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ACVFA Members' Biographies
Carol C. Adelman, Ph.D.
Dr. Adelman is the director of the Center for Global Prosperity at the Hudson Institute, and publishes the annual Index of Global Philanthropy, the first comprehensive guide to private philanthropy and remittances flows abroad. She is president of a leadership and management training company, and teaches regularly in the leadership program at the Wharton School of Business.
Dr. Adelman served as a career foreign service officer with USAID in the 1970s, where she lived in Africa and later designed and evaluated aid programs in Latin America and Asia. As a presidential appointee, she was an Assistant Administrator under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. Bush, in charge of foreign aid to Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe when the Wall fell. Dr. Adelman is currently vice chair of the H.E.L.P Commission, a bipartisan congressionally mandated commission to reform foreign aid.
She has written on foreign aid and philanthropy in The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Wall Street Journal and various technical journals, as well as publishing a book, The New International Regulatory Order: New Rules in a Changing World Order. She is past president and board member of Capital Partners for Education, a local charity that provides scholarships and mentors to low-income children in the Washington, D.C. area. Dr. Adelman is a vice chairman of the Atlantic Council and member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She holds a doctorate in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, a Masters in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and a B.A. from the University of Colorado, including a year's study at the University of Bonn, Germany.
Nancy A. Aossey
Ms. Aossey is President and CEO of International Medical Corps (IMC). Founded in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, Ms. Aossey joined International Medical Corps as its start-up CEO in 1986. She had a direct role in initiating many of International Medical Corps' early humanitarian activities in, among others, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Honduras, Nicaragua, Angola, Somalia, Mozambique, Cambodia, Bosnia, Thailand, Rwanda, and Kosovo. She has since established International Medical Corps as a leading international non-governmental organization in disaster response and recovery. International Medical Corps' medical relief, health care training, civil society and economic recovery programs help to build local capacity, restore self-reliance, and serve millions of people in low-income countries, including fragile and post-conflict states.
For three years, Ms. Aossey was elected and served as Chairman of the Board of InterAction, the United States' largest coalition of more than 165 private and voluntary organizations working in international development, refugee assistance and disaster relief as well as having served on InterAction's Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah's Jordan River Foundation/USA and is on the Advisory Board of the RAND Center for Middle East Public Policy. She is also a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a member of the Young Presidents' Organization/World Presidents' Organization. A resident of Santa Monica, California, Ms. Aossey was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and holds an MBA from the University of Northern Iowa.
Deborah Bensen
Ms. Bensen serves as the Vice President of Media and Government Relations for Operation Blessing International (OBI). She oversees all of OBI's government relations and media projects including government partnerships, grant programs, multi-media campaigns, productions and publications. Government programs target outreach such as hunger relief, emergency disaster aid, orphans & vulnerable children programs, and HIV/AIDS prevention and care through agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).
Former experience includes working in television media at three national cable TV networks (Fox Family Channel, The Family Channel and Fit TV) plus working in newspaper media in a top 35 U.S. daily newspaper. Previously, Ms. Bensen was also the Director of Media Relations for CBN International, an organization which provides values-oriented television programming to more than 158 countries.
Recent executive producer roles include two documentaries (Restavek child slaves of Haiti and Rebuilding of Post-Tsunami Indonesia) plus she and her Operation Blessing team won a Telly award for Darfur IDP camp coverage. Currently, through PEPFAR sub-grants, she leads a production team implementing national ABY prevention and OVC PSA campaigns in Haiti, Nigeria and Zambia which air weekly on 87 radio and television networks/stations with potential audience size totaling more than 56 million.
Ms. Bensen is an Emmy-voting member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) headquartered in Hollywood, California. With a dedicated interest in mass media and its influence on behavioral change, she holds a bachelor's degree in organizational psychology and a master's degree in counseling plus is credentialed by the National Counseling Association as a nationally certified counselor (NCC).
She currently serves on the board of Christian Service Charities and also on the board of the Association of Evangelical Relief and Development Organizations (AERDO). She is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian USA church. She and her husband, William, reside in Virginia with their preschool twins.
