Gerald LeMelle

Gerald LeMelle "joined Africa Action as Executive Director this fall [2007]. Before joining Africa Action, Gerald served as the Deputy Executive Director for Advocacy at Amnesty International USA. For twelve plus years, Gerald was responsible for the following programs: Business and Human Rights, National Campaigns, Casework, Country Specialists, the Domestic Human Rights Program, Government Relations, International Justice and Accountability, Just Earth!, OUTfront, the Program to Abolish the Death Penalty, Refugee Program, Urgent Actions, and the Women's Human Rights. Under his supervision the Advocacy Department produced over 1600 actions a year.

"Prior to working at Amnesty International USA, Gerald served as the Director of African Affairs with the Phelps Stokes Fund. There, he was responsible for seven programs including the African Student Advisory Program, the African Student Aid Fund, the African University Resources Program, the African Forum Series, the African Papers Series, the International Studies Curriculum Project and the Southern African Refugee Scholarship Program.

"Gerald holds a J.D. from Georgetown University. He is a member of the New York, District of Columbia, and Supreme Court Bar Associations, and, a member of the Council for Foreign Relations. He has appeared on radio and television numerous times and has been published in newspapers across the country. He lived in Africa for ten years, primarily in Kenya and Tunisia."


 * Trustee, Phelps Stokes Fund