chevron-down Created with Sketch Beta.

David Dettman

Regional Director for the Middle East & North Africa Division

Technical Areas: Human Rights
Profile Image

David Dettman is the Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Division for the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI). He brings nearly 30 years of democracy, rights, and governance (DRG) development experience to the role.  Most recently, Dettman served as the Director for Communications for the ABA’s Center for Global Programs. Dettman spent nearly 20 years executing DRG programs as a chief of party in Ukraine, Bangladesh, and the MENA region. His experience includes more than a decade in the field as a chief of party for the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Democracy International (DI). He held HQ leadership positions at DI, including as the Rule of Law IQC manager and director of communications and Congressional relations. A native of Cleveland, Dettman grew up in a union household, where he learned that the power of organizing can overcome even the most entrenched obstacles. As a fan of Cleveland sports teams, he learned the importance of allowing hope to triumph over experience.