AIUSA 2025 Board of Directors Candidate Biographies

Name: Naveen Bhateja
Town, State: Menlo Park, California
Occupation or Job Title: Chief Human Resources Officer, Board Director
E-mail: [email protected]

Amnesty International Experience: Throughout my career, Amnesty International’s mission has shaped my approach to corporate responsibility, ethical governance, and diversity strategies. I’ve drawn from Amnesty’s work on human rights, corporate accountability, and digital privacy to influence business practices that prioritize people over profits. Whether addressing worker rights, AI ethics, or global equity, I’ve used Amnesty’s principles to drive policies that protect vulnerable communities and promote workplace fairness.

Other Relevant Experience: With nearly three decades of leadership in technology, finance, and life sciences, along with nonprofit board experience, I’ve worked at the intersection of business, human rights, and governance. I’ve advised corporate boards on ethics, AI responsibility, and governance, ensuring businesses serve humanity, not just profits. I’ve led global diversity and inclusion efforts, challenging systemic barriers to equity and justice.

Biographical Statement: As a global HR leader, I’ve led workforce transformation, diversity, and governance at Fortune 500 companies. Growing up, I learned that freedom and justice should never be taken for granted, a belief reinforced by witnessing human rights violations across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. As an LGBTQ+ individual, I’ve experienced progress and inequality, fueling my passion for advocating for marginalized communities. As a board-certified director (NACD & HBS) and nonprofit leader, I champion ethical leadership, DEI, AI ethics, and workplace equity.

Candidate Statement: Democracy is under attack. From crackdowns on free speech in Russia and China to human rights abuses in Sudan and Iran, governments weaponize power. Even in the U.S., fundamental freedoms are being challenged. This is a time for bold advocacy, not complacency.

As a Board member, I will bring my passion and expertise in governance, financial strategy, and corporate accountability to strengthen Amnesty’s impact. I want to mobilize more voices, hold those in power accountable, and push for real change. I believe in hope through action.

Name: Kat Calvin
Town, State: Sierra Vista, AZ
Occupation or Job Title: Founder, Executive Director- Spread The Vote + Project ID
E-mail: [email protected]

Candidate Statement: I am honored to run for the Board of Amnesty International USA at this critical moment for human rights. With the increasing attacks on migrant and refugee rights, climate change, and peace under the Trump administration, AIUSA’s advocacy is more urgent than ever. Having spent almost a decade helping people across the country obtain IDs and vital documents, I have been on the ground with individuals who desperately need identification, visas, and legal status to access housing, employment, and security. I have worked with undocumented immigrants, asylum seekers, and people navigating complex visa processes, and understand firsthand how convoluted and challenging life has been for them, even before these new policy threats. It is vital that we step up to protect them now more than ever. 

As a nonprofit leader and activist, I bring over a decade of board experience and a deep commitment to responsible, sustainable governance. I know that a strong, well-managed Amnesty ensures we can continue to fight for human rights long into the future. At the same time, I am a grassroots activist at heart. I will work to ensure that every AIUSA member feels connected to the mission and empowered to make a tangible difference. 

I believe Amnesty’s strength lies in its ability to amplify the voices of those most affected and we must use our platform to ensure that their stories reach the world. Additionally, I want to see AIUSA create more direct pathways for people to join and immediately get involved, giving our members concrete ways to take action and see measurable impact. 

I am committed to helping Amnesty navigate the challenges ahead with strength and strategy. I hope to bring my experience in nonprofit leadership, governance, and grassroots activism to the Board, ensuring that AIUSA remains a powerful force for human rights.

Candidate video: Please watch this video for Kat’s answers to: What human rights issues are most important for AIUSA? What is your previous Board experience, and what do you hope to accomplish on the AIUSA Board? What is your vision for AIUSA, and what opportunities do you see for the movement in the next three years?

