Geoffrey Plague is Director of Government Relations at Independent Sector, and previously served as Advocacy and Policy Director at the Basic Education Coalition, an organization committed to ensuring every child around the world has access to a quality education.

Geoff spent nearly 15 years as a senior staff member in the United States Congress, and has taught courses on Congress and foreign policy at Georgetown University and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. His international experience includes leading teams of Habitat for Humanity volunteers in the construction of homes in sub-Saharan Africa, serving on international election observation missions with the OSCE, and participating in official Congressional delegations to more than a dozen countries.

Geoff received an MA in International Affairs from American University’s School of International Service and a BA in Political Science from the University of Kansas.

Charles Plague retired after a 32 year career with Hallmark Cards, during which he held a number of senior positions, including National Sales Manager and Regional Vice President.

Chuck recently completed 6 years of service on the Board of Directors of Oconee County (SC) Habitat for Humanity, including 18 months as Board President. Chuck currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Salem (SC) Lions Club, and is Vice President of the Oconee Medical Center’s Hospital Auxiliary Board of Directors. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts at Clemson University.

Chuck received a BA in History and Political Science from Rockhurst University.

Robert Cogorno works for Elmendorf Ryan, a government relations and strategic consulting firm in Washington, DC.

Rob previously served more than 20 years as a senior staff member in the United States Congress, including 6 years with current House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (MD) and 8 years with former House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt (MO).

Rob received an MA in Public Administration from the University of Washington and a BS in Physiology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Steven Giuli is Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Apotex Corporation, a Canada-based pharmaceutical company.

Steve previously served more than 6 years as a senior staff member in the United States House of Representatives, including 5 years with House Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (NJ). He has also held senior government relations positions with a number of health care organizations.

Steve received an MA in International Affairs from American University’s School of International Service and a BA in Political Science from Rutgers University.

Jon Chessoni has served in the Kenyan Foreign Service for nearly 15 years, and is currently Cousellor for Administration at the Embassy of Kenya to the United States.

Jon was previously posted to the Kenyan Mission to the Republic of Uganda, and has also served at the Foreign Ministry Headquarters in the Department of International Organizations. Prior to joining the Kenyan Foreign Service, Jon was an International Relations Officer at the Kenya Post and Telecommunications Corporation.

Jon received a Certificate in Law from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, an MA in International Relations and African Studies from Ohio University and a BA in French and Political Science from Carthage College.

Aoko Midiwo-Odembo is the owner of Legacy Bookshop in Nairobi. Specializing in community and rural development, Legacy Bookshop has for many years been the favored site for launching the UNDP Annual Human Development Report, several World Bank annual reports, and numerous other international development publications.

Aoko founded the League of Kenyan Women Voters in 1992, and serves on the Board of Directors (previously as Board Chair) of the Institute of Education in Democracy, an organization that monitors elections throughout Africa. Aoko has worked for a number of nonprofit organizations in Kenya, including the Africa Medical Research Foundation and the Jimmy Carter Center. She also worked at the Centers for Disease Control in the U.S. as a Program Analyst for the International Health Office.

As the wife of the current Kenyan Ambassador to the United States, Aoko engages in and advocates for causes that advance economic and democratic development, especially for women.

She received an MA in Public Administration and Human Resource Development from Clark Atlanta University and a BA in History and Political Science from the University of Nairobi.

Rokey Suleman is Executive Director of the Washington, DC Board of Elections and Ethics. He previously served as the General Registrar for Fairfax County (VA), and Assistant Director of the Trumbull County (OH) Board of Elections.

Rokey has served on multiple international election observation missions with the OSCE.

Rokey received an MA in Public Administration from the University of Akron and a BA in History from Youngstown State University.

Matthew Walker is an attorney specializing in health care and employee benefits at Sherman & Howard in Denver, CO.

Previously, he was a professional staff member with the Committee on Education and Labor in the United States House of Representatives, and has held other senior positions in the United States Congress. Matt also served as the Deputy District Attorney in Aspen, CO, and taught elementary school in Los Angeles, CA as a member of Teach For America.

Matt received a JD from Cornell University, an Ed.M in Education from Harvard and a BA in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Southern California.

Jude Welling is a Fairfax County (VA) Public Schools teacher, teaching mathematics to ESL high school students whose home countries range from Cambodia and Ghana to El Salvador and Iraq.

Jude has served Calvary Women's shelter in Washington, DC for over four years as a bi-monthly overnight volunteer. She also provides respite care for families with children with special needs through the Access Breakout program, and works with teens in Arlington YoungLife. Jude has worked domestically and internationally with Habitat for Humanity, including in rural Zambia, and during breaks in the school year she works with children in juvenile prisons, government orphanages, and community homes in El Salvador.

Jude received an MA from the Initiatives in Educational Transformation program at George Mason University and a BA in Human Development from Boston College.