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.

Julian Quibell serves as the Institute’s resident representative in Mexico where he manages a variety of programs to revitalize and broaden the appeal of political parties, increase women’s political participation and representation, and provide assistance to Mexican advocacy groups. He co-edited Best Practices for Effective Political Parties, an NDI training manual that helps political parties assess their current structures and practices for renovation and reform. He has participated in several election observation missions, including a 2005 NDI/Carter Center municipal election monitoring program in the West Bank. He previously served as a program officer with the Washington, D.C.-based Latin America and Caribbean team of the Institute, managing the Political Party Network and NDI projects in Bolivia.

Before joining the Institute in 2002, Mr. Quibell served as content manager at the Political Database of the Americas, and as an intern with the Africa and Near East team at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). Mr. Quibell also worked for nearly three years as an urban youth development volunteer with the Peace Corps in Machala, Ecuador, and as an editor at San Francisco Bay Area-based Ask Jeeves Inc.

He earned a master's degree in Latin American studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. in anthropology from Pomona College during which studied for one semester at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestrain Santiago, Dominican Republic. In addition to his native English, Mr. Quibell speaks fluent Spanish.

• Read an interview with Mr. Quibell, Mexican Civic Groups Bring Public Security Concerns to Politicians»