New York, New York, United States
I currently serve as Minister Counselor for UN Management and Reform at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, with over 20 years of progressive experience in diplomacy, international development, and multilateral negotiations. Colleagues would describe me as grounded, thoughtful, and decisive—which has enabled me to lead peacebuilding policy reform, secure consensus in complex negotiations, and provide trusted counsel to senior U.S. and UN leadership across a range of global priorities. Throughout my career, I’ve moved between field work and high-level strategy—building bridges between governments, agencies, and communities. I’ve shaped U.S. foreign policy, led the negotiation of breakthrough UN resolutions, and advised senior officials through major global forums. Key highlights include: • Drove U.S. strategy and secured $50M annually for UN peacebuilding after years of gridlock. • Conceptualized the Index of Multilateralism, later selected by the Paris Peace Forum as a featured project. • Turned around a significantly under-performing, multi-million dollar stabilization program in Afghanistan. I care about making complex systems work better—and that starts with listening closely, communicating clearly, and staying focused on outcomes. My passion for multilateral negotiations and excellence in strategic policy development fuels my drive to continually push the boundaries of what is possible in this sector and beyond. Connect with me to talk about UN reform, peacebuilding strategy, multilateral engagement, or general industry news or updates.
As Minister Counselor for UN Management and Reform, I lead U.S. diplomatic engagement to ensure the UN is effective, efficient, accountable and transparent, representing the U.S. in high-level negotiations and managing a team engaged on strategic reform initiatives, as well as the UN’s administrative, budgetary, and human resource issues. This role sits at the intersection of diplomacy, policy, and operations, and involves frequent briefings and collaboration with senior U.S. officials and multilateral counterparts. I provide direct policy guidance to the U.S. Representative for UN Management and Reform and serve on the senior leadership team advising the U.S. Permanent Representative. I lead multilateral negotiations across a $10B assessed budget, manage oversight for New York-based UN programs, and engage in cross-cutting areas like ICT, procurement, and peacekeeping policy. Since January 2025, I’ve also served as Acting U.S. Representative for the section. Key Highlights • Negotiated U.S. priorities into the 2024 UN “Summit of the Future,” securing alignment across member states on complex topics such as climate action and AI governance. • Brokered a landmark compromise unlocking $50M annually in UN peacebuilding funds, ending a longstanding impasse and advancing a top U.S. foreign policy goal. • Served as main interface for Secretary Blinken’s team during the 2023 UN General Assembly High-Level Week.
As Senior Director, I oversaw the design and execution of global programming on peace operations, multilateralism, conflict prevention, and sustainable development. I served on the senior management team, shaped organizational strategy, and helped guide IPI through a major leadership transition and financial restructuring during the COVID-19 pandemic. My work focused on aligning IPI’s research and policy agenda with global shifts, ensuring our recommendations were timely and actionable. I led interdisciplinary teams, authored publications, and advised foreign ministries and UN stakeholders on peacekeeping, security reform, and institutional partnerships. Key Highlights • Designed and launched the “Index of Multilateralism,” later selected as a featured project at the 2020 Paris Peace Forum. • Advised foreign ministries of Denmark, the Netherlands, and Korea on multilateral policy, digital peacekeeping, and peace operations reform.
In this role, I led U.S. policy efforts on UN peace and security reform, special political missions, and administrative negotiations in the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee. I was the U.S. Representative for UN Management and Reform’s principal expert on peace operations and helped bridge interagency input with on-the-ground operational strategy. I collaborated with U.S. stakeholders to develop reform positions, served as lead negotiator during high level budget cycles, and supported internal alignment within USUN’s peace operations team. I also assumed deputy-level leadership responsibilities during multiple transitions. Key Highlights • Co-authored the U.S. strategy to implement the 2015 Presidential directive on peace operations and coordinated mission-wide reform tracking. • Secured budgetary gains through high-stakes negotiations with China and Russia, including staff increases and peacebuilding funding integration.
As coordinator for USAID’s contributions to the 2015 QDDR, I managed internal alignment across multiple bureaus and represented the Agency in interagency discussions with the State Department and White House. This role required strategic thinking and policy fluency under tight deadlines. I drafted agency position papers, reviewed submissions, and advised senior leadership on key areas where USAID could better adapt to global trends and future risks. I acted as a daily liaison between stakeholders, ensuring that development priorities were effectively integrated into national strategy. Key Highlights • Led agency-wide coordination for QDDR deliverables, ensuring timely submission and alignment with high-level strategic priorities. • Represented USAID during external consultations, helping position the agency for more agile engagement in fragile contexts.
I managed OTI’s largest regional portfolio at the time, overseeing stabilization and CVE programs with a combined ceiling of $500M across Afghanistan and Pakistan. This included leading Washington and field teams, shaping strategic direction, and navigating high-risk environments. I was responsible for partner oversight, interagency briefings, internal evaluations, and budgetary planning. During a critical period of drawdown and transition, I helped realign operations and stabilize underperforming programs in close coordination with field and embassy staff. Key Highlights • Revitalized a high-profile Afghanistan program by restructuring strategy, team leadership, and partner accountability frameworks. • Brokered $35M and $3M partnerships with IOM and USIP, extending OTI’s reach into conflict-sensitive programming and electoral violence mitigation.