Patrick James Njakani Okoko is the Governance and Civil Society Support Lead for two projects in Africa. The Standing together for Environment Defender (The STAND initiative) and the Green Accountability (GA). His technical support includes Project Management and implementation of Grassroots Environment Defender (GED) empowerment activities in DRC; development/release of Defender Small Grant Fund (DSGF), as well as the coordination of sub grant recipients in Francophone Africa.

Prior to joining WRI, Patrick James previously worked as a senior staff and Manager for Mining Company and INGO. He was the Community Relations Superintendent for Namoya Mining SA, a subsidiary of BANRO Corporation Group, supporting the planning, management and implementation of all matters related to community relations policies and procedures, sustainable development, and stakeholder relations including CSO. Patrick James also worked successively as the DRC program Manager, Monitoring and evaluation Manager, as well as Sub Officer Manager for WfWI (Women for women International) an American rights organization working to strengthen the social and economic capacities of women victims of sexual and gender-based violence in post-war zones around the world.

Patrick James holds a master’s degree in economics from Madison International Institute and Business School/Université de la Renaissance d’Haiti (MIIBS-URH), a bachelor’s degree in Rural Development from Institut Superieur de development Rural (ISDR Bukavu), a Post-Graduate diploma in Project Management from Damelin college of Cape Town. In addition, two certificates of University of South Africa, in Public Relations and Strategic Management.

Patrick James loves reading, listening, and talking to people, discoveries and humor.