Email: michael@maxey.info
Managing Impact of Demographic Change - Provided analysis for immigration impact to Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) Board and other local policy-makers. Based on this analysis, I developed a concept for a Hispanic youth mentoring program to support the social and economic development of a fast-growing, local Hispanic population. With an annual budget of more than $3 billion and 188,000 students, FCPS is the tenth-largest school district in the country. See the following analyses prepared by the Marie Maxey Foundation. These documents were shared with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2020 regarding the needs of schools with high levels of refugees within the county: (1) Helping Northern Triangle Children Succeed in Fairfax County; (2) Unaccompanied Children in Fairfax County; and (3) The Sound of Rain on a Strange Roof.
Yemen Agriculture Development Program - Designed and guided the awarding of a $24.5 million agriculture development program for USAID Yemen. The Competitive Agriculture Systems for High Value Crops (CASH), Project will increase sustainable economic opportunities and decrease food insecurity in Yemen. The project will focus on identifying and promoting high-value markets, supporting farmer groups to produce for those markets, and promoting private partnerships aimed at leveraging investment in sustainable enterprises. Over 14,000 farmers and 100,000 beneficiaries will be impacted by this program. Yemen Files.
Vietnam Coffee Concept - Developed a concept for an Arabica coffee project in the highlands of Vietnam near Khe Sahn and the former Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The area was the site of many battles and still has large quantities of unexploded ordinance. The area also has a nascent Arabic coffee production base that could serve to increase rural livelihoods and connect to communities in the US. Coffee could offer a chance to heal the wounds that were devastating to many on both sides. Click on link at left - Vietnam Coffee Proposal - to download a summary of the concept below.
Coffee Rust Program Concept - In May 2013, I developed a concept to map the economic impact of coffee rust on three million workers in Central America, estimate potential outmigration to US of these workers due to significant loss of coffee harvest, and provide a framework for engaging US policymakers. This is a timely analysis that indicates the US debate on comprehensive immigration reform should also focus on mitigating economic conditions in immigrant source countries (like those in Central America) as a necessary component for preventing the entry of undocumented workers into the US. Click on link at left - Coffee Rust Program Concept -- to download a summary of the concept.
MCC Paper - During a one year detail assignment to the Millennium Challenge Corporation, I drafted a paper highlighting the constraints faced by the organization in implementing their programs. I suggested changes to improve operations at the MCC and I predicted problems in implementing their programs if these issues were not resolved. See my 2007 report at MCC Paper 2007.
Strengthening Private Irrigation Supply Companies and Linking Honduran Farmers to US Winter Vegetable Market - ProRiego, a 5,000 hectare irrigation project financed by USAID Honduras in late 1986 was designed to provide subsistence farmers support in developing and managing on irrigation resourcesin three major production areas of Honduras. The focus of this production was to be the US winter vegetable market value chain. A value chain analysis indicated that access to credit for producers was a major constraint on improving efficiency, reducing costs, and increasing overall value of production. Based on a management assessment and a review of the project's credit program, I led a process to create private public partnerships where medium to large scale farmers could access credit for irrigation infrastructure to produce vegetables (tomato, bell pepper and onion) for the US winter market. Once production capacity was in place, we assisted farmers in creating production/marketing partnerships with US vegetable importers. We also supported the creation of a vibrant private sector irrigation supply sector in Honduras and a strong irrigation credit program for bankable clients. The results of this program were a 2 to 6 percent decrease in overall unemployment nationally, the creation of a strong irrigation production system including the successful establishment of water user groups in three key production areas, and the establishment of a winter vegetable production initiative that was linked to and sustained by public/private partnerships in training, access to credit, and marketing support. Attached is the final evaluation of ProRiego published in 1993. It was my first major project as a young USAID ag officer and the first one that I turned around from a stalled, potentially failing project into a strong successful initiative. The secret to making this intiative work was in linking our publicly financed activities with private sector companies involved in selling irrigation equipment and with US based vegetable marketing companies.
US Specialty Coffee and Latin America Smallscale Coffee Producers - As Director of the USAID Alternative Development Program from 1996 - 2002, I led efforts to analyze specialty coffee value chains in over twenty coffee producing countries and developed a Global Coffee Strategy to coordinate development efforts and partner with US retail industry to increase coffee quality and the incomes of small scale coffee farmers. My work, first published in 1999, spurred a series of specialty coffee initiatives in Latin America (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Colombia) and Africa (Ethiopia, Rawanda and Uganda). For the first time USAID and other donors began focusing on the potential of specialty coffee value chain in promoting economic development by increasing the income of small farmer produced Arabica coffee Tipica variety. The program I proposed resulted in more income for the farmer and provided more value to the wholesaler and retailer of specialty coffee. My proposal provided the commercial concept for international development marketing initiatives in Latin America with the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), led to the design and implementation of major donor and multi-lateral bank specialty coffee initiatives, and formed the basis for the SCAA's “Marketing Partners Program.” Ted Lingle, Director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, cited my work as “visionary” in the Coffee & Tea Journal (December 2000). In 2001, I presented a briefing to the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Bureau of USAID on the dire situation in Central America caused by the collaspe of coffee prices (see Central America paper and brief to senior management). Based on my recommendations a $20 million fund was created to mitigate the economic damage and promote sustainability in the region.
Washington DC Remittance Network - US Census projections have Hispanics growing to more than 100 million by 2050, at which point, one in four US residents will be Hispanic. Demographic change on this scale has never been witnessed and decisive action is needed to promote social and economic assimilation. More than half of the "unbanked," those without access to the financial sector, are Hispanic. In oder to address this problem, and as part of MBA program, I developed a business plan to assist local Hispanic Non-Profits to partner with the District Government Employees Federal Credit Union (DGEFCU) to remit funds from Washington DC to Central America and Mexico. My plan would significantly reduce remittance transfer costs, increase funding for local NGOs, and increase immigrant access to formal financial sector. Home Depot's "MiCash" debit card/remittance program launched in 2007 in Washington DC was based on my business concept (see MBA Thesis). See MiCash - Home Depot to see website of the MiCash enterprise.
Market Access for the Poor (MAP) - Developed and implemented a concept to link Central American multi-national supermarket chains to small farmer production systems in Nicaragua. Led efforts to create sustainable economic development program in which over 17,000 small scale farmers supplied product for $100 million fresh fruit and vegetable market in 254 supermarkets across Central America. This program created a marketing alliance mechanism providing the poor (Nicaraguan and Central American smallholder farmers) a chance to sell their products to supermarkets in national and international markets. Associated with this effort was a "faith-based" coffee marketing initiative that linked small scale coffee farmers to church communities in the US through programs financed by USAID and established by World Vision, Catholic Relief Service, and Lutheran World Outreach. This program helped market specialty arabic coffee produced by small holders in the US directly through church groups. Many of these groups were already involved in missionary efforts with communities in Central America. (See article on Nicaragua Small Farmer Vegetable Production and Marketing Project).