Uniting
Research and Policy

Ambassador Melanne Verveer is the Executive Director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security. In her role, she oversees the institute’s research, policy initiatives, and advocacy efforts to address critical issues affecting women in conflict and post-conflict settings. 

Previously, Ambassador Verveer served as the first U.S. Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues from 2009 to 2013, a position to which she was nominated by President Barack Obama. During her tenure, she coordinated foreign policy issues related to the political, economic, and social advancement of women, traveling to nearly sixty countries. She played a key role in integrating women’s participation and rights into U.S. foreign policy and was instrumental in the development of the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. Additionally, President Obama appointed her as the U.S. Representative to the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 2010.  

From 2000 to 2008, Ambassador Verveer was the Chair and Co-CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international NGO she co-founded to invest in emerging women leaders. During the Clinton administration, she served as Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady, leading efforts to establish the President’s Interagency Council on Women and contributing to the adoption of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. 

Ambassador Verveer earned her B.S. and M.S. from Georgetown University. She has received several honorary degrees and has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Secretary of State’s Award for Distinguished Service. In 2008, the President of Ukraine awarded her the Order of Princess Olga.  

She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission and serves on the Boards of the National Endowment for Democracy, the Atlantic Council, and the World Bank Advisory Council on Gender and Development. Ambassador Verveer is the co-author of Fast Forward: How Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose (2015). She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Secretary of State’s Award for Distinguished Service.