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Maiphaeng Phaengkomphan
Site Office Manager (Field Accountant)
Maiphaeng works for WCS as the Site Office Manager (Field Accountant) in the Nam Et-Phou Louey NPA in north-eastern Laos. Maipheng graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Business Management from the National University of Laos. She has worked at NEPL since early 2013, initially as an accountant and administrator before being promoted to her present position.
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Manoly Sisavanh
Deputy Country Director, Laos
Manoly Sisavanh is a dedicated leader in natural resource management, recognized for her contributions to environmental policy and sustainable development in Lao PDR. Since 2019, she has served as Deputy Country Director for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Lao PDR Program, where she co-leads a diverse and dynamic team of 100 professionals in designing and executing conservation strategies, programs, and projects that align global environmental goals with the country’s socio-economic development priorities. Her collaborative approach has been instrumental in driving key policy reforms in protected areas, wetlands, and wildlife conservation. She also supervises WCS Laos’ initiatives on counter-wildlife trafficking and One Health, addressing environmental and public health challenges holistically.
Prior to joining WCS, Manoly worked at the World Bank (2012-2019), where she contributed to shaping Laos’ green growth agenda. Her contributions to the development and implementation of several high-impact projects, including the Laos Environment and Social Projects (LENS and LENS2), the Participatory Sustainable Forest Management Projects (SUFORD series), and the Mekong Integrated Water Resources Management Project, have significantly advanced the country’s environmental and social governance frameworks. Earlier in her career, she supported national public health efforts at the National Emerging Infectious Disease Coordination Office (2011-2012), focusing on strategic communication for the control and prevention of emerging infectious diseases like Avian Influenza and Swine Flu.
Manoly's influence extends to regional and global platforms, where she is celebrated as a respected advocate for environmental and social justice. She was honored with the 2019 Mary Robinson Climate Justice Award and has been featured in Vanity Fair x One Young World’s Global Goals 2024 list (here). Manoly is deeply committed to empowering future leaders and has served as a keynote speaker and mentor at prestigious forums, including the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, One Young World, and the Rainforest Youth Summit, where she has inspired thousands of emerging leaders to take conservation action.
Manoly holds a Master’s in International Development from Cornell University (2017) as a Fulbright Scholar and a Bachelor’s in International Relations from the National University of Laos (2010), with an exchange year at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2008-2009) through the UGRAD Scholarship. Her career is a testament to her dedication to empowering local communities, fostering cross-sectoral and international collaboration, and advancing policies that safeguard our planet for future generations.
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Maykham Soukhathammavong
Accounting Assistant
Maykham Soukhathammavong completed her first Higher Diploma in English Teaching at Kangkhay Teacher Training College before gaining a Bachelor Diploma in Finance and Administration. Her first job was at SOS Children’s Village in Houaphanh Province, Laos. After almost seven years of working there, she decided to seek fresh challenges with NGOs such as SNV and SPSL, before taking on the role of Accounting Assistant at WCS.
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Moua Yachithor
Community Engagement Program Coordinator
Moua graduated with a Higher Diploma in Vocational Education and Training from Polytechnic College, Vientiane in 2010. Upon graduation, he began work at Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area, his birthplace, as an Outreach Assistant for WCS. He has since taken the position of Conservation Education and Outreach Officer of NEPL, based in Vientiane and, more recently, as the Project Coordinator for Community Engagement/Outreach for the WCS Bolikhamxay program. In 2017 Moua moved back to Nam Et-Phou Louey as the WCS Livelihood and Community Engagement Program Coordinator.
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Ninthita Vandydonesavanh
Project Administration Officer
Ninthita, a lifetime resident of the Nam Et-Phou Louey area, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from National University of Laos in 2016. She started working with WCS as the NEPL Administration Officer based in NEPL in 2017. Her responsibilities include managing and maintaining project supplies and equipment, organizing activity logistics, and assisting the field accountant.
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Oudomxay Thongsavath
Savannakhet Program Manager
Oudomxay Thongsavath first worked at WCS between 2011-2014 for crocodile conservation project Coordinator in the Xe Champhone Wetland. When this program was completed he continued working in Xe Champhone Wetlands with IUCN until 2019 when he rejoined WCS as the coordinator for the renewed and expanded Savannakhet Landscape Program. He holds a degree in forestry from the Savannakhet Agriculture and Forestry College as well as an English language teaching diploma from the Savannakhet Teacher Training College. He has more than 10 years of experience and specialization in community engagement, co-management, ecotourism, Wetland and endangered species conservation and has been a member of the IUCN/SCC Crocodile Specialists Group since 2013. Oudomxay believes that conservation tasks need time and to always include capacity building for local government and communities. Improving awareness of the long-term benefits to livelihoods from natural resource management and building local interest in biodiversity conservation are goals he works to achieve.
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Palina Souliyadeth
Human Resources and Government Liaison Coordinator
Palina Souliyadeth completed her Master’s Degree in International Economics and Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Management at the National University of Laos’s Faculty of Environmental Science. Before joining WCS, she worked with a group of student volunteers on the "Social Environmental Education and Development" (SEED) project. Her duties as Human Resources and Government Liaison Coordinator are within the financial, accounting and evaluation unit.
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Paserth Chanthavongsa
GIS and Smart data Analyst Officer
For more than 10 years, Mr. Paserth Chanthavongsa had worked in conservation protected areas in Bolikhamxay province, Lao PDR. He is the field technical and volunteer of PAFO Bolikhamxay and contracts with the IEWMP project. His work is wildlife monitoring survey, community, enforcement, and Land-use planning NGS PFA. Since September 2019, he has been working for WCS Lao PDR. as GIS and SMART data analyst Officer (ADB – Nam Ngiep1 Program).
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Phacksouliya Phommatheth
Program Coordinator
Phaksouliya Phommatheth joined the WCS Lao PDR Savannakhet Landscape team in 2021 as the Technical Coordinator. He holds two BA degrees, Environmental Sciences and English from the National University of Laos. Before joining WCS, Phaksouliya built his technical experience over six years has six year in various positions at different organizations and projects including: as Environment Consultant (NCG), GIS Specialist for Hydropower development, Environmental Safeguard Officer and water User Group (WUG) trainer for irrigation projects (PIADs Project-JICA; World Bank/GoL’s MIWRM Project) and as a Natural Resource Management program officer for Japanese Volunteer Center Laos (JVC). Phaksouliya’s diverse skillsets all him to assist the other technical staff and ensure their activities align with the SVK landscape’s overall objectives.
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Phatsa Konglasy
Ecotourism Officer
Phatsa Konglasy graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business English and Ecotourism at Souksavath College in Vientiane in 2014. In parallel to her studies, she worked at Hueyhong Vocational Training Center for Women for seven years. After graduation in 2015, she returned to her hometown in Muang Hiam and joined WCS Lao PDR to work as Ecotourism Officer in the Nam Et-Phou Louey NPA.
Phatsa is responsible of the NEPL NPA’s ecotourism visitor center in Muang Hiam, and the communication with future visitors, tour operators as well as activity coordination with the community-based ecotourism service providers.
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