Kimberly Marteau Emerson (*on leave of absence)

Kimberly Marteau Emerson is a lawyer, civic leader and human rights advocate. From 2013-2017, she lived in Berlin with her husband, US Ambassador to Germany John B. Emerson (ret.), where she worked both with the US Embassy as well as independently to drive projects on multiple platforms, including promotion of German immigration and integration efforts related to the 2015/2016 refugee crisis; and addressing the issue throughout Germany of bringing women to the economic and political decision-making table. She is currently writing a memoir about her experiences there.

Kimberly worked in the Clinton Administration as a senior political appointee and spokesperson for the U.S. Information Agency (State Department). She has been an election observer in Nigeria, and worked on relief projects in Lesbos, Greece during the 2015 refugee crisis, Sri Lanka post-tsunami and New Orleans post-Katrina. She serves on the Advisory Board of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Pacific Council on International Policy. She serves on the Board of Governors of Bard College Berlin, and the Advisory Boards of the Thomas Mann House, United Way in Germany and KCRW-Berlin. Kimberly has been deeply active in U.S. Presidential politics and actively supported many Democratic candidates on the local, state and federal level. She has also received several awards for her civic engagement. Previously, Kimberly practiced law with Tuttle & Taylor, and worked in Hollywood as a business and creative executive with Savoy Pictures and
Sony Entertainment.

She holds degrees from UCLA (B.A.), UC Hastings College of the Law ( J.D.) and l’Université de Droit d’Aix-Marseille (D.E.S.U.). Kimberly serves on the Board of Directors of Human Rights Watch (currently on a leave of absence), and serves on the Audit and Risk (Co-Chair) and Policy Committees. She also serves on the Europe and Central Asia Advisory Committee, the Los Angeles City Committee (Co-chair Emerita), and the Germany Executive Committee.