GCE-US Appoints Four New Members to Board of Directors

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GCE-US Appoints Four New Members to Board of Directors

January 9, 2025 | News | GCE-US

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

January 9, 2025
Contact: Giulia McPherson
202-765-2248
gmcpherson@gce-us.org  

GCE-US Appoints Four New Members to Board of Directors 

Washington, D.C. - The Global Campaign for Education – US (GCE-US) is thrilled to welcome four new members to its Board of Directors. These individuals will help support GCE-US to advance its mission to promote education as a basic human right and mobilize to create political will in the United States and internationally to ensure universal quality education. 

Melaku Alito is the Chief Financial Officer of The ICCT (International Council on Clean Transportation). He is responsible for providing financial strategic and organizational leadership and day-to-day management and oversight of all finance, accounting, budgeting, financial planning, and financial reporting functions. Melaku has over 17 years of finance and accounting experience in the nonprofit industry and has a Master’s Degree in Accounting and Financial Management, Master’s Degree in Economics, and Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. He is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the state of Virginia. 

Katie Loos is currently the Communications and Outreach Associate with the Center for Educational Equity at Columbia University's Teachers College. Prior to this, Katie worked at education news publications and with the Global Campaign for Education-US. She began her time at GCE-US in 2017 as an intern, continued as a research fellow throughout her undergraduate career, and more recently returned in 2023 as a senior fellow during her time in graduate school.  Katie received a B.A. in Human Services & Social Justice from George Washington University and an M.A. in Education Policy and Social Analysis from Columbia University's Teachers College.  

Dr. Christi Smith is a sociologist focused on education, integration, and migration, holding a joint appointment at Georgetown University in the Institute for the Study of International Migration and the Program on Education, Inquiry, and Justice. Dr. Smith earned a B.A. from Smith College and both an M.A. in Education Policy and a Ph.D. in Sociology, with a focus on education and politics, from Indiana University. Before beginning graduate studies, she taught Danish and English literacy at a women's refugee center in Copenhagen, Denmark, and secondary Social Studies in North Carolina. During graduate studies, she worked at the Indiana University Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, contributing to both research and assessments for federal and state K-12 program grants. Dr. Smith was awarded the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation's Dissertation Fellowship. While serving as a visiting professor of Sociology at Oberlin College, she published her first book, Reparation and Reconciliation: The Rise and Fall of Integrated Higher Education, with the University of North Carolina Press.  

Teresa Welsh founded bloom global communications after a career in journalism spanning more than 15 years. Teresa has on-the-ground reporting experience from 15 countries around the world, reporting on a wide range of global development issues. bloom global communications offers a portfolio of specialized content services, including impact stories, white papers, opinion pieces, press releases, and website copy. Prior to her role as a senior reporter at Devex, Teresa worked for the McClatchy Washington Bureau and U.S. News and World Report. She previously taught English in Colombia and has Bachelor of Arts degrees in Journalism and Latin American Studies from the University of Wisconsin.   

“As GCE-US embarks on a new year, we look forward to working with the newest members of our Board of Directors who bring critical experience in academia, communications, finance, and youth engagement,” said Giulia McPherson, Executive Director. “This enhanced support will help ensure continued growth and impact across our diverse coalition.” 

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