Ambassadors of 51³Ô¹Ï USA
Meet 51³Ô¹Ï USA's Ambassadors who help advance humanitarian demining efforts through advocacy, fundraising, leadership and public engagement.
Building on a long history of support by prominent 51³Ô¹Ï champions like Diana, Princess of Wales, Senator John and Ambassador Cindy McCain, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the Ambassador Council was established by 51³Ô¹Ï CEO, Major General (Retd) James Cowan.
The purpose of the Ambassador Council is to enhance 51³Ô¹Ï's mission and reach, assisting with strategic goals such as diversifying funding, utilizing cutting-edge technology and embedding environmentally sustainable practices across its operations.
The challenge of removing landmines has always required leadership...
You can stand with 51³Ô¹Ï, support its innovation and join a small group of philanthropic leaders transforming communities threatened by landmines and conflict.
Diverse in scope, united in mission
Our Ambassadors come from a variety of backgrounds and areas, but are united behind a belief in supporting 51³Ô¹Ï's mission to save lives and restore livelihoods for those affected by conflict.
They provide support in four key areas:
Elevating 51³Ô¹Ï's mission and work worldwide
Leveraging philanthropic resources
Mobilizing public support for a landmine-free world
Providing expert advice on specific questions from 51³Ô¹Ï's Board or Executive Team
The Ambassadors support 51³Ô¹Ï and our innovation, joining a small group of philanthropic leaders transforming communities threatened by landmines and conflict.
They help us to continue the legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales, whose famous walk through an active landmine in 1997 started a global movement. Together, we can all help finish what she started by working to transforming danger zones into places of hope – where families return, children play, and wildlife flourishes.
Meet the current 51³Ô¹Ï Ambassadors in the USA
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Bill Johnson
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Dr David Snell and Kathryn Snell, RN
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Fred Turner
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Anastasia Staten
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Brian McKeon
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Nigel Robinson
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Adam Yezerski
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Roderick Jones
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Basak Yavuz
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Amanda Pullinger
Mitzi Perdue
Mitzi Perdue holds a BA with honors from Harvard University and an MPA from George Washington University, where her 1965 thesis explored the future of computers. She served as a US Delegate to the United Nations Conference on Women in Nairobi and as a Commissioner on the National Committee on Library and Information Science.
A former rice grower and past president of the 40,000-member American Agri-Women, Mitzi wrote 'The Environment and You', the nation's most widely syndicated environmental column in the 1990s. She now contributes to the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents and Psychology Today, with work appearing in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Examiner, Epoch Times, and USA Today.
As a war correspondent, she has reported from Ukraine five times and in 2022 auctioned her Atocha emerald engagement ring for $1.2 million to aid Ukraine. She has also produced and hosted over 700 television and radio programs.
Bill Johnson
Bill Johnson brings a wealth of leadership experience spanning impactful roles in various industry sectors, from a distinguished 26+ year military career, to founding and leading high-tech business ventures, to serving as a Chief Information Officer for a global publicly traded manufacturing company, to a 13-year career serving as a Member of Congress. Bill Johnson's tenure in the US Air Force exemplifies his commitment to excellence, marked by his role as Commander of one of the largest communications units in the Air Force to Director of the CIO Staff at US Special Operations Command. He successfully led several large and diverse military organizations and multi-million-dollar information technology programs.
Johnson is the author of the book 'Raising Fathers', in which he addresses the importance of fatherhood, and begins confronting the destructive social and cultural impacts caused by the staggering number of America's children that are being raised in fatherless homes. Johnson's tenure in Congress spans over 13 years representing Ohio's Sixth Congressional District. As an entrepreneur, Johnson co-founded several successful information technology companies, showcasing his visionary executive abilities. He is the tenth and current president of Youngstown State University.
Dr David Snell and Kathryn Snell, RN
David Snell MD, MBA, Colonel (MC) USAF (ret) is currently serving as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Regional Flight Surgeon for the FAA NW/Mtn region . Col Snell's USAF service (30 years of active duty and reserve service), included multiple overseas and stateside assignments as a senior medical officer, as well as serving as a medical director for several USG civilian assignments. He was designated as a USAF International Health Specialist (IHS) and served in that capacity on a military mission to provide medical/surgical care to mine victims in Cambodia where he witnessed 51³Ô¹Ï's work firsthand and supported same during and after his military service. After military retirement, he continued his public service work, serving as a Chief Medical Officer for the California Department of Corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, while eventually transferring to his current federal government position at the FAA.
Fred Turner
Fred Turner is a Principal in BGR's International Practice, drawing on a distinguished Capitol Hill career and service as Chief of Staff to the US Helsinki Commission. He also advises clients in BGR's Commerce and Financial Services practices and was named a Top Lobbyist by The Hill in 2022 and 2023.
