Nathaniel Hurd
President
Nathaniel Hurd is Policy Advisor for Conflicts and Disasters for World Vision US, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the world. For more than 10 years, he has been working to advance policies and initiatives to improve the humanitarian situation in Iraq. After graduating from Hamilton College with a bachelor’s in international relations, Nathaniel became a researcher and analyst, focused on Iraq issues ranging from public health to economics to disarmament. As a researcher, Nathaniel briefed Congressional staff, UN officials, and media outlets on Iraq policy and its related humanitarian issues. Later he worked for Mercy Corps and the International Rescue Committee, leading their advocacy and policy on countries in crisis – including Iraq at IRC – to ensure humanitarian needs on the ground were met. On several missions with IRC, Nathaniel met vulnerable Iraqis, in Iraq and in neighboring countries hosting Iraqi refugees, surveyed their situation, and co-authored reports that were shared with the Administration and Congress and were reported on in the press. Nathaniel has a Masters of International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Elena McGovern
Vice President
Elena McGovern is a Masters degree candidate at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC, pursuing degrees in Strategic Studies and International Economics. Prior to entering SAIS, McGovern worked for several years at the Stimson Center, a leading international security think tank, focusing on security issues in the Persian Gulf and Iraq. Her work on Iraq included exploring the linkages between Iraqi reconstruction, security, and national reconciliation, and on recent trends in and the future of US-Iraq relations. McGovern also traveled to Iraq in 2010 to discuss the future of US-Iraq relations with diverse Iraqi audiences. Other areas of focus include Iran-GCC relations and the regional implications of the Iranian nuclear issue. Read more from McGovern on Iraq.
McGovern is an active member of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP), including previously serving as Vice President for Global Operations, and is a member of the US Institute of Peace’s Youth Advisory Board. She received a B.A. in International Relations from Lehigh University in 2006. McGovern speaks Arabic and Spanish.
John Reinke
Secretary
John Reinke graduated from Brooklyn College with a degree in mathematics and did post graduate work in international relations at San Francisco State University. He served in the Peace Corps in the Philippines and Nigeria and also worked for several years at the International Labor Organization, a UN agency in Geneva, Switzerland. John has participated in and led field research teams to study humpback whales in Alaska. He also organized and co-led a mangrove replanting team to coastal Ecuador. In 1996, John visited Israel-Palestine with a group of concerned Americans. In 2008, he was a member of a delegation of Americans who went to Jordan and Syria to learn firsthand about the status of Iraqi refugees. John’s professional life has been primarily in the software industry, most recently as a software test engineer. He previously served on EPIC’s Board from 2003-2007, in the capacities of secretary, treasurer and president.
Andrew Morton
A 19-year veteran, Andrew Morton has been an Army officer most of his adult life. During that time, he has served in peace keeping, humanitarian and combat operations throughout the world, including a year in Iraq. Andrew, who now serves as a public affairs officer, worked closely with the Iraqis and the State Department during his tenure in Iraq and witnessed the amazing power of the Iraqi spirit. Andrew worked with international and Pan-Arabic media and the Iraqi Spokesman’s office during his time in Iraq. Like so many veterans, his life was changed by his incredible experience with Iraqis he now calls family. Andrew, and his physician wife, now have dedicated themselves to promoting the cause in Iraq through various channels, and Andrew has proudly served as a member of EPIC’s Board since the summer of 2009. Passionate about the power of communications, Andrew knows how important it is to keep focus on Iraq’s children as Iraq charts its future.
Read a message from Andrew on why he believes EPIC’s work is so important
Bilal Wahab
Bilal Wahab is from Iraqi Kurdistan, and is currently a doctoral student at George Mason University where he studies economic and political transition in the petroleum-rich Middle Eastern states. He served as the governance advisor for citizen participation in public decision-making at USAID’s Local Governance Program where he worked with local authorities and civil society organizations in five northern Iraqi provinces to promote transparency and accountability toward democratic governance. Prior to that, he worked for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. In the run up to Iraq’s first democratic elections, he worked for the International Republican Institute and the American Development Foundation, where he trained election candidates, monitors and journalists. He also taught at Salahaddin University’s College of Law and Political Science and College of Education, and spoken at numerous campuses across the United States. His most-cited article appeared in Middle East Quarterly, entitled “How Oil Smuggling Greases Violence in Iraq.”
Melinda Witter (on sabbatical)
Melinda Witter is an academic, and practitioner of conflict mitigation, stabilization, and international development. She has over 29 years of professional experience with program design and management of programs for USAID, World Bank and an array of professional associations and nonprofits. Her specialty focuses on resolving conflict through community based initiatives which also incorporate youth, women, and disability participation. She holds an Executive Master’s degree of International Service from American University in Washington, D.C. with a concentration in Iraqi studies and conflict mitigation, and has worked in Iraq and Afghanistan.
