Together, we can close the global justice gap.

Sharon Payt serves as IJM’s Vice President for Corporate and Government Partnerships. Since 2021, she’s directed the engagement strategies with the U.S. Government, Congress and multi-national corporations to champion the fight against human trafficking and other forms of violence impacting people in poverty.

With over 20 years of executive-level experience as a human rights advocate, Sharon is a systems reform entrepreneur combining campaigning and movement-organizing with international development for marginalized people. She has worked in the Middle East, Central Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa on a wide range of issues, including human trafficking, anti-genocide, citizen empowerment and defending democracy leaders in hostile contexts.

Sharon’s previous positions include serving at the World Bank, the U.S. State Department, J.K. Rowling’s Lumos Foundation, World Vision International and the U.S. Senate. With the U.S. Government, she served as lead Senate staff for the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and co-established the State Department’s anti-trafficking office. While serving with World Vision, she directed advocacy across 15 countries and regional humanitarian crises throughout the Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, resulting in over 50 government system reforms.

Sharon lives in Washington, DC, and enjoys cooking, entertaining and live music.

James currently serves as the Director for US Government Affairs at International Justice Mission. Prior to this role, James spent 4 years as the Country Director for IJM Uganda, where he led a multi-disciplinary team of investigators, lawyers and social workers to combat violence against women and children through collaborative casework and other justice system strengthening activities.

Before joining IJM, James served as General Counsel for NYC’s Office of Emergency Management, where he was responsible for ensuring NYC’s emergency plans were inclusive for people with disabilities.

James also worked as an Appellate Intern at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and then as an Assistant Case Manager on the defense team for Goran Hadzic at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hauge, Netherlands.

James has a JD from New York Law School and a BA in Journalism from the University of San Francisco. He is also a returned US Peace Corps Volunteer (’06-’08) from the Eastern Caribbean Region. He currently resides in Alexandria, VA with his wife, Paris, son, James Tendo and their Ugandan dog, Lainey.