Fulbright Association Welcomes Fulbright Alumna as Director, Membership Development

            WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 17, 2007) – The Fulbright Association announced that Naomi A. Parekh has joined its staff as director, membership development.  Ms. Parekh was a Fulbright fellow to Jamaica in 2005.  She did independent research at a group home for HIV positive children there and developed guidelines for hurricane disaster relief. 

            Ms. Parekh received her associate in arts degree from Simon’s Rock College of Bard and her bachelor’s degree from Smith College, where she majored in anthropology and cultural health.  During her senior year, Ms. Parekh enrolled in a program on traditional Chinese medicine and culture at the Yunnan Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital in Kunming, Yunnan, People’s Republic of China. 

            “We are delighted to have Naomi Parekh leading the Fulbright Association’s initiatives to recruit, retain, and engage members,” said Jane L. Anderson, the Association’s executive director.  “Ms. Parekh has been an active volunteer for more than 18 years for a charity in her hometown of Lowell, Mass., that raises funds to support abandoned children in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa.  She has attracted and motivated hundreds of volunteers united by their belief in a worthwhile cause.”

            Ms. Anderson also announced the promotion of Melissa A. Miller to director, support services from program assistant.  Ms. Miller has assumed increased administrative and technical responsibilities. 

            In other staff developments, Ms. Anderson noted that Kristjen Lundberg, who serves as the Association’s director, chapter relations, has been accepted into the George Washington University’s Organizational Management Fellows Program, a master's level program designed for working professionals. 

            “It is my privilege to work with this fine team of professionals whose dedication to the Fulbright Program mission of increasing mutual understanding among peoples is manifest every day,” said Ms. Anderson.   “We appreciate the support of our active alumni members and look forward to working on their behalf as we advance our mission of increasing worldwide support for Fulbright exchanges, enriching the Fulbright experience, and facilitating lifelong interaction among alumni and current participants.” 

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