Our Team

Kyra’s journey with PartnersGlobal began in 2017 when she was tapped for her expertise in access to justice, rule of law, and human rights issues to advance Partners’ programs and local partner capacities. Over time, she took on diverse management roles and in January 2020 became Managing Director for Program Portfolios. In this capacity, Kyra provides strategic oversight and guidance on management and program implementation across all regions and thematic areas. In January 2021, she was named Co-Executive Director.

From 2014-19, Kyra served as Senior Technical Director of New Rule, LLC, providing technical assistance across the globe while involved in all aspects of the development and growth of a woman-owned small business. She has lived in South Asia and Eastern Europe, where she advised national human rights institutions, government agencies, and community-based organizations on capacity building and citizen services delivery. Kyra launched her development career as one of the initial directors of the American Bar Association’s overseas programming. She credits this experience with igniting her passion for justice for the underserved and opening her eyes to the reality that lasting change requires long-term commitment.

Kyra is a Double Hoya – a graduate of both Georgetown University Law Center and Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. She and her husband have four children and two cats. When not traveling together (19 countries as of 2019), they play a lot of board games – very competitively – and everyone pretends to listen to Kyra pass down family lore.

Roselie joined PartnersGlobal in 2015 as Global Director for Civil Society. In this position, she played a dual role with a foot in both the regional teams and the technical support team. She provided strategic planning and oversight for the Latin America programs and played a leading role in advancing PartnersGlobal’s civil society resiliency programming and innovative Resiliency+ Framework, which offers tools and tactics to support organizations in navigating complexity and thriving in uncertainty. In 2021, Roselie was promoted to Co-Executive Director.

She began her career in Moscow as a PR manager on the first USAID public-private partnership promoting distance learning for staff of Russian-American joint ventures.  From there she spent several years working at the intersection of capacity-building, advocacy, and entrepreneurial skill-building, often in politically challenging and conflict-affected environments.  She has designed and led multiple projects, including as Country Director and Chief of Party for programs to build organizational sustainability and resiliency through soft diplomacy, social entrepreneurship, public-private partnerships, and alternative revenue generation in fragile and volatile states.  She has worked across Russia and Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Among her achievements, she created a sustainable civil society capacity building program in Central Asia, worked to empower women social entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia, and built a network of women’s health advocates across nine countries in the Middle East and North Africa. She also launched and led her own small business delivering last mile connectivity solutions for civil society organizations.

Holding a master’s in international communications, Roselie approaches her work through a lens of strategic communications and entrepreneurial thinking.

Rasha started her journey with the Partners Network in 2009. She first worked at PartnersJordan for around eight years then joined PartnersGlobal team in 2019 as the Director of Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and Civil Society Strengthening. Prior to her work at Partners Network, she worked at the private sector for couple of years, and with other local and international organizations.

Rasha is a catalyst for change and is driven to make a difference through advocating for human rights issues and for safe and resilient environments for women, youth, human rights activists, and marginalized communities. That’s what resonates with her about Partners Network and PartnersGlobal work.

Passionately throughout her career, Rasha worked with civil society organizations and activists around the world to amplify their voices, increase citizen participation in decision making processes, advocate for human rights, and create innovative solutions to community issues. She is part of a diverse network of activists and civil society organizations around the globe, and she helped establishing networks in the MENA region and lead many advocacy campaigns and initiatives on social accountability, governance, transparency, anti-corruption, defending civic space, and a variety of awareness raising campaigns.

Rasha serves on the Board of Directors for Amnesty International – USA for the 2022-2025 term. In 2022, she was recognized as one of the Arab America Foundation’s 40 under 40. Rasha holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, a Community Organizing Certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School, and abachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Jordan.

Manal joined PartnersGlobal in February 2020 as a Finance Associate for the Middle East and North of Africa (MENA) programs. She provides financial leadership and oversight of the financial aspects of multiple programs including leads and proposals, start-up, implementation, and control, monitoring and evaluation, close-out, and cross-cutting functions.

Her journey with the Partners Network started first with PartnersYemen in 2009 until 2015 where she worked as an HR and Finance Manager. Prior to that she worked with National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) Yemen in finance and operations and contributed to programs implementation with local CSOs in the field. She also worked for five years in finance and operations for a travel agency.

