(EMAILWIRE.COM, August 07, 2009 ) Washington, D.C.— The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) announces two new program directors: Dr. Lucille Pilling, director of the HIV/AIDS & Health Initiative, and Jacklyn Claxton, acting director of CCA’s Agribusiness Initiatives. Pilling and Claxton will focus on health and agribusiness opportunities in Africa, many of which will be addressed at CCA’s 7th Biennial US-Africa Business Summit, to be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., September 29 – October 1, 2009.

LUCILLE PILLING
Lucille Pilling will engage corporate leadership to mount a robust private sector response to Africa's health needs, including the HIV/AIDS crisis, through the development of public-private partnerships, technical assistance to national business coalitions and other cooperative vehicles.

Pilling is an expert in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and global health policy and management. Pilling’s involvement with CSR began on the nonprofit side, serving as vice president for International Programs at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Her firm Pilling and Associates collaborates with corporations and nonprofit organizations to develop and implement CSR business and communication strategies. She has worked in several African countries, including Ghana; Kenya; Zimbabwe; Botswana; Ethiopia; Liberia; Mozambique; Tanzania; and South Africa.

Pilling recently published Global Health Alliance: Lessons Learned and currently teaches graduate courses on CSR and global health policy at New York University. An article on the integration of brand and social responsibility will be published in 2009.

Pilling earned both a Doctorate in Education and a Master of Science in Public Health from Columbia University as well as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania.

JACKLYN CLAXTON
Jacklyn Claxton will be responsible for planning the agribusiness track for the U.S.–Africa Business Summit and managing the USAID Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) grant. Claxton will also develop innovative agribusiness initiatives and new partnerships for CCA, in addition to attracting new members with an interest in the African agribusiness sector.

Claxton is an international business development specialist with over ten years of experience developing agribusinesses and projects in Africa. Prior to joining CCA, Claxton served as the director of Consultancy Services for a UK-based consulting and project management firm in Nigeria, leading a team of international and local consultants to develop an Agriculture Master Plan for a Nigerian state. There, she developed its microcredit scheme which focused on agriculture as the centerpiece of economic development. She also worked with the U.S. African Development Foundation on projects for small and medium sized enterprises in Nigeria.

Claxton completed her graduate work as a David L. Boren Graduate Fellow in Kenya, analyzing the impact of AGOA on the apparel sector. She holds a Master of Business Administration as well as a Master of Arts in International Studies and English. She also received a Bachelor of Arts in African Studies and English from Yale University.


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About The Corporate Council on Africa
Established in 1993, The Corporate Council on Africa is a nonpartisan 501 (c) (3) membership organization of nearly 180 U.S. companies dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa. CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa. The organization is dedicated to bringing together potential business partners and to showcase business opportunities on the continent. For more information on CCA, please visit: www.africacncl.org.

Contact Information:
The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA)
Nicole Amarteifio
Tel: (202) 263-3538
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