Katie LaRoque

Katie LaRoque is the Director for Policy and Advocacy at Freedom House, where she oversees global advocacy efforts in priority countries and on key thematic areas related to combating transnational repression, seeking the release of political prisoners, support for human rights defenders and fundamental freedoms. She also serves as the Mark Palmer Distinguished Fellow.

Katie has worked in the democracy and human rights sector for more than a decade in roles ranging from program management and business development to advocacy. Prior to Freedom House, Katie worked at InterAction, where she devised and led USG-focused advocacy efforts across a coalition of leading democracy and human rights implementers. Katie also worked at the International Republican Institute (IRI) for several years, where she managed multiple multi-million dollar programs in the Eurasia region on topics ranging from local governance and anti-corruption to youth political and civic engagement. She also served as the Institute’s Business Development Manager, where she oversaw the development and submission of all USG proposals. Katie has also served as an accredited international election observer more than a dozen times across the Europe and Eurasia region, and also worked for the OSCE/ODIHR mission to observe the U.S. general elections in 2020.

Katie served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2010-2012. She has a master’s from Georgetown University and is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College.