Rob Boone, Director, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in 2007 after more than six years with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, including as chief of the Human Security Branch in Vienna, Austria, and as representative for Southern Africa in Pretoria, South Africa. He also served as chief of Treaty and Legal Affairs while in Vienna. Prior to his work at the United Nations, he was the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for international narcotics and law enforcement affairs. He also served as a special assistant in the Executive Office of the President and clerked for the Hon. Richard A. Gadbois, Jr. of the central district of California. While in private practice, Mr. Boone was a business litigation attorney in southern California. He holds a M.S. degree from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

Michael Maya, Deputy Director,practiced law in New York City before joining the ABA’s Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (CEELI) as a liaison to Uzbekistan, where he focused on judicial and legal profession reform issues. He later served as CEELI’s first overseas country director, based in Moscow, Russia, where he focused on legal education reform, commercial law training and women’s rights issues. In 1998, he began serving as the director of CEELI’s programs in the former Soviet Union, based in Washington, D.C. From 2000–2006, Mr. Maya served both as the deputy director of CEELI and as the director of its programs in the former Soviet Union. From 2007 to the present, he has served as deputy director of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative.  In addition to his deputy director duties, he also directed ABA ROLI's programs in Africa for three years, during which time he managed programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Mali and Nigeria. Mr. Maya speaks Spanish and basic Russian, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a J.D. from Cornell University. You can contact Michael Maya at michael.maya@americanbar.org.

Ingeborg Bock, Director of Administration and Finance, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in October 2001. Ms. Bock is responsible for the administration, international support, recruitment, information technology and finance departments. Previously Ms. Bock was chief financial officer with Ashoka, a global organization that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs. Ms. Bock has also served as director of administration and finance and as treasurer for the Overseas Development Council, an independent international policy research institution. Originally from Nossen/Saxony in the former East Germany, Ms. Bock studied business administration and finance in Germany. You can contact Ingeborg Bock at ingeborg.bock@americanbar.org.

Simon Conté, Director of Research and Assessments, has contributed to ABA ROLI's research activities on rule of law issues for more than 10 years, particularly in the areas of legislative analysis and assessment tool methodologies. He serves as co-coordinator for both the judicial reform focal area and the Prosecutorial Reform Index. Mr. Conté holds a B.A. from Binghamton University, and an M.A. in political science and a J.D. from the University at Buffalo. He also has an LL.M. in international and comparative law from Georgetown University. A native of Melbourne, Australia, Mr. Conté joined ABA ROLI in 1995. You can contact Simon Conté at simon.conte@americanbar.org.

Angela Conway, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Division, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in 1993 as the director of research and special projects. She has worked on ABA ROLI’s legal reform programs throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Ms. Conway initiated the Middle East and North Africa program in 2003. She holds a B.A. in political science from Northwestern University and a J.D. from the University of Kansas. You can contact Angela Conway at angela.conway@americanbar.org.

Anita Denning, Director of Outreach, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in 2008. Ms. Denning has worked in the communications field for more than 10 years, specializing in multi-channel communications strategies, stakeholder analysis, public relations and print and online production. Ms. Denning holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Maryland at College Park and an M.A. in communications, culture, and technology from Georgetown University. A native Washingtonian, Ms. Denning has sustained interests in the evolution of media, environmental sustainability and equitable global development—including issues related to gender equality, property rights and education. You can contact Anita Denning at anita.denning@americanbar.org.

Mary Greer, Senior Criminal Law Advisor, provides substantive program direction, support and expertise to the ABA Rule of Law Initiative’s (ABA ROLI’s) criminal justice programs around the world. She assists with the design and implementation of technical assistance programs for prosecutors, judges, defense advocates, law enforcement officials and representatives of  government ministries, addressing such global issues as corruption, human trafficking, women’s rights, and financial and organized crimes. She conducts comparative models and best practices research in domestic and international criminal law, and designs and implements sector and country assessments to discern compliance with international standards. She also conducts trainings in interactive teaching methodology, adult communication and trial advocacy. Ms. Greer first served as ABA ROLI’s criminal law liaison in Bosnia from 1998–2000. She was then posted at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) with the Coalition for International Justice before rejoining the ABA ROLI in March 2002. Ms. Greer practiced law for 15 years at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri, including five years as public defender and eight years as the elected prosecutor, before being posted in Sarajevo. Ms. Greer has a B.A. in political science from Benedictine College in Atchison, KS, and a J.D. from St. Louis University. You can contact Mary Greer at mary.greer@americanbar.org.