Douglas Bereuter
Mr. Bereuter became the president of The Asia Foundation on September 1, 2004, immediately upon his resignation from U.S. Congress after 26 years of service. During his congressional career, he was a leading member of the House International Relations Committee, where he served as vice chairman for six years, chaired the Asia - Pacific Subcommittee for the maximum limit of six years, chaired the Europe subcommittee immediately before his departure, was ranking minority member of the Human Rights Subcommittee for six years, and had a long tenure on its Subcommittee on Economic Policy & Trade. He also served on the House Financial Services Committee for 23 years, and for 16 years chaired or served as ranking minority member of the Subcommittee on International Institutions, which has oversight jurisdiction for American participation in multilateral financial and development institutions.
Mr. Bereuter served nearly 10 years on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, retiring as it's vice chairman. Additional congressional responsibilities include serving as the founding co-chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, and chairing the House Delegation to the 40-country NATO Parliamentary Assembly, where he presided as its President for two years until November, 2004. He is also responsible for starting the very successful USAID Farmers-to-Farmers technical assistance program, which has taken thousands of American volunteers abroad.
Mr. Bereuter graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Nebraska, and has Masters Degrees from Harvard University in both city planning and public administration. Doug Bereuter served as an infantry and intelligence officer in the U.S. Army, practiced and taught graduate courses in urban and regional planning, led various agencies and programs in Nebraska State Government, and served on four-year term as a Nebraska State Senator before his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978.
Nancy Zucker Boswell
Ms. Boswell serves on the Board of Directors of Transparency International (TI) and has been the Managing Director of the U.S. chapter, TI-USA, since its inception in 1994. Ms. Boswell works with government officials and representatives from the corporate, legal, accounting and other sectors to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance.
reviously, Ms. Boswell practiced law at Steptoe & Johnson in Washington, D.C., where she
focused on international legal and regulatory matters, including extraterritorial jurisdiction, export
controls, and customs and trade disputes. She has also acted as director for congressional
liaison at the American Association of University Women and was in the International Division at
Citibank.
She serves on the U.S. State Department Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy
and is a cleared advisor on the USTR Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee. Ms.
Boswell is a member of the Executive Council of the Securities Law Committee of the Federal
Bar Association and a member of the board of directors of PACT. She is also a director on the
board of the International Senior Lawyers Project vice chair of the American Bar Association
Anti-Corruption Committee.
Ms. Boswell is a summa cum laude graduate of American University's Washington College of
Law.
Lorne Craner
Mr. Craner returned to the International Republican Institute (IRI) as President in August 2004, following his unanimous selection by IRI's Board of Directors. Previously, Craner was Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the US Department of State. During his three year tenure, he contributed to the conception and implementation of President Bush's approach to democratization in the Middle East, sharpened the Administration's focus on human rights in Central Asia, initiated the first U.S. Government programs to advance democracy in China, and helped construct the Millennium Challenge Account's "good governance" criteria.
From 1995 through 2001, Craner served as the International Republican Institute's President; he joined IRI as Vice President for Programs in 1993. From 1992 through 1993, Craner was Director of Asian Affairs at the National Security Council under Brent Scowcroft. From 1989 through 1992, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs.
A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Craner received his masters in National Security Studies from Georgetown University and his bachelor's degree from Reed College in Portland, Oregon.
Ritu Sharma Fox
Ms. Sharma Fox is a leading voice on international women's issues and U.S. foreign policy. Due in large part to Ms. Sharma and the Women's Edge Coalition, the interests of poor women worldwide are now being incorporated into U.S. economic assistance and trade policies and, in some cases, into U.S. law itself.
A first generation American of East Indian heritage, Ms. Sharma's family left behind generations of violence and poverty in Punjab, India to build a new life in the United States. Her family's legacy and her first-hand experience of the injustices suffered by women, combined with her strong belief that American citizens must ensure that the U.S. acts positively in the world, led Ms. Sharma to create the Women's Edge Coalition in 1998. She holds a BSFS in international economics from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and a Masters of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. She serves on the Board of Directors of InterAction and the Center for Global Engagement.
