Elected to Trinity’s Board of Trustees in May 2026, Ernestine Blango is a senior operations and strategy leader currently serving as Deputy Director at the Gates Foundation, where she oversees the Goalkeepers initiative — a flagship program advancing global health and development conversations around the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In this role, she manages a $13 million-plus budget, leads a global team of project managers across three regions, and has expanded the initiative’s event platform into new markets in Europe and Africa. Prior to her current position, she held progressively senior roles at the Foundation, including leading a comprehensive strategy refresh that produced a four-year roadmap and significantly increased audience engagement.

Before joining the Gates Foundation, Ernestine spent more than nine years at AARP, rising to Senior Advisor, where she managed a $40 million advocacy operations budget and coordinated strategic planning across 50 state offices. Her work there included developing campaign frameworks that secured incremental funding for healthcare and prescription drug affordability initiatives, as well as leading her team through a transition toward digital-first engagement. Throughout her career, she has built a track record of aligning organizational strategy with operational execution, managing complex budgets, and mentoring high-performing teams.

Ernestine is a proud alumna of Trinity Washington University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government. She went on to earn her MBA from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. Originally from Sierra Leone, she brings a global perspective informed by both her personal background and her professional experience managing cross-regional programs. She serves on the advisory board of Global GAIN, a network focused on building gender advocacy and democratic leadership worldwide.