News was received of the death of Pedro Juan Jimenez. He worked with Peace Corps Volunteers in agricultural programs in the Dominican Republic.

It is with great sadness that we have learned that Pedro Jimenez died of cancer complications this past month.  He was a great friend of Peace Corps and early on was married to a Peace Corps Volunteer.  Unfortunately that marriage ended in divorce.  He and his wife Donna traveled to Texas A & M as Pedro received on the USAID scholarships to study there.   His first contact with Peace Corps was with the Office of Community Development in the department of education in the early 60s.  He later began a micro-finance lending NGO by the name of ADEMI.   Pedro was one of the first to have a group with market rates and had a very sustainable operation.  He later changed this group into a bank.    He traveled world wide as a micro-finance consultant.  He also managed one of the free trade zones in the Dominican Republic.

Pedro attended the last (45th) Peace Corps reunion this past February and we were fortunate to have a chance to chat with him.  He looked and sounded in great spirits. Many former PCVs who were in Santo Domingo during the revolution have interesting memories of times spent with Pedro.   Pedro was given USAID’s highest award for lifetime achievement in the DR at the USAID 45th anniversary celebration.