Our Team

Michelle Geis

Associate for Global Health and Science

Michelle joined Burness in April 2009 as a Communications Coordinator for the Global Health and Science team. Over the last few years, she has worked on a wide variety of issues including bioethics, neglected and infectious diseases, reproductive health, agriculture, forest governance, and the environment. In 2011, she spent several months at the BurnessAfrica office in Nairobi, focusing largely on agricultural development and climate change issues.

As an Associate, Michelle has overseen media campaigns for organizations based in Latin America, Asia, Africa, the United States, and Europe—securing high-profile media coverage around the world—including placements in national outlets like the Bangkok Post (Thailand) and El Universal (Mexico) newspapers, and globally in numerous other outlets including the GuardianTIME, National Geographic, Science, and the New York Times. Michelle has organized and staffed press events in Washington, DC; New York; Nairobi, Kenya; Kigali, Rwanda; Lombok, Indonesia; and Cancún Mexico. She has trained dozens of community leaders, advocates, and experts on media and messaging at international organizations based in Mexico City, Washington, DC, and Nairobi, Kenya.

As the daughter of a career foreign service officer, Michelle had the great fortune of growing up abroad (Belgium, Argentina, and Paraguay) and developing her passion for diverse cultures and travel early on in life. Prior to joining Burness, Michelle worked at an educational student travel organization in Charlottesville, VA, for two years, where she managed print and web marketing. Michelle received her B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia in 2006, with a concentration in international business and marketing. She fluent in Spanish.