Manya-Jean Gitter 2009

Manya-Jean Gitter 2009 graduated from Brown University in 2013. A Political Science and International Relations major, she pursued research on the intersection of human rights protection and national security in at-risk countries. Upon graduating, Manya was hired as a Presidential Political Appointee to serve Ambassador Samantha Power, United States Ambassador to the United Nations and member of President Obama’s Cabinet. Manya-Jean served as Ambassador Power’s primary aide at United Nations Security Council Sessions and meetings with United States Government (USG), United Nations, and foreign and non-governmental officials. Working in conjunctions with the State Department, the United Nations, and the White House, she was provided assistance to the Ambassador in executing an agenda that included issues of national security, humanitarian aid, economic and sustainable development, and peacekeeping operations across the globe. Manya then went on to become Chief of Staff at AJC, a global Jewish advocacy organization that advances a pro-Israel, democratic and human rights-focused agenda worldwide. In this role she manages the CEO's diplomatic portfolio. Manya-Jean regularly staffs overseas missions to meet with heads of state and foreign ministers across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, including to China, Japan, and the border of South Korea and North Korea, where she recently met with North Korean defectors. Manya- Jean credits her passions for social justice, community building, and government to her experience evacuating from Hurricane Katrina and returning home to her beloved New Orleans. She is a Cajun for life!