Inside the U.N.'s evolving drones strategy

Catherine Cheney is a Senior Reporter for Devex. She covers the West Coast of the U.S., focusing on the role of technology and innovation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. And she frequently represents Devex as a speaker and moderator. Prior to joining Devex, Catherine earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale University, worked as a web producer for POLITICO and reporter for World Politics Review, and helped to launch NationSwell. Catherine has reported from all over the world, and freelanced for outlets including the Atlantic and the Washington Post. She is also the West Coast ambassador for the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit that trains and connects journalists to cover responses to problems.

Jaime is a public affairs and innovation specialist with more than a decade of experience in government, policy and social development. He works with UNICEF’s Office of Innovation in New York, as a Global Drones Lead, supporting UNICEF and its host governments to learn how UAVs can help to better prepare and respond to natural disasters, deliver life-saving medical supplies and provide connectivity; all to improve the lives of the most disadvantaged children. As the knowledge manager for UNICEF’s drones initiatives, one of his main tasks is to generate evidence from the field, and provide insights that help shape a global regulatory and policy framework that enable the use of UAVs for humanitarian purposes. Previously, in Mexico, Jaime has worked for the Executive Office of the President, for the Ministry of Social Development, for UNICEF, and collaborated with Reboot--a social impact firm--to promote inclusive development and accountable governance through social innovation. Jaime holds a BA in Political Science and Economics from the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics, and a Master of Public Affairs, with a concentration in development economics, from Princeton University.

Gabriela Alvarado is Chief of the IT Emergency Preparedness and Response unit for the World Food Programme (WFP) in Rome, Italy. She oversees the Global Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) team as well as WFP’s Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) project and WFP’s Fast IT & Telecommunications Emergency Support Team (FITTEST). With nearly twenty years of experience in IT emergency response with WFP, Gabriela has worked in Iraq, Kenya, Sudan and Panama, among others. She led the ETC response during hurricanes Irma and Maria which provided support to affected countries in the Caribbean. Gabriela has been a team leader in multiple WFP technology teams in the areas of service management, policy development and emergency preparedness. Building strong partnerships with the private sector and humanitarian organizations to create more robust technological response to emergencies has been a focus for Gabriela. A native of Nicaragua, she studied Systems Engineering and earned an MBA in Technology Management from Colorado Technical University.

JC Shine is a Technical Officer with ICAO in the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) Section. JC is on secondment from the FAA where she serves as an Aviation Safety Inspector (Operations). She holds an ATP, CFI, Ground Instructor, and Remote Pilot Certificates, and her education includes a BS and MBA from Oklahoma City University. Before joining the FAA in 2012, JC taught UAS at Fort Huachuca, Arizona for the Army where she also served on the Sierra Vista Municipal Airport Commission.

Paul Burford serves as Branch Chief and Supervisory Contracting and Agreement Officer supporting the Bureau for Food Security and the President's Feed the Future initiative. He has over a decade of contracting and procurement experience across a number of USAID programs.