Alka Kothari

Alka Kothari is a budding writer and columnist.  Born in the city of Chicago and raised in the western suburbs, Alka is the daughter of Indian parents from the state of Gujarat.

She has spent over a decade embroiled in all things Washington, D.C., reluctantly admitting to being a bit of an inside-the-beltway political wonk.  She worked at the NGO Refugees International before joining the World Bank as an environmental and social specialist.  She also monitors elections for the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe).  Her work has brought her to many countries in sub-Saharan Africa as well as much of the former Soviet Union.

Miss Kothari spent her formative educational years studying philosophy at St. John’s College in Annapolis, MD before attending New College, Oxford and then American University in Washington, D.C. for graduate work in foreign affairs, concentrating on international peace and conflict resolution.

She is a member of the US Green Business Council and is studying to become LEED accredited. (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

Miss Kothari is a lover of music and dance.  She has trained in the south Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam and has studied and teaches piano.