Maria Koulouris, Director of the Africa Division, joined ABA ROLI in March 2011. From 2004–2011, Ms. Koulouris worked at Global Rights where, in 2008, she designed an initiative on Natural Resources and Human Rights. As its director, she strengthened the capacity of civil society organizations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guinea and Congo-Brazzaville to address economic and social injustice from a human rights perspective and to document the impact of industrial gold mining and oil exploitation on the rights to water, food, participation and information. She also worked on access to justice, women’s rights and land rights programming in DRC and Burundi. Previously, Ms. Koulouris worked in Croatia as a legal officer for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. She also documented war crimes and crimes against humanity in Chad on behalf of Human Rights Watch, which led to the indictment of the country’s former president Hissène Habré by Belgian authorities in 2005. She holds a LL.B in law from the Université de Montréal in Québec, Canada, as well as an LL.M. in law from Columbia University in New York, where she was also a human rights fellow. Maria is a member of the Québec Bar Association. She is fluent in English and French, and speaks Greek and Spanish. You can contact her at maria.koulouris@americanbar.org.

Michael McCullough, Director of the Latin America and Caribbean Division, joined ABA ROLI in October 2008. He previously served as chief of party for a USAID-funded justice administration program in La Paz, Bolivia, as well as deputy chief of party for a similar USAID-funded program in Bogotá, Colombia. He has criminal litigation experience as an attorney with the federal public defender for the District of Columbia and as a deputy public defender for Maricopa County, Arizona. He has trained attorneys, judges and academics in Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela on issues related to trial skills and the accusatorial system. He holds a B.A. in Spanish and political science and a J.D. from the University of Arizona. He speaks Spanish fluently. You can contact Michael McCullough at michael.mccullough@americanbar.org.

Jennifer Rasmussen, Director of the Asia Division, joined ABA ROLI in March 2008 following her tenure as director of program design for Global Rights, a Washington, D.C.-based human rights organization, where she worked since 1996. As the creator and director of Global Rights’ Access to Justice Initiative, Ms. Rasmussen worked to develop human rights programs involving public interest litigation, legal reform and advocacy in various regions of the world. In Asia, she has worked on programs in Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Mongolia, Nepal and East Timor. Ms. Rasmussen holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester and a J.D. from American University's Washington College of Law, specializing in international law. You can contact Jennifer Rasmussen at jennifer.rasmussen@americanbar.org.

Corinne Smith, Director Europe and Eurasia Division, rejoined ABA ROLI in December 2010, after previously serving as country director in Moldova and legal specialist in Kyrgyzstan. She was most recently deputy general counsel for global development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, supporting the work of that team and other foundation legal matters. She previously spent more than 13 years as a transactional lawyer, in-house at the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust and at several law firms, with a focus on affordable housing. Ms. Smith was also a foreign service officer, serving in South Africa and Namibia, and she worked in contract and grant management for several non-profit organizations including a legal services organization and in city government. Ms. Smith received her undergraduate degree in government and French from Smith College and her law degree from Boston College. She speaks French and basic Russian. You can contact Corinne Smith at corinne.smith@americanbar.org.

Laura Zusman, Special Assistant to the Director, joined ABA ROLI in July 2011. She previously served as a peacebuilding advisor for the Department of State Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, located at the United States Mission to the United Nations in New York. She has also worked in the Office of the Prosecutor at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office, the European Centre for Conflict Prevention, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Open Society Institute and Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights. Ms. Zusman holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan, a J.D. from Boston College Law School, and a M.A. in International Relations from The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University.You can contact Laura Zusman at laura.zusman@americanbar.org.

Chantal Agarwal, Program Manager, joined ABA ROLI’s Latin America and Caribbean Division in November 2010. Over the last ten years, she has worked on several U.S. government-funded programs in Latin America, covering various international development topics, including democratic governance, microfinance and international policy. Ms. Agarwal holds an M.A. degree in international affairs from the Elliott School for International Affairs of the George Washington University, and a B.A. degree from the University of Maryland at College Park. She speaks Spanish fluently. You can contact Chantal Agarwal at chantal.agarwal@americanbar.org.

