Her Excellency Mrs. Kateryna Yushchenko First Lady of Ukraine

As First Lady of Ukraine, Kateryna Yushchenko is active in charitable, historical and cultural activities. One of her main priorities is to address the difficult social issues currently troubling Ukraine, particularly health care for children, homeless, orphaned and exploited children, and integrating the disabled into society. Her Foundation, Ukraine 3000, will work largely through local non-governmental organizations to encourage the development of a tradition of charity in Ukraine.

Another of Kateryna Yushchenko’s priorities is to promote Ukraine’s culture, art and history in Ukraine and abroad. Currently the Foundation supports projects associated with folklore, archeology, museums, theaters, music, book publishing, and film. Ukraine 3000 will continue its work on the Ukrainian Famine Genocide of 1932-33 by organizing a massive collection of witness testimonies and supporting the government’s efforts to create a famine museum and a monument. On the 75th Anniversary, it plans to organize an international conference to commemorate the people who perished, and publish a book that will go to every household in Ukraine.

Ukraine 3000 has also funded stipends for the families of journalists who have died in the line of duty, quarterly competitions for regional journalists, and a rehabilitation center and residence for homeless children. The Foundation has responded to thousands of requests from individuals in dire need of medical care and other assistance.

Kateryna Yushchenko received her Bachelors’ of Science in International Economics degree (cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1982. She attended the Harvard University Ukrainian Summer Program in 1985. In 1986, she received an MBA with a concentration in International Finance and Public Non-Profit Management from the University of Chicago.

Mrs. Yushchenko has been in the workforce since the age of 15. During high school, she worked up to 40 hours per week as a waitress in order to save money for her college education. In university, she held many jobs, including office assistant and nanny.

From 1983 to 1984, Kateryna Yushchenko was the Director of the Ukrainian National Information Service. In 1984, she also did a two month internship in management at the U.S. Customs Service. During her education at the University of Chicago, Mrs. Yushchenko worked part-time as an editor at the Washington-based Ethics and Public Policy Center, and did an internship at the Illinois Department of Commerce. From September 1986 to March 1988 she served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs. From April 1988 to January 1989 she served as Associate Director of the Office of Public Liaison at the White House. From January to November 1989 Mrs. Yushchenko worked in the Secretariat of the Treasury Department, then served as an Economist at the Joint Economic Committee of Congress from November 1989 to May 1991.

From 1991 to 1993, Kateryna Yushchenko served as co-founder and Vice President of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, and Director of its Pylyp Orlyk Institute. In 1993, she joined KPMG Peat Marwick/Barents Group as a consultant in its Bank Training Program and Country Manager. She left her job in August 2000, when she was expecting her second child.