About us

WiSATA Team Members Core Staff: Thomas Ulrich (Project Manager) Thomas has a background in engineering and education and has been working as a lecturer in a polytechnic college in Switzerland for many years. He has been involved in different development projects in Indonesia, including a 4- year assignment at the Vocational Education Development Centre Malang, East Java.     John Raja (Deputy Project Manager) John graduated from several universities in different subjects, including from Bali Tourism School in hotel management, and from West Coast Institute of Management & Technology in hospitality and tourism. He has been working in tourism industry in Bali for more than 20 years, including seven years in Melia Bali hotel, Nusa Dua, as Director of Human Resources. John, who is originally from Ende in Flores, moved to West Manggarai to pursue his commitment to participate in the development of ecotourism in this region.     Marius Saridin (Program Officer Tourism Marketing) Marius, who is also known as ‘Ari,’ is from Lembor, West Manggarai. He took his tertiary degree in Australia. After living in Jakarta for 15 years, where he worked at several travel agencies, he decided to return to West Manggarai. He shares his wide range of experience in tourism with local stakeholders, especially in the area of tourism marketing, in order to improve national and international promotion of West Flores.     Lilibeth Lucas Coronado (Program Officer SME) Bec studied Leisure and Environments focusing on Ecotourism at the Wageningen University in the Netherlands and did her internship at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Kuring-gai Campus. She has worked as an Enterprise and Livelihood Development Officer for one of the biggest NGOs in the Philippines and has spent more than two years as an agricultural marketing advisor for a network of local NGOs in Flores Island under the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) Indonesia. Bec has just started work with Swisscontact in 2008.     Patrizia Kieliger (Project Assistant) Patrizia is a student of Social Anthropology at the University of Bern, Switzerland. She has conducted research about pregnancy, birth and early childhood in Werang, Manggarai Barat. During her six month assignment Patrizia is responsible for the village community based trekking product development in the Mbeliling rainforest area, which has been started by the former Project Assistant Stephanie Schalcher. Additionally, Patrizia will assist the team in Labuan Bajo with the updating of the website as well as with other activities.     Supporting staff Katarina Nogo Langoarang (Project Accountant) “Katrin” has been working for 3 years as treasurer and computer instructor in SMAK St. Klaus Werang. She started working with Swisscontact as office girl. Her position now is project accountant.     Maria Srikandy Mayangsari Latubatara (Project Secretary) “Candy” has worked in a number of different cities in Indonesia - including Kupang, Jakarta, Batam and Maumere - before deciding to move to West Manggarai in 2006. She is a graduate of a university in Malang, majoring in political science. Her day to day activities in WiSATA project are in administration services and public relations.     Yohana Natalia Lali Bili (Office Assistant) “Natalia” has been working for 2 years in fish company and 3 months in BRI Bank in Labuan Bajo before joining WiSATA Project from April 2008. Besides maintaining office cleanliness, she assists the team in administration support tasks.     Robertus Kenedi Diaz (Driver) Robertus has been living and working in Bandung for 6 years before moving back to Labuan Bajo in 1999. Besides his function as project driver he is also in charge for the maintenance of the project vehicles and other equipments.     Donisius E. Maun (Security Guard) “Denny” has worked as a security guard in Bali for a number of years. Following the Bali bombing tragedy, Denny returned to West Flores and joined WiSATA as a Security Guard.     Levianus Galus (Security Guard) “Levy” graduated from local tourism high school majoring in travel service. Levy was a freelance guide before joining the WiSATA Project as a Security Guard.     Consultants International short term consultants: Peter Bissegger (Country Director Swisscontact Indonesia) Activity Director and back stopper Robert Hitchins (The Springfield Centre for Business in Development Ltd) Small and Medium Enterprise development consultant John (Jack) Daniels (President Director Bali Discovery Tours) Tourism marketing consultant Frank van Paassen (Government planning specialist) Expert and coordinator of the enabling environment process Rik Frenkel (Good Governance and planning specialist) Back stopper and coordinator of the enabling environment process Herman Diener (Restaurant and hotel consultant) Heinz von Holtzen (Owner of Bumbu Bali Restaurant) Traditional food specialist Indonesian short term consultants: Koes Sarwono (Government capacity building) Slamet Mulyadi (Geographical Information System) Shinta Dewi (Urban and Regional Planer) Dambung Djaja (Urban and Regional Planer)       Former Staff   Stephanie Schalcher (Project Assistant) Stephanie graduated from the University of Zurich, Switzerland in Social Anthropology. She has been working three years in Indonesia including one year in Moni, Ende. During her five month assignment Stephanie is responsible for the village community based trekking product development in the Mbeliling rainforest area.     Ladina Alioth (Project Assistant) Ladina is a post-degree student on developing countries at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology - Zurich. She is performing the fieldwork segment of her studies and will spend nine months with the WiSATA project mapping out the potential tourism objects. GIS applications and training are just two of her many tasks.       WiSATA Project Office – Labuan Bajo, West Flores   WiSATA Project Team