Staff Directory

BIC Welcomes New Executive Director

July 13, 2018

The Bank Information Center’s Board of Directors is thrilled to announce the appointment of Elana Berger as BIC’s Executive Director, effective immediately.  Ms. Berger has been serving as Interim Executive Director for the past six months.  “This was an easy decision for our Board.  Elana has done a terrific job as the interim executive director; she has demonstrated the knowledge, leadership and vision to lead BIC into the future.  We are very pleased that she has agreed to assume BIC’s helm permanently,” said David Hunter, Chair of the Board of Directors.

Prior to serving as BIC’s Interim Executive Director, Elana Berger was Director of BIC’s Social Inclusion and Accountability program, where among other things she led key components of BIC’s campaigns relating to the World Bank Safeguards Review. She has been instrumental in pushing the World Bank to take aggressive action in addressing gender-based violence, and is deeply committed to advocating for reforms that respect the rights of those most profoundly impacted by development activities.

Elana is a human rights lawyer with significant international experience. Immediately prior to joining BIC five years ago, Elana worked in Thailand at the Burma Partnership where she supported local civil society groups to report on human rights violations committed by the Burmese military.  Previously, Elana worked for the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect where she led several campaigns to protect populations at risk of mass atrocities, and at the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour, a branch of the International Labor Organization.  Elana received her Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law and holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of Maryland.

“I am deeply committed to continuing our work with communities and civil society around the world to further BIC’s mission of democratizing development finance,” said Elana. “For thirty years, BIC has played an important role in influencing development finance institutions and driving reform, and I am honored to lead the organization at a time when our work is more important than ever.”

“The development finance landscape is rapidly shifting, and BIC has an important role in keeping up with the trends and working with civil society and communities to influence the development activities that profoundly impact their lives. I am honored to lead BIC through this exciting transition period” – Elana Berger

BIC’s Board of Directors is excited to announce the appointment of senior staff member Elana Berger to serve as Interim Executive Director, effective December 1. Ms. Berger will take over from Jeff Hall who has served as Executive Director since the middle of 2016, and recently relocated with his family to North Carolina.    

“We are thrilled that Elana is willing and able to step into this role,” says David Hunter, Chair of the Board of Directors. “Elana has the full confidence of the Board of Directors and BIC staff, and we believe that she has the experience, vision, and relationships with partners to advance BIC’s important work while we conduct our Executive Director search. We are grateful for Jeff’s leadership as Executive Director and his passionate commitment and contributions to the mission of BIC. The entire staff and Board wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”

Elana Berger has been at BIC for 5 years leading key components of our policy campaigns around the World Bank Safeguards Review and then as the Director of our Social Inclusion and Accountability program. She has been instrumental in pushing the World Bank to take aggressive action in addressing gender based violence, and is deeply committed to advocating for reforms that respect the rights of those most profoundly impacted by development activities.  

“The development finance landscape is rapidly shifting, and BIC has an important role in keeping up with the trends and working with civil society and communities to influence the development activities that profoundly impact their lives. I am honored to lead BIC through this exciting transition period,” says Elana Berger.

“Under Elana’s leadership, we have no doubt BIC will continue to build upon our successes and our work with people and communities throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America,” says David Hunter, “and together with the Board of Directors, BIC’s talented staff, our donors, and our partners we will continue BIC’s important work to amplify local voices and democratize development finance.”

Elana Berger

Interim Executive Director

+1 (202) 624-0634
eberger*bankinformationcenter.org
Elana joined the Bank information Center in 2012 to start up BIC’s child rights program. She led it’s work around child rights and the safeguards before becoming BIC’s Director of Social Inclusion and Accountability. She has been instrumental in pushing the World Bank to take aggressive action in addressing gender based violence, and is deeply committed to advocating for reforms that respect the rights of those most profoundly impacted by development activities.

Elana is a human rights lawyer with significant experience working at the international level. Immediately before joining BIC she spent a spent a year in Thailand working at Burma Partnership where she helped local civil society groups report on human rights violations committed by the Burmese military. Prior to moving to Thailand Elana worked for the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect where she led several campaigns to protect populations at risk of mass atrocities. Elana also has experience working for the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour, a branch of the International Labor Organization and teaching third grade.

Elana received her Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law and a holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of Maryland.

Rachel Burton

Campaign Manager, Social Inclusion and Accountability

+1 (202) 624-0637
rburton*bankinformationcenter.org

Rachel joined the Bank Information Center in June 2012. Rachel has significant experience advocating for the rights of people with disabilities on both the local and international levels. Most recently, Rachel educated funders and the public at large about Disability Rights International’s work to prevent human rights abuses against people with disabilities and to inform individuals of their rights under the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. While with Global AIDS Alliance, Rachel advocated to prevent and end violence against women and girls around the world and pushed for increased funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. At The Arc of the District of Columbia, Rachel was responsible for ensuring that students with disabilities received the most appropriate and supportive services in the least restrictive environment and led advocacy campaigns on inclusive education, early intervention, and transition.

