Type: Presenter

Laura joined Human Rights Watch in 2004. She is responsible for overseeing the development and outreach strategies across North America, Europe, MENA and APAC and is part of the department’s senior management team. She also acts as the department’s personnel director. Before taking on this broader remit, Laura was responsible for building the Human Rights Watch community and establishing the fundraising strategy in London.

Prior to Human Rights Watch, Laura spent seven years at UNICEF UK establishing and building the major gift and foundations strategy, including creating the concept of and implementing field missions for private supporters and project managing an award winning book The Weekends and an associated photographic exhibition. Laura has also worked for Great Ormond Street Hospital, NSPCC and Scope. She has undertaken consultancy and lecturing in major gift fundraising and has BA (Hons) from University of Leeds.

 Lisa graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and received her J.D. summa cum laude from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. She practiced litigation at the Massachusetts law firm of Choate, Hall & Stewart from 1993-2001, before beginning a career as a professional volunteer. Lisa serves as Vice Chair of the International Board of Directors of JDRF (the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and she chaired JDRFI’s Nominating and Governance Committee. She also served as President of JDRF’s New England Chapter Board.

Lisa served on the Board of Combined Jewish Philanthropies (“CJP”) and as Co-Chair of CJP’s 2011 and 2018 Annual Campaigns. She is Co-Chair of CJP’s Israel and Global Jewish Citizenship Committee and of CJP’s Antisemitism Task Force. Lisa is the recipient of CJP’s Young Leadership Award and of CJP’s Circle of Excellence Awards for Growth and for Leadership. Lisa is a graduate of CJP’s Acharai leadership development program and of the United Jewish Communities’ National Young Leadership Cabinet. Lisa and her husband Neil serve as co-chairs of Temple Beth Elohim’s Endowment Campaign. Lisa has been an active leader at The Rashi School and Gann Academy, serving as co-chair of The Rashi School’s $30 million Capital Campaign that led to the building of the school’s state-of-the-art facility and also as co-chair of Gann’s Comprehensive Campaign. Lisa also serves on the National Council of AIPAC, and is a graduate of AIPAC’s Leadership Institute. Lisa and Neil, have 3 children and live in Weston, MA.