OUR BOARD
Passionate & Committed
Co- chaired by Prof. Sara de Jong and Marcus Grotian, Local Staff International is guided by a passionate and internationally experienced Board of Directors dedicated to ensuring that local staff are not forgotten, especially in times of conflict. Our Board brings together expertise across humanitarian policy, military operations, legal frameworks, governance, advocacy, and organizational leadership. United by a shared sense of responsibility and accountability, Board members provide strategic oversight, ensure strong governance practices, and steward the long-term vision of the organization.
As LSI continues to evolve and strengthen its global reach, the Board remains focused on building principled partnerships, advancing practical standards, and ensuring that the voices and experiences of local staff inform the policies and protections that affect them. Through disciplined governance and strategic leadership, the Board supports LSI’s mission to safeguard the rights and dignity of local staff worldwide, ensuring comprehensive support and advocacy for their essential roles in global missions
CO CHAIR
Sara de Jong
Sara de Jong, Professor in Politics at the University of York (UK), serves as co-chair of Local Staff International (LSI). She is also a co-founder of Sulha Alliance, the only UK charity specialised in supporting Afghan interpreters employed by the British Army. Her research, which investigates the claims to rights and protection by Iraqi and Afghan interpreters, other local employed civilians and their advocates, was inspired by the observation that from early colonial conquest to Vietnam, Algeria and Afghanistan…
CO CHAIR
Marcus Grotian
Marcus Grotian spent 220 days in Afghanistan, Kunduz, in 2011, and in 2015 he founded the sponsorship network Afghan Local Staff with other supporters. Just as the local staff supported German troops in Afghanistan the network helps Afghans understand the foreign culture and bureaucratic rules in Germany. In 2021, the network supported local staff in Afghanistan in trying to overcome the many bureaucratic hurdles of visa issuance by renting safe-houses and paying for airline tickets where needed…
Jon Feltham
Jon is a 25-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces whose commitment to advocating for local staff rights intensified amidst Afghanistan’s 2021 political upheaval following the U.S. military withdrawal announcement. In conjunction with other Canadian and US veterans, Jon helped navigate the complexities posed by the Taliban’s resurgence and Russia’s aggression and aided in the evacuation and supporting of over 6,457 Afghan and Ukrainian former local staff and their families. Jon is deeply dedicated to upholding the rights of local staff globally and his extensive expertise, empathetic leadership, and unwavering humanitarian commitment enable him to effect meaningful and positive changes in the lives of those he serves.
Julia Aitken
Julia Aitken is a senior strategic leader with over 25 years of experience across program and project management, governance, research and evaluation, stakeholder engagement, strategic communications, and organisational development. She has led and supported complex initiatives across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, with a focus on workforce development, equity and inclusion, community services, public and mental health, and systems-level change. In addition to her program and governance expertise, Julia brings strong capabilities in communications, knowledge mobilisation, and visual storytelling, integrating strategy, evidence, and design to support clarity, credibility, and impact. Her work reflects a long-standing commitment to social justice, collaborative leadership, and strengthening accountability frameworks.