Jono Anzalone

Jono holds the position of Assistant Professor of Economics and Finance at Thomas College and serves as a Lecturer at the University of Southern Maine. He is also a Truman National Security Fellow. Prior to his academic roles, Jono was the Founding Executive Director of The Climate Initiative (TCI), a nonpartisan organization committed to educating and empowering one million youth in climate action by 2025. Following this, he transitioned to the Board of Directors in January 2024. Jono's extensive background includes a dedicated tenure at the Red Cross, where he initially volunteered as a youth in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1994. Before his leadership role at TCI, Jono served as the Head of Disaster and Crisis Preparedness, Response, and Recovery for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the Americas and Caribbean region. He also held the position of Vice President of International Services at the American Red Cross in Washington, DC. With a wealth of experience in national and international disaster response, Jono has undertaken dozens of assignments in diverse locations such as Mexico, Belize, Suriname, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Liberia during the Ebola crisis, and Haiti, where he played a crucial role during the 2010 earthquake as part of the United States Agency on International Development (USAID) Response Management Team. Beyond his professional commitments, Jono has been an influential figure in disaster advocacy, serving as the Advocacy Committee Chair for the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD) from 2012-2015. He currently holds the position of Chair for the Craft Relief Emergency Fund (CERF+) and serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, dedicated to philanthropy and social impact investing in Maine. Jono's academic journey includes a BA in Political Science from Creighton University, an MS in Economics from the University of Nebraska, an MS in Accounting from Southern New Hampshire University, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Higher Education from the University of Nebraska. He also completed programs at the Harvard School of Public Health and Kennedy School of Government, earning him the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM®) credential and the Meta-Leader of the Year award in 2017. Since 2003, Jono has contributed to the academic field, teaching economics, disaster management, and leadership at various colleges and universities. In September 2020, Jono, along with his husband Andy Gleason, Senior Director of Gender Equity and Social Justice at Save the Children, relocated from Panama, Panama, to reside in Maine with their Golden Doodle, Penni.