Who We Are

GCE-US Staff
Image

June Jimenez

Interim Executive Director, GCE-US

June Jimenez (she/her) is an organizational development consultant to mission-focused organizations. June's work focuses on the people, systems, processes, and technology needed to help organizations deliver their missions while experiencing tremendous change. June brings over 20 years of professional experience to each engagement gained through her work across the nonprofit, government, and private sectors. June is a mother to a 10-year-old rabble-rouser, partner to a retired police and military professional, and passionate about social justice. June earned her Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and earned her Executive MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Jennifer Rigg

former Executive Director, GCE-US

Jennifer Rigg (she/her) is the Executive Director of the Global Campaign for Education-US (GCE-US). GCE-US, a coalition of over 80 organizations, promotes access to quality education as a human right and mobilizes the public to create political will in the U.S. and internationally to ensure universal access to quality education worldwide. Jennifer brings over 20 years of experience, including international education and development, public policy, coalition building, strategic communications and public management. Previously, Jennifer was the Director of Policy & Partnerships and Interim Executive Director at the 1,000 Days Partnership. At Save the Children, Jennifer led policy and advocacy on education, early childhood development, nutrition and food security, livelihoods, microfinance, and aid effectiveness. Jennifer has also worked with CARE, United Way Worldwide, and the Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits & Philanthropy at the University of Washington. She received an MPA and graduate certificate in International and Community Development Policy and Management from the University of Washington, a certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of Wisconsin/Learning Institute for Nonprofits, and a BA in International Studies/Political Science from Emory University.

Angel Ornelas

Angel Ornelas

Fellow, GCE-US

Angel Ornelas (he/him) is a Global Campaign for Education-US (GCE-US) Graduate Fellow and  Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellow. He is pursuing a Master of International Affairs (MIA) degree at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), specializing in international organizations, United Nations studies, gender, public policy, and education. Angel has extensive experience in oral history research, student-organizing in higher education spaces, mentorship, college advising, social media management, environmental policy research, and HIV/AIDS research. He worked previously with the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, U.S. Department of State, USAID Colombia, Mexican American Legal Defense Educational Fund, Mgrublian Human Rights Center, Kravis Leadership Institute, Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs, Migration Policy Institute, and Academic Success Program as a college advisor for at-risk public high school students.

Image

Dana Marion

Fellow, GCE-US

Dana Marion (she/her) is an honors student at the University of Michigan from San Antonio, Texas majoring in International Studies and Anthropology with a minor in Education for Empowerment. With a special interest in working with refugee communities, she tutored local refugee students in San Antonio for four years at the Center for Refugee Services and has continued to advocate for the rights of refugees as Project Lead of UNICEF-UM. With a strong passion for international travel and experiential learning, she has studied abroad in Ghana, Thailand, and Spain. Last summer, she initiated the Environment and Sustainability Language-Learning Program as an intern at Alef, a civil society organization serving the local Eritrean asylum-seeking population in Haifa, Israel. Additionally, she has been an International Development Intern for the past two years at the Education for All Coalition (EFAC), a nonprofit dedicated to creating education opportunities to empower displaced children around the world, engaging in conversations about educational solutions for refugee children with a focus on climate education. This summer, she will be the Global Classrooms Curriculum Assistant at the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area in Washington, D.C. Through this position, she is hoping to share her passion for international affairs and utilize education as a tool for social change. She is incredibly excited to be joining the GCE-US community as a fellow and cannot wait to continue exploring the intersection between education and international affairs in the pursuit of achieving equitable education for all. 

Image

Kate Mallory

Fellow, GCE-US

Kate Mallory (she/her) is an undergraduate Honors student studying International Relations at Northeastern University. Currently, she is a Student Fellow with GCE-US. She also served as a member of the 100 Million Campaign’s USA Secretariat, a Co-Chair of the United Nations Association of the USA’s Human-Rights Affinity Group, and the UNESCO SDG4Youth Network. Kate has advocated for human rights on a global scale as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, the Convention on the Status of Women, the High-Level Political Forum, and as a Youth Consultant to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. She is passionate about access to education, and is so excited to be involved with GCE-US!

Image

Maha Shoaib

Fellow, GCE-US

Maha Shoaib (she/her), a Fulbright Scholar from Pakistan, is currently pursuing a graduate degree in International Education Policy at the University of Maryland College Park. As a Graduate Fellow at the Global Campaign for Education - US (GCE-US), she actively contributes to promoting SDG4 by assisting in advocacy, public policy, strategic communications, and youth engagement. Maha aims to enhance her understanding of global education advocacy and policymaking, with a focus on implementing effective education policies. Previously, she worked at Teach For Pakistan, collaborating with stakeholders to expand access to quality education in a rural community in Islamabad. Maha is driven by her passion for developing sustainable education systems that offer equal opportunities for all children to learn, grow, and succeed.

GCE-US Board of Directors

Mahpari Sotoudeh

Mahpari Sotoudeh, Board Co-Chair, has served as a Senior Program Officer at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) on the Middle East/North Africa team. In her capacity at NDI, Mahpari has supported civic education programming and youth-focused projects in Morocco, Algeria, and the West Bank. Prior to joining NDI, Mahpari worked at a non-profit that provides online civic education resources to Iranian activists and at the U.S. Department of State, Middle East Institute, and Project on Middle East Democracy. In her spare time, Mahpari teaches ESL to adults in the Washington D.C. area and leads a weekly civics class for aspiring U.S. citizens.