Originally from Yemeni descent, Manal was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where she earned her Associate Degree in Marketing and Management from Commercial College of Addis Ababa University. She moved in 2004 to Yemen where she earned her Bachelor of Arts (BA) English literature from Al Andalous University. Manal has extensive training in conflict analysis and resolution, security management and crisis leadership, first aid, basic ticketing, and intermediate a peroration at Yemenia Airways- Yemen. She also spent earning a several credit hours in Accounting for Non-Accountants.

Manal likes to spend her free time cooking, traveling, visiting historical places, and learning about new cultures. She also loves dancing and movies.

Samuel Basa joined PartnersGlobal in 2021 as Executive Coordinator. In this capacity, Sam supports the leadership team, provides overall administration and office management for the organization, and supports communications and marketing efforts. Sam graduated from Chowan University with a Bachelors’ in Graphic Communications.  He has extensive experience in administration, graphic design, and theatre management.

In his spare time, Sam enjoys the fine arts especially theatre, visiting the many art spaces in DC, and playing RPGs with friends.

Pascal Boctor has served as a Senior Program Associate for the Middle East and North Africa team (MENA) since 2023. In his role, Pascal assists on Partners’ Iraq and Yemen portfolio and provides secondary support to Partners’ overall MENA portfolio. Prior to joining Partners, Pascal worked at several NGO’s, think tanks, and lobbying organizations, focusing mostly on issues related to U.S.-MENA foreign policy and national security.

Pascal earned his BA in International Studies with a minor in Middle East studies from the University of San Francisco and his Masters in Public Policy with a focus on global politics and security from Georgetown University. He is fluent in French, Arabic, and English and is intermediate in Spanish.

Pascal is inspired by Partners‘ commitment to promoting locally led solutions, particularly as it relates to peacebuilding and conflict resolution issues.

Analucía Partida Borrego is a Program Manager for the Global Initiatives team at PartnersGlobal.  In this role, Analucía manages projects on conflict transformation and civil society strengthening in Latin America and provides support to the civil society resilience portfolio.

Since 2010, Analucía has worked on local dialogue processes, narratives and depolarization, and conflict prevention research in Latin America and the Middle East. Prior to joining Partners, she worked as program manager and dialogue facilitator for the Latin America Unit at Berghof Foundation, where she focused on multi-track dialogue processes. Other previous experiences include human rights protection and conflict prevention in Mexico, and conflict and protest research in Egypt.

Analucía is a passionate advocate of creating spaces for inclusive dialogue and reflection processes. She has written about depolarizing narratives, power and discourse and art-led activism. She holds an M.A. in International Affairs from the Institut d’etudes Politiques de Paris and B.A. degrees in Peace and Conflict Studies and Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Alexa is a Program Manager of the PartnersGlobal Civil Society Resilience portfolio, focusing on increasing the resilience of civil society organizations in closing civic spaces.

Before joining PartnersGlobal, Alexa was a Technical Specialist at IREX where she designed and led trainings pertaining to social inclusion, gender equality, trauma-informed care, and resilience and security for human rights defenders in closing and closed spaces. Alexa also managed human rights programs that focused on strengthening the resilience and security of LGBTQ+ and women human rights defenders in the MENA region, women’s rights advocates across the globe, anti-trafficking activists and journalists in Southeast Asia. Prior to IREX, Alexa was Director of Advancement at a Virginia-based NGO, Sudan Sunrise, in which she directed peacebuilding efforts and reconciliation projects in Sudan and South Sudan. Alexa also researched and analyzed security developments pertaining to refugee crises in the Middle East region, including at The Jerusalem Fund in Washington, D.C.

Alexa earned her Masters of Arts in Middle East and Islamic Studies from George Mason University and a Graduate Certificate in Trauma-Informed Care from the University at Buffalo.

In addition to her work at PartnersGlobal, Alexa is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu grappler, aspiring photographer, and lover of nature.

