IPPNW Central Office Staff
Michael Christ
Executive Director
Michael first joined the IPPNW staff in 1988. He served in a variety of roles, including as director of IPPNW’s World Court Project on the legality of nuclear weapons and as program director, before being appointed executive director in 1998. Michael owes his longevity at IPPNW to his deeply held conviction that a focus on the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear war is the key to eliminating the threat they pose to civilization. He describes his visits to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1989 and to the downwind community of Karaul near the former Soviet nuclear test site in Kazakhstan in 1990 as “life changing.” He credits his grade school teacher Betty Jean Padley (1935-2017) for instilling in him a reverence for nature, an appreciation of Quaker values, and an awareness of the injustices inflicted on the first stewards of the land. Michael earned a bachelor of science in environmental economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst amidst the dangers of the cold war, further shaping his interest in peace and social justice.
Charles K. Johnson
Policy Director
Chuck has four decades’ experience as an activist, writer, and fundraiser. As IPPNW’s nuclear program director, he is responsible for coordinating the federation’s work educating world leaders and the public on the medical and humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. He is an alternate for IPPNW to the International Steering Group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) – the lead NGO in support of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons – having served as their administrative co-chair in 2020-21. Before IPPNW, Chuck was a leader in US regional coalitions successfully opposing the development of nuclear energy and supporting the Nuclear Weapons Freeze campaign. He worked for IPPNW’s US affiliate, Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), in Washington, DC, as a regional coordinator from 1987-1990, serving again, from 2012-2017 as director of Oregon and Washington PSR’s nuclear power task force. From 1990-1996, he was executive director of Nuclear Free America, serving as UN representative for the International Nuclear Free Zone Local Authorities.
Maria Valenti
Aiming For Prevention Liaison
Maria now acts as the affiliate liaison to IPPNW’s Aiming for Prevention program after serving for 17 years as its half-time director, during which she helped to develop, implement and monitor research, education and policy-engagement programs on armed violence prevention. She has written and presented worldwide on public health approaches to armed violence and on related policy issues. She assists affiliates in such areas as communications, conferences, campaign materials, research, publishing, and other avenues to support their local to international efforts. She represents IPPNW at forums such as the United Nations, and in international coalitions and networks including the World Health Organization’s Violence Prevention Alliance. She also provides a range of general organizational support activities including in communications and social media. She continues to work in the field of environmental health, which intersects with the public health issue of violence prevention. She previously served in leadership positions for 18 years with Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility, a founding chapter of IPPNW’s US affiliate, PSR.
Molly McGinty
Program Director
Molly joined IPPNW in 2019 as a Quaker Voluntary Service Fellow and has remained on staff since the completion of the program. She was raised in suburb of Baltimore, Maryland where she first gained a passion for justice-centered work. Molly graduated from Salisbury University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work and Gender & Sexuality Studies. Molly has previously engaged in advocacy related to police demilitarization and anti-human trafficking policy. It was through these positions that she came to understand the power of grassroots organizing and youth-led movements. As IPPNW’s Associate Program Director, Molly assists in coordinating our work on the medical and humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. She also works alongside the International Student Representatives, medical student groups, and youth partners to raise the voices of young people in nuclear abolition. She currently serves as one of IPPNW’s representatives on ICAN’s International Steering Group.
George Cani
Director of Finance
George joined IPPNW on November 2011 as part time Director of Finance. He brings to IPPNW many years of nonprofit financial experience. For over 18 years he has been the Director of Finance for another Boston nonprofit organization that offers legal, wellness and education services, and provides learning exchange programs with Ireland.
John Loretz
Senior Consultant
John was IPPNW’s Program Director from 2000-2017. His career as a peace and environmental activist has spanned more than 40 years as a writer, editor, speaker, policy analyst, campaign coordinator, and lobbyist. John represented IPPNW on the International Steering Group of ICAN, the 2017 Nobel Peace Laureate. He was part of the civil society delegation to the negotiations for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and was at the UN for the historic vote when the ban treaty was adopted. John was Executive Editor of the journal Medicine & Global Survival from 1994-2002. He was Communications Director at IPPNW’s US affiliate, Physicians for Social Responsibility, from 1987-1991. Since his retirement in 2017, John has continued to advise the staff and board on nuclear weapons issues. He edits the IPPNW Peace and Health Blog, and provides ongoing staff support as a volunteer. He is also a North American editor and book reviewer for IPPNW’s designated journal Medicine, Conflict and Survival.
Cynthia Hurst
Director of Development
IPPNW welcomes Cynthia Hurst as our new director of development. Ms. Hurst has more than two decades of experience as a nonprofit executive, consultant, and board member. From local nonprofits to international organizations, Cynthia has organized management teams and raised the funds for missions ranging from human rights to the environment, historic preservation, social justice, senior care, the arts, and animal welfare.
Cynthia most recently served for three years as the executive director of Foothills Child Advocacy Center, an organization helping children who have experienced abuse, in Virginia. Cynthia grew the program through a series of initiatives–increasing their revenues by 38% made substantial growth possible. Prior to serving as the E.D. at Foothills, she worked as the director of development for the International Campaign for Tibet, where she oversaw a team raising $4 million per year.
We are excited to have Cynthia on board as we strive to expand IPPNW’s worldwide impact.