Miracles in Action welcomes Irene Burns as new Executive Director

(Naples, FL – October 22, 2020) Miracles in Action is excited to announce Irene Burns has joined the non-profit organization as the new Executive Director.

Burns will provide direction and leadership to achieve the mission and goals of Miracles in Action. Her work will include the management of projects and partnerships to achieve sustainable economic development and Women’s Economic Empowerment in Guatemala – specifically through education, nutrition, and agricultural innovation; she will also oversee Beyond Beads (the organization’s handicraft business for both wholesale and retail markets.)

With a MBA in International Business and a BA in Political Science, Burns brings over 20 years of experience in managing and implementing USAID and GAC funded projects in enterprise development, regional trade and investment in developing and transition countries. Her experience began with a two-year stint in the US Peace Corps in Ukraine and encompasses public and private partnerships and successfully implementing mission statements of both non-profit and for-profit entities. Her work has taken her to over 20 countries including many in the Middle East and Africa.

Miracles in Action was founded in December 2004 as a response to the extreme poverty in Guatemala witnessed by its’ founders, Penny and Noreen Rambacher. Since that time, the charitable organization has grown into a wide network of volunteers and supporters who further their mission of help poor families help themselves through education, vocation, and sustainable development projects.

“My goal is to build on the 15-year foundation that Penny and her mother Noreen started,” says Burns. “Their work will leave a legacy in the lives of Guatemalans for generations to come. I want to help build the organization through strategic goal setting and see Miracles in Action become a Foundation that empowers Guatemalans to set and achieving their own business and education goals.”

Over the past 15 years, Miracle in Action has built schools in remote Guatemalan villages, provided clean water systems, funded community gardens and agricultural training, and has been a voice for the poor in many areas of need. Today, the non-profit organization is casting its focus on helping artisan women in Guatemala build their own sustainable and economic futures through the sale of their handicrafts which will in turn change their lives for the future.

“We want to focus on building up the fair-trade industry for women in Guatemala so they can financially provide for their families and create sustainable jobs for themselves,” says Penny Rambacher. “We’re really excited to have Irene help us on this journey and help us create a new online store where people can purchase beautiful beads and other products made by the artisans.”

For more information about Miracles in Action and their work, please visit www.MiraclesInAction.org or call 239-348-0815.

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