Katherine Maxwell

• Completed a rotation from USAID to the State Department as a Presidential Management Fellow.

• Managed awards for nine global projects to strengthen organizational capacity and adopt best practices with a total budget of approximately $20 million. Communicated with implementing partners, reviewed quarterly reports, and completed award monitoring and evaluation activities using the Department’s grants management system.

• Secured leadership approval of funding recommendations by soliciting, reviewing, and negotiating programming proposals. Coordinated multiple rounds of feedback between partners, the policy and multilateral teams, and Geneva counterparts amidst a shifting funding environment.

• Updated Congress on U.S. initiatives to address violence against women and girls in humanitarian crises by authoring a public congressional report.

• Leveraged technical expertise and ensured alignment with U.S. Government policy and priorities by drafting, reviewing, and approving talking points.

• Completed a rotation from USAID to the White House as a Presidential Management Fellow.

• Supported the development of two public-private partnerships that catalyzed $1.9B+ in initial investments through progress tracking, external outreach, and coordination of public materials.

• Collaborated across government departments and agencies to issue a strategy and national action plan on women, peace, and security by analyzing drafts and coordinating stakeholder meetings.

• Developed briefing materials, memos, and remarks for senior principals, including the Vice President, to articulate value propositions and advance priorities at high-level engagements, including the G20, the Summit for Democracy, the UN Commission on the Status of Women, and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

• As an Acting Team Lead, ensured 100% of over $100+ million in expiring funds for health programs were allocated on time and aligned with organizational and partner priorities in a fast-paced environment through stakeholder collaboration, financial report monitoring, and strategic workload planning.

• Approved memos and waivers for proposed project modifications, helping to enhance efficiency and adapt to evolving needs.

• Planned and prepared over 100 funding packages per fiscal year to ensure the accuracy and timely availability of funds for up to 25 projects across four divisions, promoting fiscal stewardship of U.S. taxpayer dollars.

• Delivered customer service to a 95-person health office to resolve issues and avoid delays.

• Trained 200+ foreign affairs professionals by co-organizing and teaching the bureau’s financial management course three times per year, coordinating with seven contractors and subject matter experts to plan and deliver the course.

• Completed the two-year Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) program requirements, including over 160 hours of training and two rotational assignments to the White House and the State Department.

• Supported the initial research and design process of a GAO study at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to improve program effectiveness by reviewing data, analyzing policies and strategies, and drafting audit memos with findings.

• Engaged with Hill sponsors, executive branch agencies, and veterans groups through meetings and interviews to gather information and recommend follow-up research.

• Briefed colleagues and management, and recommended lines of inquiry to support senior decision-making.

• Collaborated with the office’s lead analyst to research and develop practical field tools for Department professionals to evaluate their security cooperation projects, enabling partners to work with the U.S. to achieve strategic objectives and ensuring projects in partner countries benefit the entire population.

• Analyzed concepts and strategic frameworks from U.S. government entities, foreign governments, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations to inform options for U.S. military adaptations.

• Briefed senior leadership on key deliverables and recommendations.

• Managed three rapid-response research projects and supported over six federal- and state-funded studies on HIV health disparities, totaling over $3 million across a 15+ member team.

• Supported the new doctoral chair by creating a system to track the progress of 40 students, improving resources, and digitizing and automating form transmissions.

• Interviewed, trained, and coordinated tasks for up to 8 student staff, enabling timely research execution and professional skill development.

• Planned and implemented events to connect students, policy fellows, and the public to research and learning opportunities, promoting and highlighting research impacts.

• Facilitated student engagement by managing logistics for five in-person and online courses.

• Collaborated with statisticians and subject matter experts to draft and edit the Institute’s annual flagship report and supplemental publications, promoting effective policymaking by highlighting gaps and raising awareness.

• Helped design PowerPoint presentations, led the media team, and produced eight video interviews at the report’s launch conference of 300 EU-level decision-makers in Brussels.

This program places about 140 U.S. citizens in Austria to teach English in secondary schools yearly.

• Taught 13 English classes weekly to 150+ students aged 12-20 in two schools per school year, promoting language learning and cultural diplomacy.

• Improved student confidence and language readiness by designing standards-aligned curriculum tailored to diverse instructor styles and student needs.