Diane Albrecht, Program Associate, joined ABA ROLI in April 2011. She currently supports programs combating gender-based violence in Congo and forced servitude in Mali. Prior to joining ABA ROLI, she implemented natural resource conservation and education projects in Benin with the U.S. Peace Corps. She holds a B.A. in international affairs with concentrations in international economics and development from The George Washington University, and she spent a semester studying Swahili in Kenya. Diane is fluent in French. You can contact Diane Albrecht at Diane.Albrecht@americanbar.org.  

Kate Alexander, Program Associate, joined the Asia team in August 2011. She holds an M.S. in global politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where her regional specialty was Asia and the Middle East. She previously volunteered at the Burma Volunteer Program in Thailand, and worked on Capitol Hill with Congressman Teague and Senator Nelson. She also graduated magna cum laude from Rollins College. You can contact her at katherine.alexander@americanbar.org 

Cynthia Arévalo, Administrative Assistant, Latin America and Caribbean Division, joined ABA ROLI in May 2011. She received a B.A. degree in political science from Texas Christian University, where she served as a research assistant specializing in Colombian and Venezuelan issues, and also studied at the Université de la Rochelle in France. She has previously interned at the World Association for Newspapers and News Publishers, the Center for International Policy, UNICEF’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, and on Capitol Hill. A native of Colombia, she is fluent in Spanish and French. You can contact Cynthia Arévalo at Cynthia.Arevalo@americanbar.org.    

Andrea (Andi) Barton, Program Officer, joined our Central Asia team in August 2011. She previously worked in the Europe and Eurasia Division as an intern. She holds an M.A. in European and Eurasian studies from The George Washington University, where she concentrated on post-conflict state-building and helped found a regionally-focused student organization. She previously interned at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the German Marshall Fund and at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Ms. Barton also holds a B.A. in international studies from the University of California, San Diego. You can contact her at andrea.barton@americanbar.org.

Geoffrey Bentz, Director, Information Technology, started with the ABA Rule of Law Initiative shortly after receiving his law degree from George Washington University in 1993. He currently manages ABA ROLI’s information technology needs, including maintaining the network computers and servers and assisting users with their computers and software applications. Originally from San Leandro, California, he also speaks German and Russian. You can contact Geoffrey Bentz at geoffrey.bentz@americanbar.org.

Jeremy Biddle, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI’s Latin America and the Caribbean Division in July 2010. He previously worked with Mexico City-based NGOs Transparencia Mexicana-Transparency International and the Fundación Este País. In addition to Mexico, Mr. Biddle has worked and studied in Cambodia, Brazil, France and Germany. He holds a dual-degree M.P.A. in economic and political development from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and Sciences Po-Paris, as well as a B.A. in history from Columbia. You can contact Jeremy Biddle at jeremy.biddle@americanbar.org.

Francisco Ciampolini, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI’s Latin America and Caribbean Division in September 2010. He previously worked as a visiting professional at the International Criminal Court and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Ashoka Innovators for the Public, and served as a legal assistant for the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations in Geneva. He holds an LL.M. in international and comparative law from The George Washington University Law School, with additional studies in human rights law from Oxford University. Originally from Brazil, he obtained his B.A. in law from Faculdades Metropolitanas Unidas in Sao Paulo. Mr. Ciampolini is a native Portuguese speaker and is fluent in English and Spanish. You can contact Francisco Ciampolini at francisco.ciampolini@americanbar.org.

Michele Crymes, Program Manager, joined ABA ROLI in October 2011. She has more than six years of experience in program development and management for human rights, rule of law and good governance initiatives. She previously worked at Management Sciences for Development, where she focused on programs in Central and South America and in Southeast Asia. Ms. Crymes also worked at Casals & Associates, supporting anti-corruption, rule of law and conflict resolution programming, and at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section. She holds a J.D. from Wisconsin Law School, as well as an M.A. in international and comparative politics and a B.A. in Spanish literature and international affairs, both from Marquette University. She was an exchange student in Chile and Spain, and is fluent in Spanish. You can contact Michele Crymes at michelle.crymes@americanbar.org.

