Newton Uncle Toe is a seasoned international development practitioner with over a decade of experience leading and managing multi-sectoral projects that drive transformative change. With expertise in program monitoring and evaluation, youth empowerment, and social protection, Newton has consistently delivered evidence-based solutions to complex challenges. His work has directly informed policy reforms and improved outcomes for vulnerable populations across Liberia and beyond.

As the Director of Research, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning at the Network for Empowerment & Progressive Initiatives (NEPI), Newton leads the development and refinement of program evaluation frameworks, spearheads donor compliance efforts, and drives data-driven decision-making to enhance program impact. His work builds on a strong foundation of research excellence, having contributed to significant projects with organizations such as the World Bank, USAID, Development Pathways, Population Reference Bureau, and Innovations for Poverty Action.
 

In 2022, Newton was selected as one of 18 finalists from over 7,000 applicants for the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship. This recognition was a testament to his exceptional leadership and his commitment to empowering communities. Notably, Newton has led over 15 major development projects, including the Sustainable Transformation of Youth in Liberia (STYL) follow-up study. This groundbreaking research demonstrated enduring reductions in crime and violence among at-risk youth, with findings informing the scale-up of the STYL model across three additional counties in Liberia and a pilot program for 200 youth in Lagos, Nigeria.

Newton’s achievements include building strong M&E systems for projects such as the Recovery of Economic Activity for Liberia’s Informal Sector Employment (REALISE), Accelerated Quality Education for Liberian children, and impact evaluations for education and health initiatives, consistently achieving exceptional completion rates, and providing actionable insights that shape policy and practice. His expertise in leveraging data to drive change has improved learning outcomes, enhanced social protection, and empowered over 2,000 at-risk youth to reintegrate into society as agents of positive change.

With a Master’s in Mathematics, Economics, and Statistics from the African School of Economics and extensive professional certifications, Newton combines academic rigor with practical expertise. His dedication to collaboration and stakeholder engagement ensures the sustainability of his initiatives and the empowerment of the communities he serves.

As a Mountaintop Executive Fellow, Newton will receive personalized professional development to further enhance his leadership capacity and strategic vision. This fellowship will equip him with the tools to scale up the transformative impact of his programs, foster collaboration across sectors, and expand opportunities for vulnerable populations in Liberia and beyond.