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Staff

Office of the CEO

Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins

President and Chief Executive Officer


Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins serves as president and CEO of PAI. Nabeeha brings more than 25 years of movement building, advocacy, fundraising and international development experience. She has dedicated her career to driving equitable health, social and development outcomes for women, youth and communities that have been affected by discrimination, disinvestment and displacement around the world.

Nabeeha is driving a new era for the organization, in alignment with PAI’s values of equity and supporting a global ecosystem of local advocates to advance domestic and global sexual and reproductive health and rights aspirations. Under her leadership, PAI is expanding its own advocacy and accountability in the United States and on the global stage and enhancing its investments in and collaborations with local advocacy organizations in 36 countries that are on the front lines of informing, shaping and achieving change in their own communities.

Nabeeha is the founder of Humanitas Global, an international development organization that advances programs in agricultural development, food and nutrition security, maternal and child health, climate resilience and youth and women’s empowerment. Prior to PAI, she served as executive director of No Wasted Lives, a global coalition of nongovernmental organizations, U.N. agencies and government institutions dedicated to ending acute malnutrition in children around the world. She was also vice president of programs at KABOOM!, a U.S. nonprofit, where she helped operationalize the strategy to achieve playspace equity in Black, Brown and Indigenous communities in major U.S. cities. The effort has gone on to receive national support, including a catalytic gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

In the early 2000s, Nabeeha joined the Clinton Foundation to support the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative. She supported the development of national HIV/AIDS care and treatment plans and public health capacity and systems changes to deliver HIV testing and treatment at scale in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mozambique and South Africa. She directed the public health practice and co-founded the international development practice at global communications powerhouse, FleishmanHillard, implemented advocacy and research efforts to combat child trafficking in Albania, Moldova and Romania through a UNICEF-Columbia University collaborative, served as a senior advocacy advisor at the EastWest Institute and implemented communications projects at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico.

Born in Pakistan and raised in Mexico, Nabeeha has worked on development programs in more than 20 countries worldwide. She has collaborated with and advised heads of state, national and local leaders, CEOs and senior executives from across sectors, and worked side by side with community partners who are driving front-line change. A powerful speaker, strategic advocate and recognized leader, Nabeeha has received international and national awards for community health programs in HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections, nutrition and unintended teen pregnancy, leadership achievements and contributions to social justice.

Nabeeha holds bachelor’s degrees in political science as well as journalism and mass communications from Kansas State University and dual master’s degrees in international affairs and public health from Columbia University. Nabeeha is based in Washington, D.C., where she resides with her family.

Cydney Bunn

Chief Operating Officer


Cydney is a seasoned human resources (HR) executive with experience working across cultures to design and bolster global HR departments for several nonprofits. She has an extensive track record serving as a strategic advisor and creating HR and operations strategies for international development agencies in the United States and numerous other countries.

At PAI, Cydney is responsible for developing and executing HR strategy in support of the organization’s overall business plan and strategic direction, specifically in the areas of succession planning, talent management, change management, organizational and performance management, training and development as well as compensation. Additionally, she provides strategic leadership by articulating HR needs and plans to the executive team, board of directors and shareholders.

Cydney holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources from the University of Maryland.

Kadeem Brown

Vice President of Finance


Kadeem Brown is a Finance professional with 11 years of experience working at Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company. He has diverse experience in finance, including leadership roles in cost accounting for the largest Nescafé plant in North America, trade management for sales finance, and SG&A for both Nestlé USA and Nestlé Health Science. During his tenure at Nestlé, Brown led teams through strategic transformation, including several significant acquisitions and divestitures in the highly disruptive CPG industry. He is best known for his collaborative approach across all functions. As a strategic business partner, he has focused on using technology to deliver dynamic financial reporting for more efficient decision-making. Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Skidmore College.


Policy and Advocacy

Christina Wegs

Vice President of Global Programs and Advocacy


Christina Wegs serves as vice president of global programs and advocacy at PAI.

Christina is a seasoned and passionate social justice advocate, public health expert and nonprofit leader. Her 20-year career has focused on advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights, including access to contraception, comprehensive sexuality education, safe abortion and post-abortion care, respectful maternity care and gender-based violence prevention and care. She has also worked to promote rights-based approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment. She brings deep expertise in gender justice, coalition-building, civil society strengthening, policy advocacy and people-driven accountability.

