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International Relief & Development Media Availability

Emergency Relief Specialists Available for Interviews

An estimated 3.5 million people have been affected by Tuesday's earthquake and are in need of emergency shelter, medicine, food, and clean water. International Relief & Development (IRD), a specialist in disaster response and emergency relief operations, immediately mobilized an emergency response team, and in the last 72 hours, has raised more than $5 million in contributions to help the people of Haiti.

The following individuals are experts in their field and available to talk with the media regarding the situation in Haiti, ongoing relief efforts, and how individuals can donate and get involved in the Haiti earthquake response.

Adam Koons, IRD Director of Relief, is leading IRD's Emergency Response Team and is currently in Haiti. Koons has been working in development and relief for 26 years. He has worked for the Peace Corps, USAID, CARE International, Save the Children, the United Nations, President Carter's Presidential Commission on World Hunger, and several other development agencies. Before joining IRD, Koons served for more than three years as the Sudan Country Director for Save the Children, overseeing a $32 million program with more than 1,000 staff. Koons specializes in food security, economic development, and disaster relief, and has more than 15 years of long-term overseas experience in countries like Haiti, Niger, Sudan, and Kenya. Koons holds a Ph.D. in Economic and Applied Anthropology from American University in Washington, D.C.

Jim Lanning, IRD Director of Acquisitions and Logistics, came to IRD in January 2007 from ADRA International, where he served as Director of Acquisitions for 13 years. Prior to working at ADRA, Lanning worked in the development field, including for 11 years as vice-president of an architectural/engineering firm that specialized in health care. He holds two Bachelor of Science degrees, in business and health care management, both from Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, MD. Married with three adult children, he is also a licensed jet rated pilot and certified flight instructor.

Frantz Colon, IRD Senior Contracts and Grants Specialist, is a Haitian-born U.S. citizen, who has been living in Washington D.C. for the past 28 years. Colon has been working in the field of Contracts Administration, particularly for non-profit organizations, over the last 25 years. In his current position at IRD, Colon has traveled to Afghanistan, Indonesia, and many other developing countries to support IRD's relief and development programs.

To schedule an interview with Adam Koons, Jim Lanning, or Frantz Colon, contact Melissa Price at 571-366-1596 or press@ird-dc.org.

Cash donations continue to be critical to the relief efforts in Haiti. Individuals who wish to donate can visit www.ird.org or call 1-866-595-1100.

More information on IRD and its Haiti Earthquake relief activities can be found at www.ird.org, on Twitter @ird_relief, and on Facebook with keyword "International Relief and Development."

IRD is a non-profit humanitarian and development organization dedicated to improving the lives and livelihoods of the world's most vulnerable people. With the help of local groups and donors, IRD builds sustainable, community-based programs for health, agriculture, economic growth, infrastructure, and governance. IRD works in nearly 40 countries and specializes in conflict and post-conflict environments.