CPI's Dr. Si Thura wins InsideNGO's Emerging Leader Award

InsideNGO (now part of Humentum) honored Dr. Si Thura, Myanmar Country Director at Community Partners International (CPI), with the 2016 Emerging Leader Award at its annual conference, Achieving Global Impact, in Washington, DC, on July 13, 2016.

The InsideNGO Excellence Awards were established in 2010 to recognize professionals within the development sector who are innovating, collaborating, and ensuring operational excellence within their organizations. Dr. Si Thura was nominated by his CPI colleagues, Dr. Thomas Lee, Founder and Board Chair, and Dr. Sandee Pyne, CEO, and was selected based on his outstanding contributions to CPI over the past few years. Dr. Si Thura was unable to attend the award ceremony in person, and Dr. Pyne accepted on his behalf.

Since Dr. Thura established CPI’s Yangon office in 2009, the organization has grown to serve almost one million people across Myanmar (Burma). Dr. Si Thura has focused on bringing lifesaving health care to under-served populations — conflict-affected and hard-to-reach communities, internally displaced and marginalized, and those living in extreme poverty. In support of CPI's founding principle of community-led health care, he has championed and expanded CPI's network of community-based partner organizations, and supported these partners in their growing roles as health providers and leaders. His evidence-based advocacy and principled stance for health equity have helped to broaden perspectives within government and influence public health policy-making in Myanmar.

'InsideNGO is pleased to recognize Dr. Si Thura with the Emerging Leader Award,' said InsideNGO President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Dente, at the awards ceremony, held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. 'As a young, committed, and compassionate physician and development professional, Dr. Si Thura personifies the values of local leadership in the NGO community. It is truly a privilege to recognize him with our Emerging Leader award this year.'

Commenting on his award, Dr. Si Thura said, 'I am deeply honored to receive the InsideNGO 2016 Emerging Leader Award. This is a testament to the extraordinary dedication of all of my colleagues at Community Partners International who strive with me each day to ensure that families and communities across Myanmar can access the health care they need to thrive.'

Winners were chosen from among nominations put forth by organizations across the US and internationally earlier this year. Nominators were asked to submit a detailed recommendation explaining how their nominees embodied operational excellence.