The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

Isabel Emerson is NDI's resident director in Angola. In her role, she works with political parties and civic organizations to promote public input in the policy process and increase interaction between citizens and their elected representatives. She also worked with Angolan nonpartisan election monitoring groups and civil society organizations on voter education programs in the lead up to the country's historic elections after decades of war.

Before joining NDI, Ms. Emerson worked for the U.N. Development Programme, managing the preparation of Angola's Human Development Report focusing on governance and public administration. She also consulted for the World Bank on programs in Brazil, Mozambique, Venezuela and Zambia.

Ms. Emerson earned her master's in international economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and her bachelor's in economics from the University of Massachusetts. She speaks English, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.