Executive Staff

Nancy Birdsall is the founding President of the Center for Global Development. Before launching the Center, Birdsall served for three years as Senior Associate and Director of the Economic Reform Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her work at Carnegie focused on issues of globalization and inequality, as well as on the reform of the international financial institutions. From 1993 to 1998, Birdsall was Executive Vice-President of the Inter-American Development Bank, the largest of the regional development banks, where she oversaw a $30 billion public and private loan portfolio. Before joining the Inter-American Development Bank, Birdsall spent 14 years in research, policy, and management positions at the World Bank, most recently as Director of the Policy Research Department.

Ms. Birdsall is the author, co-author, or editor of more than a dozen books and monographs, including, most recently, Cash on Delivery Aid: A New Approach to Foreign Aid, The White House and the World: A Global Development Agenda for the Next U.S. President, Fair Growth: Economic Policies for Latin America's Poor and Middle-Income Majority, and Rescuing the World Bank. She has also written more than 75 articles for books and scholarly journals published in English and Spanish. Shorter pieces of her writing have appeared in dozens of U.S. and Latin American newspapers and periodicals
Full CV

Sarah Marchal Murray is the Director of Institutional Advancement. In this role, she is the point person, collaborating with senior staff and board members, on initiatives aimed at engaging the philanthropic community including individuals, corporations, foundations, and organizations interested in supporting CGD’s mission. Marchal Murray brings to the Center over ten years of experience working with economic and social development organizations in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors, most recently as Director of Development for WaterAid America. In this capacity she lead the institutional development and capacity building as well as communications and marketing strategy for the development of U.S. operations. Marchal Murray was formerly an Executive Director with Community Counseling Service (CCS), an international fundraising consulting and management firm. While at CCS, her client work included conducting and planning studies and assessments and designing and managing campaigns for clients in the healthcare, education, international service, and cultural arenas. Former clients include the Center for Autistic Children, Fundación Vamos México, Jewish Home and Hospital Healthcare System, Jardín Sur Foundation, the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Drawing Center among others. Early in her career, she worked as a media and political consultant. Marchal Murray is a former United States Peace Corps volunteer in Guyana and is a graduate of Villanova University. She earned her Master's degree at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).

Elvira is the Executive Assistant to CGD's President, Nancy Birdsall. She graduated from the American Institute’s secretarial school in La Paz, Bolivia, and subsequently trained as a simultaneous conference interpreter in Spanish, English, and French at the École d'Interprètes of the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Elvira has worked extensively with the United Nations in New York and Geneva, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Organization of American States and the International Finance Corporation in Washington, DC. More recently, she supported the President of the International Center for Research on Women.

Katherine began working at CGD in January 2010. Before joining the Center, Katherine completed a Master of Public Policy with a concentration in international development at Georgetown University. Her thesis evaluated the impact of access to credit and microloans on household schooling decisions in Hyderabad, India. Her experience includes interning for the Legislative and Public Affairs department at the Millennium Challenge Corporation and working for the Equity, Poverty, and the Environment Initiative at the World Resources Institute. Katherine graduated with a BA in public policy and a minor in psychology from Duke University.

Casey joined the executive staff in November, 2008. Originally from Evanston, Illinois, he graduated from Wesleyan University where he received a BA in East Asian studies. Casey took time off from school to work for Sen. Barack Obama’s Senatorial campaign and Sen. John Kerry’s presidential campaign, and also served as Office Manager for the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization.

Emily supports the Center’s fundraising efforts. Emily first joined the Center as an intern working with Liliana Rojas-Suarez on access to financial services. She graduated from Emory University in 2007 with a BA in economics and international studies and spent a year working at UBS investment bank in London before returning to her hometown of Washington, D.C., to pursue her interest in international development.

Rita joined CGD in June 2010 and works on aid effectiveness initiatives. She is a graduate of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs where she completed a Master's of Public Administration. During her master’s program, Rita served as a consultant on an agribusiness development project for the Millennium Challenge Corporation and as an intern for the Education for Employment Foundation in Morocco. Previously, she worked for Seedco, the Council on Foreign Relations, the French Ministry of Education and Cultural Services, and the Carter Center. Rita has a BA in international studies from Emory University.

