Jan. 15, 2026

#22 - Alonzo Wind

Show Notes

He left the U.S. as Allan J. Wind, but by the time his Peace Corps stint in Ecuador ended, he had been rechristened as "Dr. Alonzo" - which is what his driver's license now says. From being an unlikely radio star, to a health minister's good luck charm, to a series of NGO roles worldwide, and eventually to Gaza in the midst of a war, Allen J. Alonzo Wind has had an incredible journey.

Allan J. "Alonzo" Wind is a retired Senior Foreign Service Officer with USAID. He worked on and off for the Agency from 1990 to 2019, in Peru, Nicaragua, Angola, Nigeria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and South Africa. In these roles, he provided oversight to U.S. Government foreign aid development and humanitarian assistance, and supported U.S. ambassadors as their senior development officer on multiple embassy country teams.

In 2022, he assumed the Mission Director role for a humanitarian assistance NGO in the occupied Palestinian territory, based in East Jerusalem and with frequent travel to Gaza and the West Bank. As a result of the war in Gaza, he left Jerusalem in late 2023, determined to be a force for advocacy and humanitarian assistance back in the United States.

Previously, he worked as the Global Programme Coordinator for the International Save the Children Alliance Secretariat and as a Country Director and Health Sector Coordinator for different non-profit voluntary organizations, including CARE and PLAN International, in countries including Ecuador, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, and the United Kingdom. He began his career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador, where he picked up the nickname "Dr. Alonzo," which has stuck with him throughout his life. He also serves on the Board of Directors of different NGOs, including Hunger Relief International, which supports the neediest people in Guatemala and Haiti.

He is the author of three books (images and links below). For more information about Alonzo, visit his website HERE.