Staff
Ramona Taheri
Executive Director
Ms. Ramona Taheri is the Executive Director at POTI. She is responsible for managing the Institute in keeping with its mission and has enjoyed 10 years in the peace operations training field. She received a BA in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and an MA in Political Science from Columbia University.
rtaheri@peaceopstraining.orgElisabeth Rosenbaum Maurer
Deputy Director
Elisabeth Rosenbaum Maurer is the Deputy Director at the Peace Operations Training Institute. She oversees the management and strategic planning of the Institute. Elisabeth has a background in developing and providing online peace education from her previous work at the United States Institute of Peace. She received a BA in international studies from Virginia Tech and an MA in international affairs from The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs.
emaurer@peaceopstraining.orgErin Lyons
Chief of Content
Erin Lyons is the Chief of Content at the Peace Operations Training Institute. She works in the Content Department to edit and fact-check the Institute’s training materials to ensure accuracy and clarity. She previously worked in the Middle East as a freelance translator for non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies. Erin received a BA in romance languages and literatures from the University of Chicago, an MA in translation from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, and an MA in Middle East and North African diplomacy from SOAS University of London.
elyons@peaceopstraining.orgChristopher Leber
Chief of Technology
Christopher Leber is the Chief of Technology at the Peace Operations Training Institute. He oversees the IT Department and is responsible for managing the Institute’s technological aspects, security, and data compliance. Christopher has worked in the IT field since 2006. He holds a BS with honours in Marketing, a BS with honours in Information Systems with a double concentration in application development and network management, an MBA, and an MS in information systems, all from Virginia Commonwealth University. Outside of work, Christopher engages in numerous volunteer activities within the community.
cleber@peaceopstraining.orgMarianne Wrightson
Chief of Programme Services
Marianne Wrightson is the Chief of Programme Services at the Peace Operations Training Institute. She began working in education in 1988, including student services positions at Chesapeake College and the College of William & Mary. In addition to education, she has worked in sales and marketing for the Hanes. She has held a myriad of volunteer positions in the non-profit sector, including governance, fundraising, and teaching. She holds a BA in American studies from the University of Dayton and has training in literacy education and hospice care.
mwrightson@peaceopstraining.orgEmily Neal
Financial and Office Administrator
Emily Neal is the Bookkeeper and Office Administrator at the Peace Operations Training Institute. They are responsible for the Institute’s day-to-day financial operations. They have extensive experience working in non-profits and have a BA in Political Science with a concentration in Legal Studies and an MPA with a concentration in vaccine policy from Virginia Tech.
eneal@peaceopstraining.orgJeffrey Baxter
Software Engineer
Jeffrey Baxter is a Software Engineer at the Peace Operations Training Institute. He works in the IT Department, where he assists in managing the Institute’s website and student classroom. He holds a BS in computer science from Old Dominion University.
jbaxter@peaceopstraining.orgGeorgia Richardson
Chief of Institutional Relations and Registrar
Georgia Richardson is the Chief of Institutional Relations and Registrar at the Peace Operations Training Institute. She manages institutional relations and student services, engages with and serves current partners, and surveys the peace operations landscape to develop new partnerships. She previously held administrative roles in the corporate field and volunteered for a vast array of community service projects, some of which included heavy involvement with the refugee population in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Georgia received a BA in justice studies focusing on global justice and policy and a minor in humanitarian affairs from James Madison University.
grichardson@peaceopstraining.orgNazira Shozodaeva
Grants Specialist
Nazira Shozodaeva is the Grants Specialist at the Peace Operations Training Institute. She monitors grant expenses, tracks project deadlines, oversees compliance requirements, and prepares project reports. She has over 10 years of grant management experience and previously worked for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). She received a BA in economics from the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University and an MA in global political economy from the University of Kassel, Germany.
nshozodaeva@peaceopstraining.orgMichael O'Shea
Programme Assistant
Michael O’Shea is the Programme Assistant in the Institutional Relations Department at the Peace Operations Training Institute. He is responsible for assisting in managing institutional relations, providing administrative support, and helping with student services and outreach to partners. Michael’s background includes education and e-learning, foreign language and cultural studies, and data analysis and management. He received a BA in French studies and Russian language and culture from Colby College and an MA in Russian from Middlebury College.
moshea@peaceopstraining.orgIvan Moore
Copy Editor
Ivan Moore is a Copy Editor at the Peace Operations Training Institute. He assists with editing and fact-checking manuscripts to ensure clarity and correctness. He received a BA in English with honours from the University of Texas at Austin and an MFA in Creative Writing (fiction concentration) from George Mason University. While at George Mason, he worked as a writing centre tutor and an English instructor. He also served as Editor-in-Chief for So to Speak, the university’s intersectional feminist literary magazine.
imoore@peaceopstraining.orgContractors
Gemma Ruffino
Copy Editor
Gemma Ruffino is a Copy Editor at the Peace Operations Training Institute. She supports the Content Department in editing and fact-checking manuscripts. For over a decade, she has worked as an editorial consultant for United Nations system organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, World Health Organization, International Telecommunication Union, International Maritime Organization, and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Gemma received a BA with honours in German from King’s College London and an MPhil in linguistics from the University of Cambridge.
Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu
African Programmes-UN Mission Coordinator
Abubakar Aliyu is the African Programmes-UN Mission Coordinator at the Peace Operations Training Institute. He aids in developing and implementing a strategic framework to distribute e-learning courses provided by POTI to African national and regional peacekeeping training centres, the African Union, United Nations peace operations, and African peacekeeping-related organizations. Aliyu has served in different capacities at the Headquarters of the African Union and the United Nations.
Colonel Jesus Gil Ruiz
Curriculum Reviewer and Gender Specialist
Jesus is the Curriculum Reviewer and Gender Specialist at the Peace Operations Training Institute. He is a military expert specializing in gender, peace, and security and worked for the Spanish Armed Forces for more than 36 years. For three years, he was the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Chief of the International Military Staff Office of the Gender Advisor, where he provided guidance on gender and the United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security. Jesus also drafted the first “Military Guidelines on the Prevention of, and Response to, Conflict-related Sexual and Gender-based Violence” approved by the NATO North Atlantic Council. Furthermore, he was the Deputy Head of Protocol at the Spanish Ministry of Defence and the Personal Military Assistant to the Spanish Military Representative to NATO and the European Union (EU) Military Committees in Brussels. He also served as Head of Team for the European Community Monitor Mission in the former Yugoslavia and as Political Advisor and Head of Office for the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Jesus has worked as a consultant for numerous organisations, such as UN-Women, the EU, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.