Elizabeth Bintliff says that when she first started working for Heifer International in 2000 as Southeast Regional Assistant in the Atlanta office, "I just wanted a job. But as I've been here longer, I realized I had the skills and education to pursue my interest in development, particularly African development."
Bintliff was born in Cameroon but came to the United States to pursue her education, receiving a bachelor's degree in international affairs from Kennesaw State University in Georgia and a master's in African studies at Yale University.
A Fulbright Scholar, Bintliff says her proudest professional achievement is leading the establishment of Heifer's offices in Sierra Leone and Senegal in 2007. She also serves with the Women's Foundation of Arkansas and the group Envoys, which promotes the work of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences' Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.
"My personal philosophy is just get on with it," Bintliff says. "You learn by doing. Another thing I've learned in my career is that sometimes people have a dream for you that's bigger than any dream you could ever have for yourself. ... I've not always been the person who generates my own opportunities, and I'm very thankful for the people who have."
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