Washington, D.C. Staff

Rob Boone, Director, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative on August 1, 2007. Mr. Boone returns to Washington, D.C. following six and a half 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 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, specialized in complex commercial litigation in New York City before joining ABA ROLI as a liaison to Uzbekistan, where he focused on judicial and legal profession reform issues. He later served as ABA ROLI’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, based in Washington, D.C., he began serving as the director of ABA ROLI’s programs in the former Soviet Union. From 2000–2006, Mr. Maya served both as the deputy director of Central European and Eurasia Law Initiative and as the director of its programs in the former Soviet Union. He has served as deputy director of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative since 2006. In addition to a decade of experience managing programs in Europe and Eurasia, and to a lesser degree the Middle East and North Africa, Mr. Maya also has direct experience managing programs in Asia and Africa. Mr. Maya conceived and spearheaded the development of the following ROLI assessment tools: the Legal Profession Reform Index, the Legal Education Reform Index, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women Assessment Tool, and the Human Trafficking Assessment Tool. He is a frequent commentator on rule of law issues in the developing world, with interviews appearing in such publications as the Wall Street Journal and on radio networks such as National Public Radio (All Things Considered) and the Pacifica Radio Network. He also lectures regularly on rule of law issues both in the U.S. and abroad. Mr. Maya speaks Spanish and basic Russian. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a J.D. from Cornell University. You can contact Michael Maya at <mmaya@staff.abanet.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 <ibock@staff.abanet.org>.

Simon Conté, Director of Research and Program Development, 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 <sconte@staff.abanet.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 <aconway@staff.abanet.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 <denninga@staff.abanet.org>.

Mary Greer, Senior Criminal Law Advisor, 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. Mary has a B.A. in political science from Benedictine College in Atchison, KS, and a J.D. from St. Louis University. Before joining ABA ROLI, Mary practiced criminal 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. You can contact Mary Greer at <mgreer@staff.abanet.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. and from the University of Arizona. He speaks Spanish fluently. You can contact Michael McCullough at <mmccullough@staff.abanet.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 <jrasmussen@staff.abanet.org>.

Donna Wright, Director of the Europe and Eurasia Division, worked as a civil defense litigator in Mississippi before joining ABA ROLI in 2002 as a liaison in Uzbekistan. She also served as a liaison in Kyrgyzstan and as a country director in Albania. In 2004, Ms. Wright joined USAID as the regional democracy advisor for the Central Asia Republics, and she later served as USAID’s gender and cross-cutting issues advisor in Afghanistan. In 2007, she rejoined ABA ROLI as country director for Georgia. Her areas of expertise include trafficking in persons, judicial reform, bar association development and proposal writing. Ms. Wright holds a B.S. from the University of Southern Mississippi and a J.D. from Mississippi College School of Law.

 

Clayton Adams, Program Associate for Central Asia, joined ABA ROLI in May 2008 and supports programming in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. He is a graduate of Georgia State University where he earned a B.A. in political science with a concentration in international affairs. While studying in Atlanta, Mr. Adams also worked with the Carter Center’s democracy and Americas programs, where he helped monitor elections in Asia, Africa and Latin America. He also interned with the American Civil Liberties Union where he worked on gender issues, voter identification awareness campaigns and freedom of information initiatives. You can contact Clayton Adams at <cadams@staff.abanet.org>.

Daniel Adams, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI in June 2008 and supports programming in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Prior to working with ABA ROLI, he served as a research assistant at the Open Society Institute where he provided research and editing support on a soon-to-be-published book on democracy promotion in U.S. foreign policy. Mr. Adams also has served as a program assistant at Democracy International Inc, a USAID contractor that specializes in democracy and governance issues. He holds a B.A. in political science and international relations from the University of California, Davis and an M.A. in democracy and governance from Georgetown University. You can contact Daniel Adams at <dadams@staff.abanet.org>.

Brenner (Brie) Allen, Legal Analyst, has been with ABA ROLI since September 2006. She currently works as a legal analyst, developing and implementing legal research projects to complement ABA ROLI’s global programming. Her primary focuses are human rights and access to justice, as well as legal profession reform. Ms. Allen has a B.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. While in law school she served as Executive Editor of the North Carolina Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation and worked at the Center for International Legal Studies in Salzburg, Austria. You can contact Brie Allen at <ballen@staff.abanet.org>.

Geoffrey Bentz, Director, Information Technology, started with the 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 <gbentz@staff.abanet.org>.

Laura Berger, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI in August 2007 and supports programming in Serbia, Kosovo, Moldova and Bosnia. Prior to joining ABA ROLI, Ms. Berger served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Macedonia, where she worked with local non-governmental organizations on capacity building. She holds a B.S. from the University of Dayton and an M.P.A., with concentration in international development management and nonprofit management, from the George Washington University. You can contact Laura Berger at <bergerl@staff.abanet.org>.

