Yonnas Kefle was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and received his early education at Kidane Mehret School (KMS) and Teferi Mekonen School (TMS). He later moved to France where he completed his Baccalaureate at the University of Paris VII, and then continued his academic journey in the United States, earning both an MA and a Ph.D. in Economics from Howard University in Washington DC.  Kefle’s professional career began with an internship as a statistical assistant at the District of Columbia Government, which paved the way for his roles at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics and later as the first Labor Attaché in Haiti at the U.S. Department of State, where he returned to a senior economist position at the Department of Labor and received multiple prestigious awards.

In addition to his government service, Dr. Kefle expanded his horizons into academia and entrepreneurship. He taught Economics and Statistics at Frederick Community College and Pennsylvania State University and served as Maryland Governor’s Commissioner for African Affairs. His entrepreneurial venture, GTDC LLC, focused on renewable energy projects in Ethiopia, notably establishing a Mobile Solar & Wind Generator Assembly plant in 2013 with an American partner, Energy Resources.  This initiative, along with other projects, aimed to deliver sustainable energy solutions across various Ethiopian sectors, enhancing rural electrification and supporting energy needs on university campuses through both off-grid and grid-tied systems. Dr. Kefle’s work in this area made a significant contribution to sustainable development.