John Galbraith
Mr. Galbraith is president and chief executive officer of Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), a $200 million charitable organization that provides healthcare programs and services to people in need around the world. Mr. Galbraith, who has led CMMB since November 2000, combines the skills and career experiences of educator, philanthropist and administrator. He is a leading advocate of the importance of faith-based organizations in meeting the challenges of global public health, and has spoken on the subject at such prominent institutions and events as the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the International Prayer for Peace at Georgetown University, and on Capitol Hill in Washington, D. C.
Mr. Galbraith has fundamentally redrawn CMMB's strategic direction and taken CMMB to a leadership position in delivering solutions to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Through the design and implementation of pioneering initiatives in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and in child survival, CMMB has become a model for mobilization among faith-based organizations seeking to deliver meaningful and sustainable healthcare to people who would otherwise have no hope.
It is such expertise in the healthcare and business management arena that led to Mr. Galbraith's appointment to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA), on which he served from 2002 to 2005. This 34-member council is charged with recommending to the White House programs and policies that promote the highest quality of research, prevention, care and treatment of this dreaded disease. As the Council's sole international faith-based representative, Mr. Galbraith was regularly called upon to contribute his views to PACHA and was a member of its International Committee. He has also been a key presenter to the Congressional Task Force on International HIV/AIDS.
Before being appointed to his current post, Mr. Galbraith served for three years as CMMB's director of development. Through the disciplined application of advanced direct marketing techniques and the sophisticated solicitation of major grants, he enabled CMMB to double the scope of its fund-raising activities. During his tenure, he was able to draw on his prior experience as a consultant with The Whelan Group (1993-1997), where he advised corporations and non-profit organizations on issues ranging from strategic planning and organizational change to capital campaigns. Prior to his work in the philanthropic arena, Mr. Galbraith, for more than a decade, was an effective leader and educator at such institutions as Fordham University and the College of St. Francis Xavier, both in New York City, and St. Peter's College in New Jersey.
Mr. Galbraith is a trustee of the J. Homer Butler Foundation and the National Theater Workshop for the Handicapped. He has also served on the Advisory Board of the Jesuit Seminary & Mission Bureau. He received his B. S. degree from St. Peter's College and an M. S. degree from Fordham University. A father of four and a grandfather, he resides with his wife in New York City.
Helene D. Gayle
Dr. Gayle is President and CEO of CARE USA, one of the world's premier international relief and development organizations. With programs in over 60 countries, CARE helps people in poor communities expand the control they have over their own lives to advance positive, enduring social change. CARE helps millions of people recover from natural disasters and other acute emergencies, prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, and gain access to healthcare, nutrition, education, economic opportunity, safe water and improved sanitation. CARE advocates for polices that defend the dignity of all people and promote the eradication of poverty. Dr. Gayle's accomplishments in public health and dedication to social service make her ideally suited to lead CARE. She is currently on the boards of the Institute of Medicine and the Council on Foreign Relations. She worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 20 years in a variety of positions, from staff epidemiologist to director for the National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention. Prior to assuming her current position, she was director of the HIV, TB and Reproductive Health Program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Gayle received her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and master's in public health from John Hopkins University, and is a graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University.
Michael Gerson
Michael J. Gerson is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. His work focuses on issues of global health, development, religion and foreign policy, and the democracy agenda. Before joining the Council, he was a top aide to President George W. Bush as assistant to the President for policy and strategic planning. Mr. Gerson has also served as assistant to the president for speechwriting and as policy adviser since July 2002. Prior to that appointment, he was deputy assistant to the president and director of presidential speechwriting from January 2001 to July 2002.
Mr. Gerson joined Governor Bush's presidential campaign in spring 1999 as chief speechwriter and senior policy adviser. He was previously senior editor covering politics at U.S. News and World Report. Mr. Gerson was a speechwriter and policy adviser for Jack Kemp and a speechwriter for Bob Dole during the 1996 presidential campaign. He has also served Senator Dan Coats from Indiana as policy director. Mr. Gerson is a graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois.