Ellen Davis, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI’s Europe and Eurasia Division in December 2009, covering Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. She previously interned for the division, working on programs in Central Asia. As an undergraduate at American University she helped found the university chapter of the Roosevelt Institution, a student think tank, where she served as the national policy coordinator for defense and diplomacy policy. Ms. Davis holds a B.A in international relations and political science, with a concentration in Russia and the former Soviet Union. She spent a summer semester at Moscow State University. You can contact Ellen Davis at ellen.davis@americanbar.org.

Adaku Uche Ekpo, Development Coordinator, joined ABA ROLI in June 2010. She was most recently an international development manager for Junior Achievement Worldwide; there she managed strategic relationships with multi-lateral and bi-lateral organizations including the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of State, foreign donors and international foundations.She has also worked for the Department of Commerce's U.S. Export Assistance Council in Columbus, Ohio, Ulmer & Berne, Fate Foundation in Nigeria and Junior Achievement Delaware. She grew up in Nigeria, and holds an M.A. in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law. You can reach Ms. Ekpo at adaku.ucheekpo@americanbar.org.

Sherry Garay, Business Manager, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in January 2002. Sherry currently assists with financial business management consisting of financial analysis, fiscal planning, grant review, and field based financial training. Ms. Garay also plans conferences and meetings. She has had the opportunity to work with associates in various regions plan and execute meetings, such as the ABA Rule of Law Initiative Annual Meeting. She has formerly served as finance coordinator, grants manager, and senior grants manager during her tenure with the ABA Rule of Law Initiative. You can contact Sherry Garay at sherry.garay@americanbar.org.

Hana Hausnerova, Program Manager, joined ABA ROLI in October 2009 and supports programming in Russia. Prior to joining ABA ROLI full time, she served as an intern supporting programs in Central Asia. Ms. Hausnerova holds an LL.M. in international and comparative law from George Washington University Law School, a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, and a B.S. in psychology and culture and politics from Georgetown University. Ms. Hausnerova is a native of the Czech Republic and speaks fluent Czech and Slovak. You can contact Hana Hausnerova at hana.hausnerova@americanbar.org.

Russell Howd, International Support Assistant, joined ABA ROLI in November 2010.  He joined ABA ROLI after earning his B.A. in international affairs from George Washington University in 2010 with a double concentration in international economics and international development. He also received a minor in history. He spent a semester studying in Madrid and has previous experience with the George Washington University Special Collections Department and an internship with the International Monetary Fund. You can contact Russell Howd at russell.howd@americanbar.org. 

Tessa Khan, Legal Analyst, joined the Research Office in August 2010. She previously served at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia’s Office of the Prosecutor. Her previous experience includes private practice in Australia, as well as human rights work for the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights and the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Center in India. She holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (Dist.) from the University of Oxford, where she worked for the Oxford Transitional Justice Research group. Additionally, Ms. Khan holds both LL.B. and B.A. degrees from the University of Western Australia, where she also served as a tutor in constitutional law and a guest lecturer in public international law. You can contact Tessa Khan at tessa.khan@americanbar.org.

Kristi Kontak, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI’s Europe and Eurasia Division in June 2010 and supports programming in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. She previously worked as an intern for the division. Ms. Kontak holds a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center, where she was a student attorney in the school’s immigration clinic and president of the Human Rights Alliance. During her third year of law school, she attended American University Washington College of Law to focus her studies on international human rights. She also holds a dual B.A. in psychology and German from Agnes Scott College. You can contact Kristi Kontak at kristi.kontak@americanbar.org.

Jimmy Lim, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI’s Africa Division in June 2008 and supports programming in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Prior to joining ABA ROLI, Mr. Lim interned at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and at a law firm in the Washington, D.C., area. He holds a dual B.A. degree in political science and economics from Yale University. You can contact Jimmy Lim at jimmy.lim@americanbar.org.

