Leadership + Staff

We believe in what we do.

Cultural Vistas brings together a wealth of talent, diverse backgrounds, and an array of experience to every project.

We believe that a commitment to cultural understanding is the key to sustained success in today’s global society. Collectively, our staff speaks more than 20 different languages. For many of us, it has been the impact of our own personal and professional experiences abroad that have led us to careers in international exchange.

We aim to share with others the experience of traveling to another country and absorbing its culture. We believe deeply in the value of international education and the meaningful impact of intercultural exchange. This is central to what we do every day.

 

Jennifer Clinton, Ph.D.
President and CEO

Jennifer has devoted her career to international education and business because of a deep passion for bridging cultures, people, and ideas. She is best known for developing, implementing, and managing bold organizational transitions, as well as helping individuals and nonprofits to realize their full potential.

Jennifer joined Cultural Vistas, a nonprofit exchange organization that annually provides global skill-building experiences for over 6,000 individuals and organizations in the United States and more than 135 countries every year, as its President and CEO in November 2017.

Prior to joining Cultural Vistas, she served for five-and-a-half years as President and CEO of Global Ties U.S., where she led a grassroots network of 120 community-based organizations in 45 states and 21 countries around the world that engage 40,000 volunteers who implement public diplomacy and international exchange programs in close partnership with the U.S. Department of State.

Prior to Global Ties U.S., Jennifer held leadership roles at the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, the Telecommunications Industry Association, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

Jennifer serves on the boards of Women’s Foreign Policy Group, the Alliance for International Exchange, and Open DC.

She earned her executive MBA at the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business; Ph.D. in French Literature at the University of California, Davis; and her bachelor’s degree in political science and French from Marquette University. Jennifer grew up outside of Detroit and lives in Maryland with her husband and son.

Follow Jennifer on Twitter or learn more about her below:

Q&A Interview with the USC Center on Public Diplomacy
Portraits of Leadership
Eight Ways We Fulfilled Our Mission in 2019
Reflections on My First Year at Cultural Vistas
Get to Know Our CEO

 

 

Megan Bah
Chief Financial Officer

Megan serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Cultural Vistas.

She joined Cultural Vistas (then CDS International) in 2007 where she started working part time in accounting and part time doing program work. Working on the programmatic side gave her a greater understanding of the value of international exchange. During her tenure, she has since worked her way through the finance department in various roles from Accounting Manager, Accounting Director, Controller, and now CFO. Through her time spent at Cultural Vistas she has grown passionate about non-profit accounting and reporting.

Megan holds a masters degree in Accountancy from Rutgers Business School in New Brunswick, NJ. She also has a certificate in Not-For-Profit Accounting and Governmental Reporting from NYU-SPS. She received her bachelors degree in Mathematics from Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey.

 

 

Dan Ewert
Senior Vice President, Program Research, Partnerships and Innovation

Dan serves as the Senior Vice President for Program Research, Partnerships and Innovation, and the National Secretary of the United States affiliate of the International Association of the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE).

He has been with the organization (as AIPT) since 1994, including stints as Director of Career Development Exchanges, Director of Program Development and Vice President of Programs and Sales. Previously, Dan served as the Director of Internships for The Washington Center, where he managed the organization’s business, economics, health and science placements, and was a teaching associate for its foreign policy seminars. He has also served as an adjunct faculty member for the organization since 1991, co-leading a college-level course on research methodology and writing. Additionally, Dan has been a student advisor at the University of Washington in Seattle, and Director of Personnel for Federal Business Centers in Edison, New Jersey.

Dan also currently acts as the Treasurer and founding member of the Board of Directors of the Global Pathways Project, a nonprofit organization that helps expose inner-city Baltimore youth to international events and opportunities.

He has presented at a number of national conferences of NAFSA, the American Society of Experiential Education, the Clean Energy Workforce Education Council, the American Academy of Science, the Cooperative Education International Association, the Chilean-American Chamber of Commerce, AMCHAM Brazil, AMCHAM Vietnam, the National Career Conference and the Intercultural Management Institute.

Dan holds a masters degree in geography from the University of Washington in Seattle, and a bachelor’s degree in international studies and Asian studies from American University in Washington, D.C.

Read more from Dan on our blog:
Do we need educators with a global perspective?
Why we care about Southeast Asia

 

 

Elizabeth Kumbhari, J.D.
General Counsel and Vice President of Professional Exchange Programs

Elizabeth joined Cultural Vistas in May 2015 and serves as the General Counsel and Vice President of Professional Exchange Programs.

In this role, she oversees the organization’s Train USA J-1 Intern and Trainee exchanges, which sponsor more than 4,200 participants annually. She is responsible for the business development and administration of programs at more than 1,000 host companies throughout the United States.

As Legal Counsel for the organization, Elizabeth is responsible for reviewing internal and external operational policies as well as the organization’s contractual agreements. She also oversees the organization’s continuing legal education courses.

Prior to this position, Elizabeth served as the Director of International Admissions at Long Island University where she oversaw immigration, recruitment, and admissions for LIU Post, LIU Brooklyn, and the university’s Global College program.

She also previously held various positions at Northern Kentucky University, including serving as the Director of the Office of International Students and Scholars. Elizabeth was a member of the American International Recruitment Council’s Founding Standards Committee.

Elizabeth is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership and Learning in Organizations degree at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. She holds a J.D. from Northern Kentucky University and a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Capital University. Elizabeth was a CBYX high school exchange student, and later participated in an internship and educational exchange to Austria. She holds legal licenses in both Ohio and Washington, D.C.