Julianyth has served as Sr. Finance Manager since 2024. She is an accomplished finance and operations professional specializing in sustainable development programs. With a wealth of experience in implementing projects across the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, Julianyth has worked within institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Organization of American States (OAS), and the private sector. Julianyth’s expertise lies in providing comprehensive project management, overseeing financial aspects of portfolios, including budget development, data analysis, project preparation and implementation, program goal monitoring, and negotiations with international institutions, governments, and private sector entities. Julianyth holds a B.S. in Accounting, a master’s degree in International Business Management; and specializations in Business and Financial Modeling and Corporate Finance.

Henriatha Che has served as the Senior Associate Procurement and Contracts at Partners’ Global since July 2024. In this position, Henriatha manages procurement processes, ensuring compliance with organizational policies and fostering efficient contract management. She plays a key role in streamlining procurement operations, maintaining strong vendor relationships, and negotiating favorable contract terms. 

Henriatha previously worked with Population Services International (PSI) in Washington, D.C., in coordinating procurement processes ranging from strategic sourcing to contract implementation, amidst other services. Prior to that, she was a Contract Specialist at Dunamis Infotech in Beltsville, MD. Henriatha believes that her work will be impactful in enabling Partners’ Global to fulfil its mission of fostering resilient communities and sustainable development globally. 

Cesia Delcid Hernandez is the Human Resources and Talent Management Coordinator. In this role, Cesia provides support for the HR functions, including talent acquisition, onboarding and offboarding processes, employee and labor relations, performance management, and HR systems data entry and reporting.

Cesia has recently graduated from the University of Maryland, with a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics (International Relations Track). In addition, she completed a study abroad semester at the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico where she focused her studies in human rights and judicial interpretation, and conflict negotiation in Latin American and Europe. Cesia has previously served as a Community Outreach Assistant with Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP) in Silver Spring, MD, where she provided translation and general support for low-income families applying for assistance programs. Prior to that she has served as an intern and volunteer with many organizations including the International Rescue Committee, the Library of Congress, and Students Helping Honduras.

As a Human Resources & Talent Management Coordinator, Cesia is excited to support PartnersGlobal’s mission by fostering a collaborative and inclusive workplace culture.

Born and raised in West Africa, Assita started working with PartnersGlobal in early 2018. Before Partners, Assita lived in Paris, France where she completed her Master’s degree in Financial Management and worked with Aviva France. Prior to this, Assita lived in Bamako, Mali where she attained her Bachelor’s degree in Management.

She is responsible for providing administrative and financial support to the Africa team, ensuring smooth and timely flow of work. She also supports Partners West Africa Centers in Senegal and Nigeria as well as PartnersGlobal’s subgrantees in Guinea, Senegal and Burkina Faso

Assita finds joy in reading and cooking, but mostly in spending time with her two handsome sons. They particularly enjoy taking trips to the library.

Luis has been part of the Partners Network since 2008, starting his career at our sister organization in Mexico, Centro de Colaboración Cívica (CCC), where he served as a facilitator for complex multi-stakeholder dialogue processes and Director for the Citizen Security and Human Rights portfolio. He joined the PartnersGlobal team in 2015, bringing to the organization a deep level of technical and regional expertise. He has experienced firsthand the power of dialogue and believes deeply in positive conflict transformation.

At PartnersGlobal, Luis oversees Partners’ Civil Society Resilience portfolio as well as the organization’s peacebuilding and democracy-building programs in Latin America and the Caribbean. He is one of the organization’s lead trainers and focal point persons for civil society capacity-building and conflict resolution, providing support to other regional teams and leading different global consultancies. He has a decade of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating multi stakeholder dialogue, negotiation, and consensus-building processes and platforms concerning human rights, access to justice, and human security policies and laws, as well as designing organizational change management processes and supporting civil society organizations to undertake those processes.

Luis earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations from Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas in Mexico City and his Master of Arts in Development Studies with a specialization in Crises, Emergency Interventions, and Development Actions from Université Panthéon – Sorbonne in Paris.

In addition to his work at PartnersGlobal, Luis is an avid reader and chef, as well as an aspiring potter.