Yoftahe Manna, Outreach Associate, joined ABA ROLI in September 2008. He has an M.A. in communication studies from Eastern Illinois University, where he worked as a research assistant, and a B.A. in journalism and mass communication, with minor in political science, from the University of Asmara, Eritrea. Prior to attending graduate school, Mr. Manna worked as a public relations officer at the University of Asmara in Eritrea, where he helped establish an office of public relations and communications and where he taught English and public relations classes. Mr. Manna also speaks Tigrigna, Tigre and Amharic. You can contact Yoftahe Manna at yoftahe.manna@americanbar.org.

Ashley Martin, Program Manager, joined ABA ROLI in November 2010. After earning her B.A. in international/Russian studies from the College of William and Mary, she served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Far Eastern Russia, and then worked for a U.S. Agency for International Development contractor, managing projects in Russia, Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Balkans. She earned her J.D. from Vermont Law School and is licensed to practice law in Virginia. She came to ABA ROLI from a clerkship with Judge Kathryn A. Oberly at the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.You can contact Ashley martin at ashley.martin@americanbar.org.

Eva Matos, Program Assistant, joined the Africa Division in spring 2011, after working in the Middle East and North Africa Division since October 2009. Ms. Matos is a native of Caracas, Venezuela, and holds a dual B.A. in psychology and political science from George Washington University. She previously worked as an intern with ABA ROLI’s Latin America and Caribbean Division and as a research assistant for a study on co-parenting among low income teenage mothers and fathers. She is fluent in Spanish and has a working knowledge of French. You can contact Eva Matos at eva.matos@americanbar.org.

Andrew Aall McPherson, Program Manager, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in January 2007. Mr. McPherson is a native of Washington, D.C., but received his secondary education in the United Kingdom. He holds a B.A./M.A. in history and politics from the University of Edinburgh, and a graduate diploma in law from City University, London. Currently based in D.C., Mr. McPherson’s primarily duties involve providing programmatic support and oversight to the Liberia and Ethiopia programs. He previously managed programs in Nigeria and Cameroon. Mr. McPherson also serves as the deputy coordinator for the legal education reform focal area. You can contact Andrew McPherson at andrew.mcpherson@americanbar.org.

Isha Mehmood, Program Associate, joined ABA ROLI’s Asia Division in December 2010. Previously, she interned for the White House, for the National Religious Campaign against Torture and for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. She also has experience as a peace fellow in Nepal, where she worked on domestic violence and small arms issues. Ms. Mehmood received her M.S. degree in justice, law and society from American University, and a B.A. degree in communication and a B.S. degree in sociology from Virginia Tech.You can contact Isha Mehmood at isha.mehmood@americanbar.org.

Sarah Mennone, International Support Manager, joined ABA ROLI in January 2010. She earned her B.A. in international affairs from George Washington University in 2008, with a double concentration in conflict and security and Europe and Eurasia. During her junior year, she spent a semester studying in Madrid, Spain. She has previous experience as an intern with the White House, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants and Clements International. You can contact Sarah Mennone at sarah.mennone@americanbar.org.

Irina Parshikova, Program Manager, joined ABA ROLI in October 2005 and manages the Europe and Eurasia Division’s programs in the Caucasus and Moldova. Prior to joining ABA ROLI, she worked with a United Nations Development Program governance project in Sierra Leone, was a lawyer with a human rights organization and the director of a legal education program in Russia. She holds an M.P.A. degree from Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, a B.A. in political science from the University of Oregon and a degree in jurisprudence from Syktyvkar State University in Russia. You can contact Irina Parhikova at irina.parshikova@americanbar.org.

Melanie Penagos, Program Associate, Latin America and Caribbean Division, joined ABA ROLI in October 2011. She has previously worked with the National Endowment for Democracy, where she played a key role in organizing the 2010 Sixth Assembly of the Word Movement for Democracy in Jakarta, Indonesia, and most recently worked as a Program Assistant in support of the organization's grants administration. Her first professional experience was working as a consultant for Amnesty International USA. She has a B.A. in international studies (Latin American concentration) and Spanish from Towson University. Her family is from Guatemala, and she is fluent in Spanish. You can contact Melanie Penagos at melanie.penagos@americanbar.org.

