Organizers & Ambassadors
Action Corps ambassadors and organizers are leaders across the country who volunteer with Action Corps campaigns. They represent Action Corps in meetings with members of Congress, in the media, and in their communities.
Have a few hours a year to help out? Apply to join our Ambassador Program!
Want to do more? Apply to join our Organizers Team!
Have a few hours a year to help out? Apply to join our Ambassador Program!
Want to do more? Apply to join our Organizers Team!
BURMA POLICY LEADJade Justice - Burma Policy Lead
Jade is a first generation Kachin-American activist and organizer, and a co-founder of the Global Movement for Myanmar Democracy. She is involved in her D.C.-based Burmese Church community. She previously served as the Assistant Secretary for the Kachin Alliance, co-lead of the Burma Committee for STAND: The Student-Led Movement to End Mass Atrocities, and founder and president of the George Mason University STAND chapter in Virginia. |
CALIFORNIAJeremy Neill - Ambassador
Jeremy Neil has spent the last two years in the nonprofit sector advocating for ocean plastic mitigation efforts and coastal protection while working on his MS in Public and Urban Policy. His interests center around the intersections of policy and technology, leveraging modern computer technologies to help decision makers and grassroots organizations increase their influence and democratization over public resources. |
Blen Alemu - Ambassador
Blen Alemu, based in San Diego, is an international student from Ethiopia. She volunteers as a coordinator, marketer, and financial advisor at Jarweng Educational Development. Jarweng is a non-profit whose mission is to build schools in South Sudan and to improve life through better education, healthcare, and commerce. |
COLORADOStephen Lauer - Ambassador
Stephen Lauer, based in Pueblo, Colorado, is a scholar, educator, and organizer driven to understand and overcome barriers to sustained civic engagement for inclusive and equitable community development. He is currently working on food access and agricultural initiatives in rural southern Colorado. |
CONNECTICUTLayan Jahaf - Ambassador
Layan Jahaf is a Yemeni-American high school student passionate about political science and foreign relations. She is a founding member of Pathways for Yemen, a nonprofit initiative working to end Yemen's civil war and alleviate the country's devastating conditions. |
FLORIDAZehra Baqri - Ambassador
Zehra Baqri, based in Orlando, is a college student passionate about science, technology, engineering and math. She is involved in her Shi’a Muslim community and campaigns for first generation immigrants from Pakistan and Iraq to register to vote. It is important to her to speak out for her community to her central Florida representatives. |
GEORGIABrittany Wilson – Ambassador
Brittany Wilson has over a decade of experience planning outreach events to excite, engage, and interact with the community. She is a founding member of Action Corps. Brittany is the design director at a large home textile company that sells to major retailers throughout the U.S. |
Alexandra Nelson – Ambassador
Alexandra Nelson is a second year student studying art history and minoring in Spanish and curatorial studies at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She is involved in Spelman College Student Ambassadors, The Social Justice Program, The Blue Record Podcast, and the AUC Art Collective. She is passionate about social justice and increasing Black visibility within the art world. |
IDAHOBrendan Bell-Taylor - Organizer
Brendan Bell-Taylor graduated from Boise State University’s Political Science Program, specializing in international relations. He recently worked with the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights and is involved with Idaho politics to further human rights. His research has focused on far-right radicalization in the United States. |
Hannah Margaret Schwarz - Ambassador
Hannah Margaret Schwarz is an international development practitioner committed to gender equality, climate justice, and human rights. Hannah graduated from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, and worked in sexual reproductive health and food security while serving in the Peace Corps in Nepal. |
INDIANAMonica Tuimuk - Organizer
Monica Tuimuk is from the Matu-Chin ethnic group and is involved in this community as well as the Burmese community in Indianapolis. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering and serving the community. Most of her leadership experience comes from student and community organizations such as Alliance for Immigrant Justice, Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority Inc., and Myanmar Student Organization. Her goal is to continue developing skills in order to effectively participate in advocating for marginalized communities. |
Kimberly Kiser - Ambassador
Kimberly Kiser is a data specialist and prospect researcher for Second Helpings, in Indianapolis, providing job training, and hunger relief to 4,000 people a day. She is a founding member of Action Corps and holds a master’s degree from Indiana University, where she studied non-profit law, management and finance. |
IOWARev. Joan Fumetti - Ambassador
Rev. Joan Fumetti is an ordained minister with the United Church of Christ, and a climate activist. She is a retired staff member of Growing Hope Globally. The organization works with U.S. farmers who agree to donate the profits from specified crops to support sustainable agriculture in low-income countries. Rev. Fumetti played a key role in Action Corps’ 2020 Global COVID Response Campaign, bringing together Iowa farmers, humanitarians, and people of faith, to lobby Sen. Grassley. |
KENTUCKYDavid Lian - Ambassador
David Lian is an ethnic Chin from Burma, he studied political science and is currently studying MBA Entrepreneurship at University of Louisville, He has experience speaking to state and DC legislators for Burma. He has a passion for traveling and learning from different parts of the world. |
MARYLANDMark Harrison - Ambassador
Mark Harrison is the retired director of peace with justice from the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society where he advocated for public policy issues before Congress and the administration. In that capacity he served on the boards of Churches for Middle East Peace, International Labor Rights Fund and Interfaith Peace Builders, among others. |
Bret Lawson - Ambassador
Bret Lawson, based out of Washington, D.C., is an international relations student. She is passionate about humanitarian advocacy and moved to the capital to be able to better influence policy, particularly in regards to mobilizing resources to low-income communities globally. |
