Maxsalia Salmon

Maxsalia has six years’ experience in the global nonprofit sector, working on youth development, gender equality, and sexual and reproductive health and rights in Jamaica. She completed her master’s degree in international development at the University of Birmingham in England and also holds a master's in clinical psychology and a bachelor's in psychology from University of the West Indies. Maxsalia was most recently employed as a Foreign Service Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in Jamaica, where her duties included liaising with state and non-state stakeholders, coordinating meetings, and preparing briefs, statements, and position papers on a wide variety of development issues.

Maxsalia is passionate about youth and women’s empowerment and has extensive advocacy experience as part of local, regional, and international nonprofit networks. She currently serves an executive board member of the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network and is a recipient of the Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Excellence in Leadership. Maxsalia previously served as Jamaica’s Youth Ambassador to the Commonwealth.

Maxsalia’s experience as a youth leader and advocate have included many opportunities to lead capacity building workshops, lobby local and international policy makers and donor agencies, as well as attend several regional and international United Nations conferences. She is also the co-founder of the M&N Foundation for Aspiring Youth, which aims to provide scholarship, mentorship, and social skills training for young Jamaicans.

Maxsalia is excited about the chance to complete her fellowship at the Council on Foundations as she views the Council’s work, especially in providing capacity development assistance, as being of immense value to the foundations and corporations which it serves. She is thrilled about the opportunities the Council will provide for cultural exchange and professional growth.