Communications and Outreach Staff

Lawrence works to increase the policy impact of CGD's research and analysis by leading an integrated communications program that includes publications, media relations, government and NGO outreach, events, and online engagement. Before joining the Center in October 2004, he was a senior communications officer at the World Bank where he provided strategic communications advice to chief economists, coordinated the preparation of research publications, and created the World Bank Research website. He was founding editor of the Bank's Policy Research Report series and launched two innovative yet enduring web tools: the Bank's Online Media Briefing Center and the International AIDS Economic Network (IAEN), a virtual community. Before that, he worked in East and Southeast Asia for 15 years as a reporter and editor for the Asian Wall Street Journal, Agence France Presse, and Asiaweek Magazine.

Sarah Jane is responsible for engaging the development policy community—especially senior staff in the U.S. Congress, the administration, and policy experts in leading development advocacy NGOs—in the Center’s research and other programs. She ensures that the Center’s research and analysis is readily available to these and other influential audiences to increase CGD’s impact and influence. Sarah Jane also regularly briefs the Center’s experts on policy opportunities and ideas from the development policy community and helps shape the Center’s products so they are timely and relevant to current policy debates. She facilitates congressional testimony from the Center’s experts and supports the Center’s communications team in reaching other external audiences through an innovative online presence. Sarah Jane previously worked at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO); at InterAction, a coalition of 160 U.S.-based development and humanitarian NGOs; and with the ONE Campaign.

Wren Elhai assists Nancy Birdsall with research on the effectiveness of foreign aid and supports the work of the Study Group on a U.S. Development Strategy in Pakistan. Also a member of the Communications team, he handles Twitter, Facebook, and other new media applications. Wren is a graduate of Swarthmore College, where he majored in political science and Russian studies. At Swarthmore, he helped to create a radio program called War News Radio that covers the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by airing the stories of Iraqi and Afghan civilians. After graduating, he spent a year traveling the world as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow, living and studying with traditional vocalists in Tuva (Russian Federation), India, South Africa, and Europe.

Kaci Farrell is the Outreach and Policy Assistant for the Center for Global Development, focusing primarily on migration, climate, and trade portfolios. Before assuming this position, Kaci worked as an associate with APCO Worldwide, a public affairs firm specializing in strategic communications. While at APCO, she contributed to projects in media relations, issue management, grassroots advocacy, and stakeholder engagement. Kaci has also worked at Wexler & Walker Public Policy Associates, a bipartisan lobbying firm, and the Rose Institute of State and Local Government, a public policy research organization. Kaci graduated magna cum laude from Claremont McKenna College with a BA degree in government with an emphasis on women’s studies.

Heather is responsible for managing seminars and events for the Center as part of the communications team. Before joining CGD, she worked with Barnes & Noble promoting community outreach and author events, as well as with Miramax Films. Heather received her MA in literature from the University of North Texas and holds a BA in English from the University of Oklahoma.

John Osterman manages the production of the Center's books, working papers, briefs, and other publications. A native of the metropolitan area, John holds an MA in anthropology from the University of Virginia and a BA from the University of Mary Washington. Before his graduate studies, he was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mauritania and worked in mid-Atlantic archaeology.

Steve is the Web Technology Manager for the Center for Global Development. He has experience designing and developing numerous websites and web applications. Steve has a BA in computer science from Georgetown University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

Finance and Administration Staff

Ellen Mackenzie is the Center's Director of Finance. She manages and leads administrative, business planning, accounting, budgeting, human resource, and information technology efforts of the organization. Before joining CGD, Ellen was the director of finance and operations at the Global Fund for Children (GFC), the budget director at the Advocacy Institute and ran the global population project at the Communications Consortium Media Center. In 2000, Ellen was awarded a grant to explore how technology can be used to increase organizational effectivenes; her research plans were acquired by a venture philanthropy organization. She brings with her more than ten years of experience working with nonprofit organizations. Ellen has a BA in business management from New York University.

