children. Mancini graduated with a MA in Child Development from Tufts University and worked as a teacher for many years.

The Action Center uses a wide range of interactive multimedia to bring to life the daily experiences of communities and aid agencies as they strive to improve lives around the globe. “Training towers” put people in the shoes of humanitarian aid workers and guide them through some of the daily decisions Mercy Corps staff make. Video “field dispatches” created by Mercy Corps staff in developing countries give viewers insight into issues global communities face and include interviews from aid workers, beneficiaries and local government officials. Mancini says the Mercy Corps Action Center is a great resource for Portlanders who care about what’s happening around the world and want to “be the change.”

“The Mercy Corps Action Center will help young people today become the citizens and leaders the world will need tomorrow,” adds Mancini.

More information about the Action Center and Mercy Corps’ new global headquarters is available at mercycorps.org/globalheadquarters.