CEO of the Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews. ‎ Mekonen-Degu was the manager of the Association's social involvement unit. She has extensive experience in working with the Ethiopian community, and ‎state and public authorities’ operations within the community. She worked with JDC developing the field of community ‎work, and was a key figure in the development of parents programs for the Education ‎and Youth division of JDC. Mekonen-Degu led dozens of teachers’ and parents’ groups, ‎headed the program's community staff in the Ksharim Program in middle schools, and also trained dozens of mediators with the schools' PACT ‎program.‎
Mekonen-Degu has a B.A. in Community Social Work from Bar-Ilan University. As a student, she was part of the founding team of the Information Center for Ethiopian Youth, operated by the Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews. In that capacity, she was involved with helping Ethiopian youngsters who had dropped out of school to find appropriate institutions and to reenter the system. Mekonen-Dego also took part in developing and implementing the Da Me’ain Bata (Know Where You Came From) program in Youth Aliyah boarding schools.