Emily joined the David and Lucile Packard Foundation in January 2016 and became General Counsel and Secretary in February 2023. For the past 20 years, she has practiced law primarily in the nonprofit and international development sectors. At the Packard Foundation, Emily has contributed to the development of the strategic framework, introduced improvements to grantmaking practices, addressed a broad range of operational issues, led risk mitigation efforts, and navigated the changing legal landscape around the Foundation’s grantmaking issues and geographies.
Emily was previously at Room to Read where she established and led the legal department. Her work included advising global leadership and managing legal issues for the organization’s 25 entities located in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Prior to joining Room to Read, Emily was based in Bangkok, Thailand where she served as assistant general counsel for Habitat for Humanity International and advised on the organization’s legal matters in 30 countries throughout Asia-Pacific. During her time in Thailand, Emily was the country representative for the Clinton Foundation’s Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and worked to increase treatment options for those living with HIV/AIDS. Prior to joining CHAI, she worked for the regional law firm, LS Horizon, and focused on project finance throughout Asia. Emily started her legal career working on anti- trafficking efforts in northern Thailand.
Outside of work, Emily serves on the board of EverFree, an international anti-trafficking organization supporting women to achieve economic security, on the steering committee for Invest for Better, a national nonprofit providing women with values-aligned investment education, and on the board for Pie Ranch, a Bay Area nonprofit cultivating a healthy and just food system. Emily is also a member of Liberated Together, a faith-based organization for WOC justice seekers.
Emily holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and graduated cum laude in sociology with a focus on Asian American studies from Bryn Mawr College.