Max has served as a Program Associate for the Powered by the People (PxP) project since the beginning of 2024. In this position Max is responsible for providing program wide support to the PxP team. In addition, he is involved in the design and implementation of the Evidence-Based Reflection, Evaluation, and Learning Plan. Prior to joining PartnersGlobal, Max served as the Program Officer for the Congressional Award Foundation.  

He earned his BA in International Studies with a focus on Peace, Global Security, and Conflict Resolution from American University, a MA in International Affairs and Comparative and Regional Studies from the School of International Service at American University. 

Max is inspired by PartnersGlobal’s Resiliency+ framework and the idea of providing localized support to movements in order to strengthen their capacity in the pursuit of democratic change. 

Jessica has served as Program Manager with the Global Initiatives team at PartnersGlobal since May 2022. In this position, Jessica supports the civil society resilience portfolio. She primarily manages the Civil Society Resilience Activity (CSRA) in Serbia—a five-year project funded by USAID and SDC, and implemented by PartnersGlobal together with five local and international organizations. The project seeks to improve the legal environment for civil society, public understanding of civil society’s contributions to the development of Serbian society, and the ability of civil society in Serbia to be more transparent, accountable, and representative of its constituents.

Before joining PartnersGlobal, Jessica was a Program Manager at an international nonprofit where she managed the implementation of public, private, and foundation grants in Nigeria and Belarus. In Nigeria, Jessica managed an agriculture and education program to build the resilience of smallholder farming communities through improved agricultural practices and increased access to finance and income diversification opportunities for women and youth. In Belarus, she managed the implementation of a business education program that aimed to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem by establishing regional business education centers, start-up competitions, and women and youth networking groups.

Jessica earned her MA in International Peace & Conflict Resolution from American University and a BA in Anthropology & Sociology from Lewis & Clark College.

Jessica is inspired by PartnersGlobal’s approach of fostering collaboration and partnership. She believes that the greatest and most sustainable positive impact is grounded in strong trust and collaboration that effectively leverages the strengths and resources of each partner.

Originally from South Texas, Edith joined PartnersGlobal in August 2019 as the organization’s first Human Resources Leader. Edith received her BA in Political Science and Latin American Studies from Baylor University, and her MA in Public Administration in Human Resources Management and Legal/Judicial Administration from Texas State University. Prior to joining PartnersGlobal, Edith managed the Talent Management and Human Resources functions for large and mid-size corporations across the United States, Mexico, and Canada in industries including real estate, retail, and legal services.

Samir has served as a Program Associate – Powered by the People (PxP) since 2024. In this position, Samir is responsible for executing a variety of programmatic support services and administrative tasks to support the operations, finance, and programs teams regarding the day-to-day implementation of the PxP activity.

Prior to joining PartnersGlobal, Samir was a Professional Exchange Programs Intern at FHI 360 in their Global Connections department. In that role, Samir provided support for multiple international exchange programs, including the International Visitor Leadership Program. He earned his Bachelor of Arts as a double major in Political Science and History from Miami University. Samir also received a Master of Arts in International Affairs with a concentration in Conflict Resolutionfrom George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.

Samir is inspired by the vision PartnersGlobal works toward, a world where civil society thrives, change is managed peacefully, rights are protected, and democracy can flourish.

Christian Labossiere joined PartnersGlobal as an intern for the Africa Team in February 2021. After a year, Christian was offered a Program Associate position to assist with the implementation of the Africa Team’s current security governance and gender equity initiatives.

Upon graduating from Florida State University with a Bachelor’s in French and International Affairs, Christian spent a few months volunteering in Port au Prince, Haiti before joining the US Peace Corps in 2018. As a Peace Corps volunteer in South Africa, Christian supported his school and community by teaching English and Creative Arts full-time and collaborating with local partners to apply for infrastructure funding for the school itself. Christian’s Peace Corps service was cut a few months short due to COVID evacuations but by this time he had already been accepted into Georgetown University’s MA Conflict Resolution Program.

Christian has in M.A. from Georgetown University with a degree in peacebuilding, mediation, negotiations and diplomacy. In his free time, Christian enjoys gaming with friends, watching science documentaries, and reading books on consciousness and meditation.

