Elena Bonicelli is Director of Program Operations at Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord.
Elena Bonicelli joined VWB/VSF as Director of Program Operations in January 2026. In her role, she provides operational oversight across the organization’s program portfolio in Canada and globally, working closely with program teams, finance, and partners to strengthen systems, support delivery, and ensure effective planning, risk management, monitoring, and reporting.
She brings over 15 years of program management and operational leadership experience across humanitarian and development settings, having lived and worked in Europe, the Americas, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East. She has held senior roles with the Canadian Red Cross, Americares, Mercy Corps, Première Urgence Internationale, and the Italian Aid Agency, leading multi-country teams and complex programs in high-pressure environments. Her experience spans the full project cycle, with particular strength in operational systems, risk management, financial oversight, and monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL).
Elena holds an MA in Latin American Studies, with a focus on sustainable planning and development, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, and an MA in International Economics, Politics and Institutions from the University of Pavia, Italy.
In recognition of World Zoonoses Day 2026, this article explores how community-centered One Health approaches can help detect, prevent, and respond to zoonotic diseases before they become global health emergencies.
#VETSVolunteerVoices brings you stories from the field shared by passionate VETS program volunteers. Meet Vincent Auclair, a Fundraising Advisor who spent four and a half months in Cambodia (January–May 2026) with our local partner, AVSF Cambodia, supporting proposal development, fundraising systems, and organizational capacity strengthening.
From Community Animal Health Workers to livestock keepers participating in the Passing-on-the-Gift model, communities across South Sudan are carrying forward the skills, knowledge, and systems strengthened through the 1-SHOP project. As the project concludes, we reflect on the lasting impacts of this community-led approach to resilience.
