Frieda Arenos is a Program Director at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), where she leads global programs for the Institute’s Democratic Governance team. Specifically, Frieda oversees NDI’s work with the House Democracy Partnership, a bipartisan commission of the U.S. House that engages global parliamentary peers on issues of legislative development. Frieda also developed and oversees the Institute’s programming on executive transitions, which works to facilitate smooth leadership transitions in developing and fragile democracies. Additionally, Frieda serves as one of the Institute’s leading legislative strengthening and global governance advisors to all seven regional teams and NDI’s 55 global offices. Before joining NDI in 2017, Frieda worked for eight years under U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, including as a constituent services advisor and legislative assistant. Frieda received her Master’s degree in Intercultural and International Communications from American University’s School of International Service, and her Bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science from the University of Vermont. Over the course of her career, Frieda has worked and traveled extensively overseas, and supported democracy and governance good practices in Armenia, Cameroon, Georgia, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, The Gambia, Sudan, and the Western Balkans. She is passionate about intercultural bridge-building and strengthening U.S. bipartisan relations and policy solutions and is currently working towards becoming a certified mediator. Originally from upstate New York, Frieda also lived and worked in Vermont for several years, and currently resides near Washington, D.C.