Headquarters Staff

Amy develops strategies and manages the execution and implementation of marketing and communications that broaden awareness of the Near East Foundation to a global audience. She also works closely with the philanthropy team to support their fundraising goals. Amy joined NEF in 2022 after holding various marketing and communications roles in entertainment, higher education, politics and public radio. Amy has a bachelor’s degree in English from Le Moyne College and a master’s degree in communications from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Communications.

James provides multifaceted support for NEF's programs, focusing primarily on monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) and project management. Prior to joining NEF, he undertook an internship with the United Nations Development Program in Geneva, Switzerland where he supported the implementation and management of public health grants to combat AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. James holds a B.A. in French language from St. John Fisher College as well as an M.A. in International Relations from Syracuse University, with Certificates of Advanced Study in Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Conflict Resolution.

Jay is responsible for raising critical funds that broaden impact and support strategic growth at the Near East Foundation. He joined NEF in 2023 with over 10 years of sales, marketing and business development experience. Prior to his role at NEF, he was the assistant director of development at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs. Jay holds a bachelor’s degree in sport management from Ithaca College and an MBA with concentrations in marketing and finance from Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

Jonathan coordinates Program support and development across Caucuses, Middle East and the Sahel. Working closely with institutional donors and field teams, he supports the design and implementation of private sector, civil society, and stabilization programs, and has led the design and roll-out of project management tools and guidance across country operations. Prior to joining NEF UK, Jonathan managed policy research and innovation initiatives at UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States, working closely with private sector, government, and UN agencies in response to the Syria crisis. He also previously managed governance and economic growth programming across the Middle East for Global Partners Governance and FHI 360. Jonathan holds a BA in Politics and Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, a MSc in Development Studies from London School of Economics, and was a 2015 CBRL Arabic Scholar.

Justin oversees the accounting functions of the organization by monitoring and assessing the internal controls of the Foundation. In his role he supports the Chief Financial Officer in implementing effective accounting systems and processes as well as helping in facilitating policy formulation to enhance financial integrity for the organization at the global level. Prior to joining the Near East Foundation, Justin worked as a Senior Auditor at Dannible & McKee and as an Audit Associate at Fust Charles Chambers. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master in Business Administration from the State of New York College at Oswego, School of Business. Justin is a Certified Public Accountant and a Member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and of the New York State Society of Public Accountants.

Laurie works collaboratively with NEF co-presidents and headquarters staff to support the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of the organization. She also provides support to NEF's board of directors in the US, UK and Belgium, as well as several board committees. Laurie has more than twenty years of experience organizing, managing and adjusting to the ever-changing complexities of an administrative office. Prior to joining NEF, Laurie spent over 13 years as the assistant to the president at SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

Louise works with field teams in Morocco, Iraq, Sudan and South Sudan to provide coordination and backstopping support for Near East Foundation programs. Prior to joining NEF, Louise worked for Think Equal, a global initiative that seeks to mitigate discrimination and violence through systems change in education, including in refugee contexts. Louise is bi-lingual (English/French) and holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from King’s College London and a master’s degree in religion in global politics from SOAS University.

Rachel works closely with NEF field teams to provide program backstopping support and coordination for diverse sectoral programs in Armenia, Lebanon and Sudan. She joined NEF as an intern in 2014 and became a permanent staff member in 2016, bringing more than 10 years of experience in administration and coordination, staff training and development, and process improvement to the position. In 2015, Rachel received the U.S. State Department’s Critical Language Scholarship to study Arabic in the Sultanate of Oman, and the following summer she studied intensive Arabic at the University of Jordan in Amman. Rachel holds a B.A. in international relations from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University with concentrations in international political economy and human geography, and a minor in modern standard Arabic.

Simona Ceci has served as Co-President of the Near East Foundation (NEF) since 2022, providing overall leadership for NEF in partnership with her colleague John Ashby. Simona joined NEF in 2013, and prior to rising to Co-President served as Senior Vice President of Global Operations. She has an extensive and diverse background in international operations management, government relations and legal affairs, holding key roles in the public and private sector before joining NEF. This experience combined with her time spent living and working in the field has contributed to supporting NEF’s growth over the past decade, including leading NEF’s expansion into new geographies (i.e., Syria, Iraq, South Sudan) and supporting the design and operationalization of innovative programs in complex settings. And while Simona takes great pride in her work, she considers her highest achievement being the proud mother of her two children.

Tsionawit coordinates program support and contributes to program growth across the Middle East and Africa, working closely with institutional donors and field teams. Prior to joining NEF, she worked for international NGOs on program design and operational delivery of large international donor-funded programs across East and North Africa. Tsionawit has extensive experience in humanitarian and development assistance to displacement-affected communities with technical specializations in refugee protection, education, livelihoods and social inclusion programming. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and arts from the University of Tasmania and a master of public policy degree from the University of Oxford.