Linda English
Role:Founder/Director of Member Services
Organization:Learn for International Non Government Organizations (LINGOS)
Location:Working virtually with over 40 international NGOs
Website:www.lingos.org
Mission:To facilitate the creation, development and support of learning environments in the humanitarian relief, development and environmental sector.
About Linda
After 10 years at Microsoft, including a two-year assignment based at the European Headquarters in Paris, managing over 400 training partners, Linda became the eLearning Manager for Save the Children. From that position, she recognized the need for humanitarian organizations to strengthen the skills of their field-based staff so they could deliver more effective programs to their beneficiaries. Starting with six organizations including Care, Save the Children, Catholic Relief Services, Mercy Corps and Heifer International, Linda formed LINGOs to promote collaboration and innovation in learning in the non-profit sector. Today LINGOs has over 45 organizational members and delivers 5,000 online courses each quarter to field-based staff on management, security, IT and a range of other topics. Her experience in early Microsoft certification programs is leading to the creation of PMD Pro, a certification system designed specifically for people working in the field on international development. The Masie Center recognized Linda as a Thought Leader in Learning for promoting the use of technology in global non-profits.
In addition to her work with LINGOs, Linda participates in local sports events with her husband Kevin. Linda is an avid runner, cyclist, Nordic skier, and mountain biker.
Linda has a Bachelor of Science in Technical Communications from Florida Tech and a Master's Degree in Instructional Technology from Syracuse University with an emphasis on artificial intelligence and learning. She also has completed her coursework for a Master's Degree in Sustainable Development at the School for International Training.
Reason for Nomination
Due to Linda's efforts, humanitarian workers all over the world have access to world-class learning experiences that would not have been possible without LINGOs. In the process, she has saved hundreds of thousands of dollars for the LINGOs members – freeing that money to be spent on programs to eliminate poverty and alleviate suffering.
- Charles Allen, nominator.
About LINGOS
LINGOs is a consortium of over 40 international humanitarian relief, development, conservation and health organizations that share learning resources and experiences. By providing the latest learning technologies and courses from our partners, LINGOs helps these non profits to increase the skill levels of their employees, and therefore increasing the impact of their programs. Created in 2005 as a means for organizations to share learning and promote innovations, LINGOs has served as a central contact point for private sector organizations that are interested in assisting the sector but want to see their contributions of software, courseware, systems and services be leveraged across many organizations.
LINGOs operates a Learning Management System (LMS) that contains hundreds of courses on Leadership and Management Development, Information Technology, Project Management, Stress Management for Humanitarian Workers, Personal Safety and other topics and provides tools for creating agency specific content.
Affiliations and Awards:
Motivational Coach Footzone Learn to Run Program
Educational Assistant, Robotics Program, Seven Peaks School
Volunteer Nordic Ski Coach, Crook County High School
Member, Masie Learning Consortium
Founder and Former Board Member, Computer Educational Management Association (CEdMa) Volunteer, Afghanistan Fab Lab
