Our team

The Misean Cara team combines a commitment to supporting those furthest behind with deep professionalism and long experience in international development. Meet the individuals who work with our members that seek to empower the most marginalised people achieve a better quality of life:

Management team

John Moffett

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

John was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Misean Cara in April 2020. He has worked in international development for over 25 years, his most previous post being as CEO of TREE AID, where he developed and led a 5 year strategy delivering organisational growth and deepening impact. John was previously Programme Director with Self Help Africa where he led the implementation of programme strategy targeting smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. John brings a strong track record in leading geographically dispersed teams to design and implement impactful programmes and growing institutional funding.

Séamus O'Leary

Organisational Change Manager

Séamus has been involved in overseas development for many years. He previously worked in Romania and Albania with a Wexford-based charity providing support to Missionaries of Charity care centres in Eastern Europe. Séamus spent three years with the Columban Lay Mission Programme in Lahore, Pakistan. He has worked on programmes in India and the Philippines with Trócaire as Asia Programme Officer and the Integration Centre on cultural diversity in Ireland. Seamus has a Diploma in Development Studies from Kimmage DSC, a Master’s Degree in Rural Development from UCD and a Degree in Non-Profit Sector Management through the Open Training College. He is married to Geraldine and they have four children.

Jennifer Donovan

Donor Engagement Manager

Jennifer has worked in the non-profit fundraising sector for almost 20 years, with over 10 years’ experience at a senior executive level and as a fundraising consultant for 5 years. Some of her previous posts included fundraising for Dublin Simon Community, Coolmine Therapeutic Community, The Model Arts Gallery, Suas Educational Development and Aiséirí. Her work includes all aspects of fundraising with a strong focus on strategic development through relationship building. Jennifer holds a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Management for the Community and Public Sector and guest lectures on Fundraising and Philanthropy. When not working Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family in the West of Ireland where she lives.

Seamus Collins

Learning & Development Manager

Seamus joined Misean Cara in March 2017 as Learning & Development Officer and became Learning & Development Manager in 2020. He holds a master’s degree in Development Studies from University College Dublin, and has been working in the international development arena since 1987. He has lived and worked in Sudan, Lesotho and Mozambique. Prior to joining Misean Cara, Seamus spent 17 years with the Irish agency Trócaire, travelling extensively in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Throughout his career, he has gained a deep appreciation and respect for the work of Irish missionaries. As Learning and Development Manager, Seamus has responsibility for Misean Cara’s monitoring, evaluation and research work, as well as focusing on organisational learning and on capacity development for member organisations.

Mary O'Connell

Funding Manager

Mary joined Misean Cara in April 2017 to manage the Members Capacity Development scheme. Mary has a BSc (Hons) in Science, Technology and Society from Middlesex University that included a year with the Department of Community Medicine at the University of Zimbabwe undertaking research on capacity development within the function of District Medical Officers. Mary has since worked in international development for over twenty years including eight years as the Policy Officer for Capacity Development in the advocacy team at WaterAid in the UK. She has travelled extensively in Africa and South Asia. Mary returned home to Ireland from London in 2012 keenly interested to bring her skills and experience to the development sector and now to Misean Cara.

Fergal Molloy

Financial Controller

As Financial Controller, Fergal is a member of the Management Team and is responsible for producing monthly Management Accounts, annual Financial Statements, budgets and managing Cash Flow. He also provides leadership and direction to the Finance and IT team and oversees the implementation of finance/IT policy and procedures, accounting controls and reporting protocols. In addition, he reports to the Board and the Financial Oversight, Risk & Audit Committee on all matters financial and risk related.

Fergal comes to Misean Cara from an extensive career in Finance and Accounting, including management roles within the Insurance brokerage, technology and retail sectors and as a consultant, where clients included Irish Life & Permanent plc, Basketball Ireland and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). He has also lectured in Accounting, HR and Management with Dublin Business School and Blanchardstown Institute of Technology. Fergal’s overseas experience includes a two-year post in Pakistan as Finance Director for Aer Rianta International. He holds a BA in Business Studies from Trinity College Dublin and an MBA from UCD’s Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.

Safeguarding

Valerie Philpott

Safeguarding Advisor

Valerie is a qualified Social Worker and holds membership with the Social Work Registration Board of Ireland (CORU). She has extensive experience working with many marginalised groups within the non-profit and statutory sectors. Valerie is passionate about child welfare and children’s rights. Prior to taking up the position of Safeguarding Advisor here at Misean Cara, she spent 6 years in Australia working in Child Protection. She has also worked as a Social Worker in Ireland in the area of fostering. Valerie has qualifications in Anthropology and Social Policy and she holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from University College Cork.

