• Executive Committee
• Board Members
• Associate Members
• Board Committees

Board Members

Gayanne Afrikian MPA 2005

Ms. Gayane Afrikian has served as CEO of the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia and as Senior Advisor to the CEO of “Kazyna” Sustainable Development Fund of the Government of Kazakhstan. Prior to this, Gayane was an Associate of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University pursuing her research on Armenia’s national competitiveness and regional cooperation. A native of Armenia, born during the communist regime of the Soviet Union, from a young age Gayane has thrown herself into the front lines of activism, be it her crusading journalism behind the Iron Curtain, or her humanitarian work in a variety of still-hot conflict regions around the world. Before coming to Harvard, she most recently served as Political Affairs Officer with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. During this assignment, she worked directly with the local government, opposition and tribal leaders, warlords, civil society organizations, and others on issues related to good governance, disarmament and peace building.

Gayane also served with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, as Regional Labor and Social Welfare officer, and with the European Commission Delegation for Armenia, as Head of the Information and Public Relations office. She has been a working journalist, with stints at Agence France Presse, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Economist Intelligence Unit, and London’s daily newspaper, The Independent. As the only non-Soviet Union sanctioned journalist reporting from Estonia in 1989-1991 for the Armenian media, her reporting shone a spotlight on the fledging democratic movement in that country. Her articles were published in the London’s Financial Times, and her reports from the conflict zone in the 90’s from the Southern Caucasus were covered on the front pages of the most prestigious international media.

Ms. Afrikian was a Mason Fellow and received her Master in Public Administration degree from Harvard Kennedy School in 2005. She was also educated at The London School of Economics (Masters in Russian and Post Soviet Studies, 1996) and the Yerevan (Armenia) State University (Masters in Journalism, 1991). As a result of her work, Ms. Gayane Afrikian has been awarded with the “Exceptional Woman” title by Boston’s Magic 106.7 radio. The interview with her on her remarkable life journey aired on June 11, 2006.

Committees: Career Advancement, Co-Chair

Jeff Amestoy MPA 1982

Jeff Amestoy is a 1982 mid-career MPA graduate and Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School. He served as Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court (1997-2004) and Attorney General of Vermont (1985-1997). Chief Justice Amestoy was the author of Baker v. State, the decision of the Vermont Supreme Court which held that same-sex couples were constitutionally entitled to the rights and benefits of marriage and led to the nation's first civil union law. He was first elected Attorney General in 1984 and was re-elected six times. In five elections Attorney General Amestoy was the nominee of both the Republican and Democratic parties. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Conference of Chief Justices, served as President of the National Association of Attorneys General, and was a 1994 Fellow with the Institute of Politics at HKS.

Committees: Career Advancement; Virtual Connections

Marilyn Averill MPA 2000

Before coming to the Kennedy School I served as an attorney with the U.S. Department of the Interior. Prior to law school I worked as a program evaluation specialist in public school districts. At HKS my interests expanded to more global environmental issues. I currently am pursuing a doctorate in Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder. My research interests focus on international environmental governance, the politics of science, and the ethical implications of environmental issues, particularly in the context of global climate change. I currently am studying the use of science and the treatment of uncertainty in litigation relating to climate change and the effects these cases may have on law, science, and policy. I am particularly interested in the role the courts and climate litigation play in a democracy by educating the public about climate science and ethical disputes, by stimulating public debate, and by shaping public policy on controversial issues.

Committees: Career Advancement; Marketing and Branding

Michael “Yemi” Cardoso MPA 2005

Mr. Yemi Cardoso holds a Bachelors degree in finance and accounting from Aston University UK and a Masters degree in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, USA. He was a Mason Fellow at the Kennedy School at Harvard University. He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers.

He has several years of banking experience with Chase, Citibank and Citizens International Bank. He attained the position of Vice President at Citibank and Executive Director at Citizens. In 1999 he was approached by the Government and appointed to the cabinet as the first Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget in Lagos state, a state with dominant strategic and economic importance on the African continent. In this capacity he championed the reform process creating awareness of the challenges of managing the world’s 6th largest mega city. He held the cabinet portfolio until 2005 when he voluntarily relinquished his position and returned to private life. Since returning to private life he runs his investment banking business, FBC Associates, consulting on capital market and developmental activities. He has forged working alliances with several donor agencies such as World Bank, Ford Foundation, UN Habitat, Clinton Foundation, DFID and Swedish International Development Agency. FBC Associates is rating advisor to the Lagos State Government and serves as interlocutor with international rating agencies such as Standard and Poor’s.

