JERSEY Overseas Aid has appointed its deputy director, Ed Lewis, to the role of interim director following the death of Simon Boas.
Mr Lewis, previously head of programme, has more than 15 years’ experience in the development sector and has worked for organisations including the United Nations and European Commission.
Much of his early career was spent in the Middle East, where he worked in the Library of Alexandria and led cultural and media projects for the Anna Lindh Foundation. He is also an accomplished journalist, having reported across the Middle East and North Africa for various media outlets, including BBC Radio 4, The Guardian and the Royal Geographical Society. He joined JOA in 2018.
The organisation’s commissioners said they were now beginning the appointment process for Mr Boas’s successor, which would be conducted with the oversight of the Jersey Appointments Commission.
A statement issued by JOA’s chair, Deputy Carolyn Labey, said: “Ed Lewis, along with the dedicated team at JOA, will be responsible for building on Simon’s legacy and JOA’s growing international reputation as the Island’s respected and highly effective aid agency.”
Mr Boas’s funeral was held at Trinity Church on Monday. His thoughts on mortality are to be turned into a book, A Beginner’s Guide to Dying, which will be published later this year.
Funds generated from its sales will go towards supporting people in the developing world and children needing palliative care.
