Each year at the National Meeting, Global Ties U.S. recognizes outstanding individuals whose service and contributions exemplify citizen diplomacy. In honor of our 60th anniversary, we are recognizing six professionals who, since 2011, have been both pillars in our community and have helped to chart the path for the next 10 years.
The Global Ties Network Decade of Impact Leadership Award celebrates these dedicated individuals who have provided outstanding leadership within the Global Ties Network, and contributed to the success of the International Visitor Leadership Program and other exchange programs.
Global Ties U.S. received nominations from across the United States, with many nominating individuals outside of their organizations—a testament to our community and our celebration of one another. In deciding the winners, a selection committee, comprised of leadership from Global Ties U.S. and the Office of International Visitors at the U.S. Department of State, assessed the nominees across three areas:
- The nominee’s impact on their local community and / or organization
- The nominee’s impact within the larger Global Ties Network and international exchange field
- The nominee’s overall exemplary commitment to citizen diplomacy
Congratulations to the Global Ties Network Decade of Impact Leadership Award winners:
Annette Green Alvarez
Executive Director
Global Ties Miami
Annette is a mentor to many in the Network. Colleagues call her a “resource” for executive-level training and credit her for helping them to grow professionally. “She comes to the table with a collaborative attitude and … always with the best interest of the network and visitors in mind, …making it clear what a wonderful and welcoming experience IVLP visitors will have when they arrive in her care.”
Janine Branch
Program Officer
FHI360
Janine is a community builder who’s “passion for the International Visitor Leadership Program and for young professional development is infectious.” Colleagues call her a “force for positive change in the IVLP community,” and credit her innovative strategies of professional development, mentorship, and commitment to uplifting future generations of IVLP leaders and programmers.
Susan Cabiati
(Retired) Senior Vice President
Meridian International Center
Susan’s commitment to citizen diplomacy and the IVLP spans more than half of the IVLP’s 80-year history. Colleagues credit her “steady and informed leadership,” and the positive impact she brought to her work and on international visitors. At her retirement, IVLP alumnus Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Secretary General of NATO and Prime Minister of Denmark, called Susan “the embodiment of American global leadership,” and thanked her for “the countless friendships…built during a life of service to your country.”
Peggy Parfenoff
President
WorldChicago
Peggy “offers excellence,” say colleagues in describing Peggy’s abilities to always ask the right questions, help build community, and make an event, program, initiative, conference a huge success. Whether programming for small events or large entrepreneurship initiatives, colleagues call Peggy “a leader, mentor, and colleague who everyone in the Network knows and appreciates.”
Jacquelyn Shipe
CEO
Global Ties Alabama
Jacquelyn (Jacqui) is committed to service-leadership. Her “spirit of personal engagement” and work to professionalize board management training and grant coordination were among the many achievements cited by colleagues. Jacqui’s “encouragement and example have developed a corps of over 500 volunteers at Global Ties Alabama,” who support the organization as hosts, donors, and citizen diplomacy ambassadors.
Wendy Williams
Board Member
Citizen Diplomacy International
Wendy is a citizen diplomacy ambassador who “leverages her platform as a company owner to promote and elevate women entrepreneurs internationally on her company newsletter and social media channels. Most importantly, she always goes the extra step to thank international guests for coming to Philadelphia personally and intentionally mentors past exchange participants.”
We also want to acknowledge the scores of colleagues from the Office of International Visitors, Community-Based Members (CBMs), and National Program Agencies (NPAs) who are celebrating 10 or more years of service to the International Visitor Leadership Program in 2021.
