I had the pleasure of working with Ms. Joanne Munisteri on the US Embassy Dhaka's "Art of the Deal-American Excellence in Negotiation Skills" training project.
Throughout the project, Joanne demonstrated exceptional leadership, providing significant knowledge and encouragement during both the preparation and implementation phases.
Joanne trained the trainers and then I observed her effectively manage and lead the large cohort training in Bangladesh.
I strongly endorse Joanne for her leadership skills, cross-cultural competence and hands-on knowledge of negotiation.
I am confident she can be a significant contributor to future negotiation skills initiatives globally.
"I had the pleasure of working closely with Jo Patti Munisteri initially during our time together at AUAF - the American University of Afghanistan in 2014, and later on a USAID curriculum project with sub contract company Cheechi & Company (now Dexus) in 2015-2016.
Jo's exceptional skills in curriculum development, program design, and fieldwork made her a standout colleague and collaborator.
One of her most impressive achievements during our time together was her leadership in creating a pilot project in Mazar-e-Sharif, which included new curriculum initiatives and special programs specifically designed for women, funded by USAID. This project demonstrated not only her commitment to empowering women but also her deep understanding of the challenges in the region and her ability to craft solutions that were both culturally relevant and educationally effective.
In 2015, we had the opportunity to work together on the Education Sector USAID contract for curriculum development across all public school sectors throughout Afghanistan. Jo played an instrumental role in the fieldwork and reporting for this multimillion-dollar project. Her analytical and research skills, coupled with her strong intercultural competence, allowed her to excel in this highly complex and challenging environment. Her data collection, curriculum assessments, and report writing were of the highest quality and contributed greatly to the success of the project.
Jo's work extends far beyond the classroom, as her strategic vision and ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams have consistently driven positive outcomes in the field of international development. She has a natural talent for navigating complex environments and building partnerships that result in real, measurable change.
I have no doubt that Jo Patti Munisteri will continue to make significant contributions wherever she applies her expertise. Her professionalism, combined with her analytical skills, research abilities, and passion for education, make her an asset to any organization.
I highly recommend her for any future endeavors and am confident that she will continue to have a lasting impact on the communities and projects she serves".
"I have not had the privilege of meeting many people of Joanne's caliber. She is a dedicated, intelligent, engaging, kind and compassionate woman with a zest for life and a drive to improve the world around her. She is an excellent teacher, and she learns as easily as she teaches. She took a great deal of interest in the work I did when we treated patients together, (on the NATO base in Afghanistan) and she asked as many questions as she answered while she was teaching me.
I find her zest for learning to be a refreshing change from most of academia and the health care community."
Ms. Joanne Patti Munisteri is (was) a colleague of mine at the Catholic University in Erbil (CUE), Iraq. I have been working with Ms Joanne here in Kurdistan as a co-teacher for some of my EAP classes. She is one of our team faculty members.
During this time, I have observed her with our students, other faculty members and staff on a daily basis.
Ms Joanne willingly supported and assisted me with grant writing applications for training and exchange programs with the US Department of State and USAID.
Ms. Joanne is a very experienced and innovative teacher and leader. She is a highly motivated, organized and skilled educator who has developed excellent rapport with the staff and students at CUE.
Ms.Joanne has willingly undertaken additional tasks at CUE, such as creating materials, syllabi, curriculum and assessments.
Ms. Joanne uses available opportunities to mentor students who need support. She does this on her own time. with focus, patience, humor and understanding.
She works very well in a multicultural environment.
It is my great pleasure to recommend her.
Joanne Patti Munisteri-Jo's time with us has helped us grow and given us direction, both personally and organizationally.
{She was the supervising Specialist from the US DOS/CIED program for the trainings in Israel from all sectors of Israeli society, in preparation for the US embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in March 2018}.
Jo's contributions have inspired students and teachers in this part of the world. Jo has given them tools, practical experience and confidence to create a brighter future for themselves and their communities.
