Nicole C. Lee, President

Nicole Lee is the President of TransAfrica Forum. She was appointed to the position in December 2006 by the Board of Directors, led by Chairman Danny Glover.  Ms Lee has worked as a human rights attorney in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean where she has gained a keen understanding of global human and economic rights conditions.  Ms. Lee’s passion for human rights and activism has propelled her to the top of one of the leading human rights advocacy organizations in the world.  Ms. Lee lived in Haiti where she worked for a human rights organization that investigated and prosecuted the human rights violations by the military during the 1994 coup. Returning to the U.S. in 2004, Ms. Lee settled in Washington, D.C. and joined TransAfrica as the Director of Operations.

Ms. Lee is the first female President of TransAfrica Forum, an organization which promotes justice and progress for the international African community. As the President, Ms. Lee leads the formation of the organizations policies. Ms Lee has testified before Congress on the issues of aid and food security for the continent of African. In addition, she regularly briefs policy makers on key issues facing the Africa world.  In addition, major media is calling on Ms. Lee as an expert on Haiti and the African Diaspora. She has appeared on ABC’s 20/20, CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, National Public Radio, BBC television and radio, Democracy Now and numerous radio stations around the globe. She has been quoted in the Washington Post and USA Today. Her opinion editorials have been published in The Nation, Tom Paine, theroot.com, and she is a weekly op-ed contributor to the National Newspapers Publishers’ Association wire service which serves more than 200 newspapers weekly.

Nicole Lee often travels abroad. Her work has taken her to South Africa, Haiti, Venezuela, and Colombia. She spends her time interacting with people on the ground, and then conveys their concerns about human and political rights issues to policy makers, and other agencies whose work impacts the global African population.

Ms. Lee earned a law degree from the University of Buffalo, and served as an International Law Fellow.

TransAfrica Forum is the leading advocacy organization for Africa and the African Diaspora in U.S. foreign policy. TransAfrica Forum led the world protest against apartheid in South Africa and democracy in Haiti and Nigeria.  Today, TransAfrica Forum works for human and economic justice for African people on the continent of Africa, in Latin America and in the Caribbean.

Imani Countess, Senior Director of Public Affairs

Imani Countess serves as TransAfrica Forum’s Senior Director of Public Affairs. At TransAfrica Ms. Countess conceptualizes and implements public outreach activities to educate and motivate diverse communities around U.S. foreign policy. She also serves as a senior advisor to the Executive Director and helps shape TransAfrica Forum’s policy positions. Imani Countess served for five years as the US national coordinator of the American Friends Service Committee Africa Program. Traveling throughout the continent of Africa and its global Diaspora, Ms. Countess created cutting-edge political and activist training events to increase public participation in policy making.

Mwiza Munthali, Public Outreach Director

For more than two decades, Mwiza has worked to further TransAfrica Forum’s outreach in the broader community. Currently as TransAfrica's Public Outreach Director, Mwiza directs the growth of the library, develops educational programs and events for the organization, identifies research material, oversees publications, and directs volunteers and interns. He maintains communication links with information specialists of various multilateral agencies, U.S. government offices, and African and Caribbean embassies and organizations. Mwiza represents TransAfrica Forum in public forums, meets with international visitors, and speaks to student groups. Mwiza holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography with a concentration in international development studies from the University of Iowa.

Joia Jefferson Nuri, Chief of Staff

Joia is the Communications Consultant for TransAfrica Forum. She crafts outreach strategies that take the organization's message to communities around the world and to mainstream and alternative media sources. She assists in the writing of op-ed pieces and policy talking points. Joia has an expanded vision of communications. She believes a good communication strategy includes event planning, speech writing, networking, and interfacing with other organizations to advance a common agenda. Prior to joining TransAfrica Forum, Joia worked in Washington media for close to 30 years. She served as Senior News Producer at C-SPAN, America’s Black Forum, BET, and NPR. As an independent producer, Joia created the “grateful student/illustrious alumni” profiles seen in the United Negro College Fund’s annual fundraising telethon. She also produced live specials for the Pacifica Radio Network. For more than a decade, Joia was a network television technician for both NBC and CBS NEWS. Joia ended her technical career in 1985 as the Technical Director of CBS’ FACE THE NATION. In 1991 and 1992, Joia lived and worked in West Africa, reporting on the presidential elections in Ivory Coast and Nigeria. Today Joia is researching and writing a book on religion in America.

Nora Rasman, Program Associate

As the Program Assistant at TransAfrica Forum, Nora’s work includes policy research and administrative assistance. Before coming to TransAfrica Forum, Nora spent time working at Boston University’s Howard Thurman Center and working with youth in Boston Public Schools. She is also a member of Groundwork Anti-Racism Collective, an Unitarian youth and young adult anti-racism organizing initiative. Nora, who speaks conversational Spanish, is a recent graduate from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science degree in U.S. History.