Vivienne Heston-Demirel

As Director of Communications, Vivienne Heston-Demirel coordinates strategic outreach and marketing of the Council, promoting its resources and expertise. Through multi-layered communications initiatives including media relations and public information campaigns, she is raising the profile of the Council while expanding its audiences and partnerships. An experienced communications specialist, she has worked in journalism as well as in public relations for educational, non-profit, and international organizations. While working for the United Nations, she played a key role in implementing global communication campaigns, conducting media outreach and producing a wide variety of information materials. She began her career as a reporter working for newspapers, magazines and broadcasters. She has written extensively about the role of women in development and the special needs of women and girls in times of crisis, including humanitarian disasters, armed conflict, and public health emergencies, notably HIV/AIDS. Vivienne graduated with honors from the State University of New York at Stony Brook with a BA in French Language and Literature and has conducted research and completed graduate coursework in international relations at Bosphorus University in Istanbul, Turkey.