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Harya Tarekegn is the Director of Advocacy and Policy. Harya brings with her a very diverse slate of experiences and perspectives shaped by representing indigent defendants in New York City, conducting bail reform in Nairobi, Kenya, and supporting incarcerated teens in Santa Clara Juvenile Hall. Harya joins us directly from her position as the former Senior Counsel to the Executive Director and Director of Policy and Advocacy for the nation’s largest independent police oversight agency, the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB). In her role, she was responsible for managing special projects for the Agency with the goal of improving the civilian oversight of the nation’s largest police force, while building an oversight model to be replicated across the nation. Harya specialized in strategic advocacy to find innovative ways to improve the lives of the most vulnerable. Harya also focused on connecting with community advocates and elected officials to increase police accountability and advance the Agency’s legislative agenda.

Prior to joining the CCRB, Harya worked as the Executive Director and Partner of Moreno Ocampo, LLC, a global consulting firm where she managed a team of global attorneys and communications experts focused on developing tailored strategies to manage complex conflicts including addressing the human rights violations perpetrated against Yazidi women and girls in Iraq. Harya’s commitment to public service is also evidenced by her work as a Founder and Strategy Director for Rising Leaders, Inc. a non-profit providing low-income or underserved students with high-quality mentorship and leadership development training.

Harya holds a Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Stanford University.