Kate Mallory - Ambassador
Kate Mallory, based in Boston, is an undergraduate student studying international relations and political science. Kate currently serves on the board of 100 Million USA, a worldwide campaign to end child exploitation. She previously worked with the Northeastern University School of Law's Immigrant Justice Clinic. |
MICHIGANOdile Hugonot Haber - Ambassador
Odile Hugonot Haber has been an RN in the US for over 30 years, has worked with the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom since 1983, and is on the board of World Beyond War. She was a delegate for the California Nurses Association, part of the Campaign Against Apartheid at UC Berkeley in the mid 1980s, part of the Women in Black movement, and part of the Long Haul’s project, the Slingshot newspaper. |
MINNESOTAKim Kokett - Organizer
Kim Kokett, based in Minneapolis, is a early childhood educator and family advocate. She has had the opportunity to travel to a number of countries including Rwanda, India, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Columbia, South Africa and Sierra Leone to share her experiences around education and learn about development on a local level. She is also connected to MN 350 and the ONE Campaign. |
NEW HAMPSHIREAbigail Henry - Ambassador
Abigail Henry of Newmarket is an undergraduate political science student at Northeastern University and a member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). She is interested in international relations, conflict resolution, and the role of the military in establishing diplomatic relations and peacebuilding. |
NEW JERSEYRomir Patel - Organizer
Romir Patel is a high school sophomore at the Delbarton School in New Jersey. He has a strong interest in advocacy work and for years has researched international relations and domestic policy making as a competitor in middle school and high school debate. As a debater, he has consistently ranked amongst the best nationally and has a wide range of debate experience in global issues. |
NEW MEXICOKathy Chavez - Ambassador
Kathy Chavez, a native New Mexican, is a Navy veteran and practicing nurse. She grew up with a strong sense of social justice and was raised to respect the earth and all living creatures. With Action Corps she has lobbied for food aid reform and climate change policies. Her passions include health care and the COVID global response. |
Don Wiviott - Ambassador
Don Wiviott is a social entrepreneur currently working in organic agriculture and reforestation. In 2008 he was a congressional candidate in his home state of New Mexico and currently serves on the board of the Iowa Farmers Union. He holds a degree in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth and an MBA from Harvard. |
NEW YORKSami Esquivel - Lead Organizer
Steering Committee Member, Climate Justice Lead & New York Lead Organizer Sami Esquivel has worked with local NGOs to spread awareness on the importance of oceanic health and forests by leading bay restoration projects and educational hikes for volunteers and the public. She has also coordinated with working communities to advocate for land management and organic farming at community farms for over three years. Sami is focused on amplifying diverse voices to build a healthier community through her involvement in projects involving community outreach as well as arts and cultural partnerships. |
Julia Meltzer - Ambassador
Julia Meltzer is a graduate student in the Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management program at the Milano School of Policy, Management, and the Environment and will be completing her Master of Science in Fall 2021. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, and is interested in climate justice, environmental justice, and political ecology at all scales. She has advocated for environmental policy at the state level and looks forward to expanding her scope to address intersecting global challenges. |
OKLAHOMASister Diane Koorie - Ambassador
Sr. Diane, a Sister of Mercy at Mercy Health Center convent in Oklahoma City, is a former teacher continuing to serve on ministry boards, offering adult faith formation, and in advocacy work. Sisters of Mercy serve God’s people through education, health care and other ministries that further social, political, economic and spiritual well-being. |
PENNSYLVANIAJulian Wharton - Ambassador
Julian Wharton was an advocate in the early AIDS movement with ACT-UP, is chair of the Nominating Committee for the NAACP-Monroe County, PA, and is an active member of his church. Leading up to the 2020 election, he volunteered with Reclaim Our Vote to fight voter suppression. |
SOUTH CAROLINAKyle Anderson - Ambassador
Kyle Anderson helps support global education and discovery technologies with Academic Programs International. He is a former Chinese professor and university administrator, and works closely with Parami University (Yangon, Myanmar) and its students to sustain learning in crisis contexts. |
UTAHFarhan Iqbal - Ambassador
Farhan Iqbal, based in Salt Lake City, is an entrepreneur and businessman committed to international charitable causes. He is focused on humanitarian efforts in Yemen, Burma, Syria, and Palestine. With Action Corps he has met with the office of Senator Mike Lee, and initiated a Utah petition to the senator, in support of the people of Yemen. |
VERMONTMary Diane “MD” Baker - Organizer
MD is an activist in Brattleboro, Vermont, where she organizes with a number of groups. She was a key organizer of the January 25, 2021 Vermont car caravan as part of the global day of action called World Says No to War on Yemen. She has participated in multiple constituent meetings with the staff of Vermont's U.S. senators, advocating for global justice, and she has led press outreach for the group's local Yemen solidarity campaign. |
WISCONSINMoselle Singh - Ambassador
Moselle Singh is a Punjabi-American artist and grassroots collaborator based in the Great Plains (Iowa-Wisconsin) with a background in agroecology and biodiversity regeneration. They have worked on small farms around the world with growers and seed keepers advocating for food/seed sovereignty and the dismantling of colonial-capitalist agriculture from the Great Plains to undivided Punjab. They currently collaborate with the Indigenous-led resistance, Great Plains Action Society. |
Founding Organizers
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Special Thanks
Action Corps would never have taken root without the tireless efforts of our founding board members --
Megan Nakra, Sapana Thomas, Elizabeth Tillman, Brittany Wilson, and Kimberly Kiser.
Megan Nakra, Sapana Thomas, Elizabeth Tillman, Brittany Wilson, and Kimberly Kiser.