Our Communications Team

A public affairs professional with more than two decades of experience in designing political and nonprofit strategic communications campaigns, Brenda Bowser Soder is KIND’s Chief Communications Officer. Prior to joining KIND, Ms. Bowser Soder was the Director of Communications and Public Affairs at the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. In that role, she directed the EAC’s communications team and led the organization’s media relations, digital media, event planning, video production and design activities. Previously, Ms. Bowser Soder was Vice President of Communications at Human Rights First, where she directed the nonprofit’s robust communications department in work to establish the United States as a global leader in the protection of human rights. Among her campaigns were efforts to end torture, protect refugees, support human rights defenders, fight discrimination and end human trafficking. Earlier in her career, Bowser Soder was Director of Communications at Alliance for Justice, where she led the nonprofit’s communications work, including a successful national and state-level campaign to ensure justice for those harmed by dangerous pharmaceutical drugs. She served as a producer for the organization’s 2008 short documentary film on that topic, “Access Denied: The Fight for Corporate Accountability.” Before that role, Ms. Bowser Soder was Communications Director for the Washington, DC-based Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), where she authored a media training handbook and frequently delivered death penalty-related communications training to elected officials, law professors, attorneys, advocates, victims’ family members, and death row exonerees from across the nation. Ms. Bowser Soder formerly served as Senator Olympia J. Snowe’s (R-Maine) Deputy Press Secretary, held a public relations fellowship at The Widmeyer Baker Group (Now Widmeyer Communications) in Washington, DC, and spent time as a newspaper reporter in central Pennsylvania. She holds a B.A. from Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Alex has been with KIND working on immigrant and refugee issues since 2010 and began working in non-profit communications and advocacy in 2012. Alex is currently KIND’s Senior Director, Digital Media and Branding where she specializes in digital communications and social media outreach. Alex holds a master’s degree in Political Communications from American University and a bachelor’s degree in American History from Union College.

Megan has been writing about and advocating on humanitarian issues for nearly two decades. In addition to managing and implementing KIND’s communications, she led KIND’s advocacy in Congress and among federal agencies for more than five years, including in the appropriations process. She is a co-author of a memoir about the life of a refugee from Darfur who risked his life to translate for journalists and nongovernmental organizations. The Translator was published in 2008 by Random House in eight languages. Previously, Megan was a senior coordinator for media and communications at the Women’s Refugee Commission, where she led and managed a variety of communications activities, and conducted advocacy at the United Nations, the U.S. Congress, and federal agencies. Megan has also worked with Doctors Without Borders, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and the Robin Hood Foundation. She started her career with CNN International in London. Megan has a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and a BA from the University of Michigan. Megan likes to run marathons.

Alejandra has been with KIND working as a consultant on communications and KIND’s “Voices That Matter Most” project since 2015. In 2018, she was brought on as KIND’s Communications Project Coordinator where she manages KIND’s story gathering and sharing, organizes storytelling workshops, works directly with participants to help them tell their story and share it in a variety of mediums to reach the widest audience, and identifies mentors and community partners, among other communications duties. Alejandra holds a master’s degree in Public Relations from the University of the Arts London and a bachelor’s degree in Global Communications from The American University of Paris.

Ivie Igbeare combined her passion for writing and all things digital when she started working at an ad agency in 2014. She moved on to working as a social media coordinator for a published author to bring awareness to Black women and pregnancy. Ivie began working in nonprofit communications back in 2018. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Political Science at Syracuse University.

Rachel Odhner is the Content Manager for the Communications Department at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), where she creates and edits a variety of written materials to engage key stakeholders and audiences and help further KIND’s mission to protect unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children in their journey to seek safety. She joined KIND in September 2022. Prior to joining KIND, Rachel was working on her doctorate in anthropology and conducting research on transborder water conflicts in rural communities along the Nicaragua/Costa Rica border. Before graduate school, she lived and worked in northern Nicaragua as a Peace Corps Volunteer. She has over ten years of experience living and working in rural Latin America. She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Cornell University and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Rochester.

Veronica Linares joined KIND in August 2022 as our Graphic Design Manager. Veronica has a decade of experience in visual communications. Her focus is design for social change. Prior to joining KIND, she led visual storytelling for WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, where she oversaw brand integrity across international offices, and designed websites and marketing materials. Veronica has a master’s degree in Global Communications from The American University of Paris and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Florida.

Kyle serves as a Communications Coordinator for the KIND team. Prior to working with KIND, Kyle graduated from Syracuse University with a BA in Political Science and served as an intern for several elected officials during his time away from school.