Project Funding team

Séamus O'Leary

Organisational Change Manager

Mary O'Connell

Funding Manager

Don Lucey

Senior Project Officer - Livelihoods

Don’s focus is on Income generation activities and livelihoods (jobs) projects. Don is also involved in the members’ Sector Interest Groups. He supports member organisations by assessing funding applications, liaising with Development Mentors, and taking part in monitoring field visits. Don has a Degree in Civil Engineering from Dublin Institute of Technology and a Master’s Degree in Charity Management from Dublin College University (DCU). After completing his Master’s Degree Don started the Carmichael Centre Ethiopia to build capacity of local charities in Ethiopia.

Siphiwe Murepa

Project Officer

Originally from Zimbabwe, Siphiwe came to Ireland in 2022 to pursue a master’s degree in Public Health, having earned a scholarship to attend University College Dublin. Siphiwe also holds a bachelor’s degree in Health Promotion from the University of Zimbabwe. She joined Misean Cara as a Project Officer in 2024, bringing to her role expertise and experience in health promotion (including within a school-based context) and social behaviour change. Her career has included more than five years in a role with the Ministry of Health in Zimbabwe, as well as previous experience in international NGOs working on projects to target hard-to-reach populations, including artisinal miners. Outside of work, Siphiwe enjoys spending time with her family.

Ian Dolan

Project Officer - Health

Ian joined Misean Cara in 2023 as a Project Officer providing surge capacity support to the funding team across all sectors on a temporary basis and in 2024 was appointed to a permanent position as the Health Project Officer. He supports Misean Cara member organisations by reviewing project reports and assessing funding applications. Ian has a degree in Business Studies from Dublin University, Trinity College and a Master’s Degree in Development Studies, University College Dublin. During his career, Ian has worked in several countries in Africa, in programme, administration and management roles.

Tom Carroll

Project Officer - Education

Tom's career in development began with a forest conservation project in Kenya in 1993. He dedicated more than a decade to the Franciscan Brothers' agricultural college in Kenya, where he taught and headed the beekeeping department. Tom possesses a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a Doctorate in Rural Development from University College Dublin. He has worked with Misean Cara in several capacities over the past decade and is currently in the role of Project Officer for Education.

Dario Devale

Project Officer - Human Rights & Advocacy

Dario joined Misean Cara in 2024, with more than 15 years’ experience in the international development sector, mostly in Africa and Asia. A key focus of his work has been advocating and promoting awareness of human rights and justice issues including abuse, neglect, exclusion, and gender-based violence. His career spans several sectors, including girls’ education, child protection and inclusion of children with disabilities, health and dignity for people with HIV and AIDS, and youth employment. Originally from Italy, Dario now resides in Kerry.

Orla Duke

Grant Management System Coordinator

Orla is the Education Project Officer with Misean Cara, working with members on projects that uphold the right to quality education. Orla has considerable experience in the International Development sector working previously for Scholars at Risk Europe at Maynooth University on an EU-funded project aimed at supporting academics and scholars under threat, and with Trócaire to provide programmatic and organisational advice and support to missionary and local partner organisations working on humanitarian, human rights and livelihoods programmes across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Central America. She has also worked with Sightsavers International, Irish Aid and the European Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations office (ECHO) in Brussels. Orla holds a MSc in Humanitarian Action from the University College Dublin and a BA in Public Administration from the University of Limerick.

James O'Reilly

Systems Administrator

James joined Misean Cara in 2024 as Systems Administrator. In his role he has responsibility for oversight of Misean Cara's Salesforce-based grant and project management database system, also supporting Misean Cara members and staff on use of the system through training, support, and guidance.

James holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from Technological University Dublin (TUD) and has developed a professional expertise in all aspects of the Salesforce CRM System.

Outside of work, James is committed to an active lifestyle, playing sports and travelling. When not being active, James enjoys reading about the history of religions and cultures.

Learning & Development team

Seamus Collins

Learning & Development Manager

Sam Kappler

Learning & Development Officer

Sam joined Misean Cara’s Learning & Development team in 2024, bringing to his role over 12 years of experience working with international development programmes across Africa and the Balkans, in diverse thematic areas. His previous positions have focused on programme quality, monitoring and evaluation, and grant management. He has an academic background in politics and sociology. Hailing from Scotland, Sam has been based in Ireland since 2006. In his spare time, Sam enjoys escaping into the mountains of Ireland, supporting his underachieving soccer teams, and discovering new music.

Jenny Ackermann

Monitoring & Results Measurement Officer

Mike Williams

Programme Coordinator - Care Reform for Children with Disabilities

Mike Williams started his career in development in 1990 when, as a volunteer civil engineer, he worked in Zambia with the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary. Since then, he has worked with Concern Worldwide, Oxfam, Trócaire (where he was Head of the International Division for seven years) and as a private consultant. Mike is familiar with the work of Misean Cara and its members, having done the research in 2016-17 which led to the description of the Missionary Approach to Development Interventions. In his current role with Misean Cara, Mike is coordinating a partnership programme of Misean Cara, Catholic Care for Children International and GHR Foundation on Care for Children with Disabilities, which brings together two of Mike’s great interests: disability and development.

