Public Finance
Financial management, analytical skills, and public policy and administration.

Assistant Professor · James Madison University

Dr Sombo Muzata brings together academic scholarship, financial expertise, and hands-on leadership in international development.
A trained accountant and fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, she has built a career spanning nonprofit organizations, public policy, and higher education in Zambia and the United States.
She is an Assistant Professor at James Madison University and an Adjunct Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her background includes leading Diakonia’s work in Zambia and serving on the board of the Institute of Directors of Zambia.
02 / EXPERTISE
Grounded in finance.
Focused on development.
Financial management, analytical skills, and public policy and administration.
Sustainable development, nonprofit leadership, and programme management.
Strategic planning, corporate social responsibility, and good corporate governance.

03 / EXPERIENCE
2022 — PRESENTCURRENT
James Madison University
United States
2021 — PRESENTCURRENT
Virginia Commonwealth University
Alongside previous graduate teaching and research appointments, 2016–2022, and Countering Proliferation Finance Training, 2021–2022.
2009 — 2016
Diakonia · Zambia
Country Representative, 2014–2016; Acting Country Representative, 2011–2014; Finance and Administration Officer, 2009–2011. Led strategy implementation, programme and financial management, resource mobilization, and monitoring and evaluation.
2014 — 2016
Institute of Directors — Zambia
Served on the board of an organization promoting good corporate governance in Zambia.
2008 — 2009
Camfed · European Union Project
Financial management for the European Union project.
2003 — 2007
Copperbelt Health Education Project
Progressed from project accounting to acting finance and administration leadership.
04 / EDUCATION
2017 — 2021
Public Policy and Administration
Virginia Commonwealth University
2016
Public Administration
Virginia Commonwealth University
2014
Specialization in Strategic Planning
Heriot-Watt University
2014
Impact Investing
University of Oxford · Saïd Business School
2011 — 2012
General Studies
Heriot-Watt University