Milton Funes

Milton Funes is a civil engineer with a Master’s in Urban Planning and more than 25 years of experience in international development. He has led major donor-funded initiatives—supported by USAID, CORE, and Global Communities—across Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. His work focuses on strengthening local governance, empowering vulnerable populations, and driving long-term systemic change in complex development contexts.

Milton has held senior leadership positions including Director of Impact and Learning, Country Director, and Project Director for youth empowerment, economic recovery, and humanitarian response programs. He has led large-scale projects in health, food security, municipal planning, and community development, managing multidisciplinary teams and fostering cross-sector partnerships.

Recognized for his strategic leadership in multicultural environments, Milton applies systems thinking, applied research, and inclusive planning to inform public policy and program design. His experience also includes financial and grant management, technical tool development, and the creation of adaptive learning systems that ensure continuous improvement and accountability.

Areas of Expertise:

• Local governance and institutional strengthening

• Urban planning and municipal development

• Youth empowerment and civic engagement

• Conflict recovery and community resilience

• Food security and health systems

• MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning) systems

• Applied research and policy analysis

• Humanitarian coordination and response

• Inclusive programming for vulnerable populations

• Interagency and government partnership building

Languages:

• Spanish (native)

• English (fluent)

• French (fluent)

• Danish (advanced)

Geographic Experience:

• Africa: Rwanda, Democrativ Republic of Congo

• Asia: Afghanistan, Indonesia, Sri-Lanka, Jordan

• Europe: Poland, Georgia

• Latin America: Honduras, Colombia, Perú, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti

• North America: United States