Christina has worked with a wide range of governmental and nongovernmental organizations, including working with Ipas, Pact, FHI 360 and serving in leadership roles with the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Botswana (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and Vietnam (U.S. Agency for International Development). Prior to joining PAI, she was the global advocacy director for health equity and rights at CARE, where she led confederation-wide advocacy for health rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, health equity in humanitarian crises and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. Christina also brings extensive experience partnering with diverse government, U.N. agencies and civil society networks in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

Christina holds dual master’s degrees in public health and social work from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. She also studied social justice storytelling, documentary photography and oral history at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, and was awarded the competitive Lewis Hine Documentary Fellowship.

Prior to her career in public health, Christina worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Botswana.

Eve Brecker

Associate Director of Civic Engagement


Eve Brecker manages engagement and strategic support of PAI civil society partners, expanding the civic space and sustaining global investments for sexual and reproductive health and rights advocacy across Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining PAI, Eve served as a policy advisor at the Population Reference Bureau, managing a contraceptive use dynamics portfolio funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and leading organizational monitoring, learning and evaluation activities. She has worked in federal health both via management consulting and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She is a returned Peace Corps volunteer, serving in Morocco where she led reproductive health programming with nomadic communities. Eve holds a master’s degree in global reproductive health from Emory University and a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from James Madison University.

Saba K. Gebru

Senior Adviser for Health Systems Strengthening and Accountability


Saba is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of senior management/director-level experience in program directing and mission-driven advocacy for reproductive health and rights, gender and social justice. Her experience spans working with NGOs, social movements and government structures – covering program development and implementation, strategic planning/ policy/advocacy strategy development and execution, coalition/partnership building, health systems strengthening,  community engagement and empowerment and research, monitoring, and evaluation.

Saba provides technical and strategic support for PAI’s health systems access and health financing portfolio which includes budget accountability, CSO engagement with domestic financing mechanisms and social accountability.  She also supports advocacy strategy development with PAI funded partners across PAI’s civic engagement and SRH access and equity program portfolios.

Saba served as country director for Ipas Ethiopia for over two decades where she led a multi-disciplinary team in setting goals, strategies, and budgets, oversaw program implementation, and advanced critical milestones and indicators while also overseeing sub-awards and grant programs. At Ipas, Saba also designed, and executed a successful advocacy strategy for abortion law reform in Ethiopia, including forming a coalition of partners and creating a broader support base and voice on SRH rights and assisted in creating a global policy direction and advocacy strategy.  Saba served as chairperson for Consortia, which was focused on health, population, and climate issues and rallied organizations to advocate and act.  She has led country exchange programs and program synergy within Ipas Africa offices, including Malawi, Zambia, Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria, and mentored new country directors in Zambia, Nigeria, and Malawi. In addition, she organized Africa-wide regional conferences focused on advocacy for law reform and prevention of unsafe abortion in 2006, 2009, and 2016. Prior to Ipas, she served as Deputy General Manager for the Ethiopian Social Rehabilitation and Development Fund.

Saba holds a B.A. in Economics from Addis Ababa University and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University.

Gerardo Lara

Senior Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health Access and Equity


Gerardo Lara is an international development leader who specializes in the creation and management of high-performing teams. He currently serves as the Senior Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health Access and Equity at PAI. With 20 years of experience, he previously managed and monitored programs for different donors and international organizations, including at Plan International and the Global Fund Project in El Salvador for HIV prevention in high-risk communities. As a country director, he influenced public policy and led complex programs to achieve high-impact results in a variety of social justice topics, including combating stigma and discrimination against people vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, contributing to the reduction of gender-based violence, empowering youth and promoting the sexual and reproductive health andrights of women and girls in Central America.

An important part of his career is  promoting women’s health and rights by increasing access and availability of key services and products for family planning. Gerardo prioritizes working with civil society and strengthening local organizations’ technical, administrative and financial capacities. He also brings a wealth of experience in the development of social marketing initiatives, including the development of brands and franchises that promote sustainable services.

Gerardo also led Plan Nicaragua’s emergency response to COVID-19 and disaster relief for hurricanes Eta and Iota. He has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Dr. José Matías Delgado University in El Salvador.