- 40 OIV colleagues
- More than 75 CBM leaders, programmers, and Board Members
- And more than 20 NPA colleagues
Thank you for your outstanding contributions. Global Ties U.S. will be celebrating you throughout this anniversary year
NETWORK COLLEAGUES WITH 10 (OR MORE) YEARS OF IVLP SERVICE*
Office of International Visitors
- Sana Abed-Kotob
- Mathilde Andrade
- Carlos Aranaga
- Janice Brummond
- Deborah Burrell
- Amy Carrdus
- Diane Crow
- Gail Curtis
- Sara Delson
- Deanna Douglas
- Debbie Drucker
- Jenny Eisenberg
- Marta Etienne
- Naomi Feigenbaum
- Colleen Fleming
- Elisabeth Gomez
- Chris Halecki
- Tina Hall
- Kim Havenner
- Kimberly Jenkins
- Anne Jeliazkov
- Patricia Johnson
- Chris King
- Joshua Kreiser
- Helena Lisane
- Alison P. Moylan
- Christopher Mrozowski
- Robin Neilson
- Angela Oatis-Ashby
- Marta Pereyma
- Linda Piccirilli
- Tatiana Rodzianko
- Ava Smith
- Stephen Taylor
- Charlotte Titus
- Scott Van Alstine
- Hrag Varjabedian
- Tonya Wallace
- Joyce Weems
- Isabelle Zsoldos
Community-Based Member Network
- Linda Cushman, WorldChicago
- Joan L. Miller, WorldChicago
- Peggy Parfenoff, WorldChicago
- Virginia Russell, WorldChicago
- Donna Sadlicki, WorldChicago
- Louis Vitullo, WorldChicago
- Tim Horgan, World Affairs Council of New Hampshire
- Carole Head, NC Global Leadership
- Beth Robertson, NC Global Leadership
- David Bradley, Minot Area Council for International Visitors
- Efthalia Esser, Minot Area Council for International Visitors
- Eric Furuseth, Minot Area Council for International Visitors
- Joseph Jastrzembski, Minot Area Council for International Visitors
- Sharon Johnson, Minot Area Council for International Visitors
- Robert Kibler, Minot Area Council for International Visitors
- Jim Knudsen, Minot Area Council for International Visitors
- Linda Olson, Minot Area Council for International Visitors
- Ernst Pijning, Minot Area Council for International Visitors
- Verna Gates, Global Ties Alabama
- Annette Philpo’t, Global Ties Alabama
- Jacquelyn Shipe, Global Ties Alabama
- Carol Knight, Boulder Council for International Visitors
- Dorothy Riddle, Boulder Council for International Visitors
- Russell Schnell, Boulder Council for International Visitors
- Zdenka Smith, Boulder Council for International Visitors
- Xiao Yin Zhao, World Affairs Council of Kentucky & Southern Indiana
- Bob Betz, World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky
- Michelle Harpenau, World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky
- Karlee Hilliard, World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky
- Richard Lauf, World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky
- Michele Mansfield, World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky
- John Pinney, World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky
- James Kaufman, WorldBoston
- Irv Kempner, WorldBoston
- Debbie Smith, WorldBoston
- Ramsay Thurber, WorldBoston
- Wendy Anderton, Global Ties Arizona
- Dan Schweiker, Global Ties Arizona
- Lawrence J. Chastang, WorldOrlando
- Cindy Flores, WorldOrlando
- Carol Grabauskas, WorldOrlando
- Bob Turk, WorldOrlando
- Rachel Paris-Lambert, World Affairs Council – Seattle
- Tom Bradford, Charleston Council for International Visitors
- Gervais Hagerty, Charleston Council for International Visitors
- Del Porto, Charleston Council for International Visitors
- Don Sparks, Charleston Council for International Visitors
- Amy Barss, WorldOregon
- Tim DuRoche, WorldOregon
- Karen Ettinger, WorldOregon
- Faris Alami, Global Ties Detroit
- Marian Reich, Global Ties Detroit
- Steven Rybicki, Global Ties Detroit
- Ric Bainter, San Diego Diplomacy Council
- George Hardy, San Diego Diplomacy Council
- Janet Elliott, International Visitors Council of Los Angeles
- Wafa Hoballah, International Visitors Council of Los Angeles
- Ho Lo, International Visitors Council of Los Angeles
- Jerry Silva, International Visitors Council of Los Angeles
- Dr. Allan Ford, Gulf Coast Diplomacy
- Jena Melancon, Gulf Coast Diplomacy
- Julie Tippins Parker, Gulf Coast Diplomacy
- Keith Wilkins, Gulf Coast Diplomacy
- Diane Elton, International Relations Council of Riverside
- Maureen Hurley, World Affairs Council of Maine
- Randy Buisker, Freeport Area International Visitors Council
- Renae Buisker, Freeport Area International Visitors Council
- Quincy Carter, Freeport Area International Visitors Council
- Kim Fricke, Freeport Area International Visitors Council
- Steve Fricke, Freeport Area International Visitors Council
- Kerrylyn Rodriguez, Freeport Area International Visitors Council
- Theresa Ursin, Freeport Area International Visitors Council
- Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban, World Affairs Council of Rhode Island
- Gary Springer, World Partnerships
- Mary Ellen Upton, World Partnerships
- Michelle Wilson, Global Ties Akron
- Carina Black, Northern Nevada International Center
National Program Agency Network
- Ann Driscoll, World Learning
- Patricia Marby Harrison, World Learning
- Daniel Russell, World Learning
- Anthony Zaun, World Learning
- Jennifer Clinton, Cultural Vistas
- Dan Ewert, Cultural Vistas
- Steven Washington, Cultural Vistas
- Beverly Attallah, FHI 360
- Janine Branch, FHI 360
- Wendy Cronin, FHI 360
- Shawn Davis, FHI 360
- Jennifer Gregg, FHI 360
- Alexander Gorev, IIE
- Eurica Huggins, IIE
- Naqeeb Jalalzay, IIE
- Daniel Labarca, IIE
- Robert Means, IIE
- Pavel Tojsl, IIE
- Henry Collins, Meridian International Center
- Mark Rebstock, Meridian International Center
*Please note this was reported as part of a survey sent to Community-Based Member and National Program Agency leaders the week of March 15. If you have names you would like to add, please do so via this survey.