Colm Allan

Learning & Development Officer

Colm joined Misean Cara as Learning & Development officer in 2022. He has over 20 years applied experience in the Global South, primarily in Southern Africa. His focus has centred on how to strengthen the realisation of human rights and needs via improved public service delivery. He has worked in the areas of social accountability, public resource management, improved government oversight, and monitoring and evaluation. He established and directed a number of university-based research, monitoring and capacity building interventions in South Africa, and previously lectured in sociology. He has also worked on how to strengthen national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up to (UN) international human rights instruments. Colm has an MA from University of Warwick and an MPhil from Ulster University.

Development mentors

Patricia Ynoñan Garcia

Development Mentor, Latin America

Patricia is bilingual (Spanish and English) and has worked with several development organisations including CARE Peru, World Vision and Instituto Salud y Trabajo. Patricia’s thematic areas include results based management, project management, monitoring, evaluation and learning and institutional development and organisational strengthening. As Misean Cara Mentor for Latin America, Patricia works with member organisations at project level, helping project plan, implement and reflect on their development projects and outcomes. She also supports in reporting and member capacity development through 2 – 3 day training programs and on-the-job mentoring/coaching. Patricia has a bachelors degree in sociology, masters degree in social management and diploma in gender studies. In her spare time, Patricia is a foodie who loves to visit new restaurants and read books.

Paul Njeru Gichuki

Development Mentor, Eastern Africa

Paul joined Misean Cara in May 2014, as Eastern Africa Development Mentor. He develops the capacity (Institutional, Organisation and Human Resource) of Misean Cara member organisations and their local partners in enhancing quality of planning, monitoring, learning and reinforcing sustainability. Paul accompanies project personnel in their journey of transforming the lives of communities through greater project cycle management understanding and development of skills. Paul has a Master’s Degree in Governance and Development from the Institute of Development Studies (Sussex) and has been working in international development since 1997. Prior to Misean Cara, Paul spent 8 years with the Irish agency Trócaire, as East Africa Programme Officer. He is particularly interested in Human Rights, citizen participation and governance.

Finbar O'Brien

Development Mentor, Southern Africa

Finbar joined Misean Cara in August 2020. He accompanies project personnel in the Southern Africa region to develop their capacity in project cycle management, results-based management, and to assist in organizational strengthening. He also facilitates reflection and learning within and between projects. Finbar has worked in West, Central, East and Southern Africa with civil society, bilateral and multilateral organisations. He holds Master’s Degrees in International Development from University College Cork and Development Management from Open University. Much of his career was spent with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs where he was a senior manager with Irish Aid and he also served as Irish Ambassador to Zambia and Uganda.

Finance team

Fergal Molloy

Financial Controller

Ciara Bevan

FInance Officer

As part of the Finance team Ciara works closely with the Financial Controller on accounting projects and supporting members with financial aspects of project funding. With qualifications in Marketing, Administrative Management and Accounting, Ciara’s career has primarily been in the private sector, in particular spending a number of years with both IBM and CIPD. Ciara loves to travel and getting to know a bit about other cultures and ways of life. She has wide tastes in music, theatre and cinema, and is a big sports fan.

Donor Engagement & Communications team

Jennifer Donovan

Donor Engagement Manager

Clare Matthias

Marketing and Communications Officer

Originally from the United States, Clare’s 20-year career in communications and marketing has spanned sectors such as global affairs programming, biomedical and consumer product manufacturing, branding & design, and the contemporary arts, and has included roles at the American Red Cross and the World Affairs Council of Oregon. Her professional background includes an extensive business communications portfolio and credentials and experience in digital marketing, public relations, and project management. She has also worked as a freelance journalist and copy-editor. Clare holds a Master's Degree in the History of Art and Professional Certificates in Project Management and Digital Marketing, and is a member of the Marketing Institute of Ireland. She joined Misean Cara in 2020.

Palma Testasecca

Fundraising and Grants Officer

Palma joined Misean Cara in 2024 as Fundraising and Grants Officer, after having worked in the programme departments of NGOs both in the Middle East and Eastern Africa. Raised in Rome and from a bicultural background (half Italian/half Irish), Palma studied Social Care at TUD where she earned a Bachelors degree. Later she received a MSc in International Humanitarian Action from UCD, while simultaneously earning a professional diploma in Social Work with Refugees and Migrants from the German Jordanian University in Amman and a specialisation in Conflict, Peacebuilding and Religion from Uppsala Universitet in Sweden.

Admin team

Mića Bowers

Office & HR Administrator

Mića joined Misean Cara in 2023 as an Office and HR Administrator and works closely with both members and staff. Mića has qualifications in HR, strategic management, counseling and administration. A dedicated people person, Mića has a decade of volunteering experience with Saint Vincent De Paul, including seven years as local conference treasurer providing support and essential services to families in crisis. In her free time Mića loves to explore the world, exercise and unwind with a nice cup of Yorkshire Tea.

Meaghan Higgins-Coyne

Administrator