Emily Perkins, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI’s Middle East and North Africa Division in November 2010 after researching international corruption and election issues for a European geopolitical consultancy. Prior to transitioning into international relations, she served most recently as a business development and program manager for Blackboard following similar roles at education and medical technology associations. Ms. Perkins holds an LL.M. degree in international law with international relations from the University of Kent’s Brussels School for International Studies, where she focused on the role of the United States in both the international legal system and Palestinian statehood. She also holds a B.A. in political science from Boston College. You can contact Emily Perkins at emily.perkins@americanbar.org.

Cameron Platt, Program Officer, has been with ABA ROLI since June 2010. He focuses on the Caucasus and Moldova within the Europe and Eurasia Division of ABA ROLI. Mr. Platt graduated from Carleton College with a B.A. in international relations. He was a co-director of the Carleton International Relations Council and spent his second year of college in China. During his time in Peace Corps from 2007–2009, Mr. Platt studied Russian and facilitated community and non-governmental organization development in Kyrgyzstan. He has focused on volunteerism promotion as well as international exchange development. You can reach Cameron Platt at cameron.platt@americanbar.org.

Brahmy Poologasingham, Program Manager, joined ABA ROLI’s Africa Division in January 2011, after serving as Special Advisor to the Director since May 2009. Ms. Poologasingham has seven years of experience in project development and finance, international business law, rule of law reform in post-conflict states and on issues of human rights and women’s rights. Ms. Poologasingham is currently responsible for oversight and implementation of ABA ROLI/South Kivu programs aimed at combating the rape crisis in eastern DRC. Since joining ABA ROLI, Ms. Poologasingham has traveled to DRC multiple times, each time traveling to various locations including Goma, Kindu, Kasongo, Bukavu, Fizi, Baraka, Uvira, Bunyakiri and Kinshasa.  Prior to joining ABA ROLI, she practiced international law in Seattle, Washington, at the law offices of K & L Gates and Dorsey & Whitney. Ms. Poologasingham’s prior human rights related legal experience includes her work for the Human Rights Commission and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. She holds a B.A., cum laude, from Brandeis University and a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law. A native of Sri Lanka, Ms Poologasingham speaks Tamil and French. You can contact Brahmy Poologasingham at bpoologasingham@staff.abanet.org.

Victoria Pratt, Administrative Assistant, joined ABA ROLI’s Asia Division in June 2011. Previously, she helped promote international clean energy cooperation through her work at the Howard Baker Forum, a public and international affairs affiliate of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC. She has also interned for the Department of Energy’s Office of Policy and International Affairs, where she worked on clean energy policy initiatives with China. She speaks Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. Ms. Pratt holds a B.S. degree in international politics: foreign policy and policy processes, and a certificate in Asian studies from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. You can contact Victoria Pratt at Victoria.Pratt@americanbar.org

Jeremy Purcell, Outreach Associate, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in January 2008 and provides web support for ABA ROLI’s various online initiatives. Prior to joining ABA ROLI in his current position, Mr. Purcell supported ABA ROLI’s anti-corruption efforts from 2004 to 2006 as a temporary Web Assistant. Mr. Purcell also worked as an associate database administrator with DigitalNet Government Solutions, providing database administration and web technical support from 2001 to 2003. You can contact Jeremy Purcell at jeremy.purcell@americanbar.org.

Kimberly Riddle, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI's Middle East & North Africa Division in February 2011 after working with the National Endowment for Democracy, where she supported the development of the organization's overall policy and strategy. For two years, she was also a program manager at a non-profit organization that serves the Vietnamese community, both domestically and internationally. There, she managed a case management program for survivors of human trafficking, torture and other trauma. Ms. Riddle received her B.A., with dual concentration in philosophy and religious studies, from the University of Virginia. She also holds a master's degree in religion, ethics and politics from Harvard University. You can contact Kimberly Riddle at kimberly.riddle@americanbar.org.

Olga Ruda, Research Coordinator, has been providing research support to ABA ROLI’s judicial reform programs worldwide since June 2004. Her primary duties include overseeing implementation of the Judicial Reform Index assessments, which analyze the compliance of national judiciaries with fundamental international standards on judicial independence. Her past experience includes research on human trafficking at Johns Hopkins University, a judicial internship at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and work with Harvard University's macroeconomic reform program in Ukraine. Olga holds a law degree from Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University and an LL.M. in International Legal Studies from Washington College of Law, American University. You can contact Olga Ruda at olga.ruda@americanbar.org.