Craig Lasher

Senior Fellow


Craig monitors and analyzes foreign assistance legislation and advocates in support of international family planning and reproductive health programs to congressional offices, executive branch agencies, international organizations and nongovernmental organizations.

Named as Senior Fellow in 2015, he joined PAI in 1981 while completing his master’s degree in International Affairs at the American University School of International Service. He received his undergraduate degree in Government from Hamilton College. Craig was previously PAI’s Director of U.S. Government Relations between 2009 and 2014. He served on the board of directors of the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign, a coalition of over 500 businesses and NGOs promoting higher funding for international affairs programs, from 1998 to 2016. He has also been a member of the scorecard advisory committee of the League of Conservation Voters for over two decades.

Andrew J. Moran

International Advocacy Associate


Andrew J. Moran serves as the international advocacy associate supporting PAI’s health systems strengthening and accountability programs, including the UHC Engage and FP2030 Accountability projects. He has extensive experience advocating for health access in conflict and crisis settings around the world through his past work at humanitarian and human rights nongovernmental organizations.

Before joining PAI, Andrew worked at Physicians for Human Rights, documenting attacks against health infrastructure and personnel in Syria, as well as researching health disparities across northern Syria with an emphasis on women and girls. He began his work advocating for access to health care at MedGlobal, where he focused on health access for refugees, migrants and internally displaced persons in humanitarian crisis settings. Andrew holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Yale University with a focus on conflict and the Middle East and North Africa. He is a native English speaker and is proficient in Arabic and conversational in Spanish.

Vincent Villeneuve

Technical Specialist


Vincent Villenueve is a solutions-oriented human rights, global health and international development professional advocating for activism towards achieving the sustainable development goals. Throughout his career, Vincent has gained industry expertise by partnering with a wide range of stakeholders active in advocacy and legislative affairs on gender equality, universal health coverage and economic empowerment in all regions of the world. Vincent holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Sciences Po Lille, a master’s in European public affairs from Maastricht University and is a Global STEM MBA candidate at the George Washington University School of Business.

Fernando De La Torre Gorraez

Senior Program Manager


Fernando is a former Mexican diplomat with over 12 years of experience in community outreach programs, government/public relations, public health and advocacy efforts in Latin America, North America and Asia. He has extensive experience establishing and strengthening partnerships with government entities, businesses and civil society organizations, navigating complex multicultural contexts, and designing and implementing programs for vulnerable communities, such as migrants, women, youth and Indigenous populations.

Throughout his career, he has served in Las Vegas and Miami in the United States; New Delhi, India; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Mexico City. His expertise includes political, public health, economic, educational, cultural and community outreach affairs and leading and managing high-profile projects and initiatives. As a Program Manager in Nevada representing the Institute of Mexicans Abroad, he organized the Binational Health Week, mobilizing dozens of community organizations, state agencies, and volunteers. Moreover, he negotiated an agreement with the University of Nevada Las Vegas to open a Health Window at the Mexican Consulate, contributing to the health of thousands of Latinos. In Miami, he was appointed to lead a task force to provide humanitarian assistance to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which reached over 5,000 people in need.

Fernando has a BA in International Relations from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México ITAM and a Master’s Degree in Global Public Policy from the School of Oriental and African Studies SOAS from the University of London.

He is a Native Spanish speaker and fluent in Portuguese.

 


Evidence & Learning

Sarah M. Reidy

Director of Learning & Exchange


As director of learning and exchange, Sarah M. Reidy works to advance learning and exchange priorities for PAI and civil society partners and supports research work in partnership with PAI’s director of research.

Sarah worked in information technology for over 30 years and loves the ever-changing nature of automation and the opportunities people can gain from creating and using technology. Sarah has a dual undergraduate degree in physical anthropology and biomedical science from Western Michigan University. She learned to love computers and technology while in Archeological Field School, where she built and programmed computers to make pottery seriation more efficient.


Development

Christine Meehan

Senior Director of Individual Giving


Christine Meehan serves as the Senior Director of Individual Giving at PAI. She was previously the Director of Development at Vital Voices Global Partnership, a woman’s empowerment organization where she led the individual giving and operations functions for the department. In that role, she led the growth of five regional councils made up of supporters in key U.S. markets, oversaw digital and grassroots fundraising efforts and managed a portfolio of individual donors. Prior to that, she was the Director of Donor Engagement at The Washington Center, and also spent over a decade at Americans for the Arts where she managed leadership programs and events for key high-level supporters. Christine graduated from The George Washington University where she studied political science and criminal justice.

