Creative Associates International Names New President

New Senior Vice President & 2 Vice Presidents Also Announced

September 30, 2014

Oct. 1, 2014 –  Leland Kruvant has been named President of Creative Associates International, the global development company with major projects in education, economic growth, governance and conflict mitigation that has worked in 85 countries, it was announced today.

He replaces co-founder Charito Kruvant, who continues as CEO and will oversee governance and external relations.

“Leland’s leadership and deep commitment to our mission of empowering communities to achieve the positive change they seek makes him the ideal person to run Creative,” says CEO Charito Kruvant. “This long-planned transition reinforces Creative’s commitment to its high standards of surpassing the expectations of our clients, partners, communities and beneficiaries.”

Prior to his promotion, Leland Kruvant, 43, was the Vice President of Strategy, which he led since 2002. During his tenure, he led the Company through the planning, evaluation and roll out of four strategic plans—each one lasting three years—as well as managing the quarterly performance benchmarks for programs, operations and finance.

Leland Kruvant has more than 20 years of experience in international development, finance and program management, including more than 12 years with Creative.

“I am honored to lead an organization with a high-caliber staff and an outstanding track record in global development,” Leland Kruvant says. “Creative’s impressive work in education, conflict mitigation, economic growth and other areas has transformed the lives of millions of people in more than 85 countries.”

Senior VP & 2 VPs Announced

Creative has also announced two new positions in its Washington, D.C., headquarters.

Thomas Wheelock has been promoted from Vice President to the new position of Senior Vice President, where he will oversee the division with programs in governance, elections, political transitions, stabilization and related work.

Wheelock, a graduate of the U.S. Academy in West Point and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, is an expert in conflict and post-conflict program management, has held senior-level positions with the U.S. government and the private sector.

“Tom is an exceptional leader who is able to use decades of outstanding program management in headquarters and the field to improve the lives of people around the world,” says Charito Kruvant. “He is a strategic thinker and a person who we admire for his dedication and innovation in global development.”

Jessica Kruvant has been promoted from Director of External Relations to Vice President of that department.

She directs Creative’s engagement with the U.S. government, strategic coalitions, the private sector and opinion makers. In the area of programs, she helped to design a project that worked with villagers in the most conflicted area around the road to Kandahar, giving them a stake in stabilizing their communities. The program greatly reduced causalities and violence in the target areas.

Sharon Cooley has been promoted from Senior Director of Business Development to Vice President of that department. In 2012, she was named as Creative’s Senior Employee of the Year.

Before joining Creative, Cooley worked at the Urban Institute on international development and domestic performance management for the U.S. Agency for International Development, the World Bank and other multilateral funders. She has worked in Albania, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Pakistan, to name a few. In the United States, she worked in the Riverside, Calif., city government.

About Creative Associates International

Creative Associates International works with underserved communities by sharing expertise and experience in education, economic growth, governance and transitions from conflict to peace. Creative is the second-largest company owned by women that works with the U.S. government.

Based in Washington, D.C., Creative has a staff of almost 1,100 professionals working around the world. Since 1977, it has worked in 85 countries and on nearly every continent. Recognized for its ability to work rapidly, flexibly and effectively in conflictive environments, Creative is committed to generating long-term sustainable solutions to complex development problems.