Extra-Ordinary Woman: Jody Olson

04/02/25 • 33 min

Women of Peace Corps Legacy's Extra-Ordinary Women Podcast

Women of Peace Corps Legacy interviews an “Extra-Ordinary Woman”, Jody Olson. Jody is currently co-president of the Women of Peace Corps Legacy and is chair of the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation Park Advisory Committee and the University of Maryland, College of Education Board of Visitors.

Podcast Host:
Josephine (Jody) Olsen served as Peace Corps Director, 2018 – 2021. In March, 2020, because of the COVID outbreak, she led the nine day evacuation of all 7,000 Peace Corps Volunteers from 61 countries. Jody was a Peace Corps Volunteer, Tunisia, 1966-1968, and has served the agency in five other senior positions, including Deputy Director. Her memoir about her decades of Peace Corps service, A Million Miles, My Peace Corps Journey, will be available Oct. 2024.

For a decade, Jody was Visiting Professor at the University of Maryland-Baltimore and director of the Center for Global Education. In the 90’s, she was Director of the organization that manages the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program. Jody received a BS from the University of Utah, and a Master’s and PhD from the University of Maryland. Her many awards include University of Maryland President’s Award, University of Utah’s alumni of the year award, and two honorary doctorates. She has also been a Resident Fellow at the IOP Harvard Kennedy School.

Podcast Host:
Maryann Minutillo has an extensive career in international development and public service. She is a founding member of Women of Peace Corps Legacy and a co-founder of the Foreign Service Youth Foundation. She has served as a mentor for mid-level professionals at Peace Corps for WPCL since the program began. Prior to her work at Peace Corps, Maryann was Director of the Department of State’s Family Liaison Office. In this position she oversaw community, education and family support programs at the State Department and United States Embassies throughout the world. She was Peace Corps Country Director in Bolivia, Acting Regional Director and Chief of Operations for the Inter-America and Pacific Region and Senior Advisor to six Directors of Peace Corps. Throughout her life, Maryann has had a strong interest in cultural adaptation and the impact of international transition and crisis situations on families and particularly on women’s careers.
Women of Peace Corps Legacy (WPCL) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance women and girls empowerment to create a more just, equitable, inclusive, and safe world for future generations. WPCL seeks to partner with and highlight the work of those existing organizations and programs that are effectively addressing the issues of women and girls.

Previous Episode

Extra-Ordinary Woman: Deborah Harding part 1

Women of Peace Corps Legacy interviews an “Extra-Ordinary Woman”, Deborah Harding. Women of Peace Corps Legacy's Women of Achievement Award is named after Deborah, to recognize women leaders who have made a significant difference in the lives of women and girls around the world.
Featured Guest:
Deborah Harding was the founder of the Liberian Education Trust, a transition initiative to help rebuild the education system destroyed by 14-years of civil war. The Trust brought access to education for thousands of Liberian girls and market women. She was co-founder of the Network for Human Rights in Liberia in the mid-80s. In 2013 President Johnson Sirleaf honored Debbie with Liberia’s highest civilian award Dame Grand Commander Humane Order of African Redemption for her support to the Liberian nation. Debbie undertook ensuring gender equality in recruitment and placement of Peace Corps Volunteers and in hiring country directors in the mid-70s. She established the Women in Development Program at the Peace Corps and had its language included in the Peace Corps Act. She is a founding member of Women of Peace Corps Legacy (WPCL).
In addition, Debbie has a significant leadership history in other international organizations, including the Soros Foundation, the German Marshall Fund of the U.S., and the Cambodian Crisis Center, most of which you will hear about in this two-part podcast.
Podcast Host :
Kathleen Corey is past president of Women of Peace Corps Legacy. She spent sixteen years with Peace Corps getting her start as a Volunteer in Liberia. She has been Country Director in North Macedonia and Sri Lanka and held various headquarter positions responsible for opening Peace Corps China, Cambodia, and numerous countries in the Former Soviet Union. As a retired diplomat, she currently teaches various courses to Department of State employees at the U.S. Foreign Service Institute.
Women of Peace Corps Legacy (WPCL) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance women and girls empowerment to create a more just, equitable, inclusive, and safe world for future generations. WPCL seeks to partner with and highlight the work of those existing organizations and programs that are effectively addressing the issues of women and girls.