Photo by Washington DC photographer Aaron Clamage

Serra Sippel is the president of the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), where she leads the organization's education and advocacy efforts to ensure that U.S. foreign policies and programs promote sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls globally. 

Serra has more than 17 years of experience advocating for women's rights and related issues. Prior to joining CHANGE, Serra was the international program director at Catholics for Choice (CFC), where she worked for more than eight years to advance the sexual, reproductive, and other human rights of women around the world. In addition to her years at CFC, Serra has been involved in the fight for women's rights through her work at a homeless shelter for women with children in Texas, and on behalf of women prisoners in the state of Indiana. Serra also has collaborated with women's rights activists around the world to secure and promote sexual and reproductive health and rights. Among Serra's many achievements as an advocate is her leadership at the United Nations to safeguard the critical agreements regarding women's sexual and reproductive rights made at the UN world conferences in Cairo and Beijing.

Serra holds a master's degree in religion, with an emphasis on peace and justice. She is the author of numerous articles and other publications on sexual and reproductive health and rights, has spoken at international conferences, and is sought after for commentary and analysis on U.S. foreign policy and sexual and reproductive health rights.

As vice president, Mary Beth Hastings plays a critical role in designing, implementing and evaluating the organization’s programs, while also strengthening CHANGE’s internal infrastructure and development capacity.

Mary Beth has extensive program management expertise, along with 18 years of international academic and professional experience, primarily focused on the rights and wellbeing of women globally. From 1999 to 2004, she directed the gender and equality program for Partners of the Americas, where she developed and oversaw a portfolio of projects on reproductive health, adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights, women's legal rights and gender integration. Prior to that, she managed international outreach and training programs for the League of Women Voters Education Fund. She holds a master's degree in international affairs from Columbia University.

A firm believer in the continuum of sexual and reproductive rights, Mary Beth also serves locally on the volunteer board of Birth Options Alliance of the Capital Area, which urges policymakers and insurance companies to support the rights and choices of pregnant women.

Beirne Roose-Snyder earned her J.D. and certificate in Refugees and Humanitarian Emergencies from Georgetown University Law Center, where she concentrated her studies on global health and human rights. She previously worked with the Center for HIV Law & Policy in New York, where she was managing attorney, after years of working with AIDS services and education in the United States and Northern Ireland. Her research has focused on broadening access to essential medicines, and the role of perceived blameworthiness in AIDS funding priorities.

Melanie Boyer develops and implements strategic communications for CHANGE. She is an experienced journalist and columnist, and most recently worked as an account executive with Daly Gray Public Relations, an independent firm based in Virginia. She is well-versed in international issues, and has worked with the Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) and the Education Development Center, Inc. Melanie served as Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin, West Africa, where she taught English and worked with at-risk adolescent girls.  She holds a master’s degree in international training and education from American University, and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northern Arizona University.

As advocacy and outreach associate, Kiki leads CHANGE's educational activities, partnership development, constituency building, and advocate mobilization around U.S. international policy related to sexual and reproductive health and rights. She also spearheads CHANGE's Prevention Now! Campaign, a global advocacy campaign to expand access to female condoms and other existing prevention methods for women and men worldwide. Kiki first joined CHANGE as a program intern in June 2009 and served as program associate through June 2011. Prior to coming to CHANGE, Kiki worked with the Uganda Village Project conducting a rural community outreach program developed to increase awareness around obstetric fistula. Kiki is also an experienced student organizer. During her undergraduate work at the University of California, Berkeley, she designed and delivered “Sex and Sustainability: Reconnecting Population and Women's Empowerment,” a campus campaign focused on increasing awareness about unmet family planning needs in developing countries. Kiki earned her bachelor's degree in public health, with a minor in global poverty and practice.

Hortense Hunter has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 30 years. She began her career with cause-oriented organizations in the late 1970s with Craver, Mathews, Smith & Company, a firm know for its pioneering work in direct mail fundraising. Her experience there led her to work in development, office management, and executive support for The Better World Society, The Wilderness Society, League of Conservation Voters, and several other environmentally-focused nonprofits. In recent years, she has provided executive support for nonprofits focusing on women’s empowerment and health issues.

As Program Assistant, Rebecca provides overall support for CHANGE's program areas, including research and writing, website management, database maintenance, and event planning. Previously, Rebecca worked at Plan International USA as the Corporate Relations Intern and at UNESCO Bangkok as an intern in the HIV Prevention and Health Promotion Unit. Rebecca graduated from Princeton University, where she received an A.B. in Politics and a certificate in Global Health and Health Policy. On campus, Rebecca served as a Peer Advisor in the Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources & Education (SHARE) Office.