Ngozi Lawal

Ngozi Lawal, Board Secretary, is the Principal of Early Actions, working to ensure every child reaches their full potential in school and life. Previously, Ngozi was the Project Director for the Center for the Study of Social Policy’s Prenatal to 3 Initiative, aimed at increasing the number of children on track for kindergarten in EC-LINC communities. Prior to joining CSSP, Ngozi supported the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Education at the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human in implementing a national policy agenda to help states and communities help babies, toddlers and preschoolers get ready for school. She oversaw the federal State Advisory Councils and played a key role in the policy development and implementation of the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge and Preschool Development Grants. Ngozi also managed the child care portfolio at the American Public Human Services Association, working alongside state child care administrators to develop policy proposals to improve implementation of the Child Care and Development Fund. She partnered with state child welfare directors to reduce the disproportionality of children of color in the child welfare system and improve the educational and social outcomes for youth who age out of foster care without permanent home placements. Ngozi began her career at Zero to Three where she tracked state and federal policies and initiatives on early childhood mental health. Ngozi has a Master of Arts Degree in Child Development from Tufts University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Boston College.

Amanda Guarino

Amanda Guarino, Board Treasurer, is the Managing Director for the First Five Years Fund (FFYF), and has over a decade of experience and policy expertise in early childhood education and management. Guarino joined FFYF after nearly twelve years with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where she played a crucial role in the Administration for Children & Families’ management of programs that support early childhood education and development. Beginning in 2010, Guarino served as Management and Program Analyst within the Office of Child Care at the Administration for Children & Families. In this role she provided strategic direction, leadership, and consultation regarding the coordination and delivery of Technical Assistance (TA) activities. This coordination included implementation of process quality improvement, budget monitoring considerations, Child Care/Head Start collaboration activities, and effective communication across federal programs and TA projects. Guarino also managed several TA projects including the State Capacity Building Center, the next iteration of the State Systems Specialist Network. In this role she worked tirelessly to ensure the delivery of TA is systematic, of high quality, responsive to grantee needs, and outcome driven. Guarino holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the College of the Holy Cross and earned a Masters of Arts Degree in Social Work with a concentration in Administration from Columbia University in the city of New York. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and lives on Capitol Hill.

Joanne Carter

Joanne Carter is the Executive Director of RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund (REF) and has been a part of RESULTS in a variety of capacities for over 20 years. Joanne became legislative director of RESULTS/REF in 1992 and associate executive director in 2007.  As legislative director of RESULTS/REF, Joanne worked with key administration and congressional allies, partner organizations, and technical agencies orchestrating U.S. and international campaigns to tackle major diseases of poverty (particularly tuberculosis and major child killers), increase access to education, expand economic opportunity for the poorest, and reform World Bank and International Monetary Fund policies.  An international expert and spokesperson on global poverty issues, Joanne regularly organizes media briefings on breaking legislative and technical news and works closely with the World Health Organization, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and other international organizations.  She is also a founding board member of Global Action for Children.

Laura Giangiuli

Laura Giangiuli is the Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, where she is responsible for managing all aspects of Human Resources as well as payroll administration and corporate security for CALIBRE. In this role, Laura is also a member of the Corporate Leadership Team and advises the Board of Directors and Corporate Officers on matters concerning: Risk Management, Legal Issues, Federal & State Compliance, M&A, Compensation & Benefits, Employee Relations and Company Culture as well as Talent Acquisition, Performance Management, Employee Development and Executive Coaching, Conflict Resolution, Cost Control, and Training. Laura has over 20 years of experience in human capital management, with proven success developing programs to achieve corporate goals. She also has experience creating and managing HR programs and policies for a dispersed workforce to include international employees in and out of war zones. Laura holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), SHRM - Senior Certified Professional (SHRM – SCP) and a Strategic HR Business Partner (sHRBP) certifications. Laura holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Marymount University. Laura is currently enrolled at Cornell University in the Executive Masters Human Resources Program (EMHRM).

Arnav Joshi

Arnav Joshi is a Strategic Finance Associate at United Health Group (UHG) focused on developing financial reporting processes and improving operational efficiency. In this role, Arnav has worked with organizational leadership to establish business forecasting best practices in order to create effective long-range plans. He previously worked at UHG as a Corporate Development Analyst where he assessed strategic acquisition transactions in the healthcare services space. Outside of the office, Arnav has experience teaching ESL courses as well as engaging with education-focused nonprofit organizations in the Washington, D.C. area.

Bonnie Taylor

Bonnie Taylor loves growing businesses. It’s been her passion for over 25 years in a career that’s spanned local, national, and international market development. Her expertise as a marketer has been sought out by Fortune 100 corporations and private companies alike. As the Chief Marketing Strategist and Founder of the Washington D.C. Metropolitan-based marketing firm, CCS Innovations, she spends each day solving business puzzles and her clients’ challenges, sourcing skills earned throughout her experience-rich marketing career. Bonnie is an internationally published authority on marketing, branding, and corporate expansion. She is the author of the best-selling book, I Think I Need Marketing and host of the I Think I Need Marketing Radio Show.

Our Coalition Members

Learn More

Take Action on Global Education

Learn More

Our Latest Action Blogs

Learn More