Corey Griffin
Mr. Griffin, a veteran of the Microsoft Corporation, has a combined 13 years of experience in the consulting services, government contracting, public sector and international development arenas. Currently, Mr. Griffin has global responsibility for Microsoft's strategy for international development aid, trade and finance agencies, including United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), UK's Department for International Development (DFID), Japan Bank for International Cooperation, President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR), Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), etc. Principally, Mr. Griffin works with these agencies to develop a business portfolio around partnerships, procurement opportunities, and the promotion of ICT for development. In this capacity, Mr. Griffin facilitates Microsoft's development engagements around the world. Mr. Griffin was recently responsible for executing a first of its kind public, private partnership with USAID, PEPFAR and the MCC bringing the three agencies together to collaborate with Microsoft on development challenges around the world. Prior to this role, Mr. Griffin led various business units and corporate strategies for Microsoft, including managing team operations for the World Bank, United Nations, the European Union, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Other roles included leading Microsoft's global strategy for Non Governmental Organizations, and developing Microsoft's public sector services procurement operations in the US. Mr. Griffin has a long history of service in the community and currently serves on the board of directors for the United States Global Leadership Campaign, the Greater Washington Urban League, So Others Might Eat, MD/DC Minority Supplier Development Council, and the Foundation Schools.
Judith Hermanson
Dr. Hermanson is the Senior Vice President of CHF International charged with overseeing operations of this humanitarian and international development organization founded in 1952. She is responsible for a worldwide program in 40 countries, many of which are conflict affected, which enhances economic prospects, fosters stability, and brings about long lasting positive change in poor communities. She assumed this position in 1992 and has helped to lead CHF to its current position as one of the largest US non-profits working internationally.
Dr. Hermanson joined CHF International in 1987 as the Regional Director for the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. In 1995, she received the John D. Lange International Award for the achievement of concrete results in international development. Particularly interested in program design and effectiveness, Dr. Hermanson publishes frequently on topics ranging from new approaches to humanitarian assistance in Darfur to microfinance in the Middle East.
Dr. Hermanson's other professional experience includes both public and private sector. She served on the Peace Corps staff in Washington, D.C., where she directed the Africa Office of Program and Training. Previously she served as Associate Peace Corps Director overseas in Uganda and the Philippines, as Special Assistant to the Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission under President Ford and as Director of the Office of Policy and Program Evaluation in the regulatory and consumer affairs division of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. She co-founded and worked for six years as a Principal in a successful, privately held policy research company, which she helped to grow from a start-up to a profitable enterprise. She also managed its acquisition prior to joining CHF.
Currently, Dr. Hermanson chairs the Board of Trustees of the American University of Paris, a US accredited, private institution of higher learning with a multinational student body, dedicated to the development of global citizens through an American style of teaching. In addition to chairing the Board of Trustees, Dr. Hermanson also chairs the Academic and Student Affairs Committee.
Dr. Hermanson received her undergraduate degree with honors from Smith College, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and her graduate degrees from the George Washington University.
Spencer King
Mr. King has more than 33 years of experience in international business and development, and 25 years experience as the director of large, multi-faceted USAID-funded projects that offer business development services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in many countries. Mr. King joined International Executive Service Corps (IESC) in 1992 and has served as Chief of Party for some of USAID's most successful programs, including the Technology Initiative for the Private Sector program in Sri Lanka, and the Center for Business Services project in Egypt. In January 2003, Mr. King became Sr. Vice President of Worldwide Business Development for IESC and in October 2003, he was appointed President and CEO of IESC. He holds a law degree from Tulane University and has spent more than 15 years in senior management positions in the private sector. He is a member of the USAID Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA), and the author of a chapter in Global Health Leadership and Management entitled "Business Approach to HIV/AIDS Crisis in Africa."
Nancy Lindborg
Ms. Lindborg's guidance and strategic vision have helped transform Mercy Corps into a respected, innovative international relief and development organization and global partner of choice.
During her ten years of leadership, the organization has experienced unprecedented growth and met new challenges with responsive, innovative programming. In her role as Mercy Corps President, Lindborg uses her expertise in public policy, economic development,
post-conflict and disaster assistance to lead Mercy Corps' global planning, public affairs, program operations and development, and emergency response. She has directed the organization's launch of programs in such challenging places as Iraq, Afghanistan, the Balkans, North Korea and tsunami-affected areas of southern Asia.
