Hannah LaPalombara joins the GHD program after six years of experience in international development. Most recently, she worked as a Program Manager at Checchi and Company Consulting, Inc. in Washington, D.C., where she supported the implementation of USAID-funded rule of law contracts in the company’s Latin America portfolio, including projects in El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Colombia. Prior to her four years at Checchi and Company Consulting, Hannah spent two years in Panajachel, Guatemala, where she managed the volunteer program for Mayan Families, a local nonprofit that operates education, health, and livelihood programs for indigenous communities in the Guatemalan Highlands.

Born and raised outside of Philadelphia, PA, Hannah graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a BA in Linguistics in 2013. Her undergraduate work on language research and revitalization at the Mirima Dawang Woorlab-gerring Language and Culture Centre in Kununurra, Western Australia kickstarted her interest in development and her subsequent career path. Hannah speaks Spanish, and her primary region of interest is Latin America.