Ambassador Melanne Verveer
Executive Director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security; first U.S. Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues; and Co-Founder of Vital Voices Global Partnership
Melanne Verveer previously served as the first U.S. Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues, a position to which she was nominated by President Obama in 2009. She coordinated foreign policy issues and activities relating to the political, economic and social advancement of women, traveling to nearly 60 countries. She worked to ensure that women’s participation and rights are fully integrated into U.S. foreign policy, and she played a leadership role in the Administration’s development of the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. President Obama also appointed her to serve as the U.S. Representative to the UN Commission on the Status of Women. From 2000-2008, she was the Chair and Co-CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership. Verveer has a B.S. and M.S. from Georgetown University and holds several honorary degrees.