From her base in Washington, D.C., Lindborg currently serves as Vice-President on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign. In critical roles as co-chair of the National
Committee on North Korea and Chair of the InterAction North Korea working group, she leads
efforts to advance, promote and facilitate engagement between citizens of the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Lindborg served from 2000-2005 on the Sphere Management Committee, an international
initiative to improve the effectiveness and accountability of NGOs, and chaired that committee
from 2000-2004. Lindborg also served as co-chair of the InterAction Disaster Response Committee from 1998-2002.
Before joining Mercy Corps in 1996, Lindborg managed economic development programs as a
regional director in post-Soviet Central Asia and worked in the private sector as a public policy
consultant in Chicago and San Francisco. She graduated with honors from Stanford University with a B.A. in English Literature. She also holds an M.A. in English Literature from Stanford and an M.A. in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
Robert E. Litan, Ph.D
Dr. Litan is the Vice President for Research and Policy at the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City and a Senior Fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution. At Kauffman, Dr. Litan oversees a multi-million budget for academic research relating to entrepreneurship. At Brookings, Litan pursues a wide-ranging research agenda, which includes topics in regulation, financial institutions, telecommunications, and general economic policy.
During his career, Dr. Litan has authored or co-authored over 20 books, edited another 14, and authored or co-authored over 200 articles in journals, magazines and newspapers on a broad range of public policy issues. Dr. Litan has been a lecturer in banking law at the Yale Law School, consulted for numerous organizations, (public and private), and testified as an expert witness in a variety of legal and regulatory proceedings involving domestic (banking, antitrust) and international (primarily trade) issues. Dr. Litan also has served in several capacities in the federal government. During 1995 and 1996, he was Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget). From 1993 to 1995, he was Deputy Assistant Attorney General, in charge of civil antitrust litigation and regulatory issues, at the Department of Justice (). From 1977 to 1979, he was the regulatory and legal staff specialist at the President's Council of Economic Advisers.
Dr. Litan received his B.S. in Economics (summa cum laude) from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania; his J.D. from Yale Law School; and both his M. Phil. and Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University.
Stephen F. Moseley
Mr. Moseley has served as President and CEO of the Academy for Educational Development (AED) since 1987. AED is an international, nonprofit NGO service organization that provides technical assistance, planning and training through programs in 55 countries and throughout the United States in the fields of education, health, environment, democracy-building and international exchanges. Since joining AED in 1970, he has directed projects in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Mr. Moseley is chairman of the Basic Education Coalition and serves on the Boards of InterAction and the Coalition for American Leadership Abroad. A past President of the Washington Chapter of the Society for International Development, he now sits on the organization's Governing Council and serves as its Treasurer. Mr. Moseley received his B.A. in English from the University of Hartford and in 1989 was granted an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree by the University. In 1997, he was elected to the University of Hartford's Board of Regents.
Michael J. Nyenhuis
Mr. Nyenhuis serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of MAP International. In his role, he provides overall strategic direction and leadership to a worldwide effort to bring health and hope to people living in poverty. He oversees staff in North America, South America and Africa and partnerships that reach around the globe. During his tenure, MAP has significantly grown its medicine distribution program, increased the reach of its community health development programs and received global recognition for its groundbreaking HIV/AIDS programs in Africa.
Mr. Nyenhuis joined MAP in 1995 and held positions as Director of Information Services, Chief Operating Officer and Interim President before being named to his current role in 2000. Previously he worked as a journalist and educator, reporting on issues from the Middle East to the Amazon basin in South America.
He has served in numerous leadership roles within the international relief and development and missions' communities including service as a member of the standards committee of the American Council for Voluntary International Action, executive committee of the Association of Evangelical Relief and Development Organizations and the board of the Evangelical Environmental Network. In his local community, Michael has provided leadership as international chair of his Rotary Club. He was previously named as one of Georgia's emerging leaders by Georgia Trend Magazine. A native of Minnesota, Michael earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay and later studied in the graduate communications program at the University of Florida.