Luke Easley joined the Center in 2007 and serves as the Finance and Human Resources Manager. He has over eight years of experience in business operations and human resources and recently obtained a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Certification for the Society for Human Resources Management. He is also a member of the HR Association of the National Capital Area.

Jeff Garland is the Information Technology Manager. He has an educational background in Computer Electronics and has worked as a consultant for numerous Department of Defense migrations and upgrade projects. He worked on a network design team performing proprietery software installations on Capitol Hill. He has since held System Engineering positions for multiple nonprofits. Before joining CGD, Jeff lead an IT team responsible for supporting the network infrastructure for a local nonprofit with five international field offices. Jeff is a certified Systems Engineer and ITIL certified.

Aaron assists Jeff Garland with CGD's contact database and Steve Perlow with website maintenance and newsletter production. Originally from Lansing, Michigan, he is a graduate of the University of Nebraska where he earned a BA in Economics. Aaron has spent time studying abroad at Massey University in Auckland, New Zealand, and at Gesamtschule Hungen in Hesse, Germany. His previous professional experience includes working in financial aid assessment and bank management.

Andy joined CGD in August 2009. He is studying business administration at Strayer University. Andy volunteers with Food for All, an organization that seeks to provide food for DC’s neediest residents. Andy also likes to run 5k races to help raise money for charities.

Sam worked for eight years as a systems administrator in a nonprofit organization in Northern Virginia. Before joining CGD, he spent a year teaching in El Salvador. Sam has BA in communications from George Mason University and a master's in Management Information Systems. Sam also volunteers his time working with At-Risk youths in Northern Virginia.

Program Staff

Nandini Oomman joined CGD in March 2006 as the director of the HIV/AIDS Monitor, which tracks the effectiveness of the three main aid responses to the epidemic: the Global Fund, the HIV/AIDS Africa MAP program of the World Bank, and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Nandini manages the initiative and oversees much of the research program that underpins it. She has more than 15 years on public health research, program and policy experience, with emphases on population, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS.

Rachel is a senior associate in CGD’s global health programs. She provides economic and policy expertise to support CGD working groups, manages CGD programs on population and economic development, and conducts research on other global health topics. She has 25 years of experience as a development economist, managing and carrying out research and policy analysis in the fields of health, agriculture and the environment. Before joining CGD, Rachel worked at the Population Reference Bureau, the Fogarty International Center of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. She also served as associate professor and chair of the economics department at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. Rachel’s publications include a range of topics, from the cost-effectiveness of noncommunicable disease interventions and health impacts of fiscal policies to impacts of microcredit on the environment in developing countries and economic impacts of transboundary diseases and pests.

Christina joined the Center in April 2009. She is a graduate of New York University with a BA in comparative politics. Before joining the center, she spent two years in Tanzania with the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative, where she worked collaboratively to strengthen the health care system and expand access to care and treatment programs for people living with HIV/AIDS. As an undergraduate, Christina studied in both Ghana and Spain, and also gained conflict assessment research experience as an intern with the Fund for Peace. At the Center, Christina works with the HIV/AIDS Monitor team.

Cindy works with David Roodman on the Commitment to Development Index and supports Nora Lustig’s work on the effect of the current financial crisis in developing countries. Cindy joined the Center in July 2007, assisting Liliana Rojas-Suarez with a workshop on improving access to financial services. Before joining CGD, Cindy served as the Managing Director of FACE AIDS, a national, student-run nonprofit dedicated to raising student awareness about HIV/AIDS, and she has interned at the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Cindy holds a BA in economics with a minor in political science from Stanford University.

Katie joined CGD in November 2009 and works with the global health policy team. Before joining the Center, Katie led operations for a social venture group that identifies, invests, and operates businesses in Rwanda. Before that, Katie worked for the Earth Institute at the Center for Global Health and Economic Development and spent two years in Rwanda where she managed the Millennium Villages and Access projects. Katie graduated from Barnard College with a BA in Urban Studies.

Research Assistants

Caroline Decker supports the research of visiting fellows Nuhu Ribadu and Julius Kiiza. Before joining CGD, Caroline worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho with women-owned weaving groups to improve their businesses and managed PEPFAR-funded HIV Prevention and Diversity camps for youth. She graduated from Tufts University with a BA in international relations. She has also worked for Reinvest South Africa on business development in the townships of Cape Town and has interned on the Hill and at the UN Foundation.

