Jeanne Downing moved to D.C. after finishing a degree in economic geography and then quitting a tenure-track teaching job to pursue a passion for economic development work in Africa. Despite no overseas experience or language fluency and bolstered only by enthusiasm, she found consulting work, initially writing books for USAID on the African drought of the 1980s. She was then offered a job at an NGO as their director for Africa Programs—work that allowed for travel into remote rural villages in somewhat unstable African countries. From NGO work, she began a 15-year career with USAID leading a 10-year research effort to inform market-led agricultural development and President Obama’s Global Feed the Future Initiative. She retired from USAID in 2014 but continues to work as a consultant. In 2017, Jeanne joined the Dupont Circle Village, with the desire to engage in volunteer services. From the beginning, she was drawn to work with DCV care groups.