William Reese
Mr. Reese has served as the President and Chief Executive Office of the Baltimore-based International Youth Foundation (IYF) since January 2005. Previously, he had served as the Chief Operating Office of IYF, managing its operations and programs, which support positive youth development in 68 countries. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Woodrow Wilson National Fellow lecturing on Latin American affairs and development issues. Prior to his work with IYF, Mr. Reese served as President and CEO of Partners of the Americas for 13 years, and also spent 10 years with Peace Corps. Mr. Reese was first appointed to the ACVFA in 1991 and served as its chair from 1997-2005. He was Chairman of the Board of InterAction and continues on its board today. He also sits on the boards of the Basic Education Coalition, Women's Edge Coalition, and Episcopal Relief and Development. Previously, he has served on the Boards of the Independent Sector, Amigos de las Americas, Eureka Communities, Coalition for American Leadership Abroad (COLEAD), the International Development Conference, the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), Fundación para la Educación Superior/USA, ChildHope International, and the Friends of the Art Museum of the Americas (OAS). He was Vice Chair of the Debt for Development Coalition and Finance for Development, Inc.
Johanna Schneider
Ms. Schneider has played a key role in successfully managing communications for over 30 years, moving from reporter and anchor to top posts in government--Congress, the Executive Branch--and in the business arena.
Ms. Schneider is currently the Executive Director-External Relations of the Business Roundtable, an organization of top Chief Executive Officers of global companies. Recently cited as "the most influential chief executive lobbying group in the U.S." by the Financial Times, Business Roundtable members are at the forefront of public policy, advocating for a vigorous, dynamic global economy.
Ms. Schneider directs all external relations including communications, media relations, advertising, digital communications, branding and reputation, corporate membership, and all external advocacy. Prior to her appointment as Executive Director-External Relations, she held the post of Director of Communications for the Roundtable. At the Roundtable, she conceived and launched the highly-regarded, CEO Economic Outlook survey. Her work on public policy garnered the Bronze Sabre Award.
Before joining the Roundtable, Ms. Schneider was the Senior Advisor for Media Relations to the Director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Bernadine Healy. At NIH, Schneider played a major role in launching the groundbreaking Women's Health Initiative, the largest clinical trial ever undertaken in the U.S., focusing on the major causes of death and disability in women. She also managed cDNA patenting, ethics in Science, and AIDS research communications.
Prior to her service at NIH, Schneider served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs to Labor Secretaries Elizabeth Dole and Lynn Martin. At the Department of Labor she orchestrated the groundbreaking study on women and minorities difficulty in moving up the career ladder, titled the Glass Ceiling Initiative. She also handled the successful resolution of the Pittston Coal Strike, a historic dispute where more than 17,700 mine workers in seven states went on strike over labor issues and she oversaw pension portability.
Filling one of the top jobs in the U.S. Congress, Ms. Schneider also served as Press Secretary to the House Republican Leader, Bob Michel (R-IL). From l984 to l989, she managed the Leadership press operation, coordinated House and Senate press responses and served as media liaison to the White House.
From l980 to l984, Schneider served as Press Secretary to Congresswoman Lynn Martin (R-IL), the highest ranking women in House Republican Leadership.
Schneider also worked as a production assistant at CBS Network News in Washington, and worked as a television reporter and anchor at a CBS affiliate in Illinois. She graduated from Southern Illinois University with a degree in Journalism.
Ms. Schneider is also a member of The Seminar Committee, the Arthur W. Page Society, the Civilian Public Affairs Panel for the U.S. Naval Academy, and a board member of the Center for Corporate Citizenship at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College.
She resides in Washington, DC with her husband, Jon Plebani, and their three sons.
Elise Fiber Smith
Ms. Smith currently serves as Senior Policy Advisor on Gender for Winrock International and was formerly the Founder and Director of their Global Women's Leadership initiative. She is also the Co-founder and Founding Chair of the Board of Women's EDGE (the Coalition for Women's Economic Development and Global Equality), which focuses on issues of international aid and trade with a gender perspective. Prior to that, she served as the Executive Director of the Overseas Education Fund (OEF), International, a leading international non-governmental organization in the field of women and development, leadership, legal rights and small business. She has originated and implemented programs in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the former Soviet Union and is a pioneer in the field of women in development. Ms. Smith helped found both Private Agencies in International Development and InterAction. She has served on several boards, including the International Center for Research on Women, along with a publicly appointed position as a member of the State Department's Advisory Committee on U.S. International Economic Policy. Ms. Smith is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Case Western Reserve University, and a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar.
