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Almut Wieland-Karimi is Executive Director
almut [at] fesdc.org

Dr. Almut Wieland-Karimi joined the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) Washington in 2006 as the Representative to the U.S. and Canada. Between 2002 and 2005, she served as Director of the FES in Kabul, Afghanistan. Prior to that, she served in Berlin and Bonn as a Desk Officer in the FES Middle East department and the Asia department following one year as a project assistant in the FES Office in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Focusing on the political role of religious leaders in the Afghanistan conflict she received her Ph.D. from the Humboldt University Berlin in 1997. During that time she received a scholarship from the FES. From 1995 to 1996 she worked as a research associate at the Center for Modern Oriental Studies in Berlin. She studied Middle Eastern and Oriental Studies in Bonn and Cairo and graduated from the University of Bonn in 1992 after writing her thesis on popular Islam and religious movements in Egypt.

Director Wieland-Karimi is an expert on South Asia and the Middle East, especially development policies, conflict transformation and the role of civil society. She is fluent in English and Persian and proficient in Spanish, French and Arabic.

 

Monika Parson is Financial Officer
m.parson [at] fesdc.org

Monika Parson joined the FES as Financial Officer in December 2002. Previously, she has worked for the Marsh McLennan Companies in Washington, DC. Prior to coming to the United States, she has worked for the state government of North Rhine Westphalia in Düsseldorf for eleven years. Monika has also lived and worked in cities such as Tokyo, Stockholm, and London for several years.

Michael Czogalla is Program Officer
m.czogalla [at] fesdc.org

Programs on Minorities and Integration, Disarmament & Non-Proliferation, and Forum Current Issues

Michael Czogalla joined the Washington office of the FES in October 2004. He is originally from Magdeburg, Germany and received his M.A. in American Studies, German Studies, and Political Science focusing on international relations and cultural studies from Leipzig University, Germany. Michael has taught German Studies at the University of Lincoln, Nebraska and published the book: "Behind the Laughter" - Die Simpsons im Kontext der amerikanischen Populärkultur, which looks at american religious aspects and family values.

Knut Panknin is Program Officer
k.panknin [at] fesdc.org

Programs on Conflict and Democratization: Middle East, South Asia and Beyond, Economic and Labor relations, and Forum Current Issues

Knut Panknin joined the FES as a Program Officer in June 2004. He received his M.A. in Political Science - focusing on U.S. foreign and domestic policy, Linguistics, and Philosophy from the Georg August University in Göttingen, Germany. Prior to his position at the FES, he worked in a European study program at the Center for European and North American Studies at the University of Göttingen.

Emily Peckenham is Program Officer
emily [at] fesdc.org

Programs on E3 – Energy, Environment, Economy and Forum Current Issues

Emily Peckenham joined the Washington office of the FES in June 2008. She recently completed her Master’s Degree in German and European Studies at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, where she focused on the history of nature and culture in Germany and the U.S. Originally from Maine, Emily previously received her Bachelor’s Degree at Bates College, followed by a year in Düsseldorf, Germany as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant.

Meike Wöhlert is Program Officer (Canada)
canada [at] fesdc.org

Canada Programs: Emphasize Canada's role in the transatlantic dialogue by comparing social and political systems and processes, identifying relevant topics, and organizing high-level discussions for German and Canadian stakeholders (i.e. on Afghanistan, on Energy or the Environment).

Meike Wöhlert is the Canada Liaison Officer for the Friedrich Ebert Foundation's Washington Office. She received her M.A. in History, Media Science, and Latin American Studies from Freie Universität, Berlin. Like her colleague Michael Czogalla, she published a book on humor. "Der politische Witz in der NS-Zeit am Beispiel ausgesuchter SD-Berichte und Gestapo-Akten" examines the extent to which dissident jokes told during the Nazi years were actually prosecuted. Meike is also a trained journalist and long-standing magazine editor. Prior to moving to Ottawa in 2007, she was based in London. Her collaboration with the FES began in March 2008.