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

Carlos Aranaga

Deborah Burrell

Amy Carrdus

Diane Crow

Deanna Douglas

Debbie Drucker

Colleen Fleming

Chris Halecki

Anne Jeliazkov

Chris King

Alison P. Moylan

Angela Oatis-Ashby

Ava Smith

Charlotte Titus

Christopher Mrozowski

Elisabeth Gomez

Gail Curtis

Helena Lisane

Hrag Varjabedian

Isabelle Zsoldos

Janice Brummond

Jenny Eisenberg

Joshua Kreiser

Joyce Weems

Kim Havenner

Kimberly Jenkins

Linda Piccirilli

Marta Etienne

Marta Pereyma

Mathilde Andrade

Naomi Feigenbaum

Patricia Johnson

Robin Neilson

Sana Abed-Kotob

Scott Van Alstine

Sara Delson

Stephen Taylor

Tatiana Rodzianko

Tina Hall

Tonya Wallace

Community-Based Member Network

Virginia Russell, WorldChicago

Louis Vitullo, WorldChicago

Peggy Parfenoff, WorldChicago

Donna Sadlicki, WorldChicago

Joan L. Miller, WorldChicago

Linda Cushman, WorldChicago

Tim Horgan, World Affairs Council of New Hampshire

Beth Robertson, NC Global Leadership

Carole Head, NC Global Leadership

Joseph Jastrzembski, Minot Area Council for International Visitors

Ernst Pijning, Minot Area Council for International Visitors

Robert Kibler, Minot Area Council for International Visitors

David Bradley, Minot Area Council for International Visitors

Jim Knudsen, Minot Area Council for International Visitors

Eric Furuseth, Minot Area Council for International Visitors

Efthalia Esser, Minot Area Council for International Visitors

Linda Olson, Minot Area Council for International Visitors

Sharon Johnson, Minot Area Council for International Visitors

Jacquelyn Shipe, Global Ties Alabama

Annette Philpo’t, Global Ties Alabama

Verna Gates, Global Ties Alabama

Dorothy Riddle, Boulder Council for International Visitors

Russell Schnell, Boulder Council for International Visitors

Carol Knight, Boulder Council for International Visitors

Zdenka Smith, Boulder Council for International Visitors

Xiao Yin Zhao, World Affairs Council of Kentucky & Southern Indiana

Michelle Harpenau, World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky

Michele Mansfield, World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky

Richard Lauf, World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky

Bob Betz, World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky

John Pinney, World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky

Karlee Hilliard, World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky

James Kaufman, WorldBoston, Inc

Ramsay Thurber, WorldBoston, Inc

Debbie Smith, WorldBoston, Inc

Irv Kempner, WorldBoston, Inc

Wendy Anderton, Global Ties Arizona

Dan Schweiker, Global Ties Arizona

Carol Grabauskas, WorldOrlando

Cindy Flores, WorldOrlando

Bob Turk, WorldOrlando

Lawrence J. Chastang, WorldOrlando

Rachel Paris-Lambert, World Affairs Council Seattle

Don Sparks, Charleston Council for International Visitors

Tom Bradford, Charleston Council for International Visitors

Gervais Hagerty, Charleston Council for International Visitors

Del Porto, Charleston Council for International Visitors

Amy Barss, WorldOregon

Karen Ettinger, WorldOregon

Tim DuRoche, 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

Wafa Hoballah, International Visitors Council of Los Angeles

Jerry Silva, International Visitors Council of Los Angeles

Ho Lo, International Visitors Council of Los Angeles

Janet Elliott, International Visitors Council of Los Angeles

Dr. Allan Ford, Gulf Coast Diplomacy

Keith Wilkins, Gulf Coast Diplomacy

Julie Tippins Parker, Gulf Coast Diplomacy

Jena Melancon, Gulf Coast Diplomacy

Diane Elton, International Relations Council of Riverside

Maureen Hurley, World Affairs Council of Maine

Theresa Ursin, 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

Renae Buisker, Freeport Area International Visitors Council

Randy Buisker, Freeport Area International Visitors Council

Kerrylyn Rodriguez, Freeport Area International Visitors Council

Professor Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban, World Affairs Council of Rhode Island

Gary Springer, World Partnerships

Mary Ellen Upton, World Partnerships

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

Steven Washington, Cultural Vistas

Dan Ewert, Cultural Vistas

Beverly Attallah, FHI 360

Janine Branch, FHI 360

Wendy Cronin, FHI 360

Shawn Davis, FHI 360

Jennifer Gregg, FHI 360

Robert Means, IIE

Eurica Huggins, IIE

Alexander Gorev, IIE

Pavel Tojsl, IIE

Daniel Labarca, IIE

Naqeeb Jalalzay, IIE

Mark Rebsock, Meridian

Henry Collins, Meridian

Reposted from Global Ties US