John D. Sullivan, Ph.D.
Dr. Sullivan has been Executive Director of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, since 1991. In 1983, he was Associate Director of the bipartisan Democracy Program that created the National Endowment for Democracy that supports CIPE. Once the Endowment was established, John returned to the Chamber to help create the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) where he served as Program Director. From 1977 to 1982, he worked at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Public Affairs Department and Special Project Division. In 1976, Mr. Sullivan joined the President Ford Election Committee in the research department on campaign strategy, polling, and market research. Prior to this he worked with the Institute for Economic Research and the Office of Minority Business Enterprise (U.S. Department of Commerce) in Los Angeles on projects to stimulate small and minority enterprise. Mr. Sullivan has a Ph.D. in international relations from the University of Pittsburgh, and is the author of a number of articles and publications on the transition to democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, corporate governance, and market-oriented democratic development.
Constantine Triantafilou
Mr. Triantafilou, also known as "Dean," manages all facets of relief and development programs for IOCC, including its international headquarters in Baltimore, Md., and 10 field offices in Eastern Europe, Africa, the Caucasus, the Balkans, and the Middle East.
Before becoming executive director in 1998, Triantafilou served as director of programs (1996-1997), regional representative for Balkan programs (1995-1996), and Yugoslavia country representative (1993-1995).
Triantafilou's international and ecumenical experience includes ongoing dialogue with numerous government and private organizations. He serves on the boards of directors of Action By Churches Together (ACT), a global alliance of churches and related humanitarian and development agencies, and Church World Service (CWS). He also serves on the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA), the official advisory committee between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and its partners.
Under Triantafilou's leadership, IOCC received the 2003 Athenagoras Human Rights Award by the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle and in 2005 the Order of St. Sava, First Degree by Patriarch Pavle of the Serbian Orthodox Church. In 2004, IOCC co-sponsored the "Orthodox Diakonia" conference in Finland, bringing together Orthodox humanitarians from five continents.
Prior to joining IOCC, Triantafilou worked on construction projects in Kenya and Tanzania for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Mission Center and the Orthodox Church of East Africa. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in history. In 2006, Triantafilou was elevated to the office of Archon, the highest honor a lay person can receive in the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Theodore (Ted) Frederick Weihe
Currently a senior advisor to Land O'Lakes International Programs, Mr. Weihe has worked in over 50 developing and transitional countries on cooperative development including two telecommunications coops in Poland, dairy sectors in Eastern Europe and Latin America, electrification and cattle coops in southern Sudan and micro-insurance including the first Caribbean-owned insurance company in Barbados. He has written extensively on cooperative development, conducted over 35 field evaluations and managed www.coopdevelopmentcenter.coop which is a center of excellence that receives over 40,000 hits a month. He helped form one of the largest civic NGOs in Chile that was instrumental in its return to democracy. He was a founder of the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign - composed of 400 multilateral businesses, NGOs and other groups - that helped change the climate on the Hill and doubled foreign aid. Formerly, he worked in USAID on cooperative development as an advisor to Peter McPherson, in Congressional Affairs from 1976 to 1982. He holds degrees from Georgetown and the University of Virginia.
Aaron Williams
Mr. Williams is Vice President for International Business Development and responsible for representing RTI's international consulting practice in the Washington DC office. He leads the representational efforts, working with RTI's senior management team and other staff in expanding RTI's involvement in the international development community's dialogue regarding policy and programs concerning the USG and other multilateral donor assistance programs. Related to these efforts, he provides leadership in the development of strategic partnerships with other international organizations and global corporations involved in international development activities.
Mr. Williams has over 25 years of experience in policy formulation, strategic planning, and the design and implementation of development assistance programs. Mr. Williams has directed a broad range of development assistance programs in the areas of economic policy development and economic growth, trade and investment promotion, banking and finance, democracy and governance, education, housing and urban development, and public health.
