Ilir Zherka is the founder and chief executive officer of Civica. 

He has served as the executive director of four organizations. In those roles, Ilir assembled and led diverse coalitions that achieved significant goals: U.S. intervention to stop ethnic cleansing in Kosovo; bi-partisan support for D.C. voting rights; the creation of the Service Year Alliance; and record-level congressional funding for international exchange programs. He played an integral part in crafting the strategic plans that made that work possible.

Once the plans were in place, Ilir successfully implemented them. He developed and led educational programs, targeted media engagement, ambitious fundraising efforts, partnerships with key government officials, broad stakeholder coalitions, and robust advocacy campaigns.

Ilir knows first-hand how policies get made. He has served as a federal political appointee, a legislative counsel in the U.S. Congress, and an advisor to presidential campaigns. He is the author of Winning the Inside Game: The Handbook of Advocacy Strategies. Ilir has taught emerging leaders at Georgetown University and served as an organizational development associate with the Human Systems Dynamics Institute.

He now utilizes his past experiences and training to empower Civica’s clients and increase their impact.

Ilir is a recognized leader. Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani presented him with the “Order of Independence” award. Former Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray recognized Ilir’s work on behalf of Washingtonians with an “Ilir Zherka Day” proclamation.  

He he has also received numerous other awards, including the Meyer Foundation Exponent Award, the National Urban League's Whitney M. Young Jr. Leadership Award, and the John F. Kennedy Award for Public Service. 

Ilir graduated with distinction from Cornell University and received his law degree from the University of Virginia.