His non-profit activities include being Co-Founder (along with two other HKS Alumni) and board member of the Africa Policy Institute; and the Afro-Brazilian Heritage Foundation. His efforts with the Afro-Brazilian Heritage Foundation are bringing about a twin city relationship between Lagos and Salvador.

Mr. Cardoso sits on the board of directors of several companies including Chevron Oil Plc. He is Chairman of Citibank’s Board Audit Committee and was appointed Chairman of the Project Steering Committee of the World Bank’s Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project (LMDGP). LMDGP is the largest World Bank project ever granted a sub national government. The project will positively impact the lives of over one million slum dwellers through sustainable access to roads, drains, water, schools and clinics.

Committees: Alumni Awards; Marketing and Branding

Roland Castãneda MPA/JD 1974

I am currently Senior Operating Partner at Pacesetter Capital Group (PCG), an investment banking firm that specializes in investing in mostly minority/women-owned businesses. To date, PCG has raised over $300 million in capital. My main responsibility is to replenish this capital base continuously.

In 1974, I became the first Hispanic graduate of the MPP/JD Joint Degree Program. I specialized in Real Estate Development Law in San Antonio. A highpoint was securing a $24.5 MM UDAG Grant that revitalized 25 city blocks in downtown San Antonio. Upon graduation, I served on the HKS Alumni Board of Directors where I focused on the preparation of our foundational documents.

In 1985, I took a one-year sabbatical to study theology/Greek exegesis at Princeton and concentrated my studies on Applied Ethics. Thereafter, I settled in Austin and developed a public finance practice. I co-founded Manos De Cristo, a non-profit corporation comprised of over 25 metro area churches that provided, at no cost, medical/dental services, a clothes closet, food pantry and after school tutoring classes for low income residents, most of whom were undocumented aliens.

In 1989, I moved to Dallas to expand my law practice and in 1994, I was selected General Counsel to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Agency (“DART”) and joined the executive team that designed, constructed and operated DFW’s Light Rail System as well as the Commuter Rail System linking Dallas/Ft. Worth. I founded a non-profit organization known as the Texas General Counsel Forum (TGCF) which provides networking and management training, exclusively, to all corporate general counsel. Today, TGCF has over 400 general counsel members and is poised to become the country’s first professional trade organization for corporate general counsel.

In 2004, I retired from the legal profession and am now focused on two primary activities: Pacesetter Capital Group (PCG), and the United States Community Development Corporation (USCDC) whose goal is to increase the number of very low cost housing units throughout the USA. As the organization’s Director of Development, I will focus on fundraising and deal origination and growing the organization nationwide.

Committees: Alumni Awards; Fundraising

Kriengsak Chareonwongsak MPA 2007

Professor Dr. Kriengsak Chareonwongsak gained first class honours and a PhD in Economics, 1981, from Monash University, Australia. He obtained a Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University. He is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Business and Government and an Associate of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University. He is a Fellow at the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Saïd Business School and a Visiting Fellow at Oxford Internet Institute (OII), Oxford University, UK. He is a Research Professor at Regent University, USA and an Adjunct Professor at universities in Thailand and overseas.

Professor Chareonwongsak is presently a candidate for Governor of Bangkok election. He is President of the Institute of Future Studies for Development (IFD) and Honorary President of the Social Science Association of Thailand. He is Chairman and President of Political Leaders for Social Enterprise (PLSE), a non-profit organization registered in Massachusetts, USA and President of the Social Entrepreneurship Institute, a Thai-registered foundation. Besides being Chairman of the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Program of Far Eastern University, he is chairman of a number of foundations and holds positions on the governing/advisory boards of various Asian and international organizations and educational institutions. As an academic, he lectures to graduate students at several universities.

He was elected to the National Economic and Social Advisory Council (NESAC), advising Thailand’s cabinet and held fifty national level positions in organizations and committees in Thailand. He was Advisor to the Commission on Justice and Human Rights, Honorary Advisor to the Commission on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and a Prime Ministerial advisor. He was Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee on Economic Development in the House of Representatives, an Executive Board member for the Democrat Party in Thailand, and an elected Member of Parliament.

