Working as I do for a large international organization, I’m used to seeing people come and go. No sooner does a familiar face disappear from the radar than a new face pops up in its place. Most endings mark new beginnings, or so they say, but that doesn’t always make it easy to say goodbye to someone who has worked closely with you and shared the same goals as you, the same interest, the same passions.
One such person, who will be missed, not just by me but also by all she has met is Nadia Manning-Thomas.
Nadia first joined the ICT-KM Program in 2007, when she was seconded from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to lead the Knowledge Sharing in Research project. Her work with the project saw her exploring and promoting practical and appropriate ways of sharing knowledge within research, with the ultimate goal of enhancing collaboration, learning and impact.
In 2009, we said goodbye to her when the project came to an end. But she didn’t stay away too long. The following year, she returned as our Knowledge Sharing in Research specialist.
Since then, Nadia has learned about and promoted approaches that continue to play a key role in helping to improve the way in which the CGIAR and its partners and stakeholders collaborate and work together towards achieving agricultural research for development goals.
She worked closely with the global CIARD initiative, which seeks to enhance coherence in information for agricultural research for development. CIARD is closely aligned with the CGIAR’s own Triple A approach, which seeks to encourage Centers to make their information/knowledge/outputs more Available, Accessible and Applicable.
Nadia’s passion for facilitation saw her conducting many workshops at the various CGIAR Centers, and also during our Share Fairs, which attracted participants from other research and development organizations.
Nadia’s bubbly personality, which she attributes to growing up on the sunny island of Barbados in the Caribbean, was evident in everything she did at the Program. She approached her work with an enthusiasm that was as infectious as her spontaneous laughter.
This vivacious personality has recently relocated to London, where she and her husband, David Thomas, have opened Danaqa, a retail outlet that sells personal and household accessories that are “inspired, designed and made in the developing world, supporting its growth and future.”
But there’s something else under development… and all of us look forward to that !
On behalf of everyone at the ICT-KM Program and the new Communications team in the CGIAR Consortium, I would like to wish Nadia every success as she embarks on this new chapter in her life. Her impact has been widespread, and she will be sorely missed, as a colleague, as a friend.
But as they say in my country.. ‘Questo e’un arrivederci, non e’ certo un addio’.. as I am sure (and I hope!!) we will see Nadia back soon!
So… has Nadia touched your life too? If so, drop a note… she will appreciate it!
The CGIAR's first Chief Information Officer is hosted by Bioversity International in Rome, Italy.
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It was a pleasure to work with Nadia and to form the famous “Terrible Twins” with her. From Addis to Hyderabad, from Johannesburg to Nairobi, I have always enjoyed her enthusiasm and positive energy.
Looking forward to work with you again, Nadia!
Peter
Nadia has been for me the colleague I’ve always wished to work with. A passionate believer in the value of knowledge sharing and team work, always ready to learn new skills, embrace challenges and come up with creative solutions. I wish her and David all the best in their new adventure which is a new incarnation of their first-hand experience with and profound respect for the diversity and uniqueness of cultures.
Thank you Enrica for such a lovely blog post as a farewell to me. I am so happy to have worked with you and your energetic and innovative team and will miss it dearly. Thank you Enrica for the many opportunities you have given me, the trust you put in me and the friendship that has developed. I will always admire your big thinking, your relentless pursuit of ways to move forward and your positive energy! To all the old members of the ICT-KM program and new members of the Consortium Communications and Knowledge team I wish you all the very best as you take on another year filled with challenges and opportunities to make knowledge travel from the vast sources to the places and people that need it. Continue to swim upstream, think outside the box, and be bold! I look forward to following what you do from the outside for a while,a nd then when i come up for air again having the opportunity to work with you and other inspirational people across the CGIAR as we work to generate, share and put into action the appropriate knowledge to make necessary changes and actions to improve agriculture and the livelihoods of the poor across the world.
Peter Casier- I will miss working closely with my terrible twin!
Anto-you have and always will be a mentor and an inspiration to me!
Affectionately known by her former team at IWMI as the “Queen of Flip-charts” Nadia has left her mark here as well. She truly is a pleasure to work with and someone I proudly call ‘friend’.
I wish you all the very best Nadia, in all your future adventures (wherever or whatever they may be). Do come see us in sunny Colombo again!
For sure, Nadia’s impact has been wide spread! It’s been an awesome pleasure to have worked and interacted with you. I have learnt a lot from working with you, i admire you energy and passion…. evidently tricking over to your new assignment, wish you the very best in all.