Jodi Hope Michaels joined Global Ties Kalamazoo as its Executive Director in 2016 following nearly two decades in international community development work, with a focus on human rights and social justice. She previously worked as a director of communications for a global network of local community organizations, as a community organizer for a theatre redevelopment project, and also spent several years working at a large foundation in Jerusalem, among other roles. Hailing from Canada, Jodi has a degree in Human Biology, with a focus on health in the global south, from Stanford University. She has visited some 20 countries, both through her work and general interest in cultural immersion and exchange.