Negalegne joined PartnersGlobal as a “Powered by the People (PxP) Project” fellow. Before joining Partners, he worked at the Embassy of Ethiopia in Washington, D.C., primarily in political and public diplomacy sections. He helped strengthen bilateral relations between the US and Ethiopia in this role. He also contributed to augmenting the enhanced role of D.C.-based think tanks in Ethiopia’s peace and reconciliation process. Negalegne also worked at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign in different portfolios.  

Negalegne holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Addis Ababa University and a graduate diploma in Diplomacy and International Affairs from the Ethiopian Foreign Service Institute.  

Currently, Negalegne is pursuing his Master’s in Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, concentrating on International Peace studies.  

Rachna joins PartnersGlobal as an experienced strategic communications manager, focusing on impact storytelling and organizational marketing. As the organization’s sole dedicated communications personnel, she is responsible for leading communications for USAID’s Powered by the People project as well as supporting executive and organization-wide marketing and branding. In addition, she leads stakeholder engagement and management of the esteemed Partners’ Network, providing partners with strategic communications and coordination support. Prior to joining PartnersGlobal, Rachna worked with clients around the world on sustainability communications, policy and project management.

She earned her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Rochester, and a M.A. in International Affairs: Global Governance, Politics and Security from American University.

Rachna is dedicated to working at the intersection of global sustainability and international development, implementing solutions that drive sustainable outcomes for people and the planet.

Amy joined Partners in February 2024, inspired by its commitment to supporting those on the frontlines of rights-based movements and the potential of Powered by the People to enable collective action that advances human rights, social justice, democracy, and inclusive development.

Amy brings over 20 years of experience facilitating global networks and partnerships, delivering programs that strengthen civic action, and advocating for practices that make social good organizations more effective and accountable to the people we serve. She’s held varied leadership roles, working for and with Accountable Now, CIVICUS, Global Integrity, and WINGS.

Originally from the United States, Amy has spent most of the past two decades living in Sub-Saharan Africa. She is a lifelong learner and explorer, actively seeking opportunities to expand her understanding of cross-cutting issues for civil society, from civic space and corruption to climate justice and technology. Amy completed an MA in sustainable international development at Brandeis University.

Hajar Moutawakkil serves as a Program Manager for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at PartnersGlobal since December 2023. In this position, Hajar, Leads, evaluates, and coordinates cross-projects’ process and implementation, her strategic guidance to teams is aimed at promoting and aligning activities with PartnersGlobal’s culture, ensuring successful delivery of programs. 

In addition to her role at PartnersGlobal Hajar is an accomplished Linguist, and Community outreach at Arab America Foundation where she excels in orchestrating diverse community events. Her strengths lie in demonstrating cultural awareness, steering event logistics, and fostering partnerships.  

Her prior role as Program Coordinator at the UAE Embassy, Washington, DC spearheaded daily operations, showcasing excellence in program coordination and project management. Her diverse journey also includes serving as Arabic Language Specialist at Berlitz Corporation, and Intellects Solutions Advisors, teaching Modern standard Arabic, various Arabic dialects, conducting language testing, managing several language programs, and providing cultural training. 

Beyond her language skills, cultural proficiency, and 12+ years in the professional arena, Hajar holds a BS degree in Corporate Accounting from Institut Spécialisé de Technologie Appliquée, Casablanca, Morocco, as well as other certifications.  

Hajar found alignment in PartnersGlobal that resonates with her passion for Human Rights, Civil Rights and Peace Building. She is driven in her commitment to contribute to these meaningful causes within the organization and beyond. 

With over a decade of experience in financial management and analysis, Mustafa Rezaie joined PartnersGlobal as a Finance Manager in July 2024. In this role, he oversees day-to-day financial operations, including financial analysis, reporting, budgeting and forecasting, grant management, and financial system data entry.

Before joining PartnersGlobal, Mustafa successfully managed financial operations for government and large non-profit organizations such as Heifer International, ACTED, and the Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan including projects funded by USAID and the World Bank. Mustafa has extensive experience in data analysis, budgeting, financial reporting, and compliance with large organizations where he played a key role in developing financial models and maintaining internal controls.

