Kathleen Mogelgaard (she/her/hers) is President and CEO of the Population Institute, where she directs the organization’s advocacy and public education activities. Kathleen is passionate about promoting deeper understanding of linkages among issues that are critical for sustainable development, including population dynamics, reproductive rights, gender, climate change, and food security. Prior to taking the leadership helm the Population Institute in 2021, Kathleen was a senior fellow at the institute and Principal of KAM Consulting, where she worked with clients in Washington and globally in policy analysis, research, and advocacy. She served as senior advisor at Population Action International, policy advisor at Oxfam America, assistant director of government relations at the National Audubon Society, and fellow at the Population Reference Bureau, where she provided research support and technical assistance for conservation and development projects in Africa and Asia. Kathleen has participated as an observer in negotiations on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, where she represented the World Resources Institute in advocating for effective adaptation planning that incorporates the expressed needs of marginalized and vulnerable communities. Kathleen has designed and taught courses on global challenges and political engagement at the University of Maryland, and was the lead researcher and writer of “Unfinished Business: The Pursuit of Rights and Choices for All,” the United Nations Population Fund’s 2019 State of World Population Report. She holds masters degrees in public policy and natural resources from the University of Michigan.
Heidi Worley (she/her/hers) is Vice President, Strategy and Growth, at the Population Institute. This role is a key executive leadership role responsible for directing the organization’s long-term strategy, overseeing strategic communications and development functions, and driving initiatives to maximize impact and growth. As a public health specialist, Heidi has more than 30 years of experience in international development, strategic and policy communication, health policy analysis, issues advocacy, and health programming. She has served in senior communication roles for domestic and global nonprofits and private small businesses, delivering impactful results bringing evidence to action. Most recently, Heidi was a program director in International Programs at Population Reference Bureau (PRB), where she served as senior advisor in knowledge management and research uptake for a social and behavior change project focused on generating, packaging, and using innovative research to inform health programming. Heidi held other positions at PRB, as the organization’s editorial director, as well as in senior leadership roles for policy advocacy, strategic communication, and knowledge translation projects with research partners in government, academia, and the nonprofit sector. Before PRB, Heidi held positions at Maternity Care Coalition-Philadelphia; the International Center for Research on Women; Refugee Policy Group; and Youth For Understanding. She holds a master’s degree in international relations and international communication from American University and completed graduate work (all but dissertation) toward her doctorate in public health at Temple University.
Gilda Sedgh (she/her/hers) is the Population Institute’s senior director of global initiatives. She is responsible for building organizational partnerships and leading analytical initiatives that highlight the links between population dynamics, gender equity, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and sustainable development. Using evidence to advance reproductive rights has been the driving force of her career, first as a research scientist and now as a strategic leader focused on translating evidence into policy impact.
As a population scientist and demographer, Gilda has more than 25 years of experience studying global and regional trends in reproductive health and translating evidence into policy recommendations for governments, UN agencies, bilateral donors, and other partners. She served as senior—and then principal—research scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, where she led global research on trends in unintended pregnancy, abortion, and barriers to contraceptive use that became reference points for the field; she also developed new research methods for the study of hard-to-measure behaviors. As an independent consultant, Gilda advised UNFPA, the World Health Organization, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, and Population Services International on priority setting, evidence-to-policy translation, and measurement frameworks for global health portfolios. She also co-chaired a global collaborative on SRHR self-care evidence that grew exponentially in size and reach during her leadership. Gilda holds a doctorate in epidemiology and a master’s in population and international health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and a bachelor’s in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania.
Elizabeth Piper (she/her/hers) is Director of Development at the Population Institute. She has dedicated over two decades to fundraising and nonprofit leadership, spanning a wide array of sectors including women’s health, the environment, higher education, the arts, and historic preservation. Immediately prior to joining the Population Institute, Elizabeth served as the director of philanthropy for The Women’s Initiative, a women’s mental health organization, and prior to that, for the Southern Environmental Law Center. In these roles as well as during her roles as director of development for Virginia Humanities at the University of Virginia and at San Francisco Opera, Elizabeth cultivated her passion for fundraising while building development teams, launching major giving programs, managing annual and capital campaigns, all while raising millions of dollars. Originally from Baltimore, Elizabeth received her BA from The University of Virginia and has lived in Charlottesville since 2007.
Eman Sleem (she/her/hers) is the Director of Finance and Administration at the Population Institute. Eman leads financial budgeting, accounting and reporting for the organization. She manages all audit, insurance, state registration and related administrative activities. She also administers all human resource functions and building operations. Eman has 14 years’ experience in the non-profit sector and holds a BA in Sociology and an MBA from the University of Maryland. She completed the Project Management Certificate at Georgetown University. She is currently a candidate for DEI and SRHM certifications.
Jennie Wetter (she/her/hers) is the Director of the rePROs Fight Back initiative, where she fights every day for sexual and reproductive, health, rights, and justice. Jennie is also the creator and host of the rePROs Fight Back podcast, which is a deep-dive into sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice issues like abortion, birth control, sex education, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and more. New episodes debut every Tuesday, and give you an insider’s perspective on what is happening and what you can do to fight back. Originally from Wisconsin, she has lived in Washington D.C. for the last 18 years. She received her BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her MA from the American University’s School for International Service.
Rachel Marchand (she/her/hers) is the Senior Policy Analyst and podcast producer for the rePROs Fight Back initiative. In this role, she provides guidance in digital communications and strategy to achieve rePROs Fight Back’s policy outcomes, co-produces the podcast, writes and creates original, branded content, and represents rePROs Fight Back in coalition. Rachel received her BA in International Relations at the University of New Mexico and Master’s in Public Health at Emory University. She previously worked at the United States Senate.
Maniza Habib (she/her/hers) is the Senior Research and Program Manager, contributing to PI’s production of reports, policy briefs, and other research activities related to sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender-based violence. She also manages PI’s Stanback Fellowship program under Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and guides impact reporting. She has nearly a decade of experience in public health research and advocacy. Prior to joining the Population Institute, Maniza worked for RAHMA, a health and faith advocacy nonprofit in Washington DC, aiding research projects on HIV/AIDS and the Black community in the DC area and female genital mutilation/cutting in communities across the United States. She received a Master of Public Health from The George Washington University and bachelor’s degrees in public health science and Spanish language, literatures, and culture from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Melina Benjamin (she/her/hers) is the Communications Associate at the Population Institute, where she supports social media and digital engagement strategy, branding and messaging initiatives, and impact storytelling. Prior to PI, Melina worked at EnCompass LLC, an international development consulting firm, on communications strategy, copyediting and proofreading, content development, social media management, and visual design across multiple USAID projects. Most recently, she worked on the Global Waters CKM II project, which managed the Globalwaters.org knowledge sharing platform for USAID’s Center for Water and focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene (or WASH) programming. Melina earned her BA in International Relations and Journalism from Gonzaga University and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Global Communications with a concentration in Public Diplomacy at the George Washington University.