Emily Monaco

Development Coordinator


Emily Monaco serves as the development coordinator and provides support for fundraising and development activities at PAI. Most recently, she has worked in Villanova University’s Office of Development where she assisted with their Annual Day of Giving as well as their Senior Class Gift Campaign. She has also served on the communication and fundraising committees for the Philadelphia Justice project, a nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to ending the mass incarceration of women and girls.
Emily earned her bachelor’s degree in communications with minors in gender and women’s studies, Irish studies and theatre from Villanova University.

Communications

Katie Unthank

Director of Strategic Communications


Katie Unthank brings over 10 years of experience as a communications specialist working to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Her passion is bringing about impact by developing and designing high-quality campaigns that amplify women’s and girls’ stories and experiences in unique and creative ways.

Katie comes to PAI from the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), where she served as the communications manager and played a critical role in developing and executing communications strategies to secure and protect SRHR by shaping U.S. foreign policy. Prior to CHANGE, she held the role of communications and knowledge management coordinator within the Population Council’s SRHR program.

Katie earned a bachelor’s degree in public communications from American University in Washington, D.C., and completed a minor in women’s, gender and sexuality studies

Nimah Quadri

Communications Associate


Nimah Quadri is an experienced writer and storyteller. Her experience living abroad in Singapore and growing up in a completely different environment, allowed her to gain a fresh perspective of the world. Nimah is passionate about being a voice for others, meeting new people and exploring cultures with an open mind.

Nimah joins PAI with experience in journalism and social media. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago and received her master’s degree from Georgetown University – both in Journalism. Nimah is passionate about advocating and raising awareness on issues that matter to the world.


HR, Inclusion and Operations

Emmy Cameron

Operations Manager


Emmy Cameron comes to PAI with over 15 years of experience working in operations and administrative roles throughout her career, building professional expertise in several critical functions including accounting, expense reporting, contract management and event planning. Most recently, she worked at the Liaison Capitol Hill, a part of a large hotel chain, where she worked in accounting. Emmy’s professional experience also includes working in the nongovernmental organization sector as an accountant and grants administrator in her home of Nairobi, Kenya. Emmy holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Nairobi.

Alicia Frías

Office Coordinator & Receptionist


Alicia Frías serves as the office coordinator and receptionist at PAI. She is passionate about health equity, social justice and reproductive rights. Prior to joining PAI, Alicia worked in several administrative coordinator positions throughout her career. Of those experiences, she worked with a nonprofit clinic that specialized in providing health care and resources to those uninsured in the community; this position sparked her interest in public health and nonprofit organizations. Alicia holds a bachelor’s degree in health care management from Appalachian State University. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, taking dance classes and reading with her local book club!

Kasey Gamble

Senior Human Resources Operations Manager


Kasey has enjoyed a progressively responsible career in human resources. Before PAI, Kasey held positions as an HR Operations Manager, HR Generalist, and Programs for non-profits and government agencies covering recruitment, benefits administration, performance management, employee relations, HRIS systems management, and training & development.

Kasey has a BA in French and a BS in Clinical Counseling Psychology from Lincoln University.


Finance

Elsa Bekele

Controller


Elsa Bekele has an extensive background in finance and accounting including non-profit and for-profit organizations. She has held leadership roles in various non-profit organizations including, The American College of Cardiology, American Hospital Association, The Rotary International and Erikson Institute. Elsa also has consulting and public accounting audit experience.

Elsa enjoys to travel across the world, running or walking, & watching movies or Tv shows.

Elsa earned Bachelor of Commerce from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. She is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant.

Cecilia Principi

Staff Accountant


Cecilia serves as the Staff Accountant and is responsible for accounts payables, receivables, financial reporting, reconciliation, tax and compliance. She is a financial professional and has 20 years of experience identifying organizational opportunities that drive down costs, enhance compliance and drive greater process efficiencies.

Prior to PAI, she worked with clients in financial services, management consulting and tax businesses. Cecilia holds a B.S. in accounting from George Mason University.

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