Joshua Bender

[edit] Biography

Joshua Bender (born 1979, Kansas) is an intern landscape architect with experience in landscape architecture, civil engineering, construction, and international grassroots development.

[edit] Professional Experience

Currently unemployed, he most recently worked for Professional Engineering Consultants, a multi-disciplinary engineering firm in Wichita, KS. He was involved in the completion of civil and landscape improvements to Wichita State University, Wichita Animal Services, and several aircraft manufacturing facilities. He also assisted area builders with residential lot grading plans.

Previously, Josh worked for Gossen Livingston Associates, an architecture firm also in Wichita, where he guided a small team in completing an irrigation plan for Jardine Apartments at Kansas State University. He also assisted with site plans and construction documents for small projects on several high schools, veterans' cemeteries, and military bases. Josh has also worked as a student intern for Carducci Associates, a landscape architecture firm in San Francisco, CA. Some of his graphic work is still used by the firm as promotional material on their website.

[edit] Volunteer Experience

[edit] Nicaragua

Josh served as a volunteer in Peace Corps Nicaragua's Agriculture Program from 2003 to 2005. He lived in the village of Río Abajo, between Pueblo Nuevo and Condega in the Department of Estelí. Previous volunteers in that site include Richard Amory, 2001 to 2003. His counterpart was the Instituto Nicaragüense de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), locally based in Condega. His work included promoting the cover-crop beans canivalia and gandul (Canavalia ensiformis and Cajanus cajans, respectively), quality protein maize (QPM), and baking bread with the local women's group. He also played a minor role in helping Río Abajo get a potable water system, acting as liason between the village and the Japanese Embassy in Nicaragua.

[edit] El Salvador

Josh also served as a Peace Corps Response volunteer in El Salvador in 2006. He served as a Planning and Soil Conservation Specialist in Cantón Apulo, Ilopango, a town of approximately 15,000. His counterpart was the Asociación de la Organización de Cuenca del Lago de Ilopango, or ASOCLI. He worked to reduce the community's vulnerability to landslides and flooding by planting live barriers, mapping flood-prone areas, training a local emergency response team, and submitting a report to the City of Ilopango's mayor.

[edit] Education

Josh holds a Bachelor's degree in Landscape Architecture from Kansas State University (KSU). He had the honor of participating in two team design competitions led by Torgeir Norheim, faculty member at KSU: Fjordlyset, an Opera House in Oslo, Norway received an American Institute of Architects (AIA) Kansas Award for Un-Built Non-Commissioned Architecture in 2000; Student Union at Høgskolen I Stavanger received an Honorable Mention in 1999. While at KSU, Josh served alongside Matthew Benfer as editor of Oz, an architectural journal, recipient of AIA New York's 2002 Haskell Award for Student Architectural Journalism.

[edit] Currently

Josh has recently joined his wife, Camilla, in her native Sweden, where he eagerly awaits the start of Svensksa för Invandrare, "Swedish for Immigrants". After completing his language studies, he hopes to continue his career as a landscape architect in Europe.

[edit] Description of Service

[edit] Nicaragua

[edit] El Salvador

DESCRIPTION OF PEACE CORPS SERVICE

JOSHUA MATTHEW BENDER

XXX-XX-XXXX

EL SALVADOR

Joshua Matthew Bender successfully completed a six-month service as a Disaster Response and Reconstruction Volunteer with Crisis Corps El Salvador. The Crisis Corps provides short-term post-disaster and humanitarian assistance by allowing exceptional Peace Corps Volunteers to return to the field in short-term, high-impact assignments. Joshua Matthew Bender worked as a Soil Conservation and Urban/Rural Planning Specialist with the Asociación de Organismo de Cuenca del Lago de Ilopango (ASOCLI)—the Lake Ilopango Watershed Association. He also coordinated activities with the National Civil Protection Commission of El Salvador (CNPC), the Local Civil Protection Commission of Apulo (CLPC), the National Territorial Studies Service (SNET), and the Alcaldía de Ilopango—the Ilopango mayor’s office. He lived and worked in the town of Cantón Dolores Apulo, located in the department of San Salvador, located approximately 15km east of the capital city of San Salvador, on the shores of Lake Ilopango. Cantón Dolores Apulo was severely affected by landslides and flooding due to heavy rainfall suffered from Hurricane Stan in October of 2005. The rains caused the sudden rise in stage of Lake Ilopango, flooding approximately 150 houses. Below is a detailed description of the activities and projects he participated in during his service:

1. Created a territorial plan for the community of Cantón Apulo by coordinating with the local government, national governmental institutions, and community members. Conducted a two-month study to identify the causes of flooding in the community: the rise of Lake Ilopango and the sedimentation of the Güilapa River. The study was presented in the form of a 48-page report, written in Spanish. The study included maps elaborated in AutoCAD and coordinating information provided by the University of El Salvador in GIS format. Developed suggestions for the territorial planning of Cantón Apulo to decrease the disaster risk by implementing the following measures: earthwork operations in the river, reforestation of the watershed, construction of a sediment trap, riverbank protection, risk mapping, land-use restrictions, emergency/evacuation planning, relocation of vulnerable families, enforcement of existing laws, and the establishment of a no-build zone along the shore of Lake Ilopango. All measures were presented as options requiring further study by the Alcaldía, including the elaboration of a budget and proper engineering design. Joshua Matthew Bender presented the report to the mayor of Ilopango, Daysi Cruz.
2. Provided support in the elaboration of a $1,000,000 housing project for the relocation of 140 families living in flood-risk areas. Provided a conceptual design—in AutoCAD—and elaborated a budget, coordinating work with the Office of Projects in the Alcaldía of Ilopango. The design included the use of anti-seismic, prefabricated panels to make the project safer, easier to build, and affordable. Researched and summarized applicable ordinances and how they affected the project’s feasibility. Joshua Matthew Bender presented the design to the mayor of Ilopango, Daysi Cruz.
3. Compiled and provided information to the Offices of Planning and Projects in the Alcaldía of Ilopango. Information was gathered from different government agencies, including the National Territorial Studies Service (SNET), the National (Property) Registry Center (CNR), and the San Salvador Metropolitan Area Planning Office (OPAMSS). All information was provided in the form of maps and electronic files for use in Arc View GIS and AutoCAD. The maps included information such as the location of flood and landslide risk-areas, public and private property. These maps and files will be used in the future by the Alcaldía to better guide their territorial planning efforts.
4. Trained the Local Civil Protection Commission of Cantón Apulo. Offered and coordinated six sessions, training 46 people in natural disasters and risk planning. Additionally, provided information on progress by the Ministry of Public Works in the construction of drainage works in the Desagüe River to reduce the height of Lake Ilopango.
5. Implemented a soil conservation project to plant one acre of eroded slopes with live-barriers of Vetiver grass, Vetiveria zizanoides. The plantings aimed to decrease the landslide risk and diminish the amount of erosion that causes sedimentation in the Güilapa River. Tasks included the procurement of root cuttings, the training of a planting crew of 7 people, and coordination of the planting on 9 landowners’ property.
6. Distributed 1,500 sandbags to the Local Civil Protection Commission of Apulo to protect houses from flooding of the Güilapa River.
7. Gave an interview for the 30-minute program “Miradas” on a local Salvadoran TV station—Canal 33 of the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA)—regarding the humanitarian crisis of Cantón Apulo, identifying the causes and making recommendations on what could be done.
8. Trained nine 9 health promoters in the importance of disaster planning and prevention. The presentation focused on simple ideas, such as erosion control and avoiding home construction on steep slopes.

Pursuant to section 5(f) of the Peace Corps Act, 22 US.C.& 2504(f), as amended, any former Volunteer employed by the United States Government following his/her Peace Corps service is entitled to have any period of satisfactory Peace Corps Volunteer service credited for purposes of Government Service.

This is to certify in accordance with Executive Order No. 11103 of April 10, 1963, that JOSHUA MATTHEW BENDER served satisfactorily as a Peace Corps Volunteer. His service ended on October 17th, 2006 and is therefore eligible to be appointed as a career conditional employee in the civil service on a non-competitive basis. This benefit under Executive Order Entitlement extends for a period of one year, except that the employing agency may extend the period for up to three years for a volunteer who enters military service, pursues studies at a recognized institution of higher learning or engages in other activities which in the view of the appointing authority warrants extension of the period.

Michael Wise, Country Director, Peace Corps El Salvador

Lavinia Jura, Crisis Corps Coordinator, Peace Corps El Salvador

[edit] Resources

Cover crop beans project outline 2005

Cover crop beans calendar 2005

[edit] Links

Photos from Nicaragua, 2003 to 2005

Photos from El Salvador, 2006

[edit] References

(for all information above)