Myra Best, PhD began at Meridian as a Program Officer implementing professional exchanges under the auspices of the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). During her years as an IVLP programmer, she designed over 300 exchanges for international participants on topics as varied as good governance, U.S. foreign policy and combating gender-based violence.

In her present role as Vice President in the Center for Global Leadership, Myra oversees a 56-member team dedicated to administering IVLP exchanges and enhancing the impact of the program. The team's activities are carried out under the auspices of Meridian's IVLP Cooperative Agreements with the State Department.

Prior to joining Meridian, Myra spent several years in Italy, completing graduate research, teaching at the Rome Campus of Trinity College (Hartford Connecticut) and directing a continuing education program in the Humanities. During those years, she regularly volunteered at refugee centers in Florence and Rome. Myra earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in Romance Studies from Cornell University and a B.A. cum laude in History from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.