User talk:Bockkmusa

First day as Minister of Political and Public Affairs

Nanette Thomas

Nanette Thomas was born on the 23rd June 1952. She is a Sierra Leonean politician and currently, she is the minister of Political and Public Affairs, the very first woman to hold such prestigious position in the history of Sierra Leone. She was the APC Dallas, Texas Born in Freetown and raised in Western Area, Nanette Thomas attended the Freetown Secondary School for Girls (FSSG) and later she moved to United States of America in 1998 and furthered her studies in Texas graduating with a Bachelor of Art in Psychology from the prestigious Argosy University in Texas and an Associate’s Degree in Applied Sciences with a major in Social Work from Dallas’ East Field College.

She was Board Member and Secretary, Sierra Leone Arc of Hope. She is also a fourth generation Creole and was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone. On the assumption of office, the President of Sierra Leone Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and his government had a vision of transformation and called for Attitudinal and Behavioral Change so that negative attitude and behavior will not impede the socio-economic development in the country. As a result of this, the President appointed Nanette on July 14 2011, to the position of National Coordinator and Second-in-Command Attitudinal and Behavioral Change (ABC) Secretariat in Sierra Leone. Before her appointment Nanette had worked for the Center for Survivors of Torture as the Client Social Services Coordinator in the United States of America, where she was responsible for coordinating the integration of social services and various case management functions in the client’s care to help achieve overall wellness goals. She also worked as the Employment Coordinator for the Regional Dallas Office of the International Rescue Committee in the United States of America where she works with newly resettled refugees from Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. She furthered worked as a Counselor at The Family Place, a shelter for battered women in Dallas Texas where she helped the women with their recovery plan and supervise group as well as individual therapy session.

Prior to her appointment in 2003, Nanette Thomas was the Employment Services Case Manager for Catholic Charities Empowerment and Refugee Services, Dallas Texas. Her strong passion and advocacy for the challenges facing refugees, and worldwide human trafficking led to her appointment to the United Nations (UN) Dallas Chapter Advisory Board. She has served on the Board as Vice-President for Education, and Liaison Officer in the Refugee Section. Nanette Thomas has over 15 years experience working with the Mano River Union, an international sub-regional organization for three West African Countries (Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia). She was also the founder & president of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom in Sierra Leone (the first African Chapter) as well as the Organizing Secretary for the Women’s Movement for Peace in Sierra Leone.

Nanette Thomas is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ebola Trust Fund of the National Revenue Authority and also an Advisory Board Member of the Active Ambassadors Network Sierra Leone. She has served in several school boards. On the 3rd November 2016, Nanette Thomas was awarded as the most outstanding Public Leader of the year 2016 in Sierra Leone by the Sierra Leone Council of Chief Executives, the African Council of Chief Executive Inc and the Africa Media Cooperation Inc”.