Board of Directors
Dr. Susan H. Lee
President
Dr. Susan H. Lee is a sociologist and an Episcopal clergywoman. She has attended the UN Commission on the Status of Women for fifteen years as a representative of Sociologists for Women in Society. Susan has conducted research on widows and authored Rice Plus: Widows and Economic Survival in Rural Cambodia. She led a community effort to establish Our Sisters’ Place, a battered women’s shelter in Fall River, Massachusetts. Susan co-founded the US Women’s Caucus at the UN with Marilyn Fowler of Women’s Intercultural Network in 2017.
Pamela Perraud
Vice-President
Pamela Perraud has been the UN Representative for the Federation of American Women’s Club Overseas (FAWCO) in New York and Geneva since 1998. She is a member of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women New York, vice-president of the Zonta Club of Houston, UN chair for Zonta District 10, and a board member of the United Nations Association-Houston. Pamela is a certified international human resource professional. She is a graduate of Connecticut College and received a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota.
Kathryn (Kay) Meyer
Treasurer
Kay Meyer is a member of Zonta, the League of Women Voters, the American Association of University Women, and the United Nations Association-USA. She served as Zonta International Advocacy Chair (2012-2014) and has attended sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women since 2012. She has been an active participant in the Women’s Collaborative Boulder County and the US Women’s Caucus at the UN since their inception. Professionally, Kay has been a performance auditor, university board staff, internal auditor, rehabilitation counselor, and researcher. She is currently the Managing Member of Meyer Family Farm, LLC. Kay holds master’s degrees in education and business administration.
Kathryn Horvat
Assistant Treasurer
Kathryn Horvat has long been a member of women’s and peace organizations, especially Women Graduates–USA. She has been an active member of the United Nations Association-USA, serving on its national committee from 2007-12. Kathryn has attended sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women since 2006. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Carleton College, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University, and a Master of Business Administration from Roosevelt University. She was a teacher and small business owner before beginning a twenty-year career in information systems.
Dr. Jennifer Rogers-Brown
Clerk
Dr. Jennifer Rogers-Brown is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Long Island University and earned her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California Santa Barbara. She serves as representative to the UN Department of Global Communications for Sociologists for Women in Society. She has participated in the US Women’s Caucus at the UN since its first meeting and has attended the UN Commission on the Status of Women since 2012. Dr. Rogers-Brown serves on two additional non-profit boards, Rural & Migrant Ministry (New York) and Puente a la Salud Comunitaria (Mexico).
Kolieka Seigle
Assistant Clerk
As an intersectional feminist committed to political action, advocacy, and civic engagement, Kolieka Seigle has spent the bulk of her career seeking to promote democratic participation by underrepresented minorities and improve conditions in communities of color. She currently serves as the President of the California National Organization for Women (the first African American), Executive Director of the California NOW Foundation, and the Chair of the California NOW Political Action Committee. Kolieka co-chairs the NOW Global Feminist Committee and serves on the NOW Racial Justice task force.
Reneé L. Coppock
Membership Director
Reneé Coppock is a partner in the Crowley Fleck law firm where she has practiced since 1987. She is a member of the Zonta Club of Billings, Yellowstone County Human Trafficking Task Force, the NGO Committee on the Status of Women New York, and the American Association of University Women. She served as Trustee for the Montana State University Billings Foundation. She is President of the Montana Women’s Run and serves on the Zonta International Bylaws Task Force. Reneé has attended eight sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and has been involved with the US Women’s Caucus at the UN since its inception.
Junemarie Justus
Policy Director
Junemarie Justus is a retired technology executive, computer scientist, and entrepreneur who founded The Acorn Project, a social justice and women’s rights organization. She launched the Reel Advocacy educational film series in 2018 focusing on issues such as human trafficking, women’s rights, gender-based violence, and economic justice. She is Associate Producer of the 2021 Emmy-nominated documentary Fundamental: Women’s Rights in a Volatile World. Junemarie serves on the Santa Barbara Council of Human Rights Watch and on the boards of Women’s Economic Ventures, Women’s Intercultural Network, and Women’s Funding Network. She is a member of Harvard Women in Defense, Diplomacy, and Development (W3D), a network committed to sustainable peace. She has been a delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women for seven years and has been active in the US Women’s Caucus since its inception.
