Our dedicated staff makes up our Global Office of Operations, ensuring that the organization remains agile in the US and in Ukraine.
Chief Executive Officer
Ambassador Erin E. McKee is a highly respected global strategist and policy expert recognized for her leadership in advancing U.S. national security, governance, and economic diplomacy. She has played a pivotal role in shaping and implementing international policies, forging strategic partnerships, and driving high-stakes initiatives in some of the world’s most complex geopolitical landscapes. With a career spanning both the public and private sectors, she is known for her ability to maximize resources, mitigate risks, and deliver lasting impact on a global scale.
Chief Operations Officer
Vlad Dergunov has over 15 years of experience in investments and strategic partnerships, venture capital, and M&A. Specializing in FinTech, AI, IoT, and robotic technology, Vlad is an active advisor and investor in startups. As Managing Partner of SVD Inc., Vlad advises on strategic management, business development, and investor relations, facilitating partnerships and transactions globally, including in the US, Europe, and Asia. Vlad leads strategic projects for Nova Ukraine, managing partnerships and operations, including for 100 Warming Centers across Ukraine - aiding over 2 million people, and 50 Children Centers - educating over 1,000 Ukrainian children daily. Vlad has an MBA from the International Institute of Business Kyiv, Ukraine, and Venture Capital and Finance Executive Certificate from the University of California, Berkeley.
Chief Development Officer
Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Jeff has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 40 years, primarily as a fundraiser. He loves improving the quality of life for those in need by ensuring funds are available for impactful change. Jeff has supported causes like affordable housing, global healthcare, education reform, immigration, homelessness, food insecurity, clean water, and internet access. He has worked with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the Internet Society, Jewish Federations of North America, and Mercy Ships.
Chief Communications Officer
Ari Goldberg has more than two decades of communications experience inside the Beltway, both on and off the Hill. He has developed and managed national media strategies on issues ranging from election security and paid family leave to extreme poverty and global press freedom. Ari began his career as a news producer and online reporter for BBC News in Jerusalem. He came to Capitol Hill as an American Political Science Association Journalism Fellow and served as United States Rep. Jerrold Nadler’s (NY-10) press secretary. He also led communications efforts for The ONE Campaign, CARE USA, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), and the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT). Most recently, Ari was Communications Director at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), where he oversaw all external communications for a U.S.-funded global media organization providing free and independent news in 27 languages to 23 countries where press freedoms are under threat. Ari has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.Phil in Hebrew literature from Cambridge University. He has five children, one dog, and coaches tennis in whatever spare time he can secure.
Chief Financial Officer
Hlib is a passionate finance professional and a former deputy commander of a mortar battery (an infantry unit), with more than a year of active duty on the battlefield. He is also a father of three. Hlib is an experienced finance professional skilled in external audit, project management, valuation, financial modeling, planning, and budgeting, with notable experience in mergers and acquisitions and working capital management. With over a decade of project management experience, he specializes in auditing and financial statement preparation. He is also a proficient lecturer, delivering comprehensive training both internally and externally, and excels as a coach and mentor, actively contributing to mentorship programs for junior staff. His leadership extends to enhancing workplace culture and boosting client and employee satisfaction across all his roles.
VP of Medical Projects
Oksana Gologorskaya is the Vice President of Medical Projects at Nova Ukraine, where she leads efforts to provide essential medical support across the country. She brings over 15 years of experience in technical product management and user experience design, with a strong focus on biomedical informatics and research computing. Currently, at the University of California, San Francisco, she focuses on building an ecosystem of data, tools, and a community of practice that supports data-driven and AI-enabled medical research.
Vice President of the Build Pillar
Olena Drozd joined Nova Ukraine in 2022 and currently serves as Vice President of the Build Pillar. She leads projects focused on restoring and protecting critical infrastructure and essential services across Ukraine, with an emphasis on practical, high-impact solutions for communities affected by war. Her work combines immediate response to wartime damage with a longer-term vision of building stronger, more resilient infrastructure for Ukraine’s future. Olena holds a PhD in Mathematics and brings a strong analytical and systems-based approach to project design, prioritization, and implementation.
