About Us

Cara joined the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign in February 2017. As senior director, Cara provides key strategic, operational, programmatic leadership to the campaign in collaboration with the executive director. Cara has worked in the humanitarian field for over 30 years — assisting clients at a rural Vermont poverty law clinic, working with refugees and internally-displaced people in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and serving as a fundraiser and advocate with numerous international, non-profit organizations including several facets of the global Red Cross network and The Global Fund for Children. A native New Yorker and longtime resident of Washington, DC, Cara received her law degree from Vermont Law School. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, photography, and hiking with her dog.

Brian joined the United Nations Foundation in 2015 and serves as Director of Global Health Advocacy, where he oversees government relations strategy for the Shot@Life campaign. He also leads UNF’s U.S. government advocacy strategy related to the Global Health Security Agenda. Prior to joining the Foundation, Brian served for five years in the health policy office of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), chaired by Senator Tom Harkin. His portfolio included global health, infectious disease, vaccine development, and biosecurity. Brian received his bachelor’s degree from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, with a year studying abroad at the London School of Economics. He earned his master’s degree in Global Health Security jointly through the American University School of International Service and the George Washington School of Public Health. His research focused on the implementation and evaluation of the International Health Regulations.

Rebecca Maxie is the Director of Grassroots Advocacy for the United Nations Foundation, serving as a strategic advisor for a variety of advocacy campaigns working towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Prior to joining the UN Foundation, Rebecca spent over a decade working on or managing political campaigns and causes through leadership roles in national political consulting firms. Rebecca earned her B.A. in Political Science from the University of the Pacific in California, her M.P.S. in Political Management from George Washington University, and is also alumna of the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University. Rebecca moved to Washington, D.C. in December of 2014 from Las Vegas, Nevada, where she was heavily involved in her community. She was elected as the youngest President in the history of the Women’s Democratic Club of Clark County, Nevada’s oldest political club. Rebecca also has a passion for travel, and has lived abroad in Odessa, Ukraine and Florence, Italy.

Brent Nagel is the Communications Officer for the Shot@Life campaign. Previously, he served as communications officer at the Social Progress Imperative, a global development nonprofit that publishes the Social Progress Index, a leading measure of wellbeing. Brent holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, where he studied philosophy and Spanish literature, and a master’s in politics and international studies from the University of Cambridge.

Roberta Plantak is the Corporate Partnerships Officer for Shot@Life. In this role, she oversees Shot@Life’s current partners and helps acquire new ones. She has over a decade of experience in NGOs focused on women’s/youth empowerment and public health in developing countries and fragile settings. Prior to joining the United Nations Foundation, she focused on cultivating corporate and government partnerships, strengthening major donor relationships, grant writing, mobilizing both grassroots and high-profile support for international nonprofits, and developing and managing nutrition and agriculture programs in the Philippines. She is also the co-founder and board member at Project Propel, an organization focused on health, food security, and malnutrition risk reduction operating in the Philippines. When she is not at work, you can find her fostering dogs, gardening, singing karaoke, exploring new countries (and food!), marching for human rights, or hiking in nature.

Lindsay Cobb is a longtime Shot@Life champion, former grassroots intern and fellow, and now Campaign Associate. Lindsay supports the day-to-day functions of our grassroots team and our network of advocates. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in global health, and before returning to Shot@Life, she spent a year working as a Tuberculosis Program Coordinator on the Infectious Disease Detection and Surveillance project. As a new resident of the DC area, Lindsay enjoys exploring all it has to offer—including hikes, museums, and bookstores.

Holly Pappano is the Communications Associate for the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign. Prior to this position, she was an intern for United to Beat Malaria, Shot@Life’s sister campaign. Holly previously interned with Kinesso of Interpublic Group, spent time in South Korea as a fellow and ESL teacher, worked as an ambassador for the Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders, and more. She graduated from Miami University in May of 2023 as a triple-major in East Asian Languages and Cultures, Applied Linguistics, and Psychology, and has also studied at Xiamen University, the University of Glasgow, and the University of Seoul.

Maya Moucharrafie is the Operations Associate for the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life Campaign. She earned her B.A. in Global Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with minors in Arabic Studies and Legal Studies, along with an International Development Studies Certificate, in May 2023. During her university years, Maya dedicated herself to various nonprofit organizations. Notably, she played a pivotal role in UNICEF USA, where she served as a Community Engagement and Diaspora & Multicultural Partnerships Intern and a National Youth Representative, Midwest. Her involvement with UNICEF truly ignited her passion for human rights, children’s welfare, and refugee advocacy work. Maya finds joy in traveling, learning about the diverse cultures and wonders of our world, indulging in new cuisine, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Elizabeth Thrush is the Polio Advocacy Officer on the Global Health team, providing advocacy support for UN Foundation’s polio and broader immunization portfolios. Prior to joining UN Foundation, Elizabeth worked on the immunization team at the Pan American Health Organization, Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), providing support for the countries of the Americas on immunization and surveillance activities for polio and other vaccine preventable diseases. Elizabeth holds a Master of Public Health degree focused on global health and behavior change communication.

Bridget Dotson is the New Member Outreach Associate for the United Nations Foundation. In her role, she leads advocacy efforts and engagement with freshman Members of Congress and their staff across the foundation’s signature global health campaigns, United to Beat Malaria and Shot at Life, as well as the United Nation’s Association (UNA-USA) program, in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Prior to joining the UN Foundation, she served as a public policy professional for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. Also, a former titleholder of the Miss America Organization and two-time contestant at Miss Indiana, she served as an advocate for women’s personal and professional leadership development, goodwill ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network, and holds communications and PR experience in front of and behind the camera. Bridget earned a dual bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management and Policy, and Spanish, from Indiana University, including abroad studies at the University of Salamanca, Spain, and Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra, Dominican Republic.