Nikki Garza is the manager of Development Systems and Strategy in GMF’s Washington, DC, office. She is a nonprofit leader and operations professional with over six years of experience spanning organizational leadership, development operations, and program coordination. She founded and managed an independent nonprofit for three years before specializing in development systems management and cross-functional operations for international organizations. Her public service work began at the American Red Cross, where she specialized in case work for Service to Armed Forces. She also served with AmeriCorps, supporting Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery efforts. 

Garza volunteers at Doorways, an organization supporting families and children affected by sexual and domestic violence. She holds a master’s degree in ethics, peace, and human rights from the American University School of International Service and a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from the University of Houston. 

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Bonnie S. Glaser
Simona Grano

Laurențiu Pleșca is a scientific researcher and PhD candidate of the Doctoral School of Political Sciences at the University of Bucharest. His main areas of expertise are Russia's geopolitics in the Black Sea, the Eastern Partnership, EU common policies (foreign and security policy, and the Eastern Neighborhood), and the internal and external policies of the ex-Soviet states. 

Pleșca has a master's degree in international relations and European studies, and a bachelor's degree in political science, from the University of Bucharest.