In his role as a senior USAID manager, where he attained the rank of Career Minister in the US Senior Foreign Service, Mr. Williams provided policy and program leadership to major government organizational units, both in headquarters and field assignments (e.g., Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, and a $1 billion bilateral assistance program in South Africa). Mr. Williams has led project design teams in several countries, working in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Africa, and Asia. Both at USAID and subsequently as Executive Vice President at the International Youth Foundation, he created and managed innovative public-private partnerships between global corporations, government entities (USG and host country), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and international foundations.
He was awarded the USAID Distinguished Career Service Award in 1998 and the Presidential Award for Distinguished Service in 1992 and 1988. Mr. Williams is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the Board of Directors of the Cisco Learning Institute (Cisco Systems Corporation), and a member of the Intel Corporation's Clubhouse Advisory Panel. He also serves as a board member with the Institute for Sustainable Communities, the Pan American Development Foundation, and the Society for International Development- Washington D.C. Mr. Williams is a graduate of Chicago State University, and has an MBA from the University of Wisconsin.
Deborah L. Wince-Smith
Ms. Wince-Smith is the president of the Council on Competitiveness - a premiere group of CEOs, university presidents and labor leaders committed to driving U.S. competitiveness. Since her appointment as President in 2001, she has spearheaded a national campaign that made innovation a top-tier national policy issue. Deborah is recognized in the global business community as a "go to" person for strategic counsel, as exemplified by her recent appointment to the Board of Directors of the NASDAQ Stock Market.
As president of the Council on Competitiveness, Deborah's expertise in technology policy, economic development and global competition is frequently sought after by government, industry and news media. Most recently, she was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as a member of the Oversight Board of the Internal Revenue Service. She is also a member of the U.S. Department of State's Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy.
Her eclectic knowledge and prescient foresight have been called on by three presidents. She has more than 20 years of experience as a senior U.S. government official, including as Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy in the Department of Commerce during the George H.W. Bush administration. Following her government tenure, Wince-Smith became active in governance of various national scientific laboratories and provided strategic counsel to several FORTUNE 100 companies.
Since becoming president of the Council on Competitiveness, Deborah has helped recharge the national debate on competitiveness, innovation and resilience.
Wince-Smith earned a degree in classical archaeology and graduated Magna cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar College. She earned her master's degree from King's College, Cambridge University. In December 2006 she received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Michigan State University.
Kenneth Wollack
Mr. Wollack has served as President of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) since 1993. With more than 30 years of experience in foreign affairs, journalism and politics, he has traveled extensively in Eastern and Central Europe, the former Soviet Union, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa on behalf of NDI programs. Before joining NDI in 1986, Mr. Wollack co-edited the Middle East Policy Survey and wrote regularly for The Los Angeles Times. Mr. Wollack has served as Legislative Director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and served on the national staff of the McGovern Presidential Campaign (1972). He received his B.A. from Earlham College and he was a Senior Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Public Policy and Social Research.
Sam Worthington
Mr. Worthington is President and CEO of InterAction, the nation's largest alliance of relief and development nongovernmental organizations working overseas. Mr. Worthington has served as the Vice Chair of InterAction's Board of Directors, chaired its PVO Standards and Membership committee, and was co-chair of its Commission on the Advancement of Women. Previously, he served since 1994 as Chief Executive Officer of Plan USA. Plan is a global, 62 country, child-focused development organization that impacts the lives of 12 million children. Mr. Worthington also sat on Plan's global executive management team and chaired Plan's national CEO team.
Earlier in his career, as Executive Director for Delphi International Group, Mr. Worthington managed the implementation of US-based international education, management training and in-country institution-building projects. Prior to Delphi, as a Fulbright Scholar, he analyzed and evaluated United Nations international development program methodologies at the International Labor Office in Switzerland.
Mr. Worthington's numerous leadership roles include Chairing the global NGO Impact Initiative on behalf of the office of the UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery (President Clinton). He has also served on the steering committee of the NGO Leadership Forum at Harvard University. Mr. Worthington is a founder of the Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI) and until recently served on the HACI Program Policy Council. He currently serves on the Advisory Committee for Voluntary Foreign Assistance (ACVFA), the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) at the United Nations, the Board of The Alliance to End Hunger and is a Trustee of Religions for Peace.
Mr. Worthington has a Masters degree with distinction from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont. He also did post graduate research at the Institut Universitaire des Hautes Etudes Internationales in Geneva.
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