Name: Aymen Dewji
Town, State: Hyattsville, MD
Occupation or Job Title: CEO, ShiftRight Consulting
E-mail: [email protected]

Amnesty International Experience: Active Member, Advocate

Other Relevant Experience: 

—LifelineRise Foundation, Co-Founder: Provision of water and solar power to rural Nigerian communities
—United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Change Advisor: Analyzed community needs across geographically dispersed areas
—United Way, Community Advisor: Led ‘Community Speaks’ workshops ascertaining gaps between constituent needs and existing programs
—World Vision, Outreach Ambassador: Developed effective mechanisms for support, visibility and community engagement.

Brief biographical statement: An avid promoter of universal human rights, I co-founded LifelineRise Foundation, a charity focused on the provision of water and solar power to rural Nigerian communities. Our mission is to reach the vulnerable, where access to the essential aspects of life is limited. Lifeline is the evolution of a dream to cultivate innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. I have partnered with mission-driven organizations such as United Nations, World Vision, and United Way to amplify the voices of the most marginalized. 

As a female entrepreneur, I have focused on elevating voices of minority and women-owned businesses. 

Candidate Statement: Central to my personal mission is desire to amplify voices and strengthen power of marginalized communities. This stems from my lived experiences as a member of a minority group, a visibly practicing Muslim. The recent events unfolding in the world and the blatant disregard for international humanitarian law by world governments in pursuit of some perverse version of ‘security’ has motivated me to passionately elevate voices of the oppressed. I’ve watched faith communities be villainized with limited power to effect systemic change. 

Fundamental to Amnesty’s mission is a world equilibrium rebalance, that acknowledges the deficiency of existing systems. I recognize that effective change requires collective action. 

If elected I would bring experience forming my own charity, insights to ensure inclusive advocacy, representation, power of the BIPOC community, skills in governance, strategy, and multilateral partnership.

Candidate video: Please watch this video for Aymen’s answers to: What human rights issues are most important for AIUSA? What is your previous Board experience, and what do you hope to accomplish on the AIUSA Board? What is your vision for AIUSA, and what opportunities do you see for the movement in the next three years?

Name: Reza Fakhari
Town, State: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation or Job Title: President & CEO, Global Citizenship Alliance; Professor of Human Rights & International Relations, St. Francis College, NYC
E-mail: [email protected]

Amnesty International Experience: 

—Chair, AIUSA Board (2020-21)
—Vice Chair, Board & Chair of Governance Committee (2014-17)
—Chair of Working Group on Strategy & Impact (2017-19)
—Ex Officio Member of Audit Committee (2024-Present)
—Founder and Faculty Advisor of AI Student Group, St. Francis College

Other Relevant Experience: 

—Secretary of the Board of the Global Citizenship Alliance (2015-2024)
—Chair of the Board of the Student World Assembly (2008-2011)
—Creator of the Human Rights Program at St. Francis College 

Brief biographical statement: I am a liberal Muslim. I experienced repression first-hand as a dissident in Iran. Throughout my career in academia and the nonprofit sector, I’ve been dedicated to educating about, and defending, human rights.

Candidate Statement: As a former political prisoner in Iran, my commitment to human rights is deeply personal. This lifelong dedication drives my passion for AIUSA’s mission.

I bring extensive experience in leadership, strategic planning, finance, governance, diversity, and human rights advocacy. In my previous tenure on the Board, I played a pivotal role in guiding AIUSA through some of its most challenging years, ensuring not only its survival but also its growth and impact. 

Beyond AIUSA, my nonprofit leadership and governance experience have been shaped by my many years as a senior college administrator and, currently, as president of the Global Citizenship Alliance.

I was also a key member of the committee that established the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) Initiative at AIUSA and strongly supported its institutionalization to build a more inclusive and effective human rights movement.

At no time in recent history have the core values of human rights been more severely threatened, both in the U.S. and worldwide. Amnesty is on the front lines, confronting these existential challenges. I am determined to contribute to this vital work once again as a member of the AIUSA Board.

Candidate video: Please watch this video for Reza’s answers to: What human rights issues are most important for AIUSA? What is your previous Board experience, and what do you hope to accomplish on the AIUSA Board? What is your vision for AIUSA, and what opportunities do you see for the movement in the next three years?

