Available for Interviews To request a television or radio
interview with UN Foundation staff, please
contact:
Katherine Miller
Executive Director, Communications and Public
Affairs
202.247.7280 kmiller@unfoundation.org
Timothy
E. Wirth President
Prior to serving as President of the United
Nations Foundation and Better World Fund,
Wirth served in the U.S. Department of State
during the Clinton Presidency as the first
Undersecretary for Global Affairs. In this
role, he coordinated U.S. foreign policy
in the areas of refugees, population, environment,
science, human rights and narcotics. From
1987 to 1993 Wirth served in the U.S. Senate,
representing the state of Colorado, and
focusing on global climate change and population
stabilization. Before serving as a senator,
Wirth represented Colorado’s 2nd Congressional
District from 1975 to 1987, dealing with
communications technology and budget policy.
Wirth began his political career as a White
House Fellow under President Lyndon Johnson
and was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Education
in the Nixon Administration.
Kathryn
Bushkin Calvin Executive Vice President & Chief
Operating Officer
Prior to joining the United Nations
Foundation, Bushkin served as President
of the AOL Time Warner Foundation. She joined
America Online in 1997 as Senior Vice President
and Chief Communications Officer, later
guiding its philanthropic activities and
creating the company’s corporate responsibility
initiatives. Immediately prior to joining
AOL, she was a Senior Managing Director
at Hill and Knowlton, leading U.S. Media
Relations. Before working at Hill and Knowlton,
Bushkin was the Director of Editorial Administration
for U.S. News & World Report for 12
years. From 1976 to 1984, she served as
Press Secretary for Senator Gary Hart’s
senate office and 1984 presidential campaign.
Back
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Andrea
Gay Director, Children's Health Program
Andrea Gay is the Director of Children's
Health at the United Nations Foundation
where she oversees projects to improve the
survival and health of children in developing
countries, particularly those under five
years of age. She joined the UN Foundation
when it was created in 1998. Back
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Gillian Sorensen
Senior Adviser & National Advocate
Topics: United Nations system, US-UN Relations,
UN programs and issues
Gillian Martin Sorensen is a national advocate
on matters related to the United Nations,
addressing audiences as diverse as Rotary
International and the Air Force Academy;
staff and Members of Congress; newspaper
editorial writers and television correspondents.
From l997 to 2003, she served as Assistant
Secretary-General for External Relations,
on appointment by Secretary-General Kofi
Annan. Prior to this Sorensen served as
Special Adviser for Public Policy to Secretary-General
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, directing the UN’s
worldwide Fiftieth Anniversary observances
in l995. She also served for over 12 years
as New York City Commissioner for the United
Nations, head of the City’s liaison
office with the world’s largest diplomatic
community, on appointment by Mayor Edward
I. Koch. Her responsibilities related to
diplomatic security and immunity, housing
and education, and other cultural and business
contacts between the New York City and over
30,000 diplomats. Gillian Sorensen is a
graduate of Smith College and studied at
the Sorbonne. She has been a Fellow at the
Kennedy School of Government (Institute
of Politics) at Harvard University. Back
to top
Erika
Harms
Director for Sustainable Development Topics: World Heritage, Sustainable
Tourism, Sustainable Development
Erika Harms is the Director for Sustainable
Development, where she oversees programs
that emphasize biodiversity conservation
and local community involvement. Before
joining the UN Foundation in 2001, Erika
was Minister Counselor and Deputy Chief
of Mission of the Embassy of Costa Rica
in Washington, D.C. Previously, she had
been Marketing Manager for Central America
and the Caribbean for Monsanto Corporation
and coordinator of its regional environmental
program. Serving as a consultant in environmental
law and policies for the Government of Costa
Rica, the World Bank, and local and international
NGOs from 1989 to 1995 played an important
role in her increasing interest in environmental
issues. Erika has a law degree from the
University of Costa Rica and a Master's
degree in Natural Resource Management from
the Central American Institute of Business
Administration (INCAE). Back to top
Jean-Claude
Faby Senior Adviser
Jean-Claude Faby is Senior Adviser
to the UN Foundation. He has had a long
career with the United Nations, mostly handling
environment and social and economic issues.
He worked for many years for the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as
their political point man in New York, representing
UNEP at various UN meetings including the
General Assembly. Back
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Melinda L.
Kimble Senior Vice President
Melinda Kimble is Senior Vice President,
overseeing program areas concerning health,
population, the environment, and peace/
human rights. She joined the UN Foundation
in May 2000. Back
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Mohamed T. El-Ashry Senior Fellow
Mohamed T. El-Ashry is Senior Fellow with
the UN Foundation. He served as Chief Executive
Officer and Chairman of the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) from July 1994 to July 2003.
He also served as Chairman of the GEF during
its Pilot Phase (1991-1994). Prior to joining
the GEF he served as the Chief Environmental
Adviser to the President and Director of
the Environment Department at the World
Bank, as Senior Vice President of the World
Resources Institute (WRI), and as Director
of Environmental Quality with the Tennessee
Valley Authority. He has held teaching and
research positions at Cairo University,
Pan-American-U.A.R. Oil Company, Illinois
Geological Survey, Wilkes University and
the Environmental Defense Fund. He has also
served as Senior Environmental Adviser to
UNDP, as Special Adviser to the Secretary
General of the 1992 U.N. Conference on Environment
and Development (UNCED), and as a member
of the World Water Commission. Back
to top
Reid Detchon Executive Director, Energy
and Climate
Reid Detchon is Executive Director of the
Energy Future Coalition, a broad-based non-partisan
public policy initiative focused on three
critical energy challenges – oil dependence,
climate change, and global energy poverty.
He is also Executive Director for Energy
and Climate at the United Nations Foundation.
Mr. Detchon previously served as Director
of Special Projects in Washington for the
Turner Foundation; as a principal at Podesta
Associates, a government relations and public
affairs firm in Washington; as the Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Conservation
and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department
of Energy from 1989 to 1993; as principal
speechwriter for Vice President George H.
W. Bush; and as a staff member and legislative
director for U.S. Senator John Danforth
of Missouri. Back
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Timothy
E. Wirth
Kathryn
Bushkin Calvin