Ashley Burgin, Program Associate, joined ABA ROLI’s Middle East and North Africa Division in January 2008. Ms. Burgin holds a B.A. in history, cum laude, with a minor in Spanish from Davidson College in North Carolina. She recently returned from a year of teaching English in China. Ms. Burgin previously worked with Finlay Development LLC, an affordable housing developer. She also interned with the marketing firm Addison Whitney Inc. in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversational Mandarin. You can contact Ashley Burgin at <aburgin@staff.abanet.org>.

Rabya Chaudhry, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI in February 2006. Prior to joining ABA ROLI, she helped to create a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to raise funding for an orphanage and all girls’ school in rural Pakistan. Ms. Chaudhry holds a B.S. from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. Ms. Chaudhry helps manage ABA ROLI’s programs in Nepal and Thailand, as well as the Regional Anti-Corruption Advisor program. You can contact Rabya Chaudhry at <chaudhrr@staff.abanet.org>.

Callie Danehey, Program Associate, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in July 2006. Ms. Danehey holds a B.A. in international affairs, with a minor in history and a concentration in Eastern Europe and Russia, from George Washington University. Ms. Danehey previously interned in the Washington, D.C. offices of Congressman Richard Gephardt and for the Internews Network. She also worked with Briggs Passport and Visa Expeditors. You can contact Callie Danehey at <cdanehey@staff.abanet.org>.

Jennifer Denton-Jafari, Program Manager, works on ABA ROLI’s Regional Institution Building Program and serves as co-coordinator of the gender issues focal area. She joined ABAROLI in February 2002. Ms. Denton-Jafari holds a B.A. degree in political science, with a minor in gender studies, and an M.A. in international development from American University. Prior to joining the ABA ROLI, she worked at a domestic violence shelter in Zimbabwe and at the National Capital Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. You can contact Jennifer Denton-Jafari at <jdenton@staff.abanet.org>.

Kathryn Farrell, Administrative Assistant for the Asia, Africa and Latin America and Caribbean Divisions, joined ABA ROLI in June 2008. She holds a B.A. in government and politics, with a focus on international development and conflict management, from the University of Maryland. She has also studied in Madrid, Spain and Buenos Aires, Argentina. She previously worked as an intern for a policy advisor on Latin America and global trade at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Kathryn speaks Spanish fluently.  You can contact Kathryn Farrell at <kfarrell@staff.abanet.org>.

Stephanie Feldman, Administrative Assistant, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative’s Middle East and North Africa Division in June 2008. Ms. Feldman holds a B.A., magna cum laude, in both international affairs and Latin American studies from the George Washington University. Ms. Feldman previously interned at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and in Senator Hillary Clinton’s offices in Manhattan, New York. She has studied in both Spain and Mexico. You can contact Stephanie Feldman at <feldmans@staff.abanet.org>.

Melissa Foldvary, Recruitment Officer, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in September 2005. Prior to joining ABA ROLI, she was an executive assistant with an international business law firm in Charleston, South Carolina. While pursuing her B.A. in sociology from The College of William and Mary, she spent a year studying Hungarian history, literature, language and post-communist transition at the Hungarian and Central-European International Studies Center and at the University of Debrecen in Szeged, Hungary. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe and speaks Hungarian. You can contact Melissa Foldvary at <mfoldvary@staff.abanet.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. Sherry 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. Sherry has formerly served as finance coordinator, grants manager, and senior grants manager during her tenure with the Rule of Law Initiative. You can contact Sherry Garay at <sgaray@staff.abanet.org>.

Julie Garuccio, Program Manager, joined ABA ROLI in June 2004 to manage the Europe and Eurasia Division’s extensive rule of law and criminal law reform programs in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia. She also serves as co-coordinator of ABA's legal profession reform focal area. Previously, she served as director of programs at the Network of East-West Women, where she worked with non-governmental organizations and female activists throughout Europe and Eurasia on women's legal rights and economic and social justice issues. She holds a B.A. in political science from the State University of New York at Buffalo and an M.A. in international development from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. You can contact Julie Garuccio at <jgaruccio@staff.abanet.org>.

Susan Grubb Goldman, Senior Program Manager, Operations, first joined ABA ROLI in 2003 as a program coordinator and later, deputy country director for Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. She joined the Middle East and North Africa Division in October 2005. Ms. Goldman holds a B.A. summa cum laude from the University of Colorado at Boulder and master's degrees from Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley. As a Ph.D. student in political science at Berkeley, she focused on public administration and organizational theory, quantitative research methods and measurement, and comparative democratization. Ms. Goldman has lived in the UK, Hungary, Taiwan and Uzbekistan. You can contact Susan Grubb at <sgoldman@staff.abanet.org>.