Name: Christopher Foley
Town, State: Tahlequah, OK
Occupation or Job Title: Executive Director, Indian Law Resource Center
E-mail: [email protected]

Amnesty International Experience: Board member September 2022-present

Brief biographical statement: I am a citizen of Cherokee Nation and a human rights attorney. I was born and raised in Oregon, graduated with honors from Swarthmore College where I studied Religion and Classics, and earned my J.D. from Temple University in Philadelphia. Currently I live on my nation’s reservation in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, although I spend a great deal of time in Helena, Montana where my office is located. 

I am the Executive Director of the Indian Law Resource Center, a law and policy organization founded and directed by Indigenous advocates and leaders. We work to advance the rights of Indigenous peoples throughout the Western Hemisphere, particularly our collective rights to our lands and to self-government, and the individual and collective rights of Indigenous women. As a long-time staff attorney and now Executive Director of the ILRC, I have years of direct experience doing similar human rights advocacy that AIUSA does. 

Candidate Statement: I have been a member of AIUSA since 2022 when I first ran for the Board. In my first term on the Board, I was twice elected Deputy Secretary and I have served on our busiest committees, Governance and Finance. I chaired our Audit and Ethics Committees. On Governance, I worked with our Vice-Chair to reform and strengthen Nominating Committee to ensure that AIUSA’s Board is strong, skilled, and dedicated to AIUSA’s mission. In 2023, I was elected as Treasurer and was re-elected in 2024. As such, I chair our Finance and Investment Committees.

As Executive Director of a small organization, I have wide-ranging administrative responsibilities, leading our work on People & Culture, Finance, Development, as well as maintaining an active role in our programs, all of which gives me invaluable skills and perspective for my role on the Board at AIUSA.

Candidate video: Please watch this video for Chris’ answers to: What human rights issues are most important for AIUSA? What is your previous Board experience, and what do you hope to accomplish on the AIUSA Board? What is your vision for AIUSA, and what opportunities do you see for the movement in the next three years?

Name: Diana Kearney
Town, State: Brooklyn, New York
Occupation or Job Title: Legal Lead, Oxfam
E-mail: [email protected]

Amnesty International Experience: My relationship with Amnesty International began in 2004 as an intern for Amnesty International Australia, when I represented asylum seekers facing deportation under Australia’s draconian Refugee Status Determination process. The effectiveness, dedication, and tenacity of my AIA colleagues – often the only support for the children, women and men languishing in detention centers – opened my eyes to the transformational role that human rights advocacy can play in the face of overwhelming persecution.  I have deeply admired AI ever since. 

Other Relevant Experience: My time at AIAustralia motivated me to attend graduate school to study international development, where I examined the underlying systems that breed inequality.  In law school, I studied international human rights law. I have since worked as a human rights lawyer for Oxfam America (OUS) and taught international human rights and humanitarian law at Cardozo School of Law’s Human Rights & Atrocity Prevention Clinic.

Brief biographical statement: My work at OUS closely tracks the issues that AIUSA tackles: I design and execute Oxfam’s legal initiatives to protect refugee rights, democracy against rising authoritarianism, indigenous rights, climate justice, racial and gender justice, and communities trapped in conflict zones. I lead our litigation confronting the Trump administration’s human rights abuses, including our suit challenging the closure of USAID. The parallels between Oxfam’s and AIUSA’s missions leaves me incredibly eager to work with AIUSA.

Candidate Statement: In addition to my human rights background, my governance experience would inform my work with AIUSA. I manage strategic planning processes, fundraise, set organizational policies for legal and employment practices, and serve as Oxfam’s union co-chair, where I represent staff concerns to leadership and spearhead DEI initiatives. My commitment to diversity and equality permeates my external advocacy efforts, aimed at combating global inequality, and internal efforts to strengthen Oxfam’s own DEI practices. 

Candidate video: Please watch this video for Diana’s answers to: What human rights issues are most important for AIUSA? What is your previous Board experience, and what do you hope to accomplish on the AIUSA Board? What is your vision for AIUSA, and what opportunities do you see for the movement in the next three years?