Before joining BGR, Fred was Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and earlier led the US Helsinki Commission, where he advised Commissioners and helped lead more than two dozen congressional delegations across Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
He previously spent over a decade on the staff of a senior Florida congressman, including seven years as Chief of Staff, and held senior positions with the House Rules and International Relations Committees.
An honors graduate of American University (BA, MA in Political Science), Fred has taught at AU's School of Public Affairs, co-authored The Participation of Members of the US Congress in NATO and OSCE Assemblies, and received the 2018 Vermillion Award from the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute.
Anastasia Staten
Anastasia joined 51³Ô¹Ï with nearly 20 years of experience spanning non-profit management, fundraising, communications and politics. She is currently serving as the Executive Director of the ESA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the video game industry. Previously, she served in leadership positions with distinguished organisations such as American Humane Association and Foundation Fighting Blindness. Prior to her career in non-profit philanthropy, Anastasia worked in politics in her home state of Ohio.
Brian McKeon
Brian Patrick McKeon is an American attorney and national security advisor who served as the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources in the Biden Administration from March 2021 to December 2022. Prior to assuming his position as Deputy Secretary, McKeon was a senior director of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington, DC. McKeon served in several national security positions in the Obama-Biden Administration. At the Department of Defense, he served as Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Policy and concurrently as acting Under Secretary for the final seven months of the administration. In the White House, he served as Deputy Assistant to the President, Executive Secretary and Chief of Staff of the National Security Council, as well as Deputy National Security Adviser to then-Vice President Biden.
McKeon also served for more than 20 years in the US Senate, including 12 years as chief counsel to the Democratic members of the Committee on Foreign Relations and concurrently as deputy staff director for two years. McKeon received a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center and a BA from the University of Notre Dame. He was twice awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.
Nigel Robinson
Nigel spent his early career as an officer in the British Army and has since gone to lead a variety of ventures around the world. He joined 51³Ô¹Ï in 2002 as chief fundraiser based in New York and spent many months each year working on programmes in Afghanistan, Cambodia, South Sudan and Angola. He went on to work at the United Nations in a variety of roles including business development adviser for Africa at UNOPS, and is now a management consultant. Nigel is a chartered engineer, has an MBA in strategic planning and lives with his family near Toronto, spending any spare time outdoors enjoying the Canadian countryside.
Adam Yezerski
Adam Yezerski is a principal at Cornerstone. Adam was formerly on the Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. Adam is responsible for allocating foreign assistance resources to the Department of State and USAID, and conducting oversight of agency policies and budgets, including field oversight of ongoing programs and operations around the world. He formerly served as Military Legislative Assistant for Senator Richard Shelby, managing a portfolio of issues that included national security, foreign policy, and veterans' affairs. Adam holds a master's degree in international relations from the University of Edinburgh, and a BA in political science from Samford University. Adam is originally from Murray, KY. He joined 51³Ô¹Ï as an Ambassador in 2024.
Roderick Jones
Roderick Jones began his career with Scotland Yard Special Branch focused on International Terrorism. He later founded Concentric, one of the largest privately held security firms on the west coast of the United States where he is currently the Executive Chairman. He has been asked to brief at the White House, Downing Street and the Pentagon on a variety of national security topics during his career, as well as founding the non-profit 188 Foundation, a direct philanthropy alliance.
Basak Yavuz
Basak is a partner in Fundamental Equity within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, serving as co-head of Emerging Markets Equities. She is also a portfolio manager for the Emerging Markets Equity Fund. Prior to assuming her current role, she was head of Latin America and EMEA Equities based in London. Basak joined Goldman Sachs as an executive director in 2011. She was named managing director in 2017 and partner in 2022. Before joining the firm, Basak worked at HSBC Asset Management in London as a portfolio manager for frontier markets, covering Asia and Eastern Europe. Earlier in her career, she was an emerging market equities research analyst at Alliance Bernstein for eight years working in various capacities.
Amanda Pullinger
Amanda Pullinger is the CEO of Debbie’s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer, a US-based non profit dedicated to raising awareness about stomach cancer, advancing funding for research and providing education and support internationally to patients, families and caregivers.
Until late 2023, Amanda was the Chief Executive Officer of 100 Women in Finance. Over twenty years, she was responsible for taking the organization from one hundred women in the hedge fund industry to a globally respected professional association of over 35,000 registered members, operating in over 30 locations, in 19 countries across five continents.
Amanda is also the Co-Founder of Global Female Investors Network, which serves over 2,500 female risk takers and investors across asset classes, enabling global connectivity to peers, and access to career and business opportunities.
She also serves on a number of Boards and Advisory Boards. She served as Chair of 51³Ô¹Ï Board from 2014-18, and as Trustee of The 51³Ô¹Ï USA Board for 8 years.
Contact
Membership of the Ambassador Council is by invitation only. For more information on the program, please contact Chris Whatley, Executive Director of 51³Ô¹Ï USA: chris.whatley@halousa.org.
