Our Team
The quality of our leadership and staff is one of our greatest strengths, representing a dedicated and talented cadre of leaders from various sectors. We utilize their respective strengths to bring an innovative and inclusive perspective to Realizing the Dream's efforts, while also leveraging our ability to achieve sustainable long-term success. Please feel free to contact staff members directly.
Martin Luther King, III
President & Chief Executive Officer
mking@thekingcenter.org
Martin Luther King, III, the second oldest child of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, has motivated audiences around the world with his insightful message of hope and civility for nearly twenty years. He has taken up the torch lit by his father and continued the quest for equality and justice for all people. From Mozambique to Mississippi, Israel to Indiana, his message has touched thousands.
A human rights advocate, community activist and a political leader, Mr. King has been actively involved in significant policy initiatives to maintain the fair and equitable treatment of all peoples, at home and abroad. His missions have taken him to numerous nations throughout Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Having been nurtured among individuals deeply committed to the struggle for human rights and a nonviolent society, his messages and initiatives are all rooted within the tenets of Kingian nonviolent conflict resolution.
As an international human rights activist and political leader, Mr. King has been involved in significant humanitarian and policy initiatives, whether as a presidential appointee to promote peace in foreign countries or as president of two of the nation’s most recognizable civil/human rights organizations. In 1986, he was elected to political office as an at-large representative of over 700,000 residents of Fulton County, Georgia, and he went on to later serve as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) from 1997 until January 2004.
Today, he serves as president and CEO of The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, which since 1968 has been the official living memorial to the legacy of his late father, Dr. King. Before taking the reins of the King Center, he was the founding president and CEO of Realizing the Dream, Inc., which now serves as the programmatic arm of the King Center. Through Mr. King’s leadership the organization works on several innovative initiatives that continue the work of his parents, such as the International Nonviolence Initiative – which champions the power of nonviolence through tangible projects around the world – and the Generation II Global Peace Program, which brings together the heirs of 20th century peace makers – such as Chavez, Gandhi, Trudeau, Tutu – to address some of the world’s most compelling crises.
Mr. King received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse College, in Political Science. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and daughter.
Leslyn Wong
International Program Director
lwong@thekingcenter.org
(404) 526-8960
Leslyn Wong has several years of experience in program development, implementation and evaluation. Her professional experience includes public health research in both the nonprofit and academic sectors. She obtained her Masters of Public Health from New York University with concentrations in community and international health education. She continued her professional development in program design and evaluation at the University of Michigan Summer Research Institute, and is also a Certified Health Specialist. Ms. Wong is passionate about working for community-based organizations that empower communities to build their capacity, improve citizens' health, and foster economic development.
Wesley Tharpe
Domestic Program Director
wtharpe@thekingcenter.org
(404) 526-8962
Wesley Tharpe came to the King Center with a diverse background in politics, public policy, and community development. His experience includes stints with Partners for Livable Communities and Habitat for Humanity International, both in Washington D.C., as well as volunteer efforts on several political campaigns. Wesley earned a Masters of Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where he focused on issues of affordable housing, urban and rural poverty, school reform and economic development. He is also an alumnus of the University of Georgia, where he earned a dual degree in political science and international affairs.
Maneshka Eliatamby
Research, Education & Training Director
meliatamby@thekingcenter.org
Maneshka Eliatamby is an experienced international conflict analyst and resolution specialist, a published author and an acknowledged expert on issues of reconciliation and development in post-conflict societies; peacebuilding; youth and female combatants; and program monitoring and evaluation. Maneshka’s expertise has been gained by extensive research and hands-on experience in the field, including a stint in humanitarian de-mining in Sri Lanka. In addition to spearheading RTD’s current work in South Asia, she is currently an adjunct professor and doctoral candidate at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR) at George Mason University.
Chantal Pierre
International Program Coordinator
cpierre@thekingcenter.org
(404) 526-8970
Chantal Pierre brings a background in social services to the King Center, with considerable experience in program development, crisis intervention, community empowerment and working with vulnerable populations. She has won numerous awards for her commitment to national service and is a two-time AmeriCorps alumni, having served with both NCCC (the National Civilian Community Corps) and VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). Chantal earned her master’s degree in Social Work from Texas State University with a focus on leadership and nonprofit administration.
Hamzat Sani
Domestic Program Coordinator
hsani@thekingcenter.org
(404) 526-8963
Hamzat Sani came to the King Center with experience in facilitating nonviolent conflict resolution programming and youth leadership development training. As a program associate at the center, his work includes developing innovative programming to bring the organization’s domestic programs to scale. Hamzat graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, where he earned a degree in Creative Writing and African American studies.
Biljana Meskovska
Research, Education & Training Associate
bmeskovska@thekingcenter.org 
Biljana earned her MA in International Economics and International Development from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University. In 2007 she worked full-time as a research manager for Realizing the Dream, after which she joined the Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe in Thessaloniki, Greece, gaining first-hand experience of working on the ground in the Balkans. In addition to having extensive research experience on issues of human rights, Biljana is fluent in English, Macedonian, Bulgarian and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian. In addition to her time with RTD, she is currently working as a full-time Program Manager at the European Fund for the Balkans in Belgrade, Serbia.
