ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) today announces the election of two new members to its board of directors. In addition to new members, these current members were elected to board officer roles: Julia Classen as board chair, Gloria Contreras Edin as vice chair, Connie Magnuson as treasurer and Kate Barr as secretary.

It is with great pleasure that CVT welcomes these new members:

Jane Di Leo is vice president of global brand, marketing & impact communications at Medtronic, Inc., where she specializes in corporate marketing, branding and communications. Before joining Medtronic in 2022, she served as vice president and chief of staff in the corporate affairs & communications department at American Express. Ms. Di Leo also has a background as a writer, reporter and editor and holds Bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish, as well as a Master’s degree in journalism.

Monika Parikh has extensive nonprofit experience with a focus on trauma-informed human rights and social justice interventions, including on-the-ground human rights program development in South Asia, West Africa and Latin America, and psychosocial programs for refugees and immigrants in the U.S. She founded the Saphira Fund, which supports and expands philanthropic funding towards peacebuilding movements both internationally and in the U.S. She also founded Partnerships for Trauma Recovery, a San Francisco Bay Area-based organization dedicated to healing trauma among international survivors of human rights abuses. She also designed and led global partnership development as director of Partnerships for Free the Slaves.

“These notable individuals bring extraordinary backgrounds to CVT in fields ranging from journalism to human rights advocacy, public relations to executive leadership. Their guidance and significant skills will help steer CVT as we continue our strategic expansion,” said Dr. Simon Adams, CVT president and CEO. “I look forward to working with them to enhance our support of survivors and human rights defenders around the world.”

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The Center for Victims of Torture is a nonprofit organization with offices in Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Uganda, United States and additional project sites around the world. Visit www.cvt.org