Tom Hare, Program Officer for the Latin America and Caribbean Division, joined ABA ROLI in April 2008. He holds a dual degree M.A. in development management and policy from Georgetown University and Universidad Nacional de San Martín in Argentina, and a B.A. in sociology, international studies and Spanish from Saint Louis University. Mr. Hare has worked for Connect Education International in El Salvador, Organization of American States in Colombia, and Winrock International in Arlington, Virginia. He speaks Spanish fluently. You can contact Tom Hare at <haret@staff.abanet.org>.

Karen Kendrick, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Division, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative as a liaison in Uzbekistan from May 2002 to August 2003. She has served as a liaison in Moldova, as country director in Armenia, and as regional director for Eurasia. Most recently she served as program director in Qatar.  Ms. Kendrick practiced law for nine years before joining ABA ROLI. Her practice areas included civil litigation and complex commercial transactions. She majored in political science at Duke University and received her J.D. from Southern Methodist University. You can contact Karen Kendrick at <kkendrick@staff.abanet.org>.

Kristin Kowalew, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI in December 2007 and supports the Ukraine and Russia programs. She holds an M.A. in international peace and conflict resolution from American University and an M.T.S from Wesley Theological Seminary. She also holds a B.A. in Russian and education from Bucknell University. Prior to joining the ABA Rule of Law Initiative, Ms. Kowalew worked as the program coordinator at the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center. She also spent a year in Moscow working on education and refugee issues with the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. You can contact Kristin Kowalew at <kkowalew@staff.abanet.org>.

Susan Kupperstein, Senior Program Manager, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative’s Middle East and North Africa Division in June 2008. Ms. Kupperstein has more than 12 years of experience as a democracy and governance specialist focusing on rule of law, civil society capacity building, political party strengthening and the promotion of democratic governance. Most recently, Ms. Kupperstein directed the democracy and governance practice at Social Impact, Inc., where she provided technical leadership for key democracy and governance programs. Prior to joining Social Impact, Ms. Kupperstein worked at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, where she was responsible for Iraq programs. Ms. Kupperstein holds an M.A. in social science from the University of California at Irvine, where she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in political science. She received her B.A., cum laude, in political science and French literature from the University of California at San Diego and is fluent in French. You can contact Susan Kupperstein at <skupperstein@staff.abanet.org>.

Hakim Lakhdar, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI in July 2007 and supports programs in central Asia. He currently works on programs in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Mr. Lakdar has lived in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Morocco, where he studied and where much of his extended family still lives. He holds an M.A. in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies from Indiana University and a B.A. in international relations and sociology from Florida State University. Originally from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, he speaks French and Moroccan Arabic. You can contact Hakim Lakhdar at <hlakhdar@staff.abanet.org>.

Theresa Luong, Program Officer, joined ABA ROLI in January 2005. She has worked for the federal government and lived on a Native American reservation, working with youth. Ms. Luong received her bachelor's degree in political science, with a concentration in American politics, from the University of California, Los Angeles. Ms. Luong helps manage ABA ROLI’s programs in the Philippines and Vietnam. You can contact Theresa Luong at <luongt@staff.abanet.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 is also fluent in Tigrigna, Tigre and Amharic. You can contact Yoftahe Manna at <mannay@staff.abanet.org>.

Kathy McEnany, Program Officer, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative’s Middle East and North Africa Division in January 2007. She is a program officer for efforts in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. Ms. McEnany also works on the regionally based Arab Council for Legal and Judicial Studies program. She holds an M.A. in international development from the University of Pittsburgh and a B.A. in history from Loyola University in New Orleans. Before joining ABA ROLI, she spent three years as a Fascell fellow, working as a human rights officer at the U.S. Embassy in the Slovak Republic. You can contact Kathy McEnany at <kmcenany@staff.abanet.org>. 

Andrew Aall McPherson, Program Officer for the Africa Division, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in May 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, Scotland, and a graduate diploma in law from City University, London. He provides programmatic support for ABA ROLI's programs in Liberia. You can contact Andrew McPherson at <mcphersa@staff.abanet.org>.