We thank her for her expertise, her diligence, her flexibility and her compassion".
Feedback from Joanne's work for Kibbutzim teachers in Israel 2018:
"First of all, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for making the connection with Joanne for us!!! The teachers were totally inspired by her talk on Sunday!!!! She is a brave woman, a dedicated educator and a true leader/female role model!!!"
Quote from—Ms. Adele Raemer, teacher from Kibbutz Nirim, Israel, and host of the webinar/podcasts for "Out of This World"
"Joanne is dedicated to effective performance and high quality work. Her goal is not to waste resources but to reach maximum results with the limited resources available. Joanne is not the type to need hand-holding, on the contrary she has volunteered her own time to help others."
Jo Patti (Schmidt) Munisteri has brought to our school a wealth of skills, knowledge and an international experience of performing arts that has been of tremendous value to our students.
Her teaching and facilitating skills with our students and staff, are always totally professional and excellent.
Joanne's strength in recognizing and applying structures from a cultural base within her work is an integral part of the framework of the philosophies of the Takitimu Performing Arts School and the Takitimu Maori Trust.
I have no hesitation in providing this reference.
"Jo is a unique, talented and insightful writer as she is a dedicated researcher and great listener.
I invited Jo to be part of the Indigenous studies and Human Rights department after getting to know her work with the Gumbaynggirr community and her writing through WOW (Women Owning Words, NSW).
I have known Joanne (Jo) for over fifteen years and have always found her to be, both as artist and teacher, a conscientious worker.
She has had, at all times, a thorough knowledge of her subject matter, a boundless enthusiasm for teaching, a clear ability to handle difficult situations and students, a sense of humor, a sense of commitment to the task at hand, and most importantly, she has the ability to instill in those that she teaches a sense of self-worth and a joy in life.
I have seen and/or worked with Joanne at the National Shakespeare Conservatory in New York, the Eugene O'Neill Centre Conservatory in Connecticut, at Circle-in-the-quare Professional Theatre in New York, and for the San Jose Repertory Theatre and the San Jose Cleveland Ballet Company.
In addition Jo has taught outreach programs for both public and private schools for secondary pupils in drama, understanding Shakespeare, movement technique, creative writing and storytelling.
In all these ventures, she has always maintained the most professional attitude toward her work.
If you are looking for souls who can fan a creative urge in youth, then you would look long and hard before you would find someone with the qualities and spirit of Ms. Jo Patti Munisteri.
I heartily recommend her.
"Powerful and personal poems with heart and vision pouring off each page. This is a poet who has seen the world and all the facets and intricacies of beauty and brawn, bloodshed and passion."
"Like the cover, what’s inside is elegant with substance. Jo Patti's poems draw the reader into a conversation which gives a sense of her perspective on life and people, and a sense of their randomness and beauty. The reader is left with plenty to think about."
This incredible memoir takes us to places we are unlikely to travel to and gives us insights into situations we are unlikely to experience unless we worked in covert operations for government agencies.
The book is written in first person, so despite when these events actually took place, the reader feels very much as if events are unfolding as they are being read. The author has a knack for highlighting and explaining things along the way, such as why communism doesn't work. I also really appreciated her sense of irony such as this phrase, "the team posed taking pictures in front of instruments of torture and weapons displayed."
This book is filled with intrigue, information, and casts a light on human behavior. Loved it.
"I highly recommend Traveler Between Worlds for those looking to expand their sense of what’s possible in life. Munisteri’s journeys are an eye-opening revelations of what’s possible when we have the courage to go beyond borders and pursue the callings of our soul.
What's it About?
From describing her participation in the VETS program, where she explores the healing power of plant medicine in Mexico, to being a Sundancer on the Lakota and Menominee reservations; this memoir is an awe-inspiring odyssey that transcends the boundaries of time, culture, and the human spirit.
This book, Traveler Between Worlds, is like a salve to soothe the human spirit, which encourages readers to look deeper into their pasts and exist in a world beyond themselves.