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.

For the past eight years, Paul Rowland has been NDI’s resident representative to Indonesia. During his time in Jakarta, he has overseen a broad portfolio of programs in legislative strengthening, political party development, peace-building and citizen participation in the world’s most populous Muslim majority country. His work with the Institute has taken him to 29 countries on four continents.

Sheila Fruman is NDI’s senior resident director in Mauritania. She held similar postings for the Institute in Macedonia and Pakistan. She brings to NDI more than 25 years experience as a social and political activist with extensive expertise in grassroots organizing, government, politics, elections, media and the trade union movement. She has worked internationally supporting democracy development in Algeria, Macedonia, Montenegro and Ukraine. Between her NDI postings, she headed external relations for the U.N. Joint Election Management Body in Afghanistan.

Hernani Snyder serves as NDI's director of office administration, a position she has held since 1995. Before joining the Institute, Ms. Snyder worked for five years at BDO Seidman, LLP, an international accounting firm, as office manager, human resources manager and financial manager. Earlier she was employed by Scharf-Godfrey, Inc. as operations manager and the Charles E. Smith Companies as office manager. Before arriving in the United States, she served for nine years in various capacities with U.S.

Robert Hurd is NDI’s director of program development, supporting the Institute’s efforts to design, develop, and secure new projects and funding opportunities. Before joining NDI in 2004, Mr. Hurd managed program development efforts at the Institute of International Education (IIE), where he was responsible for identifying new project opportunities, proposal design and development, and liaising with potential partners. Prior to IIE, Mr.