Zoe Despertt

Zoë is a Country Officer covering abductions to and from the Middle East, Africa, and India. She joined the Department in 2017 as a student intern while attending the George Washington University. With a background in emergency management, she has served as a data subject matter expert supporting Department-led crisis response and coordination efforts and designed coaching programs for effective management. Zoë began her public service career in education policy and later with the National Science Foundation conducting research on emergency management and disaster response.