Eric has worked and studied in the field of sustainable economic development for two decades. With a Masters degree from Thunderbird (the American School for International Management), he has focused on issues of sustainable development and its influence on the social, political and economic development issues throughout the world. Eric served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Papua New Guinea where he taught mathematics and consulted with the local community on sustainable forestry projects. Following the Peace Corps, Eric ran an NGO on the Navajo Reservation that focused on sustainable development by integrating health, literacy and economic development projects to address a wide range of needs for local native families.

Five years later Eric’s desire to work abroad returned, taking him to Sofia, Bulgaria where he served as an Associate Peace Corps Director. In this role he worked with over 400 volunteers to help assure that their two years of volunteer service were relevant, productive and safe. Eric returned to the U.S. as Executive Director of the Foundation for Sustainable Development, which brought interns, small grants and technical training to small grassroots organizations in support of their development work. In 2010, Eric established the Foundation for Community Development and Empowerment.