Executive Director and President of the Board, Claudia Abate, created the Foundation for Post Conflict Development(FPCD) after working at the United Nations (UN) for more than a decade, and realizing that her most fulfilling moments were when she was sent on official business to post conflict countries. In an effort to make a personal impact in assisting the world's most vulnerable citizens, it was a natural progression for her to create this foundation, inspired primarily by observing the elections in Fiji, and her work in Timor-Leste at the time of the Restoration of independence. With these combined experiences, Ms. Abate saw first- hand democracy in action, and the effects of poverty on citizens of other countries as a consequence of post conflict situations. This inspired her "to want to do more." full bio...
Mary David
Director of Public Relations
Mary David gained firsthand exposure to the complexities and concerns of post-conflict development while completing a program on Peacebuilding and Inter-Communal Relations in Nicosia, Cyprus. Through her interactions with Greek and Turkish Cypriots, she developed a keen interest in assisting post-conflict states.
Vincent Wilkinson
Vincent Wilkinson, a French national, studied in France and obtained degrees in economic and social sciences as well as in international business.
Joseph Stefanelli
Director - Rule of Law and Special Projects Advisor
Joseph is currently employed as an Associate Legal Officer in Judges' Chambers at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania, where he is helping to ensure that the Rule of Law is upheld during the trials of accused war criminals from the Rwandan Genocide.
Frank Abate
Frank Abate is a World War II veteran who has seen first hand the damage war and conflict can do to populations. He helped to liberate the German concentration camps with the United States Army’s 2nd Infantry Division
David Gethings
Director of Special Projects
David W. Gethings is currently working towards his PhD in International Conflict Management at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. He earned a M.A. in Comparative Politics and a Graduate Certificate in Peacebuilding and Human Rights from American University in Washington D.C., and a B.A. from Felician College in Lodi, NJ where he triple majored in Political Science, Philosophy, and History. David has previously worked with the Genocide Intervention Network and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Assistants to the Executive Director
Faith Bogue
Assistant to the Executive Director
Faith is an honors student at Arcadia University in Philadelphia studying International Relations (Concentration in Globalization, Development, and Human Rights) with minors in Economics, German, and Mandarin Chinese. Faith has studied abroad in London, England and Beijing, China, and has both lived and traveled further throughout Europe and Southeast Asia. Faith is a recipient of the Gilman scholarship and is applying to attend graduate school at Oxford University upon her graduation in 2012.
Rachel McCroy
Assistant to the Executive Director
Rachel is studying at New York University's Silver School of Social Work and will be pursuing a Masters in Social Work. She wants to specialize in promoting mental health among marginalized groups such as LGBTQ domestic violence victims, the homeless, immigrants, refugees, substance abusers and those suffering from profound mental illnesses. She has worked with domestic violence/sexual assault victims, homeless youth and adults, and children with special needs.
Advisors to the Board of Directors
Representative to the UN
Yolanda F. Johnson
Yolanda F. Johnson has found true joy in her career as a performing artist, music educator, and as a supporter and fundraiser for the arts, while also working to fulfill her goals of helping women both locally and internationally. She completed graduate studies in Arts Management, from the U. of Akron and undergraduate studies in vocal performance at the U. of Tulsa. Yolanda has performed in several musical venues including opera, concert, oratorio and sacred music. She is an active recitalist/lecturer on many musical subjects and also currently serves as the Development Manager at the Princess Grace Foundation-USA and as a member of the First Baptist Church of Tarrytown Sierra Leone Task Force.
Fatimazohra Nouinou
Advisor for public relations - Dili, Timor-Leste
Fatimazohra Nouinou’s first career was as a flight attendant with Saudia Airline in Jeddah (1994-1996). She worked in the Consulate general of UAE in Istanbul (1998-1999), and then in the Embassies of Syria and Libya in Buenos Aires (1999 – 2000).
Bruno Langevin Advisor, Monaco
Dr. Michaela Hertkorn
Associate Scholar
Michaela holds an MA in political science from the University of Heidelberg and a Ph. D. in political science and international relations from Free University Berlin.
Ivan Kotchetkov
Advisor to the Executive Director on Global Health Issues
Ivan graduated Magna Cum Laude with highest honors from Harvard University. He was the Harvard Program for Research in Science and Engineering Fellow.Among other awards, Ivan received the Thomas T. Hoopes Prize for Outstanding Senior Thesis Project.
Marina Ohanjanyan
Eurasia Associate Research Scholar
Marina holds a BA in Liberal Arts from Utrecht University and an MA in International Conflict Studies from London University.
Alex Townsend-Drake
UK Advisor
Alex comes from a background in operational and volunteer management where he has worked at both senior and grass-root levels in internationally recognised public and third sector organisations. Experience includes emergency response and leading on projects of capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and community resilience.
After graduation from a BA (Hons) International Development: Third World with NGO management in April 2012, Alex intends to complete a Masters Degree in the field of Conflict Resolution, alongside employment.
Ardin Marchetta
Technology Advisor
Ardin Marchetta is the founder of DigiCom Marketing, LLC, a digital marketing consultancy focused on helping professional service firms and B-to-B companies develop strategic marketing initiatives to grow their business. Their integrated approach to digital marketing allows for measurement and tracking of campaigns across channels to optimize spending and maximize ROI.
Mr. Marchetta is a marketing strategist who has worked with a number of Am Law 200 law firms and privately held B-to-B companies to develop digital marketing strategies and initiatives. Mr. Marchetta's approach allows companies to integrate new marketing technologies and strategies into their current workflows and processes quickly. This minimizes the transition time, allowing companies to deliver their marketing message across new channels quickly.
Interns
Summer 2011
Christie Campbell
Christie Campbell is currently an honors student at Queen’s University in Canada, with a concentration in Global Development Studies. During her time at Queen's, she has worked with the Queen's Project on International Development, a student-run NGO, as well as the University Alumni Association and the Queen's Varsity Rowing team. In September 2011, she will be starting a law degree at the University of Toronto. In the future, she hopes to pursue work in international humanitarian law, with a focus on the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons.
Rachel McGuirk
Rachel McGuirk studies geography and economics at the University of Mary Washington. She plans on receiving her Bachelor of Arts in May 2012. She received a national speaker award at the American Debate Association. Currently, she is the lead consultant at UMW Speaking Center, where she coaches students and carriers out presentations on communication techniques.
Ana Baric
Ana Baric is a political science major at Columbia University in the City of New York. She is on the Executive Board of the Undergraduate Law Review, serves as the Internal Affairs Coordinator for the student run volunteer group Advocacy Coalition, and has been on the Editorial Board for Columbia’s daily newspaper, the Spectator. After graduation, she plans to attend law school and pursue a career in the international arena. Ana is also FPCD's student representative to the United Nations.
Alessandra Simon-Fox
Alessandra Simon-Fox is an undergraduate majoring in political science with a concentration in international relations and human rights at the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College. She hopes to pursue a career in human and/or environmental rights.
Summer 2009
Sofia Karlsson
External Researcher
Sofia Karlsson is a student at Lund University in Sweden, where she plans to receive her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science in January 2010. She also plans to receive a second degree of Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in History in June 2011.
Kazarae Lowe
Internal Researcher
Kazarae Lowe was born and raised in Jamaica and moved to the United States at twelve years old. She is currently a senior at Hamilton College pursuing a B.A. in Communications and Government. She plans to attend graduate school to pursue a M.A. in International Relations focusing on United States Foreign Policy with an emphasis on diplomacy.