Mariela Peña Fernández

• Served as Senior Advisor in the design and execution of integrated, purpose-driven programming tailored for Guatemala’s most vulnerable communities—those disproportionately impacted by poverty, violence, and forced migration. The work was grounded in USAID’s commitment to advance resilience and dignity in regions with high rates of irregular migration to the United States.

• Led the creation of national workforce pathways connected to H-2A and H-2B visa opportunities, unlocking new avenues for dignified employment while reducing migration pressures and building the foundation for flourishing through economic mobility.

• Directed the implementation of cross-sector partnerships with government ministries, technical institutions, and employers to co-create livelihoods strategies rooted in community assets, capacity development, and ethical recruitment practices.

• Oversaw critical collaboration with faith-based partner El Refugio de la Niñez, strengthening trauma-informed care for unaccompanied children and fostering healing, reintegration, and restored hope for families experiencing adversity.

• Convened inclusive co-creation workshops that brought together public and private actors to reimagine migration and workforce systems, aligning shared values with long-term development solutions.

• Promoted a systems-based approach to resilience and flourishing by integrating mental well-being, skill-building, and social protection into programming that turned vulnerability into opportunity and advanced the vision of transformational development.

Strategic and Operational Leadership

• Led USAID’s $60M Youth and Higher Education portfolio, guiding multi-sectoral programming that integrated vulnerable youth into economic growth, violence prevention, and civic engagement. Programming was rooted in dignity, inclusion, and long-term transformation—deeply aligned with a mission-driven approach to development.

• Oversaw the $4.3M Higher Education Partnership, fostering institutional resilience through capacity strengthening, mentorship, and technical guidance to ensure quality programming and the equitable distribution of over 600 scholarships for vulnerable youth.

• Directed the co-creation and procurement of the $15M Opportunity Youth Activity, setting a new standard for participatory design by engaging marginalized youth, civil society, and government actors to co-develop solutions addressing tertiary violence prevention and workforce reintegration.

Programmatic Proficiency (Health, Risk & Resilience, Livelihoods)

• Promoted a systems-based approach to resilience and flourishing by integrating mental well-being, skill-building, and social protection into programming that turned vulnerability into opportunity and advanced the vision of transformational development.

• Expanded access to learning and retention, ensuring that 49,878 students participated in stay-in-school initiatives, and 4,227 returned to school, creating long-term pathways out of poverty and social exclusion.

• Strengthened economic opportunity through skill-building, with 29,083 youth enrolled in vocational educationand 8,205 securing new or better employment, reimagining how workforce systems could support dignity, purpose, and flourishing.

Representation and Partnership-Building

• Mobilized over $12M in public-private partnerships and co-investment, leveraging USAID funds to scale impact through collaboration with government, corporate, and civil society actors committed to justice, inclusion, and systems change.

• Served as a high-level liaison to the Ministries of Youth, Labor, Education, and Higher Education, securing long-term public investment in youth-focused development and representing USAID in national and regional dialogue.

• Collaborated with faith-based partner El Refugio de la Niñez, strengthening trauma-informed care and reintegration for unaccompanied migrant children—demonstrating a strong commitment to faith-informed, community-based development.

• Provided strategic and operational leadership for a Christian-based NGO.

• Led the design and execution of “Restoring Tomorrow,” a USAID-funded education and reintegration initiative that empowered adolescent mothers—many survivors of gender-based violence—with access to secondary education, vocational training, and wraparound services, overseeing program strategy, staffing, budgeting, and daily operations for a team of 60 multidisciplinary staff.

• Applied donor compliance and internal control systems to ensure effective resource allocation, program accountability, and alignment with organizational values of dignity, equity, and holistic care.

• Built organizational capacity through staff mentorship, policy implementation, and the creation of trauma-informed service protocols, strengthening the center’s ability to serve high-risk youth with professionalism and compassion.

• Oversaw the integration of psychosocial services and Christian-based counseling—delivered by trained personnel—into a safe, supportive learning environment that addressed participants’ physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

• Directed the launch and management of an early childhood development center on-site, providing reliable care for children under age four while enabling young mothers to focus on their studies and career preparation.

• Cultivated partnerships with USAID, public health institutions, local government entities, and private sector actors to align service delivery with national development goals and expand access to quality care for vulnerable populations.

• Represented the organization in donor coordination meetings and stakeholder engagement forums, advocating for the rights and reintegration of adolescent mothers within broader policy and protection frameworks.

• Expanded international education opportunities by designing, organizing, and executing the only national and international college fair in the DR, connecting over 24 international universities with 15,000+ students annually
• Led Work and Travel Programs and managed the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) program in the DR and Haiti, facilitating global mobility experiences for students
• Advised students and families on academic pathways, scholarship opportunities, and study abroad programs, ensuring equitable access to quality international education
• Fostered cross-sectoral collaboration, engaging with government agencies, educational institutions, and private sector partners to enhance higher education access, global exchange, and workforce development opportunities