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Maria served as undersecretary for civilian security, democracy, and human rights at the US Department of State under Hillary Clinton. Previously, she was President and CEO of ACCION International, and worked for UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as a member of the UN Advisors Group on Inclusive Financial Sectors.

She has served on the boards of the US Institute of Peace, Calvert Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, and the Inter-American Foundation, and served as board chair of Bread for the World.

Maria was born in La Paz, Bolivia, and moved to the US when she was 12. She holds a master’s degree in Literature from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in international relations from Johns Hopkins University. She is married to Joseph Eldridge, who is the chaplain of American University and an expert on international human rights. They have three children and one grandchild.