Paulina Rudnicka, Senior Legal Analyst, joined ABA ROLI in September 2005 after completing a Frankel Fellowship at Human Rights First. Ms. Rudnicka has also worked with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights, the Jagiellonian University Human Rights Clinic and the Halina Niec Human Rights Association. Ms. Rudnicka was a Thomas Burgenthal Scholar at the George Washington University Law School, where she earned her LL.M. Before studying at George Washington University Law School, she earned a master’s of law degree from Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. You can contact Paulina Rudnicka at paulina.rudnicka@americanbar.org.

Jennifer Salen, Senior Program Manager, joined ABA ROLI’s Asia Division in May 2010, in support of the China program. She previously worked for the International Republican Institute’s China program, where she managed projects to strengthen rural women’s political participation and rights awareness, to develop the capacity of China’s emerging civil society and to engage youth in community service. Ms. Salen received her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College and an M.A. in regional studies–East Asia from Harvard University. Her prior work includes several Chinese language and educational initiatives, including the Confucius Institute at China Institute in New York. You can contact Jennifer Salen at Jen.Salen@americanbar.org

Catherine Martin Scott, Senior Program Officer, joined the Asia Division in December 2009. Ms. Scott attended Rhodes College where she obtained a B.A. in political science with a minor in international relations, focusing on comparative Asian politics. After graduation she served two years in the United States Peace Corps in Georgia. Ms. Scott's portfolio includes Cambodia and Vietnam. You can contact Catherine Martin Scott at catherine.scott@americanbar.org.

Kendall Smith, Administrative Assistant, joined ABA ROLI’s Europe and Eurasia Division in June 2010.  Kendall Smith graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2009 with a B.A. in history and international studies and a certificate in European studies. From August 2009–May 2010, she completed a conservation public policy internship program sponsored by Unilever and the Student Conservation Association. As part of the program, she spent three months at Valley Forge National Historical Park, followed by three months’ service at the Washington, D.C. office of Congressman Steve Rothman. For the final portion of her internship, she worked at the National Park Service’s Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs at the Department of the Interior. You can contact Ms. Smith at kendall.smith@americanbar.org.

Brianne Stuart, Program Manager, joined ABA ROLI’s Asia Division in November 2010. She previously worked as a law fellow for ABA ROLI’s China program in Beijing. Before joining ABA ROLI, Ms. Stuart served as a law clerk at the Massachusetts Appeals Court and at the Department of State’s Office of the Legal Adviser. She earned her J.D. from the George Washington University Law School and her B.A. in literature from the University of Dallas. Prior to law school, Ms. Stuart lived in China for two years and spent part of that time interning at a local non-governmental organization that works on HIV/AIDS-related issues in the region. You can reach Brianne Stuart at brianne.stuart@americanbar.org.

Jessie Tannenbaum, Senior Legal Analyst, conducts research and analysis primarily in the areas of anti-corruption, public integrity and judicial reform. She co-developed and implements the Detention Procedure Assessment Tool, is responsible for Judicial Reform Index assessments of the judicial sector and serves as deputy coordinator of the anti-corruption and public integrity focal area. Ms. Tannenbaum holds an LL.M. in international human rights law, summa cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School, a J.D., cum laude, from Notre Dame and a B.A., cum laude, from the University of Denver. Prior to joining ABA ROLI, Jessie was a fellow at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States. A Chicago native, she is fluent in Spanish and French and has a working knowledge of Italian and Portuguese. You can contact Jessie Tannenbaum at jessie.tannenbaum@americanbar.org.

Natacha Thys, Senior Legal Advisor, Africa Division, joined ABA ROLI in August 2009. She currently oversees ABA ROLI’s programs in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and provides expertise in the areas of women’s rights, labor, human rights and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. Prior to joining ABA ROLI, Ms. Thys served as the project director for the International Labor Rights Fund’s Rights for Working Women Campaign, which she developed in 2001. For the campaign, she worked with local partners in Africa and Latin America to combat gender-based violence in the workplace. Ms. Thys is also a human rights attorney who worked at Conrad & Scherer, LLP and as associate general counsel with International Rights Advocates. As a litigator, Ms. Thys worked on numerous cases to hold U.S. multinational corporations accountable for human rights violations committed abroad, including forced labor, trafficking in persons and sexual violence. Ms. Thys holds a J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law. You can contact Natacha Thys at natacha.thys@americanbar.org.