Elizabeth is very active with NAFSA and serves as the Chair of the Embassy Dialogue and on the Membership Engagement Committees—having completed a term as the national Travel Subcommittee Chair. She is also an Advisory Council Member to the Institute of One World Leadership and is a member of the Forbes Nonprofit Council.

Read more from Elizabeth via the Forbes’ Nonprofit Council:
Why Nonprofit Organizations May Want To Consider Hosting International Interns And Trainees
Eight Agile Practices For-Profit Businesses Can Teach Nonprofits
An Improvement Science Approach To Goal Setting

 

 

Michael Nelson
Vice President, Digital Strategy and Technology

Michael is the Vice President of Digital Strategy and Technology, a role designed to help shape the organization’s use of technology to more effectively fulfill its mission.

He has a proven track record of successfully leading product strategy and development for startup and fast-growth companies.

Michael brings over 20 years of extensive product development experience from across several industries to Cultural Vistas, most recently serving as the Head of Product at Avenu Insights. Previously, he also led product and technology strategy for 3Pillar Global, Engagepoint, and Oracle.

Over the course of his career, he has demonstrated a proven ability for introducing innovation as a business differentiator, as well as scaling products and teams to support organizational business goals

Michael holds an MBA degree from Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of New Orleans.

A diverse and dynamic board.

Cultural Vistas’ Board of Directors guides the overall philosophy and direction of the organization and reflects the global reach of our programs and initiatives. Our diverse and accomplished board includes former ambassadors, leaders of the NGO and business communities, university administrators and professionals who closely monitor government relations, organizational policy, finance and programs.

Cultural Vistas’ board members are committed to the common goal of enhancing careers and building cultural understanding through life-changing exchange experiences.

Program Teams

Alfa Fellowship Program

Melissa Graves, Program Director
Steve Hendrickson, Assistant Program Officer

Global Programs for Young Professionals [CBYX, IAESTE USA, Internships Abroad]

Daniel Villanueva, Director, CBYX
Andrew McCullough, Assistant Director, Internships Abroad/IAESTE USA
Max Flescher, Sr. Program Officer, CBYX
Rachael Agnello, Program Officer, CBYX
Keenan Toure, Program Officer, IAESTE USA
Tommy Ruether, Program Officer, Internships Abroad
Jillianne Dayao, Assistant Program Officer, IAESTE USA
Note: Dan Ewert serves as IAESTE USA National Secretary.

International Visitor Leadership Program [IVLP] + Muskie Internship Program

Paul Champaloux, Senior Director of Exchange Visitor and Grant Programs & Global Programs for Young Professionals (EVGP & GPYP)
Steven Washington, Assistant Program Director, IVLP
Anastasiia Futrell, Sr. Program Officer, Muskie
Michelle Kulikauskas, Sr. Program Officer, IVLP
Rachel Reed, Sr. Program Officer, IVLP
Natalia Etten, Program Officer, Muskie and YSEALI Seeds for the Future
Chelsea Beaulieu, Program Officer, IVLP
Catherina Rojas, Assistant Program Officer, IVLP
Caitlyn Schmitt, Assistant Program Officer
Alex Kurki, Assistant Program Officer, EVGP

Internship Placement Programs

Nancy Campbell, Senior Director, Internship Placement Programs
Steve Lainez, Program Officer, Placements

Program Development

Courtney Nelson, Director
Phoebe Heibeck, Program Development Officer
Fiona Laux, Assistant Program Development Officer

Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program

Michelle Kulikauskas, Sr. Program Officer

Train USA, J-1 U.S. Internship + Training Programs

DC Office
Caroline Gillam, Director of J-1 Compliance and Training
Coco Lei Li, Assistant Director
Joanelle d’Almeida, Program Assistant

NY Office
Shaina Katz, Senior Program Director of Train USA
Sarah Hocevar, Director of Operations of Train USA
Christine Paiva, Sr. Program Manager, Client Engagement
Donna Hatziioannou, Program Specialist, Client Engagement
Jennifer Nina, Program Manager
Marta Checko, Program Manager
Erin Merritt, Program Manager
Avery Rodriguez, Program Manager
Adam Szyperek, Program Manager
Chloe Bergman-Ray, Program Manager
Stacy Macceca, Program Specialist
Catherina Rojas, Program Specialist
Mary Thede, Program Specialist
Grant Montoya, Participant Advisor
Hannah Vona, Participant Advisor

European Office

Will Maier, Sr. Office Director
Matthias Neureither, Program Manager
Margaret Clark, Seminar Manager, Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship
Alina Burkholder, Program Officer, Parlamentarisches Patenschafts-Programm (PPP)
Patricia Pahlke, Assistant Program Officer

Operations Teams

Accounting + Finance

Elizabeth Bortkiewicz, Accounting Manager – Accounts Receivable
Marina Brodsky, Accounting Specialist

Client Relations

Talia Lev, Research Analyst

External Affairs

Lauren Salisbury, Director of Communications
Emily Commer, Sr. Alumni and Constituent Engagement Officer

Human Resources

Laura Gross, Director of Administration, People & Culture
Pauline Coombs, Payroll & Benefits Manager
Christian Mosqueira, HR Generalist

IT Information Systems

Mike Hoffmann, Director of Information Systems
Robert McKnight, Systems and Support Analyst

IT Product Development

Alison Steffen, Product Manager, Software Development
Hana Stanojkovic, Software Engineer