Executive Director, United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA)
Faith Akovi Cooper serves as Executive Director of United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA), a grassroots movement of more than 20,000 Americans in over 200 chapters across the U.S. who are dedicated to supporting the work of the United Nations in communities, on campuses, and on Capitol Hill.
Faith is a humanitarian executive and global refugee advocate with more than two decades of experience leading humanitarian assistance, international development, and community‑centered systems across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. A former refugee from Liberia, she brings both lived experience and global expertise to advancing equitable policies, advocacy, and sustainable solutions for displaced communities.
She currently serves as Chair of the United States Refugee Advisory Board and previously spent eight years in senior leadership roles at the International Rescue Committee, including Senior Director for Community Engagement, Regional Director for Resettlement, Asylum and Integration, and Country Director in Liberia. Her international portfolio also includes serving as Regional Advisor for the U.S. Government–funded West Africa Disaster Preparedness Initiative at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center in Ghana, where she led Ebola preparedness coordination for 15 countries across the ECOWAS subregion.
Faith’s leadership centers on strengthening multilateral systems and delivering high‑impact programs rooted in dignity, resilience, and community leadership — operating at the intersection of local action and global cooperation.
She holds an Master of Public Administration in Health Policy from George Mason University; dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Foreign Languages and Criminal Justice from Radford University; and an executive leadership certificate from the Advanced Leadership Institute at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.
Faith has earned numerous honors for her leadership and global service, including the 2025 Outstanding Alumni Award for Humanitarian Service from the Radford University Alumni Association.
