Diplomacy, Funding and Animal Welfare

Mr. Roeder served for over thirty five years in the United States government, mostly in the US Department of State, retiring in 2005 as their Policy Adviser on Disaster Management in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs. He also served in the US Army, the Multinational Forces and Observers (an International Organization in Sinai, Egypt) and on seconded duty to the European Commission. Mr. Roeder is the son of an American diplomat and thus has spent virtually his entire life in the world of diplomacy, often working with heads of government or Minister rank government officials, with his main focus being the negotiation of international agreements in economic affairs, climate change, human rights, weapons reduction, trade or emergency management. He also has extensive experience in emergency operations and served in a number of major crises, both during his service in the US government and after. While serving in Egypt, Mr. Roeder witnessed a camel being burned alive and decided to devote his training to ending animal cruelty, especially to livestock and wild-life. He often recommended to the United Nations, the US Government and other governments to be more proactive protecting animals. In 2005, following the Katrina Disaster, he became the UN Affairs Director for the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) where he focused on international agreements, and on convincing the United Nations and the international Red Cross movement to protect animals. He left that post in 2009 to become a private contractor, and in 2010 assisted NGOs rescuing animals in Haiti, and also met with the President of Somaliland on economic development, and feral dog, livestock and wildlife protection.

Mr. Roeder is now a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in the State of Virginia in the United States and serves in a volunteer capacity as Editor in Chief, the Climate Caucus Network, an NGO alliance based in New York. He is married, with one son, and is also a portrait artist.