Mustafa holds a Master’s degree in International Development Policy from Duke University with a focus on financial policy and a Master’s in Finance and Accounting from Balkh University. He earned his Bachelor’s in Commerce from Pune University and holds a Project Management for Professional Development Certificate from PMD Pro Foundation.

As a Rotary Peace Fellow, Mustafa is inspired by PartnersGlobal’s mission to advance resilient civic space and foster democracy through locally led approaches. He is dedicated to using his financial management expertise to contribute to the success of PartnersGlobal with strategic financial insights and a commitment to excellence.

Jawad Noori has started as Director of Monitoring and Evaluation since October 2023. In this position, Jawad, serves as the lead and supervising technical expert on M&E for PartnersGlobal, shaping how Partners activities can create maximum impact and how that impact can be diligently and accurately reported on for key stakeholders. In addition, Jawad will Provide technical leadership in the development and implementation of the Power by the People project’s MEL strategy, including the activity monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan; and collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) processes to create, capture, organize, share, and apply knowledge and evidence to strengthen social movement ecosystems.

Prior to joining Partners, Jawad worked at Winrock International, as Associate Director for a global project on Combating Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking funded by US Department of Labor. In addition, Jawad has been supporting multiple large, scaled USAID projects around the world from Washington DC and the country level.

Jawad hold a bachelor’s in business administration with focus on Human Resource Management and MBA from Bakhater University of Afghanistan.

Jawad draws inspiration from PartnersGlobal’s mission to empower Civil Societies and networks globally, fostering resilience and promoting civic activism. He channels his passion for data collection and information sharing towards facilitating informed decision-making.

Bridget is a native of the Boston area and started working at PartnersGlobal in 2013 as an intern while pursuing her Master of Arts in Latin American Studies at Georgetown University. She previously lived and worked in Maracaibo, Venezuela as a Fulbright Fellow.

As Director for Business Development, Bridget provides strategic leadership for Partners’ business development efforts. Her role includes developing and leading knowledge management processes, building and sustaining external partnerships, supporting new programmatic and funding opportunities, and coaching and mentoring team members and local partners. Bridget is an experienced trainer and facilitator in English and Spanish and leads PartnersGlobal’s Facilitating Accountability, Integrity, and Resilience approach, which supports local civil society and governments to jointly counter corruption and increase transparency in all aspects of governance. In addition to her official duties, Bridget takes pride in making Partners a better place to work and believes strongly in the power of teamwork, collaboration, and playfulness.

In her free time, she enjoys going on adventures, testing new and ever more elaborate recipes, and pretending that her cat and dog get along.

Jeffsky Poincy joined PartnersGlobal in August of 2021 as a Program Manager for the Africa portfolio. As a Program Manager, Jeffsky works with local implementing partners and Partners Network members based in the region on projects in accountable governance, civil society strengthening, and peacebuilding.

Jeffsky comes to PartnersGlobal with a rich background in project management and diverse technical expertise. He has over seven years of experience in economic development, strategic planning, program management, and policy development across public, private, and NGO sectors. He has worked for organizations such as Plan International, the Haitian Ministry of Tourism, and the Haitian Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Civic Action. In addition, he is the Founder of BUSY (Business-driven Solutions for Youth), a Haitian-based economic development organization whose mission is to promote and foster economic empowerment of marginalized youth in Haiti.

Jeffsky has a Master of International Development Policy from Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, focusing on Governance and Economic Development. He also obtained a master’s degree in International Project Management and a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management from the People’s Friendship University of Russia. He is fluent in English, French, Haitian Creole, and Russian. In addition to his work at Partners, Jeffsky is a passionate and committed advocate for social justice.

Alex currently serves as the Managing Director (Chief of Party) of PartnersGlobal’s Powered by the People initiative, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Democracy, Rights, and Governance Bureau. As the single largest grant, to date, awarded in support of citizen action and social movements by USAID, this $45 million, 5-year initiative sets out to redefine global development practices.

