Breanna Kerr

Breanna Kerr is the Assistant Director of the Rodel Fellowship at the Rodel Institute, an independent and nonpartisan organization devoted to strengthening American democracy and improving the quality of public leadership in the United States. In this role, she supports the nation’s premier bipartisan leadership development program for state and local elected officials. With a strong foundation in transatlantic policy, democratic governance, and program management, Breanna brings strategic insight and a collaborative spirit to her work advancing civic renewal.

Prior to joining the Rodel Institute, Breanna served in multiple roles at the International Republican Institute (IRI), including Program Officer for the Europe Regional Division and Senior Program Associate for the Transatlantic Strategy Division. At IRI, she oversaw a $10.5 million portfolio of U.S. government-funded grants focused on political party development and transatlantic security. Her work included designing funding strategies, managing international conferences, moderating panels, and leading trainings across Central and Eastern Europe to advance civic engagement. Earlier in her career, Breanna worked as an Auxiliary English Teacher for the Spanish Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture, where she supported classroom instruction and fostered cross-cultural awareness among students in Madrid and Ávila.

Breanna holds a Master of Arts in Political Science from the Transatlantic Master’s Program, a dual degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. Her thesis on transitional justice in post-authoritarian Iberia was published in 2020. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Hispanic Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2016. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Breanna has lived and worked abroad for six years and brings a global perspective to her work. She has also volunteered with election boards in North Carolina and Washington, D.C., helping thousands of voters and organizing electoral efforts in various southern states.

Breanna can be contacted at breannakerr@rodelinstitute.org.