Rachel has a Masters in Public Administration from New York University and a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. Test.

Maggie Federici

Campaigns Associate

+1 202 888-6727
mfederici*bankinformationcenter.org
Maggie joined BIC in September 2014. She received her B.A. and M.A. in International Development and Social Change from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her regional focus is on Latin America. Maggie’s Master’s research on Afro-Colombian women’s activism explored the complexities of women’s participation and representation in development. The lessons from this research fuel her passion for BIC’s work towards a more inclusive and transparent development process.

Maggie is originally from Westbrook, CT.

Katelyn Gallagher

Campaign Manager, Partnerships and Capacity Building

+1 (202) 624-0639
kgallagher*bankinformationcenter.org

Katelyn joined the Bank Information Center in 2011. Prior to joining the Middle East and North Africa team at BIC, she spent time in Egypt and Morocco, studying Arabic during the Arab Spring. She previously worked on political economy and justice issues as an intern with the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, and also interned in Egypt with Caritas Alexandria, working on microfinance. Katelyn holds dual undergraduate degrees in Government and Politics and Arabic Studies from the University of Maryland, and minored in Middle East Studies. At BIC, her work has indulged passions for social justice, political economic theory, people-centric urban design, and Egyptian food. Katelyn is originally from Sykesville, Maryland, and now resides (and votes) in the great District of Columbia.

Paulina Garzon

Director, China-Latin America Sustainable Investments Initiative

pgarzoniiscal*bankinformationcenter.org

Paulina, a native Ecuadorian, has been working on environmental justice and community rights in the Amazon for more than 20 years. She was the president of Acción Ecológica and an original Steering Committee member of the Amazon Coalition. She is the co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Center for Economic and Social Rights in Quito-Ecuador. She was awarded Honorary Membership in the Frente de Defensa de la Amazonía for her advocacy work against Chevron-Texaco. In 2005, she was one of ten Human Rights Advocates invited by the Center for Human Rights at Columbia University for a 5-month fellowship. Paulina has a Masters Degree in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and previously worked for BIC as the Latin America Program Manager.

Wunna Htun

Myanmar Program Coordinator

whtun*bankinformationcenter.org
Wunna has been working with ActionAid Myanmar for five years in different capacities, the last one as the Governance Thematic Coordinator. He was instrumental in building capacity among youth and supporting them to work for the community for short and long term development for their own community. His responsibilities at Action Aid included regular assessment and review of the impact of governance work, build and maintain relationship with Union/regional/local government and initiate a network of like-minded organizations at the national level with the focus of budget watch and governance work.

He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Political Science from Yangon University

Phiona Nampungu

Child Rights Consultant (East Africa)

+256 712 555 107
pnampungu*bankinformationcenter.org
Phiona
Phiona joined the Bank Information Center in November 2012 as a consultant to provide on-the-ground expertise and liaising for BIC’s Uganda and East African projects. She works on the Child rights and World Bank Safeguards campaign focused on monitoring World Bank projects in the Region and facilitating the participation of children and youth, as well as child rights organizations, in matters related to World bank policies. A Ugandan native and based in Uganda, Phiona is a Social Worker with significant experience working on Child rights, Education and poverty eradication. Phiona received her MA in Development and Emergency Practice from Oxford Brookes University.

Jolie Schwarz

Senior Policy Advisor, External Relations

+1 (202) 624-0621
jschwarz*bankinformationcenter.org

Jolie joined BIC in 2012.  She is an attorney with experience in several fields of international law and policy.  As an undergrad, Jolie minored in international studies with a concentration in ethics and social justice.  During law school, Jolie founded Notre Dame’s only academic journal devoted to international law and during her third year carried out extensive research on how international environmental law principles can be applied to protect indigenous communities in Latin America from harms caused by extractive industry projects.  After law school, she worked for the Human Rights Law Foundation, representing victims of human rights abuses and researching the role propaganda plays in carrying out mass atrocities.

Jolie received her Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School and holds a B.A. in Philosophy and International Studies from Boston College.

Elizabeth Summers

Campaign Manager, Social Inclusion and Accountability

+1 (202) 624-0622
esummers*bankinformationcenter.org

Elizabeth joined the Bank Information Center in 2016 to start up a program on the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). She is a human rights lawyer with significant experience working on business and human rights issues. Most recently, Elizabeth managed Freedom House’s global human rights program. Prior to her position at Freedom House, Elizabeth spent several years conducting research, advocacy, and litigation in Tbilisi, Georgia, to protect the rights of marginalized groups and advance reform on local business and human rights issues. She was also involved in establishing MSI Integrity, an NGO dedicated to examining and understanding the impact and value of voluntary initiatives that address business and human rights.

Elizabeth received her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and a holds a B.A. in Political Science, and minors in Business and English, from the University of Florida.