Name: Brad Klein
Town, State: Dallas, TX
Occupation or Job Title: Associate Director of the Human Rights Program and Adjunct Professor of Human Rights at Southern Methodist University (SMU); President and Chair of the Board of Directors at Audubon Dallas
E-mail: [email protected]

Amnesty International Experience: I joined my first AIUSA protest in 1999 and have since worked with groups in Illinois, Wisconsin, California, Colorado, and Texas. As a faculty advisor, I mobilize AIUSA’s campaigns with students to grow awareness, raise funds, and shape policy.

Other Relevant Experience: I have led human rights projects in 13 countries, served as an advisor to 26 nonprofits and NGOs, forged partnerships with institutions including United Nations, United Methodist Church, the City of Dallas, and Yum! Brands. I have directed 51 research projects and over 100 academic courses related to human rights.

Brief biographical statement: An educator and activist with 20 years of experience, I have spent the last decade in the human rights hotspot of AIUSA’s South Region. Together with Dr. Rick Halperin, I have helped build the SMU Human Rights Program into a premier training ground for changemakers, one of nine U.S. institutions offering a bachelor’s degree in human rights. I engage with national movements for gender equity, immigrant rights, climate justice, efforts to end the death penalty, fight racial discrimination, and advance technology ethics. As a practitioner-scholar with a doctorate focused on social change, I specialize in designing data-driven advocacy strategies.

Candidate Statement: AIUSA’s greatest strength is that we are, first and foremost, a grassroots movement. In a time of grave assaults on human rights, the Board of Directors must amplify our collective power by listening to members and bolstering local and student groups. My record of bringing transparency, inclusivity, and efficiency to nonprofit governance prepares me to drive this effort. As a bridge-builder who works daily in diverse, multigenerational settings, I thrive on fostering solidarity between individuals with different perspectives, including youth leaders and longtime activists. Above all, I am committed to ensuring AIUSA remains a beacon, fearlessly defending dignity and advancing freedom for all.

Candidate video: Please watch this video for Brad’s answers to: What human rights issues are most important for AIUSA? What is your previous Board experience, and what do you hope to accomplish on the AIUSA Board? What is your vision for AIUSA, and what opportunities do you see for the movement in the next three years?

Name: Vik Muktavaram
Town, State: Westport, CT
Occupation/Title: Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Email: [email protected]

Candidate Statement: I am running for the AIUSA Board because:

—I am deeply committed to upholding the human rights of all, as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
—Amid rising authoritarianism and global threats to fundamental freedoms, AIUSA’s mission is more critical than ever.
—With my extensive financial expertise and governance experience, I believe that I can help strengthen AIUSA’s financial foundation, ensuring long-term sustainability and greater impact.

As CFO of a mission-driven credit union serving underserved communities, I understand the critical link between financial health and social impact. I oversee financial performance and strategy, ensuring resources align with mission-driven priorities. My governance experience includes serving on the Westport Board of Education and a nonprofit charter school board, where I championed fiscal responsibility, transparency, and community engagement.

With deep expertise in consulting and finance, I have advised organizations, including Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)/World Health Organization (WHO), on finance, strategy, and technology. As a strategic leader with strengths in financial strategy, budgeting, and investment management, I am well-equipped to strengthen AIUSA’s financial resilience. I hold an MBA in Finance from Columbia, an MS in Computer Science from Oklahoma State, and am pursuing AI leadership certification from Wharton.

As we develop AIUSA’s 2027-2030 strategic framework, I want to ensure we harness the power of our activists, researchers, and advocates to expand our reach through technology and data for good. On the Board, I will focus on financial sustainability, strategic vision, and expanding member engagement to ensure AIUSA’s long-term success.

John Rawls’ veil of ignorance gives us hope for building a just society without bias toward our own status. If we truly embrace this idea, we must promote movements to defend human rights, ensuring justice for all. AIUSA embodies this vision, and together, we can lead it into its next chapter.

