Meet Our Team!
Resilient Communities is made up of an interdisciplinary team that share a passion for bridging community development and innovative practices to help educate and strengthen communities for the 21st century.
Eastman Johnson
President | Community Planning & Design
Eastman is a native of Georgetown, Kentucky and first discovered his passion for community planning while studying at the University of Cincinnati. He developed a strong connection with Morocco after serving as a Peace Corps volunteer from 2014 to 2016 and then returning as a Fulbright researcher from 2018 to 2019. Eastman founded Resilient Communities in 2017 and has continued to build a strong network throughout Morocco to support the organization's projects and programs.
Abderrahmane Ait Lqous
Head of Community Engagement
Abderrahmane is from Tameslouht, Morocco and was Eastman's counterpart while he was a PCV in his hometown. He has worked with various Moroccan and international NGOs and has a BA in sociology of enterprises from Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech. He is also the Director of the Moroccan association, Youth Without Borders for Development.
Trent Lobdell
Vice President | Community Planning & Data Analyst
Trent is a Hoosier with Degrees in Aeronautical Engineering and Urban Planning. He served in Peace Corps Samoa working on public health and small business development projects. He currently works in finance and data analytics while supporting United Resource Connection, a Cincinnati-based non-profit centralizing social service program data.
N.G. Rees
Head of Training and Development
N.G. Rees serves as the Head of Training and Development for Resilient Communities. When not working in development, he is a consultant in education based out of Tangier, Morocco. Rees is currently focused on the intersect between teacher training, task-based teaching, and community development. He previously served with the U.S. Peace Corps from 2014 to 2016 in Khemisset and Kénitra, Morocco.
Our Summer 2023 Interns
Joyce Zheng
University of Cincinnati Student | Architecture & Design | Class of 2024
Joyce is an undergraduate student studying architecture and certifying in urban design. She has had the opportunity to work alongside design firms such as Woods Bagot in Manhattan, NYC, and Smallwood in Atlanta, GA. Currently, she is working with Resilient Communities in Morocco to involve herself in understanding the needs of and working with the students undergoing education. She is planning to complete her B.S.Arch degree this coming school year at UC before pursuing a M.Arch degree.