Tatia L. Miller, Staff Attorney for the Africa Division, joined the ABA ROLI Africa Division in June 2007. Ms. Miller is responsible for developing and managing various projects in Africa. Her particular focus is the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and issues related to the trafficking of people. Previously, Ms. Miller worked as an associate at a large international law firm for five years. During that time, she gained experience in the area of rule of law and governance by representing Guantanamo Bay detainees and coordinating and directing the firm’s participation in a national voter hotline during the 2004 presidential elections. Ms. Miller graduated from New York University School of Law in May 2002 after interning at the UNESCO Human Rights Center for Southern Africa. While at NYU, she worked on issues of human trafficking, forced marriage and impunity of police officials for the International Human Rights Clinic. Ms. Miller’s passion for strengthening the rule of law was born while earning her undergraduate degree in anthropology at Loyola University, Chicago. Ms. Miller speaks French and Italian. You can contact Tatia L. Miller at <tmiller@staff.abanet.org>.

Jon O’Leary, Recruitment Associate, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in January 2008. He currently manages the Pro Bono Legal Specialist Program as well as the recruitment of both domestic and international interns. He graduated from DePaul University in Chicago, IL with a B.A. in psychology. Prior to joining ABA ROLI, he interned with the Friends of the World Food Program and the Microcredit Summit Campaign.  Originally from Baton Rouge, LA, Mr. O’Leary speaks Spanish and is currently studying Arabic. You can contact Jon O’Leary at <olearyj@staff.abanet.org>.

Irina Parshikova, Program Manager, joined ABA ROLI in October 2005 and manages the Europe and Eurasia Division’s programs in central Asia. Prior to joining the ABA, 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 <iparshikova@staff.abanet.org>.

Jeremy Purcell, Outreach Assistant, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in January 2008 and provides web support for ABA ROLI’s various online initiatives. Prior to joining 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 <jpurcell@staff.abanet.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 <oruda@staff.abanet.org>.

Paulina Rudnicka, 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 <prudnicka@staff.abanet.org>.

Marc Sacks, Senior Program Manager, joined ABA ROLI in October 2006 as a long-term legal specialist focusing on legal education and commercial law projects in Jordan. Mr. Sacks has also volunteered with ABA ROLI in Morocco, where he taught at a legal clinic and coached students to participate in the African Human Rights Moot Court Competition. In November 2007, he became a member of the Asia Division’s D.C.-based program staff. Mr. Sacks received a B.A. from Duke University and a J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law before practicing commercial litigation for eight years—two in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia, and six with the U.S. Department of Justice. Mr. Sacks helps manage ABA ROLI’s programs in Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as the Regional Anti-Corruption Advisor program. You can contact Marc Sacks at <sacksm@staff.abanet.org>.

Hadja Tall, Program Officer, joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in January 2008. Ms. Tall’s parents originally hail from Mali but she grew up in Kenya. She holds a B.A degree in international development studies from UCLA, with specializations in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. She also holds a master's degree from UCLA in African studies with a concentration in international development. Prior to joining ABA ROLI, she was a consultant for the World Bank office in Mali, working as an education specialist. She has also worked for the Academy for Educational Development as a program assistant for the David L. Boren Fellowship program. Within ABA ROLI’s Africa program, she is responsible for providing programmatic support to programs in Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. Hadja speaks fluent French, Swahili and Bambara. You can contact Hadja Tall at <TallH@staff.abanet.org>.

Jessie Tannenbaum, Legal Analyst, conducts research and analysis primarily in the areas of judicial reform and anti-corruption/public integrity and is responsible for the realization of Judicial Reform Index assessments. She earned an LL.M. in international human rights law, summa cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School, writing her thesis on reconciliation and accountability for gross human rights violations. She also holds a J.D., cum laude, from Notre Dame and a B.A., cum laude, from the University of Denver. Prior to joining ABA ROLI in September 2008, Ms. Tannenbaum 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 <jtannenbaum@staff.abanet.org>.

Thais-Lyn Trayer, Program Associate, joined ABA ROLI in July 2008. Prior to joining ABA ROLI, she served for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Georgia. Ms. Trayer was a Fulbright Scholar-Elect and has worked for The New Presence Journal of Central European Affairs and the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs. She received her B.A. in Politics, with a minor in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, from New York University. Ms. Trayer helps manage ABA ROLI’s programs in Cambodia and China. You can contact Thais-Lyn Trayer at <trayert@staff.abanet.org>.

Ebony Wade, Program Associate, Research and Program Development, joined ABA ROLI in June 2006. She graduated from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in political science in June 2005. Prior to joining ABA ROLI, she worked at Chemonics International, Inc. She has lived in various developing countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean, and studied in Paris while in college. You can contact Ebony Wade at <ewade@staff.abanet.org>.

Gang Xie, Program Manager, joined ABA ROLI in February 2007. He previously served as senior program officer of law and governance in the Asia Foundation’s Beijing office. Mr. Xie acquired his M.A. in economics and BA in English in Beijing. Mr. Xie helps manage ABA ROLI’s programs in Cambodia and China. You can contact Gang Xie at <xieg@staff.abanet.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 <czullo@staff.abanet.org>.