Candidate video: Please watch this video for Vik’s answers to: What human rights issues are most important for AIUSA? What is your previous Board experience, and what do you hope to accomplish on the AIUSA Board? What is your vision for AIUSA, and what opportunities do you see for the movement in the next three years?

Name: John M. (Jack) Rendler
Town, State: Calistoga, CA
Occupation or Job Title: Retired Executive Director
E-mail: [email protected]

Amnesty International Experience: An active member since 1978, joining, forming, and chairing local groups, I served as the volunteer membership coordinator for California. I have been on site trying to prevent executions. As a member of the AIUSA staff, I was responsible for organizing the thirteen western states, and served as Director of Campaigns. For twelve years, I served as the country specialist on North Korea. I have organized and trained Amnesty’s presence in Nepal and the Caribbean, and have been a delegate to the International Council Meeting.

Other Relevant Experience: In Goma, Congo, with Unicef, I resettled children orphaned by the genocide in Rwanda. For ten years, I spent four months each year living in a Burmese monastery teaching monks English and human rights. I have taught ESL to Minnesota immigrants from Somalia, and have been executive director of The Advocates for Human Rights in Minneapolis.

Brief Biographical Statement: I grew up and was educated in Boston. I earned a B.A. in international relations from Boston University, and an M.A. in human rights from San Francisco State. I lived in New England for 25 years, Midwest for 25 years, and currently reside in California. 

Candidate Statement: I believe with all my heart in the mission, mandate, and purpose of Amnesty International. I have observed the direct effects of our work in eastern Europe, north Africa, and southeast Asia. My governance experience includes being executive director of two nonprofit organizations, and chairing the boards of World Without Genocide, and the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. My commitment to diversity stems largely from growing up in Boston at a time of stark racial divide and my parents’ expectation that we would always see, say, and do the next right thing. 

Candidate video: Please watch this video for Jack’s answers to: What human rights issues are most important for AIUSA? What is your previous Board experience, and what do you hope to accomplish on the AIUSA Board? What is your vision for AIUSA, and what opportunities do you see for the movement in the next three years?

Name: Karen Robinson
Town, State: Holicong, PA
Occupation or Job Title: Program Director, Human Rights Education, Robert F. Kennedy
E-mail: [email protected]

Amnesty International Experience: Ethics Committee, current member; AIUSA Board Member served on Audit, Governance and Membership/Board Consultation committee; Human Rights Education Director, Co-Chair, International HRE Coordinating Committee; Mid-Atlantic Deputy Regional Director 

Other Relevant Experience: 

—American University, Office of Student Activities
—Brooklyn Friends School Board: co-chair, strategic planning
—Newtown Friends School Board: strategic planning, DEI committees 

Brief biographical statement: My career has focused on advancing human rights and social justice issues through community and youth engagement and human rights education, covering issues across many educational levels in the U.S. and internationally. I have extensive experience in program development, strategic planning, training, and public speaking. 

Candidate Statement: I am running for the AIUSA Board to give back to the organization that launched my human rights journey. In my lifetime, the need to lean into human rights, diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion, using all means to protect, promote and defend the dignity and worth of all people has never been greater.

When I joined AIUSA, my knowledge of human rights was limited. AIUSA provided me with the language and framework needed to recognize that human rights would be my life’s work.

To realize sustained change in the human rights landscape, we need: 

—to increase human rights literacy
—young people to realize the relevance of human rights and lead efforts for change
—to invest in relationship building at every level, we are stronger, wiser and better able to address the human rights challenges because of the relationships we develop with each other over time
—to work with communities and schools to bring human rights learning into every educational ecosystem

I want AIUSA to be bolder, more inclusive and the leader in human rights education and youth engagement. I will bring 30+ years of experience and deep passion for advancing human rights for all to help realize this vision.

Candidate video: Please watch this video for Karen’s answers to: What human rights issues are most important for AIUSA? What is your previous Board experience, and what do you hope to accomplish on the AIUSA Board? What is your vision for AIUSA, and what opportunities do you see for the movement in the next three years?

