Jelena Babic Barnes has over 12 years of experience as a program management practitioner, grant writer, fundraiser, European affairs consultant, and lecturer in the not-for-profit, private and public sectors. Most of her experience was gained in Europe, working in the region of the Western Balkans with different organizations and institutions in the fields of European Affairs, human rights, good governance, education and youth. She holds her undergraduate degree in International Relations from the University of Belgrade. She served as the President of the European Federalists – Section in Serbia.

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Jelena recently moved to the United States and settled in Des Moines and she’s looking to contribute to the team’s success through hard work, attention to detail and excellent organizational skills.

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In her free time, Jelena likes to travel and explore new cultures and when she’s not on the road she likes to expand her knowledge of the world by exploring new recipes and reading. She enjoys being outside – walking, running or just finding a quite place by the river, lake or ocean.