Dr. Gail James
Deputy Policy Director
Dr. Gail James’ career in faculty and administration, as Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs, included a Fulbright Fellowship in India, a National Defense Education Fellowship, and post-graduate study at the Kennedy School of Government. She retired as Director of Learning Communities and Academic Achievement Center at the University of Kansas. She has served on the board of directors for Women’s Intercultural Network, Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus, the Women’s Foundation, Alliance Française, the United Nations Association of Greater Kansas City, and the Women’s Equality Coalition of Greater Kansas City. Dr. James was recently inducted into the Women’s Political Hall of Fame.
Behjat (Beth) Dehghan
US Mission Co-Director
Beth Dehghan is the founder of Women NC, an NGO accredited to the UN Economic and Social Council with a focus on youth leadership training. She also founded the NC Coalition for CEDAW and was instrumental in the passage of a CEDAW resolution in Durham, North Carolina. She has attended the UN Commission the Status of Women every year since 1995. Beth is a member of Advisory Board of the NGO Committee for the Status of Women New York.
Patricia Bradley
US Mission Co-Director
Patrica L Bradley is a board member of Church Women United, chair of the Action and Global Concerns Committee, and NGO representative to the United Nations. She is a member of the Women’s Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and commissioner to Bread for the World. Patricia is a former Foreign Service Officer with the US Department of State and a member of DACOR (Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired). She is a member of the United Nations Association of the National Capitol Area and the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. Patricia received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, with a double major in International Relations and Cross-Cultural Communications. She is a founding member of the Kappa Rho Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the first Black ADOS sorority at the University of Virginia (American descendants of those enslaved in the US).
Donna Lent
Congressional Director
Donna Lent is the President of the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC), in her fourth term leading the multi-partisan, pro-choice Washington DC organization founded in 1971. Previously Donna served as NWPC Vice President for Political Planning and Appointments for two terms. The NWPC recruits, trains, and helps elect women for political and appointed office. Donna also serves as the Chair of the Coalition for Women’s Appointments providing highly recommended applicants to the Presidential Personnel Office for placement within the Administration. She is the elected Town Clerk and Registrar of the Town of Brookhaven, Long Island, New York, completing her second four-year term. Donna has been a member of the US Women’s Caucus at the UN since its inception.
Brigadier General (retired) Kelly A. Fisher
Deputy Congressional Director
General Kelly A. Fisher is an expert with the US Army Senior Education Program, developing and teaching curriculum on Women, Peace and Security. Before she retired from 39 years of US military service, her recent duty assignments included Land Component Commander of the California Army National Guard with concurrent duty as Deputy Commandant – Reserve Affairs, United States Army War College. General Fisher also served as special assistant to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau at the request of the Governor of Wisconsin to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the Wisconsin National Guard’s Sexual Harassment Assault Response and Prevention Program. Kelly volunteers as a founding member of the San Luis Obispo Climate Coalition Micro-Community Collaborative to promote equity, resilience and climate protection regionally and to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Shaila Rao Mistry
Liaison Director
Shaila Rao Mistry is Founder-President of Jayco MMI, an aerospace and medical device company serving Fortune 500 companies. She is Founder and CEO of STEM Institute, an organizational growth and leadership development foresight institute for strategic planning, transformational change, social impact, and public policy. Shaila is a CEO signatory and participant for the UN Global Compact on the Sustainable Development Goals, addressing economic growth, gender equity, health, and climate. She worked on passing California legislation on Women on Boards and Human Trafficking and co-authored The Charter of Human Rights and Principles for the Internet at the UN. She serves on the University of California Small and Diverse Business Advisory Council that addresses equity in jobs and education on eleven campuses. As a passionate advocate of social responsibility and advancing women’s equity, she has served on the board of directors of the American Association of University Women Board, Girl Scouts of Orange County, and National Association of Women Business Owners.
Luci Chikowero
Deputy Liaison Director
Luci Chikowero is the North America and Europe Director of the Rozaria Memorial Trust, addressing child marriage, young women’s economic empowerment, and adolescent girls’ self-esteem. She is a member of the Education Committee of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Alliance of Dane County, Wisconsin. Luci has been involved with UN work since 2010 and is a member of the United Nations Association USA-Dane County. She serves on the Core Group of the UN Commission on the Status of Women North America and Europe Caucus. Luci has worked with the Gender is My Agenda Campaign and other African regional entities to promote and monitor the implementation of CEDAW and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.