Exchange Matters / February 17, 2025

Message from the 2025 National Meeting Chair

Dear Colleagues,

It is my great honor to welcome you to the Global Ties U.S. 2025 National Meeting as this year’s Planning Committee Chair. Serving in this capacity and representing such a vibrant, passionate network of changemakers is a true privilege, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with all of you. 

First, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the members of the National Meeting Planning Committee and the Global Ties U.S. team for their incredible dedication and hard work. Their commitment to crafting the meaningful agenda you’ll experience over the next few days reflects the very spirit of the Global Ties Network: thoughtful collaboration, tireless innovation, and a shared passion for people-to-people exchange. 

This year’s theme, “Stronger Alliances, Stronger Communities,” perfectly captures the essence of what we aim to achieve together. The sessions, plenaries, and discussions we have planned are designed to strengthen our programming, deepen our communication strategies, and enhance organizational capacity across the board. We hope you’ll find inspiration and actionable insights to take back to your communities. 

I’m especially excited about the variety of sessions we’ve curated on critical topics like building strong partnerships, engaging effectively with our local and international stakeholders, and amplifying the impact of our work. We’re confident these offerings will provide valuable tools and spark meaningful conversations that drive forward your efforts in fostering global understanding and collaboration. 

On a personal note, I firmly believe we achieve so much more when we work together. The Global Ties Network is filled with extraordinary collaborators—individuals and organizations who are not just bridge-builders across cultures but also connectors and leaders within their local communities. This collective spirit is what makes our work so important. It’s a reminder that through people-to-people exchange we are supporting U.S. foreign policy, forming stronger alliances for U.S. peace and security, and better developed workforces for the communities we serve. 

As we embark on this journey together during the National Meeting, I encourage you to connect, share, and learn from one another. Let’s continue to explore new ways to build bridges and deepen our collective impact. The relationships we forge here will ripple out into our communities, helping to create a more peaceful, informed, and prosperous world.  

Thank you for your passion, dedication, and commitment to this vital work. I look forward to engaging with you in the coming days and seeing the incredible progress we will make together. 

Warm Regards,

Kristin Allen
Chair, Global Ties U.S. 2025 National Meeting Planning Committee
President and CEO, Global Ties Arizona