Andrew Beiter

Executive Director

​Andrew (Drew) Beiter (he/him) is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Academy. An 8th grade Social Studies teacher at Springville Middle School, Drew also co-founded the Educators' Institute for Human Rights, a Washington, D.C. organization designed to provide Holocaust-based human rights training to teachers around the world. In addition to co-establishing the www.iamsyria.org and www.teachingaboutnorthkorea.org websites, Drew has been a Regional Education Coordinator for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, a Teacher Fellow for the Lowell Milken Center, and a consultant for the Robert F. Kennedy Center's Speak Truth to Power program. In the past fifteen years, he has spoken in front of thousands of educators both nationally and globally on the power of education to heal the world. In September 2021, he was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas.

Lea Baker-ewert

operations manager
Lea Baker-Ewert (she/her) joined AHR's Board of Directors in 2023 and became Operations Manager in 2024. With a degree in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh and a background in advocacy, reproductive justice, and the arts, Lea is committed to human dignity. Her experience as a full-spectrum doula deepened her understanding of presence, connection, and solidarity -- values she applies to anti-genocide efforts. As a theatremaker, Lea believes art, especially as it facilitates survivor testimony, is vital for resisting denial and inspiring action by emphasizing and reminding us of our intrinsic connections to one another. Her interdisciplinary path reflects a commitment to the need to recognize our interconnectedness in preventing atrocities and the imperative of confronting the moral demands of the present. In her personal life, Lea is a mother, wife, and avid reader who enjoys beginning embroidery projects.

tara dEvay

Program manager
Tara DeVay (she/her) is the Program Manager of the Academy for Human Rights and the Assistant Principal at Albion High School. With over two decades of experience as a social studies educator, Tara has dedicated her career to advancing human rights education and empowering students to become compassionate, informed upstanders in the face of injustice. Throughout her 22 years in the classroom, Tara created and taught a genocide studies elective that challenged students to engage with history and contemporary human rights issues critically. She also founded the Do Gooders, a student-led humanitarian club that has addressed local, national, and international causes through advocacy and action. Tara holds a BAS in Social Studies Education from SUNY Buffalo State College, a MAS in Education, and a CAS in Educational Administration from SUNY Brockport. She is a proud Teacher Fellow with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and traveled to Armenia as part of the Genocide Education Project’s teacher fellowship, deepening her understanding of genocide and its lasting impact. As a founding member of the Holocaust Educator Network (H.E.N.), Tara works to bring high-quality professional development to educators in the Genesee region, helping to strengthen Holocaust education across schools and communities. Tara enjoys traveling, running, and spending quality time with her family when she's not leading initiatives in education and human rights.

Katelyn Kerker

Summer Symposium and Communications Director
Katelyn (Katie) Kerker (she/her) is the Summer Symposium and Communications Director of the Academy for Human Rights. She became involved in AHR as a student participant in the organization's 2008 founding year. She earned her M.A. in International Development with a focus in Conflict Resolution and post-conflict peacebuilding from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and a B.A. in Global and International Studies from SUNY Oswego. As part of her undergraduate work, she spent two weeks in Kolkata, India studying human trafficking and sex work, and during graduate school spent two months in Bosnia-Herzegovina studying its culture, history of mass atrocities, and peacebuilding while participating in an internship at a local sustainable tourism company. As an AmeriCorps VISTA alumni (2018-2019), Katie understands the importance of national and community service. When she's not working you can find Katie exploring the shelves of her local library to find her next great read or hiking with her dog, Clutch.

ANAI ROSALES

Social Media Manager
Anai Rosales (she/her) is the Social Media Manager for the Academy for Human Rights. Driven by a deep commitment to justice, education, and the transformative power of storytelling, Anai earned her B.A. in Latin American and Latino Studies with a concentration in Education, Democracy, and Justice from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

A proud first-generation Mexican American from the Bay Area, Anai believes in the power of communication to spark dialogue, shift narratives, and help build more equitable and sustainable futures. Her work is rooted in empathy and a desire to serve her community, values she also brings to her role as a respite caregiver, where she supports children and families with disabilities through compassionate, individualized care.

Outside of her professional life, Anai is a ceramic artist and avid runner. Whether crafting digital content, caring for others, or shaping clay, she leads with creativity, intention, and a deep commitment to making meaningful change.

legacy staff

lori raybold

mike baronich

betty haynes

alicia huff

alexandra lane

stephanie o'donnell

dr. timothy redmond