Gretchen Klingler

As Director of Veterans for American Ideals at Human Rights First, Gretchen leads the organization’s efforts to elevate the voices of veterans in advocating for human rights, American values, and democratic principles. With a deep commitment to ensuring that the values service members uphold are reflected in U.S. policies, she works closely with veterans, military families, and allies to advocate for the protection of human rights and the promotion of American ideals.

Prior to joining Human Rights First, Gretchen served as Deputy Director of Veterans for Smart Power at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), where she helped lead advocacy efforts to promote a smart power approach that integrates diplomacy and development, alongside defense, in U.S. foreign policy. In her role at USGLC, she worked to engage veterans and other stakeholders in advocating for policies that advance American national security through international partnerships, conflict prevention, and humanitarian assistance.

Following her service in the U.S. Air Force, Gretchen attended The Ohio State University (OSU), graduating with dual bachelor's degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Arabic. She was selected as a 2017 Tillman Scholar from Ohio State, and in 2018 presented her undergraduate research at The Migration Conference in Lisbon, Portugal on insecurities faced by Iraqi women in the migration process from displacement in Iraq to resettlement. Gretchen has contributed to numerous podcasts and public discussions on the role of veterans in policy advocacy and has moderated, presented and participated in panels at conferences such as the American Legion National Convention, Student Veterans of America, The Pat Tillman Foundation, and USGLC's Global Impact Forum.

She was selected as a recipient of OSU's College of Arts and Sciences "Young Alumni Achievement Award" in 2023, and was featured as the cover story for the Fall 2023 edition of the Ohio State Alumni magazine.