FPCD Welcomes Mary David, New PR Director

 

FPCD is Pleased to Welcome New Director of Public Relations, Mary David

Mary David gained firsthand exposure to the complexities and concerns of post-conflict development while completing a program on Peacebuilding and Inter-Communal Relations in Nicosia, Cyprus.  Through her interactions with Greek and Turkish Cypriots, she developed a keen interest in assisting post-conflict states.

This desire was heightened after she interned at the Kayad Community Center, a Turkish-Cypriot non-governmental organization devoted to empowering women and establishing peaceful relationships between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot youths.  While in Cyprus, she also invested significant effort to advance the concerns of immigrant domestic workers from Asia and published research related to human trafficking and exploitative labor conditions.

Following her work in Cyprus, Ms. David continued to pursue opportunities to assist post-conflict countries.  As an intern at the Permanent Mission of Timor-Leste to the United Nations, she played a key role in the historic election of the Timorese candidate to the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.  At Millennium International, an international development consulting firm, Ms. David liaised with USAID representatives and consultants to support government contracts that improved local infrastructure, government transparency, and democracy-building in countries around the globe.  In particular, she assessed and facilitated initiatives in Iraq and Indonesia, and helped draft an award-winning proposal for a multi-faceted program in Moldova.  Subsequently, Ms. David worked in the Government Relations Department of the World Wildlife Fund, where she gathered and evaluated data on the environmental sustainability of USAID projects.

Underlying her passion to assist post-conflict development countries is a desire to reach the most underserved and impoverished, the majority of whom are women and children.  To that end, Ms. David has been a strong advocate against human trafficking.  From 2008-2009, she was Deputy Chair for Public Awareness on the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force.  In this capacity, she organized and led state-wide workshops, developed and coordinated public outreach campaigns, and drafted and presented oral testimony for legislative hearings.  Ms. David also served in the Maryland Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, where she researched and helped draft anti-trafficking legislation, created a strategic plan to address human trafficking in the state, and worked with the Asian Pacific American Commission in organizing events, conducting public outreach, and drafting reports and press releases.

Ms. David has conducted trainings and briefed public officials to garner support for anti-trafficking legislation and developed partnerships among government, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations to increase victim response capabilities. These opportunities, coupled with internships in the United States Senate and on a leading national presidential campaign, have enabled Ms. David to cultivate a variety of relationships and experiences to support the efforts of the Foundation.

In addition to these undertakings, Ms. David worked for two years as a consultant to the Speaking Center at the University of Mary Washington, where she assisted students with preparing and delivering oral arguments and public speeches.  She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude with a B.A. in International Affairs and Communication from the University of Mary Washington.  Currently, she is obtaining her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School with a focus on international human rights law.  Ms. David has written reports on subjects including the Millennium Development Goals, water sanitation in developing countries, terrorism, and the exploitation of women. She has also spoken nationally and internationally on a variety of topics and has studied Spanish, Turkish, Arabic, and Greek.   

You may contact Mary David at mdavid@postconflictdev.org