Rachel Small joins the German Marshall Fund of the United States as Chief Operations and Finance Officer

Washington, DC (March 9, 2026) – The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is delighted to announce that Rachel Small joins the organization today as the Chief Operations and Finance Officer.

Small brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Throughout her career, she has led teams and major initiatives spanning finance, human resources, information technology, facilities, and data analytics. Most recently, Rachel has held senior roles at United Way Worldwide, where she led community impact teams, built a government partnerships portfolio, and supported disaster response efforts in multiple states. She has notably led teams in complex and high-stakes environments, including supporting crisis management efforts in Hawaiʻi during the 2023 wildfires.

She previously served as the New York state governor’s deputy secretary for public safety, overseeing operations across services, policies, and budgets for nine executive branch agencies, including the state police, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and the Office of Victim Services. Earlier in her career, she was a unit chief at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where she led business intelligence and advanced data analytics programs.

She holds two master’s degrees, in business administration and public policy from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University.  

“We are thrilled to welcome Rachel to GMF,” said GMF President Dr. Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer. “As Chief Operations and Finance Officer, she will play a critical role in aligning our resources, capabilities, and operations with GMF’s long-term strategic ambitions. Her extensive leadership experience across sectors will be key to strengthening our operating model, driving transformation and enabling GMF to scale its impact on transatlantic relations in an increasingly complex and fast‑evolving world.”