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Conference Speakers


Opening Speaker: Marion McGowan | Closing Speaker: Nawzad Othman


Former Executive Director, Mobility Outreach International; Trustee, Global Clubfoot Initiative



Marion McGowan has over 10 years' experience in international development. She is the former Executive Director of Mobility Outreach International, a non-profit organization based in Seattle which supports physical rehabilitation services for people living with disabilities in Haiti, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Sierra Leone. She has lived and worked in Sierra Leone, Indonesia and Sudan/South Sudan primarily managing global health initiatives. Prior to entering into international development, Marion worked in the healthcare industry and served as an officer in the US Army. She has a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Darden Business School at the University of Virginia.

Additional Information
Mobility Outreach International, formerly the Prosthetics Outreach Foundation, is a Seattle-based nonprofit which works in neglected areas of the world to assist people facing mobility challenges. MOI deploys expertise in prosthetics, orthotics and clubfoot treatment to offer advocacy, training, rehabilitation services and orthopedic surgery, enabling mobility worldwide. It has directly served 20,000 patients, and opened 47 clinics worldwide.

For more information on Marion McGowan, please see the links below.

CEO, The Othman Group; Former CEO, Otak, Inc.; Former Chair, Board of Advisors, World Affairs Council of Oregon



Nawzad Othman was born in Erbil into a Kurdish family with deep connections to the history of the Kurdistan region. After emigrating to the United States when he was 18, Mr. Othman earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from South Dakota State University and and his Master of Urban and Regional Studies from Mankato State University and gained considerable experience as a transportation engineer, bridge and airport design engineer. In 1981, Mr. Othman co-founded Otak, Inc., one of Oregon's largest and most respected architecture and engineering firms. He served as CEO for 30 years.

Additional Information
In 2012, Mr. Othman created The Othman Group to assist clients in the Pacific Northwest and the Middle East with business strategies, investment opportunities and sustainable practices. The firm’s associates work from offices in Portland, Oregon, Erbil, Iraq, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He also served as the Chair of the Board of Advisors for the World Affairs Council of Oregon until September 2015, and is a noted speaker about the Kurdistan region and the broader Middle East in the Pacific Northwest.

For more information on Nawzad Othman, including interviews, biography, and writings, please see the links below.