Julia Hedlund is an international development professional with nearly 20 years of experience in financial and program management of US Government-funded contracts and cooperative agreements in the areas of governance, human rights, and capacity building. She has managed large USAID and State Department-funded contracts and cooperative agreements at Freedom House and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), among others. In these roles, Ms. Hedlund has supported training, procurement, and other project activities on the ground in countries including Nigeria, Liberia, and Ukraine. Ms. Hedlund also has experience in financial management and project accounting for federally-funded programs, and has supported audits in Washington, DC and in field offices around the world. One of her earliest professional experiences was working with the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) to support immigrants’ access to legal services in the DC region, and she remains committed to this objective through her work with Acacia. She has an MA in International Development Studies from the George Washington University and a BA in International Relations and Latin American Studies from American University.