Aaron Sherinian
Vice President of Communications and Public Relations, United Nations Foundation
Aaron Sherinian serves as the Vice President of Communications and Public Relations. He leads the Foundation’s public relations efforts, media relationships, strategic outreach, and online presence.
Before joining the UN Foundation, Aaron Sherinian served as Managing Director of Public Affairs for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. government development assistance agency administering poverty reduction grants totaling over $7 billion in 40 partner countries. In this capacity, he oversaw the agency’s strategic communications portfolio, media relationships, and public relations agenda.
His professional background includes a decade of service as a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. Department of State. Before returning to Washington, he was Press Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Quito, Ecuador, where he was responsible for Embassy relations with media outlets and acted as the Ambassador’s communications advisor.
His diplomatic experience includes a tour as Deputy Political and Economic Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, Armenia, where he managed programmatic coordination and outreach for the U.S. government’s annual assistance budget of $90 million.
He served in the Political and Consular Sections of the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica and in the Office of Policy Planning under two Assistant Secretaries of State for the Western Hemisphere. His experience also includes service at U.S. Missions in Colombia and the Holy See (Vatican).
Before joining the Department of State, Mr. Sherinian worked at the Washington International Trade Association (WITA). He also held positions as a marketing consultant for the Italian distributors for Apple Computer and as a freelance interpreter and writer in Italy. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC).
Mr. Sherinian is a native of Pasadena, California. He holds degrees from the Johns Hopkins University (School of Advanced International Studies – SAIS) and Brigham Young University. In addition to Spanish, he speaks Italian, Armenian, and French. He and his wife have three children.
Fun fact about Aaron Sherinian: Aaron and his wife are known among friends for hosting a weekly “dance party” for their kids and friends in their very own living room…some tunes, some laughs, and a chance to boogie around the Armenian rugs they’ve collected through the years.
Blog Posts by Aaron Sherinian
What will people power change next?
Follow our live Twitter coverage of a special session on technology, social media, and mass-participation on Thursday, January 24 at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
January 18, 2013
13 Blogs to Read for #SocialGood in 2013
The new year is around the corner and while we don’t know everything in store for 2013, one thing is for certain: Technology and social media will continue to play a major role in how people around the world innovate and connect for good around global issues.
December 13, 2012
Overheard and Understood at Social Good Summit Day 2
Sometimes you don’t have to eavesdrop to hear what’s going on in conversations around you. In fact, sometimes you are invited in. This took place both online and offline today during Social Good Summit Day 2, and I am grateful I got the chance to hear, and engage, in some great exchanges.
September 24, 2012
Big Opportunities for Big Ideas
Yesterday’s kick-off of the Social Good Summit was a buffet of great ideas and inspiration. The people on the stage were incredible, but what happened inside and outside the room made it remarkable. A friend of mine remarked, “This place is like a power-list of people who believe in progress.” Agreed.
September 23, 2012
A Conversation at A Global Scale
The Social Good Summit starts tomorrow, and the buzz is building. From child and maternal health to disaster relief to cybersecurity, we’ll be discussing some of the biggest issues facing the planet and how technology and social media can be part of the solution.
September 21, 2012
New ABCs for Global Engagement and Social Good
Afghanistan, Bhutan and Colombia. And that's just the start of the list...
It's not every day that you can put something on your calendar that says you have a meeting with someone in Afghanistan, Bhutan and Colombia. But that is what's happening this year as part of the Social Good Summit.
August 21, 2012
Rio+20 by the Numbers: Sparking Action
Last week, Rio+20 focused the world’s attention on sustainable development. Issues ranging from expanding access to energy to protecting the oceans to improving health care led the global conversation. While much of the attention surrounding the conference has focused on the outcome document – which is important and should be examined – we can’t measure Rio+20’s success based solely on text.
June 29, 2012
Internet Freedom Fellows Find an Ally in UNESCO
Two years ago, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said, “We need to work toward a world in which access to networks and information brings people closer together and expands the definition of the global community.” This week, I saw her call to action happening live, as a group of six Internet Freedom Fellows, brought together by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Mission in Geneva, sat down to break bread with UNESCO and the United Nations Foundation here in our Washington D.C. offices
June 28, 2012
How Social Media Gives us all a Seat at the Summit
Right now, world leaders are gathering in Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, to define pathways to a more sustainable future for our world. Known as Rio+20 because it marks 20 years since the first Earth Summit held in Rio, the conference will bring together governments, businesses and groups from around the world to shape how we can reduce poverty, advance social equity, and ensure environmental protection to get to the future we want.
June 18, 2012
Mashable Is Heading to Brazil for Rio+Social
This past week at Mashable Connect, the UN Foundation’s Robb Skinner, 92Y’s Henry Timms and Mashable’s Stacy Green announced the exciting partnership that is bringing the world Rio+Social. This is a first-of-its-kind meeting that will bring social media leaders, UN leaders, pioneers in innovation and global thinkers into the same space to talk about sustainability, the future of world, and how we all can make a difference.
May 7, 2012
Conversations about India, Philanthropy, and the United Nations
As part of the itinerary in India this week, United Nations Foundation Board members participated in a televised conversation with one of the country’s leading journalists, NDTV’s Barkha Dutt. She interviewed UN Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner, Foundation President Senator Timothy E. Wirth, and Co-chairman of Infosys Technologies Kris Gopakakrishnan on issues ranging from the evolution of philanthropy, the role of the United Nations, and how partnerships and innovation are powering a more sustainable future for India.
April 6, 2012
Learning from India: Growth, Innovation, Sustainability
When global leaders come together to talk about how to help the United Nations solve the world's most pressing problems, it can create a considerable amount of excitement. That is exactly what is happening here on the Infosys campus in Bangalore, India, where the UN Foundation Board is meeting.
March 26, 2012
The Promise of #SocialGood…and why it lives in Rio this year
The promise of social media is that people and communities around the planet can unite, express and engage in ways never possible before. Why not take this promise to some of the most important gatherings happening in our world today? This year, a meeting of historic proportions will take place in Rio de Janeiro. The Rio+20 Summit will bring together world leaders as the UN tackles some of the biggest issues of our time.
March 14, 2012
