Meet Grace

Grace (she/her) is an Associate for CDA. She specializes in the “how” of shifting power, supporting organizations and partnerships transform in ways that result in transformative outcomes across the development, peacebuilding, and humanitarian sectors. She has 8+ years experience of conducting applied research, managing complex programs, and consortium and donor relationships. She managed the Stopping As Success (SAS+) program from 2018-2025 which accompanied 10 partnerships across 30 contexts going through a transition to local leadership, developed 15+ resources to support responsible transitions, and implemented influencing efforts to shift power sector-wide. Additionally, she has developed institution-wide strategies on localization and US policy engagement and supported programs on civil society engagement, integrated peacebuilding, and adaptive programming.  

Outside of CDA, Grace loves printmaking and spending time with her partner and adorable dog, Fawkes. She received her Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence from Brandeis University’s Heller School of Social Policy and Management in Waltham, MA.

Grace was born in the United States and raised in Mocuba, Mozambique, and Cape Town, South Africa. Currently, she is based in Arlington, Virginia, on the traditional and ancestral land of the Piscataway people and the site of the Torthorwald plantation.