Nelson is a Portfolio management professional who enjoys engaging people to work in cohesion to live their full potential so that they can alleviate poverty and improve livelihoods. His last immediate assignment is with Mercy Corps in Kenya as the Director of Programs leading technical programming focusing on improving food security, expanding economic opportunities, strengthening peace and governance, and improving water security amid conflict and climate change with huge humanitarian needs.

He has also been the Director of Programs with Mercy Corps in South Sudan and has had short-term assignments in Uganda as Director of Programs, Acting Country Director, and Interim Country Director. Previously he served as the Chief of Party for Strengthening Community Capacities for Resilience and Growth (SCCRG-Associate Award 2) component of USAID funded Feed the Future Kenya Livestock market systems activity implemented by Mercy Corps Kenya. He is also a resilience enthusiast, livestock expert, Market System Development thinker, and Gender champion. He has been a thought leader in promoting the resilience of adolescent girls in the face of drought, conflict, and system constraints. He has also managed cross-border USAID-funded PEACE programs in the Karamoja cluster (Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and Ethiopia corridor), adolescent girls, and women empowerment programs.

Before joining Mercy Corps in 2015, Nelson had more than 15 years of experience in managing resilience-building programs in the Horn of Africa focusing on disaster risk reduction, strengthening livestock and fish value chains, water and sanitation, and holistic natural resource management. Nelson has an MSc (Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics) and BVM (Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine) from the University of Nairobi, He is passionate about coaching and mentorship for leadership development, and a strong advocate of localization especially in centring on perspectives of people most affected by the situation.