Presenters

Meredith Vieira
Co-Anchor, Today

Meredith Vieira became a co-anchor of NBC’s Today on September 13, 2006. She is also a host of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire and served as a co-host of ABC’s The View from 1997 to 2006. Vieira joined ABC’s news division in 1993 as Chief Correspondent of Turning Point, where she worked until 1997. Before going to ABC, Vieira spent more than a decade at CBS News, where she worked on the news magazines 60 Minutes and West 57th and co-anchored the CBS Morning News. Vieira has won eight Emmy Awards.

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William D. Zabel
Founding Partner, Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP; Chair, Board of Directors, Human Rights First

Bill Zabel is one of the country’s leading experts on trusts and estates law. For the last 40 years, Zabel has been a prominent advocate for human rights in this country and abroad. In addition to his leadership of Human Rights First, Zabel is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the boards of amfAR, the International Longevity Center – USA, and the Mailman School of Public Health, among others, and is legal advisor to the Soros network of foundations. He is also a trustee of The New School and New York University.

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Maureen Byrnes
Executive Director, Human Rights First

Maureen Byrnes was appointed Executive Director in January 2006. A seasoned public policy advocate and organization leader, Byrnes has served as the Director of Policy Initiatives and Health and Human Services program at The Pew Charitable Trusts, Executive Director of the National Commission on AIDS, and Staff Director of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education. Byrnes has a reputation for solving tough policy problems by exploring divergent views and building broad consensus for change, and brings this perspective to Human Rights First.

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Nour Al-Khal
Interpreter for murdered freelance journalist Steven Vincent

Nour Al-Khal, who is from Basra, Iraq, worked for the Public International Law and Policy Group and USAID before becoming the interpreter for freelance journalist Steven Vincent. Vincent and Al-Khal were kidnapped in August 2005; Vincent was killed, and Al-Khal was shot and left for dead. After being treated for her wounds, Al-Khal fled Iraq. As a result of the tireless advocacy of Vincent’s widow, Lisa Ramaci, Al-Khal eventually was granted refugee status in the United States. She is one of very few Iraqis who have been admitted to this country.

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Amelia Templeton
Research and Advocacy Associate, Lifeline for Iraqi Refugees, Human Rights First

Before coming to Human Rights First, Amelia Templeton worked for Marketplace radio and as a freelance journalist, contributed stories to NPR and research to 60 Minutes. In 2006, she traveled to Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon to report on the Iraqi refugee crisis. Templeton also conducted a needs assessment of Iraqi refugees for Mercy Corps. While a student at Swarthmore College, she founded War News Radio, a weekly program focusing on firsthand accounts of the Iraq War and broadcast by 50 NPR affiliates nationwide.

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Michael Posner
President, Human Rights First

Michael Posner was Executive Director of Human Rights First from its founding in 1978 until January 2006. He played a key role in establishing the first U.S. law providing for political asylum and in helping pass the Torture Victim Protection Act. As a member of the White House Apparel Industry Partnership Task Force, he helped found the Fair Labor Association (FLA). In 1998, Posner was a leader in the formation of the International Criminal Court. Posner regularly participates in human rights missions, testifies before Congress, and serves as a commentator in the media on human rights issues.

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Sam Waterston
Actor

Sam Waterston has starred in film, television, and stage, earning critical acclaim throughout his career. Waterston has three Emmy nominations for his work in the Wolf Films/NBC Universal Television hit Law & Order as Jack McCoy. Waterston received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for The Killing Fields, as well as Golden Globe nominations for his portrayal of Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby. He earned a Tony Award nomination as Abe Lincoln in Abe Lincoln in Illinois. Waterston, who has four children, lives in Connecticut with his wife.

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Sigourney Weaver
Actor; Board Member,
Human Rights First

Sigourney Weaver soared to fame as Ripley in Ridley Scott’s Alien. One of the most versatile actors of her generation, Weaver’s characters include Dian Fossey in Gorillas in the Mist, Sandy Travis in Imaginary Heroes, and Babe Paley in Infamous. Weaver will next be seen in Vantage Point and in David Auburn’s Girl in the Park. She recently wrapped filming opposite Tina Fey in Baby Mama and will star in James Cameron’s Avatar. Weaver has been on the Human Rights First Board of Directors since 1986. She also works with amfAR, Central Park Conservancy, and the Flea Theater.

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Rear Admiral John D. Hutson, JAGC, USN (Ret.)
President and Dean of the Franklin Pierce Law Center; Board Member, Human Rights First

Admiral Hutson served in the U.S. Navy from 1973 to 2000. He was the Navy’s Judge Advocate General from 1997 to 2000. Admiral Hutson now serves as President and Dean of the Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, New Hampshire. He joined Human Rights First’s Board of Directors in 2005.

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General Joseph Hoar, USMC (Ret.)
Former Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Central Command

General Hoar served as Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Central Command. After the first Gulf War, General Hoar led the effort to enforce the naval embargo in the Persian Gulf and the no-fly zone in southern Iraq. He oversaw peacekeeping operations in Kenya, Somalia, and Rwanda and the evacuation of U.S. civilians from Yemen during the 1994 civil war. He was the Deputy for Operations for the Marine Corps during the Gulf War and served as General Norman Schwarzkopf’s Chief of Staff at Central Command.

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Dobbs 16
The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, New York

The Dobbs 16, a coed a cappella choir from The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, New York, is honored to be part of this year’s Human Rights Award Dinner. In 2006, Dobbs 16 placed in the top five at the Regional Competition of the National Championship of High School A Cappella. The group is looking forward to their upcoming Spring 2008 Tour when they will travel to China to sing as part of The Masters School Exchange Program.