Prior to this, he was at The SEEP Network from 2019 until 2022, as its Executive Director. In this capacity, he supported SEEP’s team in the execution of programmes and initiatives, keeping focused on innovation and transformation of the Network. Alex has also held leadership positions at CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation and Counterpart International. He holds a Doctorate from the Peabody College of Education at Vanderbilt University. His research focused on social change processes through institutional (primarily vocational education) reform and improvement discipline in fledgling democratic and transitioning market economies.

Born in Iran, he and his family have benefited first-hand from the important role citizen action and community organisations play in improving lives especially at times of crisis. He became a refugee at the age of 8, and spent formative years in refugree camps across Europe. He spent a good part of his adult life in Armenia—his ancestral homeland—where he worked with and learned from local leaders as they forged a new path after independence from the Soviet Union. He is passionate about figuring out how human beings can have a louder, more powerful voice and unhindered agency in what happens to their lives and in their communities.

Ferishta Stanekzai has served as Finance Manager at PartnersGlobal since 2024. In this position, she oversees day to day program financial activities, including financial budgeting and forecasting, financial review and analysis, and timely financial reporting, for Powered by the People (PxP) program.   

Ferishta offers a strong background across a broad spectrum of functions within the Finance industry. She has managed multiple projects simultaneously in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments. She possesses strong collaborative skills, and thrive within diverse, multicultural teams.  

Prior to joining PartnersGlobal, she served in finance roles with Population Services International, Democracy International and University Research Company.  

Ferishta holds a B.B.A from Preston university in Pakistan and a M.B.A from California Coast University in the US. She is fluent in Dari and Pashto and speaks conversational Urdu. Outside of work she enjoys doing charity work. 

Cara has served as the Senior Business Development Associate at PartnersGlobal since 2023. In this position, Cara supports the organization’s business development efforts globally. In addition to her primary job functions, Cara also contributes to overall knowledge and relationship management with local implementing organizations and partners, as well as internal and external communications. Cara has previously worked with local NGOs across Africa where she supported business development and program implementation in the international development field, particularly in Ghana, Malawi, Uganda, and Sudan. Cara holds a Master’s degree in Humanitarianism, Aid and Conflict from SOAS, University of London, as well as Bachelor’s degrees in Government and Applied Mathematics from The College of William and Mary. Cara is inspired by PartnersGlobal’s work in supporting locally-led development efforts in democracy- and peacebuilding, particularly regarding women.

Bisrat Yohannes is the Deputy Chief Financial Officer at PartnersGlobal with a key role in financial management, financial forecasting and planning, development of relevant financial information, and timely financial reporting. He assists the CFO in developing internal control policies, guidelines, and procedures as well as establishing and maintaining an infrastructure that supports future stable growth and ensure that highest standards of financial integrity are being attained.

Before joining PartnersGlobal, Bisrat worked at Helen Keller International as program finance manager overseeing everyday program financial activities for multimillion-dollar programs funded by USAID and private foundations. He has extensive experience in all aspects of financial management ranging from simple accounting to complex financial management.

Bisrat holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting with more than 15 years of experience. Originally from Ethiopia, he enjoys reading books and playing/watching sport in his free time.

Jacqueline is a lawyer, feminist and a social development thought leader. She is the Founder and CEO of CivSource Africa, a philanthropy support organization, which works to influence philanthropic practice in Africa. She is working to shape narratives about giving, generosity and philanthropy in Africa. She, and by extension, CivSource, does this through story telling, research on African philanthropy, capacity support to community foundations and advocacy to address the power and resource imbalance in the global philanthropy sector.

Jacqueline serves on the boards of various social justice organizations.

When she is not at work, Jacqueline is a nature junkie and loves any place with water or trees. She is also a prolific reader and loves to dance!

Biljana has served as the Chief of Party for Serbia Civil Society Resilience Strengthening Activity at PartnersGlobal since September 2023. In this position, Biljana is responsible for providing leadership, management, representational, and operational oversight of the activity, including maintaining strong partnership and dialogue with USAID Mission staff in Belgrade.

