Lesley Bourns joined ICTJ in February 2009, serving as the director of development prior to her current role in the President’s office. Before joining ICTJ, she served as senior program development officer in the Middle East and Africa Regions for Mercy Corps, responsible for developing strategies and establishing relationships with donors and partners in relief and development programs. Before joining Mercy Corps, Lesley worked in Somalia and Kenya overseeing programs for a grassroots Somali NGO, and as a program coordinator for MADRE, an international women’s human rights organization. She has a Master of International Affairs in Human Rights from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University.