Name: Eli Vargas
Town, State: Morro Bay, CA (Chumash Land)
Occupation or Job Title: State Strategist – The Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund
E-mail: [email protected]

Amnesty International Experience: I have been a proud member since 2018. I’ve also advocated for human rights in coalition with Amnesty staff. 

Brief biographical statement: My mother and sister were undocumented immigrants for most of my childhood. This inspired me to fight for human rights. I earned my BA in International Studies at Vassar College and my MA is in Refugee Protection & Forced Migration Studies. 

Candidate Statement: I am running because Amnesty has an integral role to play in growing the resistance against fascism and in ensuring a peaceful transition of power in the US in 2028. Amnesty has the potential to greatly strengthen the human rights movement by establishing a more robust grassroots network focused on human rights monitoring, public education, and member leadership development. This would provide Amnesty with the opportunity to grow its membership, political power, and impact in defense of human rights. To ensure our ability to pursue this, I aim to develop a regular comprehensive risk management assessment to bolster Amnesty against any attacks that may come from the Trump administration and its cronies. My background as a grassroots organizer, political strategist, and coalition builder on the local, state, and national levels would give the Board a vital perspective in pursuit of these goals.

Relevant Experience: I have over a decade of human rights leadership at the ACLU, Greenpeace, Mi Familia Vota, and the International Mayan League. I have managed multi-million-dollar budgets, written and launched a report on the right to protest at Greenpeace, led the hiring of over 20 staff, managed grassroots fundraising teams, and advocated for and launched new programming at the ACLU in response to member interest. I have led organizational governance as a member of the Racial Justice Accountability Committee at Greenpeace USA and the Executive Committee of the Progressive Workers Union.

Candidate video: Please watch this video for Eli’s answers to: What human rights issues are most important for AIUSA? What is your previous Board experience, and what do you hope to accomplish on the AIUSA Board? What is your vision for AIUSA, and what opportunities do you see for the movement in the next three years?

Name: Francisca Vigaud-Walsh
Town, State: Washington, D.C.
Occupation or Job Title: Director for Strategy & Advocacy, Center for Engagement and Advocacy in the Americas
E-mail: [email protected]

Amnesty International Experience: Member; collaborator with Amnesty staff on research and advocacy

Other Relevant Experience: 

—20+ years leading emergency response programs and research across 30 countries with International Rescue Committee, Catholic Relief Services, and Refugees International
—Expert in refugee & migrant protection, gender-based violence, and accountability
—Trained investigator of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity; Justice Rapid Response roster member
—Worked with Independent Commission on Sexual Misconduct, Accountability, and Culture Change to propose governance reforms at Oxfam
—Strategy, policy, and funding advisor to UN agencies, State Department, World Bank, and Organization of American States
—Rockwood Leadership Institute 2025 Fellow

Biographical Statement: As a Latina and first-generation American from a refugee family, I have always viewed the world through the lens of forced displacement. Defending refugee rights became my life’s mission, leading me to a career in humanitarian aid, where I developed a deep commitment to gender justice and accountability for human rights violations. 

I’ve exposed the forced recruitment of Burundian refugees, promoted war reparations for Colombian women, and secured protection funding for deported migrants, among other efforts. 

My journey began with providing aid to displaced communities, then advising organizations to strengthen impact, and now shaping policy for systemic change.

I am a proud foster for City Dogs & Kitties Rescue.

Candidate Statement: Civic space is shrinking, and international solidarity is eroding. We must defend our mission, strengthen our movement, and sharpen our advocacy.

I bring deep experience in strategy, advocacy, and governance, with a commitment to elevating grassroots leaders in decision-making spaces. My approach is one of service – I want to be a resource to AIUSA.

If elected, I’ll support AIUSA in staying strategic and mission-driven, unlocking new advocacy opportunities, deepening alliances with frontline activists, and strengthening systems that expand youth leadership, create platforms for activists, and empower members to drive advocacy. 

Candidate video: Please watch this video for Francisca’s answers to: What human rights issues are most important for AIUSA? What is your previous Board experience, and what do you hope to accomplish on the AIUSA Board? What is your vision for AIUSA, and what opportunities do you see for the movement in the next three years?