Liz Drew

Background

About Liz Drew

Liz Drew is a Chicagoan with nearly two decades' leadership experience in government and non-profits advancing human rights and gender equity. Liz launched LD Global Strategies in 2020 to help mission-driven clients scale their impact with her expertise on strategy and program design, partnerships, and policy advocacy. She previously oversaw global programs for Heartland Alliance International, a Chicago based human rights organization, where she now serves as a Senior Advisor in a part-time role. Liz served in the Obama administration as an adviser in State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, where she was responsible for developing and implementing new global initiatives including Safe from the Start to prevent and respond to gender based violence in humanitarian emergencies. In 2012, Liz was appointed the first Director for Human Rights and Gender at the White House National Security Council, reporting to Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights Samantha Power. In that role, Liz led work across the government on a range of gender issues including implementing a Presidential directive on the rights of LGBTQ persons, advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights globally, and launching the Equal Futures Partnership, an innovative multilateral initiative to advance women’s political and economic participation. Liz also served as the Special Assistant to former PRM Assistant Secretary of State Eric Schwartz, helping execute strategic high-level diplomatic visits to countries including Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Laos, the DRC and Haiti, and conducted independent humanitarian assessment missions to South Sudan and Uganda. Liz created the US Government's first-ever strategy to protect LGBTQI+ refugees and asylum-seekers. Before joining the State Department, Liz worked for then-Senator Barack Obama as a policy adviser. Liz has also worked with non-governmental organizations in Kenya, designing programs to support unaccompanied adolescent refugee girls in Nairobi. Liz is a graduate of Brown University and the London School of Economics.