Jennifer Tsai, Access to Justice Advisor, works on the design and implementation of the Access to Justice Assessment Tool and related research projects. Prior to joining ABA ROLI in March 2010, Ms. Tsai worked at the Vera Institute of Justice on juvenile justice reform and assessment tool development. She also worked at International Bridges to Justice in China, an international rule of law non-governmental organization, where she founded the juvenile justice program and trained Chinese criminal defenders on universal defense strategies. She practiced law in New York for 11 years, including six years as a public defender. Ms. Tsai holds a J.D. from Cornell Law School and a B.A. from Columbia University.  She is completing an executive MPA in international development from the Wagner School at New York University.  You can contact Jennifer Tsai at jennifer.tsai@americanbar.org.

Jess Wallace, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI’s Asia Division in January 2011. Previously, Ms. Wallace was at Peace Corps headquarters, where she helped manage the Peace Corps Partnership Program, a granting program linking private sector donors to volunteer-led, community-initiated development projects worldwide. She also worked on youth development and education projects as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Georgia. Prior to her Peace Corps service, she received her B.A. degree in political science and history from the University of Pittsburgh. Ms. Wallace’s portfolio includes China and Mongolia.You can contact Jess Wallace at jessica.wallace@americanbar.org.

Jonathan Weber, Program Manager, joined ABA ROLI in April 2010 and supports programming in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Before joining ABA ROLI, Mr. Weber served as a program assistant on human rights programs in the former Soviet Union at Freedom House. He holds a B.A. in economics and a B.A. in Russian language and literature from the University of Virginia, and completed a year of postgraduate studies at St. Petersburg State University. He speaks fluent Russian. Jonathan Weber can be contacted at jonathan.weber@americanbar.org.

Ryan Whalen, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI's Africa Division in May 2011. Most recently, he lived in Cameroon while serving as a project director for an agricultural/economic development project implemented by Winrock International. Previously, Mr. Whalen worked as an agro-forestry extension agent while serving in the U.S. Peace Corps in northern Cameroon. He speaks French fluently, and has a professional knowledge of the Peul/Fulani language of West Africa. He holds a B.A. in international studies from American University.  You can contact him at ryan.whalen@americanbar.org.

Danielle Witt, Program Associate, joined ABA ROLI in November 2011 and supports programming in Russia. Previously, she worked for the Open World Program, a democracy-promotion program and independent agency of the Library of Congress focusing on strengthening civil society in former Soviet states. Ms. Witt graduated with a dual BA in International Affairs and Modern Foreign Languages, with a concentration in Russian Studies, from James Madison University, and has studied at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC. She speaks Spanish and Russian. You can contact Danielle Witt at danielle.witt@americanbar.org.

Jim Wormington, Legal Analyst, works on the development and implementation of ABA ROLI’s legal assessment tools. Prior to joining ABA ROLI, he was a barrister at QEB Hollis Whiteman Chambers in London, practicing primarily criminal and regulatory law. He has also worked at the International Crisis Group and at the War Crimes Chamber of the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has an L.L.M. from New York University and a M.A. in law from Cambridge University. He is also a proficient French speaker. You can contact Jim Wormington at jim.wormington@americanbar.org.

Claude Zullo, Senior Advisor, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative’s Middle East and North Africa Division in June 2008. Mr. Zullo has more than 11 years of professional experience in development and governance issues in Europe and Eurasia, working for organizations such as the National Democratic Institute, ABA ROLI and the Eurasia Foundation. He first began working for ABA ROLI as the regional deputy country director for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in 2004. Mr. Zullo holds a B.A. in history and international relations from Muhlenberg College and an M.A. in international political economy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. He has spent time as a fellow for the Honorable Barbara Milkulski, a consultant to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and a research assistant at the Brookings Institution. Mr. Zullo is also fluent in German, with a working knowledge of Spanish, Italian, Georgian and Russian. You can contact Claude Zullo at claude.zullo@americanbar.org.