World Hope International (WHI) announces the appointment of two new international program directors: Dr. Robert Kagbo as director of agriculture and Lisa Thompson as director of anti-trafficking. Kagbo and Thompson both bring extensive expertise and experience within their respective fields to WHI. World Hope International is the official Christian relief and development partner of The Wesleyan Church.
Dr. Kagbo arrives at WHI after seven years serving as senior agricultural advisor for the USAID/West Africa Mission located in Accra, Ghana, covering 15-18 countries in West Africa. While there, Dr. Kagbo worked with national governments, regional and international organizations, private sector groups, and major donors in promoting regional integration among the 15 countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) through policy reforms. He led the design and managed several programs including the $35M West Africa Seed Alliance and $20M West Africa Fertilizer Program. Previous to his work with USAID, Dr. Kagbo served as vice president and director of the Technical Services Division of TransAmerica Soil Blenders USA, Inc., as well as regional coordinator in The Gambia for The Africa Rice Center in Cotonou, Benin. He also served as country director in Ethiopia for Africare.
Dr. Kagbo completed his B.S. degree in general agriculture at Western Kentucky University and his Ph.D. in agronomy and soil science from the University of Hawaii.
Lisa Thompson joins WHI after serving for more than 12 years as the liaison for the abolition of sexual trafficking for The Salvation Army USA National Headquarters. In this role, Thompson developed and coordinated strategies for The Salvation Army to create recovery services for survivors of sexual trafficking. Thompson also advocated for public policy issues and initiatives related to sexual trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, as well as chaired The Salvation Army’s North American Anti-Trafficking Council and directed its Initiative Against Sexual Trafficking. Previous to her arrival at The Salvation Army, Thompson served as policy representative for the National Association of Evangelicals’ (NAE) Office for Governmental Affairs in Washington, DC, from 1998 to 2001. While there, she was heavily involved in NAE’s efforts seeking passage of legislation now known as the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.
Thompson earned her Bachelor of Arts in Government from Western Kentucky University, and her Master’s degree in Leadership, Public Policy and Social Issues, from Union Institute and University.
John Lyon, World Hope International CEO & President, expressed his strong enthusiasm over the two new appointments. “Robert and Lisa bring extensive expertise and diverse experience to the WHI team. We look forward to seeing significant growth in WHI programs under their leadership.”
