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Dr. Alemayehu W. Eshete
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Selected Career Milestones
Professional Leadership Executive Director ORDA Ethiopia (2019 – Present) As Executive Director, Dr. Alemayehu leads more than 1,800 professionals and oversees development programs reaching approximately 5 million beneficiaries. Under his leadership, the organization mobilizes over 100 million USD annually to support poverty reduction, environmental protection, climate resilience, and humanitarian response programs. Adjunct Professor of Ecology and Biodiversity Bahir Dar University (2014 – Present) As an academic, he contributes to higher education through teaching, supervising graduate research, curriculum development, and scientific publication. Research Associate Tree Foundation, USA He continues international collaboration on research focused on conservation of Ethiopia’s ancient church forests and indigenous ecological knowledge systems. Previous Executive and Academic Roles His previous leadership roles include: General Manager – Tana Pulp & Paper Share Company General Manager – Tana Flora PLC General Manager – Gafat Endowment Research Fellow – Colby College, USA Research Fellow – Colgate University, USA Senior Forestry Expert – ORDA Ethiopia Afforestation Program Head – FHI Ethiopia Forestry Expert and District Office Head – Ministry of Agriculture Across these roles, he has: • Established major agro-industrial enterprises • Created over 1,200 jobs through horticulture investments • Led multi-million-dollar development initiatives • Strengthened institutional governance and sustainability
Professional Affiliations , Membership & Additional Contributions
Professional Overview
Dr. Alemayehu Wassie Eshete stands among Ethiopia’s most respected environmental scientists and development leaders, recognized internationally for his pioneering research on Ethiopian Orthodox Church forests and their critical role in biodiversity conservation. His work has helped position Ethiopia within the global conservation dialogue while preserving some of the country’s most important ecological heritage. With over 30 years of leadership experience across government, academia, international research institutions, and humanitarian organizations, Dr. Alemayehu has built a reputation as a transformational leader combining science, development, and institutional management. Currently, he serves as executive director of ORDA Ethiopia, one of the country's largest indigenous development organizations, where he leads largescale humanitarian, environmental, and resilience programs benefiting millions of Ethiopians.
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Education
PhD Production Ecology and Resource Conservation Wageningen University, Netherlands MSc – Farm Forestry Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden BS-Forestry (Distinction) Haramaya University, Ethiopia His PhD research became the first comprehensive scientific study of Ethiopian church forest ecosystems, earning global academic recognition and influencing conservation strategies.