Valerie Plesch

About Valerie Plesch

Valerie is an independent photojournalist, documentary photographer and writer covering the Washington, DC area for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and other outlets. In 2022 she received a reporting grant from the Pulitzer Center to report on the one year anniversary of the fall of Kabul and how Afghan refugees were resettling in the United States. Her work from that project was published in PBS NewsHour, the San Diego Union-Tribune, and DCist. From 20••••19 she was based in Pristina, Kosovo where she focused on the aftermath of war that included a photo documentary project on the legacy of sexual violence from the Kosovo war, as well as documenting human rights issues, religion, sports, politics, and culture. Her work was published in American and international news outlets including Al Jazeera English, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Politico, Open Society Foundations and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network. Before pursuing her passion for visual storytelling, she held a decade-long career in international development. From 20••••12, she worked for Chemonics International, an international development consulting company in Washington, D.C. that provides technical assistance to countries around the world on behalf of USAID. Her work took her to post-conflict and post-disaster countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Haiti.​ ​She​ ​still​ ​consults for the company and her short-term communications and new business assignments have taken place in Somalia, Myanmar, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Nepal, Serbia, Bosnia, North Macedonia, Vietnam, Thailand and Morocco. Valerie is a member of Women Photograph, Diversify Photo, Asian American Journalists Association, National Press Photographers Association and Women Photographers of Washington, DC.

Experience

1. Independent Consultant

   Chemonics International

   Feb 2014 — Present

   Conduct short-term communications, proposal development and project start-up assignments. Write success stories and photograph project activities. Recruit local national staff and conduct meetings with key institutions for USAID-funded proposals and projects ranging from strengthening local governance and rule of law institutions in Kosovo, Somalia, Burma, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Vietnam to combating trafficking in persons in Nepal and Thailand. Served as senior recruitment specialist for governance project in Somalia and communications advisor for a public financial management project in Afghanistan, working closely with project staff on all communications needs and advising the Ministry of Finance media team. Provided expertise for a project start-up in Afghanistan to set up the office and train local national staff on communications, operations, subcontract and procurement procedures.

Education

• Columbia University - Graduate School of Journalism

  Master of Science (M.S.), Journalism

  2012 — 2013

• Colorado College

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Political Science

  1998 — 2002