Casey Dunning supports the dialogue and analysis on U.S. foreign assistance innovations and reform in the Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Program. Before joining CGD, Casey worked on gender and rule of law programs in Liberia with Emory University’s Institute for Developing Nations. She interned as a research assistant with the Carter Center and the International Rescue Committee and studied at Oxford University and Trinity College, Dublin. Casey graduated summa cum laude from Emory University in international studies with a specialization in political economy.

Veronica Gonzales supports the research of senior fellow Liliana Rojas-Suarez. Prior to joining CGD, Veronica was a research assistant in the Centro de Investigacion de la Universidad del Pacifico on issues related to education, and has worked on projects on health and rural youth. She was also a teaching assistant in econometrics, microeconomics, and private project evaluation at the Universidad del Pacifico (Lima-Peru), from which she graduated seventh in her class in 2008.

Matt works with senior fellow David Wheeler researching climate change and global innovation policy. Before joining CGD, he received a BS in economics and mathematics at Duke University. While at Duke, Matt founded Project Waves, a program that seeks to educate students about coastal environments through surfing, sailing, and kayaking expeditions. He has also assisted efforts to survey and protect the coral reefs of Honduras's Bay Islands.

Stephanie Majerowicz supports the research of Todd Moss. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Stephanie graduated from Stanford University with a BA in political science and a minor in economics. At Stanford, Stephanie served as a research assistant for various projects relating to conflict and rebel groups in Africa and Latin America, and received a grant to undertake an independent research project on democratic institutions and conflict in Lima, Perú. Before joining CGD, Stephanie worked at the Inter-American Dialogue interning with their economics and trade program.

Owen McCarthy works with senior fellows Mead Over and Vijaya Ramachandran on HIV/AIDS policy and African private sector development, respectively. Before arriving at CGD, he was a student at Boston University where he earned a BA in political science with a minor in economics. While at BU, he was a research assistant for a number of projects, dealing variously with the determinants of British colonialism and the economics of rural Bengali potato markets.

Pronita supports the research of president Nancy Birdsall and senior fellow Alan Gelb. Before joining CGD, Pronita worked with J-PAL/IPA in Bangladesh on an impact evaluation of Save the Children’s programs to delay the age of marriage and childrearing among rural girls. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a BA in economics and a minor in global poverty & practice. Pronita’s honors thesis analyzed factors that influenced slum-dwelling households in Mumbai, India, to treat their drinking water. She also worked in India and the United States in fields ranging from health care consulting, transportation planning, and legal research to gender policy.

Ross Thuotte supports the research of fellow Ben Leo and senior fellow Todd Moss, primarily focusing on African economic policy and private sector development. Before joining CGD, he spent two summers in Rwanda co-coordinating and teaching an introductory course on business and entrepreneurship. Ross speaks French and has also conducted field research in Senegal. A Tufts University graduate (cum laude) with a BA in International Relations, Ross wrote his honors thesis on Regional Integration and Regional Financial Institutions in West Africa.

Tejaswi Velayudhan supports the research of senior fellows Michael Clemens and Mead Over. She graduated from Wellesley College in 2010 with majors in mathematics and economics, and wrote her thesis on contraceptive choice and its effects on birth spacing among Bangladeshi and Indian women. At Wellesley, she served as both a tutor for an undergraduate econometrics class and as a research assistant for Prof. David Lindauer on his textbook Economics of Development. She also spent a year studying at the London School of Economics.

Julie works with senior fellows David Roodman and Vijaya Ramachandran on the Commitment to Development Index and failed states, respectively. Originally from California, Julie is a recent graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service with a BS in international politics and international development. She has worked in rural South Africa as a Global Development Fellow with the non-profit Think Impact and is the co-founder of the Mundzuku Foundation Scholarship Project which aims to provide South African youth with access to a university education. Julie studied abroad in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where she worked with a local women’s health organization, Tu, Mujer. She also spent time as a research and advocacy intern for the International Crisis Group.

Interns