Team

Melita Sawyer, Director, Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion (FLPFI)
Assistant Adjunct Professor of Public Policy, The Fletcher School

Melita Sawyer is the Director of the Fletcher Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion. Since 2001, Melita has worked in financial inclusion with policymakers, regulators, commercial banks, microfinance banks, and NGOs throughout Africa, South and Central America, Eastern Europe, Oceania, and Asia. Melita’s work focuses on developing the leadership and policy development skills of policymakers. She led the development of FLPFI’s 8 Question Method for Policy Development curriculum, and currently leads its implementation across FLPFI’s Fellowship and in-situ work. 

Prior to coming to Fletcher, Melita was Technical Advisor in Catholic Relief Services’ microfinance unit, working to expand savings services for poor households, and she has worked for banks such as Banco Solidario in Ecuador and Urwego Bank in Rwanda to develop and deliver savings and credit products for poorer clients. Melita earned her PhD from the Fletcher School, and her research focuses on the impact of financial services for the poor. Melita earned her master’s degree in international economics and international development at Johns Hopkins SAIS and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Stanford University.

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Emma Galin-Attleson, Associate Director
Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion

Emma Galin-Attleson is the Associate Director of the Fletcher Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion. Before joining Fletcher, Emma worked in social services as a case manager and program manager in government and nonprofit organizations. She helped low-income populations gain access to shelter, food, healthcare, and employment training. Emma holds a Master of Public Administration from California State University, Northridge and a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of California, San Diego.

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Elke Jahns-Harms, Associate Director for Teaching & Curriculum
Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion
Lecturer in Human Security, The Fletcher School

Elke Jahns-Harms is the Associate Director for Teaching and Curriculum at FLPFI. She has worked in Central and South America, East Africa, and Antarctica, on projects related to financial inclusion, sustainable agriculture, climate change, HIV/AIDS, women’s rights, and environmental education. She teaches Development Aid in Policy and Practice at Fletcher, and previously taught Music and Social Change at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Prior to Fletcher, she worked with Catholic Relief Services, the Peace Corps, and WorldTeach. Her research examines the role of savings groups in helping poor rural households cope with shocks, and the impact of climate change on those households. A lifelong musician, she is also interested in how the arts can promote social justice, development and peacebuilding. She holds a PhD in International Relations from The Fletcher School, a Master of Public Affairs, a Master of Music, and a BA in Geology and Environmental Science.

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Kim Wilson, Senior Technical Advisor
Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion
Sr. Lecturer, The Fletcher School

Kim Wilson is Sr. Lecturer at The Fletcher School, while also serving on the board of the Hitachi Center for Technology and International Affairs. Prior to joining Fletcher in 2005, she was Program Director for Catholic Relief Services in South Asia as well as Global Director for Microfinance. Since joining Fletcher, she has consulted widely to organizations like CGAP at the World Bank, United Nations Development Fund and many international NGOs. With funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, she launched the Fletcher Leadership Program in Financial Inclusion, a nine-month program designed for financial regulators. While at Fletcher, she has taught courses in market approaches to development, financial inclusion, human security, poverty and development, and qualitative research methods. She has co-edited and authored books on microfinance and more recently has published on the financial aspects of transcontinental migration. Funds from GiZ, Open Society Foundations, the International Rescue Committee and Catholic Relief Services have allowed her to launch The Journeys Project – a web portal showcasing her own research and that of fellow masters and Ph.D. students on the financial journeys of transcontinental migrants and refugees.

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Mir Ahmad Shekib, Research Analyst
Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion

Mir Ahmad Shekib serves as the Research Analyst for the FLPFI. He brings over 13 years of distinguished experience in financial sector and economic policymaking, having previously held senior leadership roles at the Central Bank of Afghanistan, including Director General for Financial Inclusion and Deputy Director General of the Monetary Policy Department.

During his tenure, Mir played a central role in shaping Afghanistan’s financial inclusion landscape. He led the development of the country’s first National Financial Inclusion Strategy, working in close partnership with international organizations such as the World Bank Group. His efforts involved extensive collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including government agencies, commercial banks, mobile money operators, and microfinance institutions

Mir has been instrumental in advancing key initiatives at the Central Bank, including inclusive finance, financial consumer protection, agent banking, financial literacy, SME financing, financial inclusion data, and broader financial sector development. He is also recognized for pioneering growth diagnostic studies for Afghanistan.

A 2020 fellow of the FLPFI, Mir holds a master’s degree in policy economics from Williams College in Massachusetts and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Kabul University. His professional journey reflects a deep commitment to promoting inclusive finance and driving meaningful, sustainable change in the field