Public Knowledge Welcomes New Finance & Administration Director, Communications Justice Fellow
Public Knowledge Welcomes New Finance & Administration Director, Communications Justice Fellow
Public Knowledge Welcomes New Finance & Administration Director, Communications Justice Fellow

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    Public Knowledge is happy to welcome both a new Director of Finance and Administration and a new Communications Justice Fellow.

    Diego Rivera joins our team as the new Director of Finance and Administration. Diego brings to Public Knowledge an extensive background in nonprofit finance and administration, including working as Operations Manager for the Equal Rights Center and volunteering with two nonprofits, BCAUSEICAN & Haiti-Now. Diego earned his Master’s degree in Public Administration with sub-concentrations in HR Management, Nonprofit Finance, and Nonprofit Management from George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia.

    Public Knowledge also welcomes Tsion Tesfaye, Communications Justice Fellow, to our team to launch a new Tech Policy Diversity Project. The project will identify and promote practices that bring more diverse voices to the policymaking table.

    Tsion holds an M.A. in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.A. in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University. Prior to joining Public Knowledge, Tsion was the coordinator for CeaseFirePA’s Motivating Young Citizens project where she taught students about community organizing and the legislative process. She also worked as an outreach analyst helping rural health care facilities obtain funding for broadband services at the Universal Service Administrative Company.

    The following may be attributed to Public Knowledge Chief of Staff & Senior Counsel Kristine DeBry:

    “We are thrilled to welcome Tsion to launch this important project to increase the diverse voices in the technology policy conversation. Right now, lawmakers are making critical decisions about how to treat issues like bias in artificial intelligence and lack of broadband service to urban and rural communities. These issues can have a disproportionate impact on communities of color and other marginalized groups, and it is critical that those communities are represented in the policy debate on how to solve these problems. This project aims to increase the number of people from diverse backgrounds beginning careers in this space who can later gain opportunities for larger roles in the policymaking field.”

    The following may be attributed to Public Knowledge President & CEO Chris Lewis:

    “Technology policy impacts everyone, but increasingly we’ve seen how those with diverse backgrounds are often not given the same opportunity to be a part of policymaking. This means that our community is missing out on different perspectives, including the opportunity to connect with those who have new and different experiences. These differences help us create better, more innovative policies that address the real needs of Americans struggling to access or afford quality broadband, to see oneself reflected in online content and media, or participate in the new digital economy.

    “We are also proud to add Diego Rivera to our team. He has worked for several years to develop develop all of the skills of a finance and HR leader in the nonprofit sector and we are happy to give him this leadership opportunity with our organization. None of the excellent analysis and advocacy work that Public Knowledge is known for happens unless we keep the office running and our staff supported. I know that Diego’s experience with HR policy creation, accounting skills, and easy going personality will be a great fit for Public Knowledge.”

    The Communications Justice Fellowship and the Technology Policy Diversity Project are made possible by generous support through the Nielsen Foundation’s Data for Good grant program and the Democracy Fund.

    Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.