Todd Bauer begins as Latin America/Caribbean specialist.

Todd Bauer began July 1 as Latin America and Caribbean specialist for the Church of the Brethren General Board. This is a part-time position with Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) and Global Mission Partnerships. He will work with the BVS office in placing and supervising volunteers in the field, and will work in project oversight and development.

Bauer has most recently worked with Pastoral Social, the social ministry of the Guatemalan Catholic Church, in the department of Huehuetenango in northwest Guatemala bordering Chiapas, Mexico. Placed there as a volunteer after the 2001 winter unit of BVS, he has served in Guatemala for five years as a fulltime volunteer and then as a fulltime employee.

His work has included ecological balance and poverty reduction services. A reforestation and appropriate technology component of the program of Pastoral Social is supported by the Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Crisis Fund. His experience in Latin America also includes work with the Guatemalan Accompaniment Project.

He holds a degree in civil engineering from the University of Vermont, with additional training in appropriate technology and permaculture design.

Source: 7/2/2008 Newsline