Eurasia Foundation Announces the 2011 Class of Bill Maynes Fellows After an extensive search, Eurasia Foundation has named the 2011 class of Bill Maynes Fellows: Valeria Klitsounova of Belarus and Matluba Uljabaeva of Tajikistan. Both women are pioneering businesswomen and leading advocates of small business development and entrepreneurship in their respective countries. The Bill Maynes Fellowship honors the late president of Eurasia Foundation, Charles William Maynes, and supports outstanding leaders from the Eurasia region by inviting them to the U.S. to expand their skills and build professional networks. This year’s fellows will participate in intense, individually tailored programs that will introduce them to U.S. counterparts and offer them specialized training and practical experience in their field of interests.
About the Fellows Valeria Klitsounova is Chairwoman of Country Escape, the Association for Rural and Ecotourism in Minsk, Belarus. She is a specialist in rural economic development and has nearly 15 years of experience supporting the growth of small businesses in the regions of Belarus. Ms. Klisounova’s advocacy efforts were instrumental in passing national legislation simplifying the operating environment for small businesses in Belarus. Eurasia Foundation helped establish Country Escape by providing the association with its first grant in 2003. The association unites the efforts of more than 600 members, including teachers, farmers, economists, pensioners and youth from across Belarus, in creating a viable rural tourism sector and the jobs and business opportunities that accompany it. In addition to her work at Country Escape, Ms. Klitsounova is director of the Center for Agro and Ecotourism Development, an agricultural and ecotourism business incubator. She also is a senior lecturer at Belarus State University where she instructs students in marketing, advertising, public relations and ecotourism. She has also worked on programs with the UNDP, OSCE, the US Embassy and the European Commission. Ms. Klitsounova received her PhD in agricultural science and her undergraduate degree in geography from Belarus State University. She is fluent in English, Russian and Belarusian.
Matluba Uljabaeva is the Chairwoman of the National Association of Small and Medium Business of Tajikistan (NASMB). She has more than 25 years of experience in business management and is a national leader for promoting small business development in Tajikistan.
The Eurasia Foundation Network is a partnership of autonomous foundations promoting prosperity and stability throughout the former Soviet Union. The Network partners consist of Eurasia Foundation (United States), New Eurasia Foundation (Russia), Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia, Eurasia Partnership Foundation (South Caucasus) and East Europe Foundation (Moldova and Ukraine).
NASMB is a business association that represents the interests of more than 100 entrepreneurs and businesses in Tajikistan. Ms. Uljabaeva works closely with the Government of Tajikistan, international development agencies and regional business associations in promoting the interests of small and medium sized enterprises in Tajikistan. Ms. Uljabaeva worked with Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) to establish the American Chamber of Commerce in Tajikistan and continues to work with EFCA in building the capacity of that organization. Prior to chairing NASMB, Ms. Uljabaeva was the Executive Director of Indigo Tajikistan where she helped grow the company into the country’s second largest mobile telephone operator. She has served as a business advocacy officer for UNDP and has worked for Tajikistan’s Ministry of Education as an IT specialist. Ms. Uljabaeva recieved her undergraduate degree in mathematics from Dushanbe Pedagogical Institute and has received training from the Loyola School of Law, USAID and IBM. She is fluent in English, Russian, Tajik and Uzbek.
For more information contact: Eurasia Foundation 1350 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20036 202.234.7370 phone 202.234.7377 fax eurasia@eurasia.org www.eurasia.org September 2011
Engaging Citizens, Empowering Communities About the Fund
How to Contribute
Dedicated to the generous and gregarious spirit of Eurasia Foundation’s former President, Bill Maynes, the Fund is an instrument that honors and supports outstanding individuals from the countries where EF operates and who share Bill’s vision for stable, inclusive and prosperous societies.
If you would like to make a contribution, there are several ways to do so. You can: •
EF hopes to make the Fund a lasting legacy to Bill’s vision and raise sufficient resources and awareness to support dozens of emerging leaders in the coming years. The Fund began operations in 2008 and is entirely financed by private donations. For more information about the Bill Maynes Fellowship Fund, please visit www.eurasia.org or email at fellowships@eurasia.org.
Send a check to Eurasia Foundation (please indicate Bill Maynes Fund on the memo of your check) to the address indicated below. Eurasia Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable foundation and contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Eurasia Foundation Attn: Program Development Department 1350 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20036
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The Eurasia Foundation Network is a partnership of autonomous foundations promoting prosperity and stability throughout the former Soviet Union. The Network partners consist of Eurasia Foundation (United States), New Eurasia Foundation (Russia), Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia, Eurasia Partnership Foundation (South Caucasus) and East Europe Foundation (Moldova and Ukraine).
Donate online through Network for Good, a trusted and secure fundraising partner of Eurasia Foundation. Visit www.eurasia.org, click Support and complete the donation form. Under designation, please indicate Bill Maynes Fund.
For more information contact: Eurasia Foundation 1350 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20036
Bill Maynes
202.234.7370 phone 202.234.7377 fax eurasia@eurasia.org www.eurasia.org September 2011