In business, he is Chairman of the Success Group of Companies, spanning diverse media technology fields, biotechnology, investment, travel, and management consultancy. He is a newspaper and magazine columnist, authoring 170 books and 4,000 articles of academic analysis and proposals, especially on public policy and development issues. He has presented his viewpoints to government and non-government organizations, academic institutions and community groups in over 2,200 lectures in fifty countries, with his perspectives often highlighted in Thai and overseas media interviews.

Committees: Career Advancement; Virtual Connections

Farah Karim MPA2 2001

Farahnaz Karim is currently involved in founding and presiding over an emerging philanthropic venture focusing on Afghanistan and India, the Insaan Group (www.insaangroup.org). She has over 10 years of development experience in management, humanitarian program design and implementation, fund raising and strategy. This experience includes practical field and policy exposure in several development contexts including Tajikistan, Palestine, Bosnia- Herzegovina, and five years on the ground experience in Taliban and post-Taliban Afghanistan. Her last assignments included a management position within the Afghan governmental structure and a Country Director assignment for one of the largest non-profits in Afghanistan. During this period, she focused on rural development, support to education, water and sanitation, and cultural revitalization. Prior to returning to Afghanistan, following her enriching time at Harvard, Farahnaz played a co-founding role in a private management consulting startup in Italy. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Modern Languages at McGill University; a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Hautes Etudes Internationales; and her MPA from HKS. A French, Malagasy and Canadian national, she is fluent in French, English, Spanish, Italian and has knowledge of Gujarati and Persian.

Committees: Fundraising; Marketing and Branding

Andrea Marmolejo MPA 1988

Andrea is involved in investments in the power, water and clean technology sectors. She is a former portfolio manager at Regency Capital and Caxton Europe with 15 years experience in the utility sector and 4 years experience in the renewable energy space. Andrea started her career in McKinsey & Co. in Madrid, and then moved to London to join the financial sector where she continues today. Her experience in the utility sector is both is the sell side as research analyst at Kleinwort Benson and Goldman Sachs and in the buy side, as portfolio manager at Caxton Europe and Regency Capital. Andrea also worked in private equity projects on renewable energy and clean technology for The Carbon Trust and helped set up a hedge fund focusing on power, water and environmental services at Impax Asset Management.

Throughout her career, Andrea has been able to work on a number of critical policy issues, from within the private sector. She has worked on the restructuring and subsequent privatization of electricity, water and gas monopolies in Latin America and has advised governments in the deregulation of their electricity markets in Europe and USA. In the last four years, Andrea has worked on projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions and fostering carbon trading and has become actively involved in global climate change issues involving sustainable development. Overtime, Andrea has also become an active member of non-profit organizations such as microfinance operations in Latin America and other venture philanthropy groups that focus on education and on women’s development and standing in society. Andrea holds and MPA2 degree from Harvard University (Fulbright Scholar) and an Economics degree from University of Buenos Aires.

Committees: Career Advancement; Fundraising, Virtual Connections

Kate Mullally MPA 1998

A 1998 graduate of the HKS MPA program, Kate has been very active in alumni affairs since 2000. As a member of KSG New England Alumni Association, Inc., since 2001, and the Association’s former chair, Kate facilitated the development of KSGne as a 501(3) corporation as well as a variety of KSGne’s programs and events, including introductory and intermediate level negotiation courses, annual dinners, on-going programs and special events.

As a member of the HKS Board of Directors since 2004, Kate has served on the Constitution and By-Laws Committee and the Regional Associations Committee. Kate would like to serve another term on the Board in order to help revise the Board’s Constitution and By-Laws to address issues she identified concerning the Board’s internal governance and communication. As a member since 2004 and then Co-Chair of the Regional Association Committee since Fall 2007, Kate has helped foster the development of regional alumni associations worldwide. She helped implement the Global Liaison Program and was instrumental in developing a comprehensive, on-line “tool-kit” containing best practices for regional associations. In the last six months, strong interest has emerged for the creation of sixteen new and ten well-established regional associations world-wide. Kate would like to serve another term on the Board in order to continue to develop a strong partnership between the Board, the Alumni Programs Office and the school in order to connect HKS alumni to each other and the school and develop and strengthen the HKS community world-wide.

In her professional life, Kate is currently transitioning to a new position working for Partners Harvard Medical International in Dubai Health Care City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. PHMI has been helping develop DHCC into a world-class location for health care, medical education, and life science research. As Director of Licensing, Kate will be developing a program for licensing and accreditation for DHCC.