Biljana brings over 20 years of experience in program management, strategic planning, organizational development, fundraising and partnerships, and cross-sector cooperation. Biljana has previously served as the Executive Director for Trag Foundation from 2014 to 2023, where she oversaw institutional development and operations, guiding the organization in its mission to promote active citizenship, local philanthropy, and community development across the Balkans. She successfully led the efforts to establish the first endowment fund for civil society in the Balkans. Prior to her tenure at Trag Foundation, she’s held various senior roles working at the Balkan Trust for Democracy of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence, Pax Christi Netherlands and other.

Biljana studied History at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy. An alumna of the Vital Voices Global Leadership Network, she continues to share her knowledge and experience in several mentoring programs.

Biljana believes in the power of collective action and finds inspiration in citizen-led initiatives coming together to create positive changes in their communities.

Emilija has served as Finance Assistant since 2022. In this position Emilija supports the day-today financial aspects of the project, including reviewing consortium partner financial reporting, developing, and modifying budgets, reviewing project activity expenditures, and responding to questions from consortium partners and external auditors. In addition, she maintains physical and electronic filing system for accounting records, review of all support documentation for the Monthly Expense reports from sub-recipients, consultants, and other contractors, process payments in checks and wire transfers in a timely manner, resolve finance-related queries.

Prior to joining PartnersGlobal Emilija worked in banking for 4 years, she worked as an adviser for population, established business relations with clients of individuals and legal entities, controlled documentation, carried out organization and coordination in the branch.

She graduated in management from the Academy of Business and Professional Studies in Belgrade.

Aleksandar has served as the Program Officer at the Belgrade office since December 2023. As Civil Society Specialist, he is responsible for working with civil society organizations in Serbia via the CSRA project, and with a focus on providing support via R+ grants program.

Aleksandar is member of cultural and storytelling network connecting artists and activists from Europe and the MENA region. He has a radio show on travelling and anthropology, as well as blog on archaeology and anthropology.

Prior to joining PartnersGlobal, Aleksandar worked as consultant on European Union development and capacity-building projects in Serbia, as well as researcher on civil society issues in the Western Balkans.

He earned her BA in Political Science and International Relations from Belgrade University, a MA in Anthropology from Ecole des hauted etudes en sciences sociales (EHESS) in Paris.

Aleksandar is inspired by PartnersGlobal’s mission of locally led development and believes in small steps that bring the change.

Tihomir has served as Finance Manager at PartnersGlobal since 2023. In this position, Tihomir is responsible for supporting project partners and finances. He has previously served as Finance and Grants Senior Officer with USAID project and Finance Manager with international environmental organization. Tihomir holds a bachelor’s degree in finance management from Educons University and specialist degree in Crisis Management from Faculty of security studies. He is inspired by the achieving civil society to become an important partner to all.

Milica Skiljevic has served as the Deputy Chief of Party on the USAID Civil Society Resilience Activity since July 2022. In this position, Milica provides technical oversight for the programs designed to build the resilience of civil society to new and emerging civic space challenges, and coordinates the efforts related to the improvement of the enabling environment for civil society development in Serbia.

Milica brings her knowledge and over 10 years of experience in civil society development and collaboration with institutions. Her work over the past couple of years has focused on project development and management, strategic development of partnerships and networks with CSOs, and international partners. She was an elected representative in relevant national, regional, and European youth structures, such as the National Youth Council of Serbia, and the Regional Youth Cooperation Office.

Milica earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Political Sciences.

The motivation and drive in her work comes from the direct encounters with community driven initiatives and the transformative potential of ordinary people coming together.

Jelena has served as an Administrative Assistant at PartnersGlobal since July 2024. In this position, Jelena is responsible for conducting the procurement process in compliance with PartnersGlobal and USAID regulations and supporting the team in daily operations. In addition, she oversees administrative support of the project and its activities, such as event management, scheduling, travel arrangements, and related tasks.

Prior to joining PartnersGlobal, Jelena worked with international companies and small to medium local enterprises in different industries including IT, retail, consulting, and real estate. Thanks to that versatility, she gained 10-year experience on a wide range. Jelena earned her B.Sc. in economics in Belgrade, Serbia, and afterward specialized in marketing in Florence, Italy.

Jelena is inspired by PartnersGlobal’s mission to support civil society resilience and create an enabling environment in Serbia, her home country. She is delighted by the opportunity to professionally contribute to the Project.