Previously, Kate served as Chief Counsel and a senior manager of the Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure. Prior to that, Kate worked as a litigator, regulatory specialist and counselor, specializing in a broad range of environmental, business and health care issues. She also gained business experience as corporate counsel for an internet start-up and as a director of new business development for a corporation developing public/private partnerships. Earlier in her career, Kate was a registered nurse and a public health specialist, working domestically and internationally.

Committees: Alumni Awards; Marketing and Branding, Co-Chair

Daniel J. Ostergaard MPA 2004

Mr. Daniel Ostergaard leads Western Carolina University’s Institute for the Economy and the Future (IEF) – a regional economic development think tank dedicated to both public and private sector policy development. He also teaches international business and homeland security.

Mr. Ostergaard’s career includes a variety of public sector positions as well as a founder for a start-up consulting company. He led the Homeland Security Advisory Council at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and he previously served as the Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Liaison in Washington, D.C., for Florida’s Executive Office of the Governor and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He also served on active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard for eleven years. A seagoing officer, he served throughout the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans including command of a patrol boat and rescue station. As an elected official in a non-partisan municipal office, he served as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner in Washington,D.C and as a Community Facilitator for the Washington Metro Police Department.

Mr. Ostergaard graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Government. He holds two Masters Degrees: an MPA from HKS (where he was also the student body President) and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. Mr. Ostergaard and his family recently founded Smoky Mountain Heritage Farm. Nestled between the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, the farm is dedicated to educating local school children about organic, sustainable farming methods.

Committees: Career Advancement; Marketing and Branding

Gerd “Gary” Schwarz MPA 2007

Gerd “Gary” Schwarz, MPA 2007, is a Visiting Fellow at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. He is the recipient of a Dean’s Award for Excellence for his work as a Teaching Fellow for the HKS course “Strategic Management for Public Purposes”. He also facilitated sessions at HKS Executive Education programs and was a panelist at Harvard conferences, such as in the Harvard China Review Conference. During his studies at HKS, he represented his classmates in the KSSG and served on the Academic Advisory Committee.

Before coming to Harvard, he worked in the consulting department of Deloitte, holding various positions, ultimately as the Serviceline Leader Performance Management. In this capacity he advised numerous public and private sector companies on strategy and organizational issues. Previously, he was as a Financial Controller for Bertelsmann, one of the largest European media companies, and for an affiliate of Wienerberger, one of the leading Austrian manufacturing corporations, where he worked as an expatriate in Central Europe.

He co-edited and co-authored “Outsourcing”, a book that reached the top-5 of the Financial Times list for German business books and published numerous articles in journals and business magazines. He has traveled to more than fifty countries and lived at least half a year in eight countries in various parts of the world.

He holds graduate degrees from Harvard University, Northwestern University, the University of St. Gallen, and the University of Graz. He was named a 21st Century Fellow, a leader below the age of 40 who will shape this century, by the 21st Century Trust.

Committees: Marketing and Branding, Co-Chair; Virtual Connections

Pradeep Singh MPA 1991

My time at the HKS was a defining period of my life. After graduating in 1991, I stayed on at the school to explore different areas of research of interest to me. I also taught Economics at the summer program of the MC/MPA class at HKS during 1991 to 1994 and organized an international workshop on public enterprise reform and privatization.

I deliberately utilized the two and a half years at the school to reorient my professional life. Soon after returning home, I resigned as a member of the Indian Administrative Service, India’s career bureaucracy. Inspired by Marc Lindenburgh, my former professor at HKS who had gone on to lead operations at CARE, I joined the international voluntary organization in 1995. Two years later, I made another career move, and for the last eleven years have been dedicated to the task of developing Public Private Partnerships to address the enormous challenge of strengthening India’s infrastructure. I am now the Managing Director at IDFC Projects Ltd., the development arm of Infrastructure Development Finance Company, India largest infrastructure focused financial institution.

Kennedy School has stayed with me. Fellow alums from around the world have been gracious hosts and guests. Some have become life long friends. I have been involved in the recruitment effort of the school and organized events for groups of visiting students. Last summer I took an intern from HKS and hope to build a sizeable internship program in the future. For the last few months I have been focusing on building a working network of alums in the region.

Committees: Alumni Awards; Career Advancement