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.
Executive Team
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
Anna Hutto
Vice President, Development
Anna brings 22 years of experience in Development to our leadership team. She is a strategic thinker and connector who has made significant impacts at the organizations where she has worked. Most recently, she led Development as the Associate Vice President of Fundraising Operations at CARE USA, one of the largest humanitarian organizations operating in the world. Prior to that Anna served as Chief Advancement Officer at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International in central East Africa and as a Deputy Director of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF among others.
Anna is no stranger to intercultural experiences, she has taught English to Business Professionals in Germany and speaks German, spending time annually there with her family. Anna is also a published singer, songwriter, and recording artist.
Anna holds a BA in English with a minor in Written Communications from the College of Charleston and a Master of Divinity (summa cum laude) from Emory University.
Jung Ran Lim
Vice President, Global Talent Development Programs
Jung Ran Lim has joined Cultural Vistas as Vice President of Global Talent Development Programs, bringing close to 20 years of progressive leadership experience in the international education and experiential learning arenas. She has developed and implemented a wide range of global internship and fellowship programs supported by corporations, foundations, and government agencies from the U.S., South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Panama, and many others. She has deep experience with the Department of State’s BridgeUSA intern/trainee program.
Jung has a demonstrated track record of developing and cultivating win-win partnerships. Most recently as the Vice President of Federal and Customized Initiatives at The Washington Center, Jung has built a staffing structure for sustainability and scalability and significantly expanded her portfolio of federal grant/contract programs more than doubling its annual revenue over the past few years. These programs focused on expanding the pipeline of diverse talent for the federal government through internship and fellowship programs.
As a Korean-American, Jung came to the U.S. after completing her graduate studies in International Studies at Yonsei University. She has a deep appreciation and passion for helping individuals grow personally and professionally through global experiential learning opportunities. She has played a key role in developing and measuring learning outcomes to equip participants with the skills and competencies that are required to address social challenges and make a social impact on their community.
Jung, a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, has completed both the American Express Leadership Academy and the National Society for Experiential Education Academy. She is also very active in international and local Korean-American organizations and serves on the board of the National Association of Asian American Professionals, Washington, DC.
William Maier
Vice President, Transatlantic Relations & Social Impact
In his role as Vice President for Transatlantic Relations & Social Impact at Cultural Vistas, William oversees various European-U.S. exchange programs, new program development, and alumni services.
William joined Cultural Vistas (then CDS International) in 2005, initially working on the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals and the International Co-op Program. Since then, he has managed numerous fellowships, study tours, internship experiences, and other international initiatives that foster greater understanding among cultures while cultivating socially-minded global leaders. In 2013, he left Cultural Vistas’ New York office to open and expand our European Office, located in Berlin, Germany.
William has represented Cultural Vistas at various international conferences including the European Association for International Education, the Global Internship Conference, the National Academic Advising Association, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, NAFSA, and others. He holds a degree in international relations from Franklin University in Lugano, Switzerland.
Cassandra Sánchez
Senior Advisor, ICDEI
Cassandra is the inaugural Senior Advisor, ICDEI (Intercultural Competency, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) at Cultural Vistas. She brings over 15 years of experience in rural, suburban, and urban communities with a focus on being a bridge builder, access point, and amplifier for systemically minoritized and marginalized communities. She has worked with unaccompanied minors in Chicago and Miami, immigrant communities in rural Idaho, and with educators committed to ending the systemic inequities in US public schools. She is also the founder and principal consultant at Purposeful Disruption LLC—a DEI strategy and leadership development consulting firm where she collaborates with clients to create more equitable and inclusive leaders and workplaces.
Cassandra has spent time studying international human rights in Rome and Oxford.
She and her partner, along with their dog, Huckleberry Finn, are proud Washington, DC residents and look forward to the day it becomes the 51st state.
Board of Directors
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 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.
Desanka Aleksov (Senior Director, Ironclad) is an IAESTE alum and was an active member and leader of the IAESTE Board. Having grown up in Macedonia, studied computer science in Skopje, and participated in IAESTE exchanges in Slovenia, Spain, Belgium, and the US (at the University of Maryland), Desanka is fully committed to the work of creating opportunities for experiential learning and personal development across cultures. Desanka is currently based in San Francisco and, after a successful career as a software engineer with over 10 years at Salesforce, she has been an effective a translator between technical and business teams, and manager, she’s now a senior director at IronClad, a start-up tech firm focused on reimagining digital contracting.
Stewart Beck is the former President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. Prior to joining AFP Canada, Mr. Beck served as the Canadian high Commissioner to the Republic of India with concurrent accreditation to the Kingdom of Bhutan and to Nepal. He joined Canada’s Department of External Affairs and International Trade (now Global Affairs Canada) in 1982 and served abroad in the United States, Taiwan, and the People’s Republic of China. In Ottawa, he held a number of progressively more senior positions, including Director General of the North Asia Bureau, Director General Responsible for Senior Management and Rotational Assignments, and Assistant Deputy Minister for International Business Development, Investment, and Innovation. He was Consul General in Shanghai and prior to his posting to India, he was Consul General in San Francisco. In Ottawa, he served as Head of Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service and is an expert on trade and investment issues with wide ranging ties into the Canadian government and private sector at the highest level. He is also a corporate governance expert and shaped the APF to align more with Canadian business and financial interests. In the not-for-profit sector, he is the Chair of the Governance Committee for the Board of Canada’s Digital Supercluster and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for the Board Venture for Canada. He is also a member of the Nominations Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
David Berry is a Founding Partner in the San Francisco office of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. Mr. Berry’s practice has encompassed every aspect of international corporate immigration, and currently focuses on working with human resources and global mobility professionals to optimize their companies’ worldwide immigration programs. He helps companies address the worldwide challenges of global compliance, and has worked with major corporations to build out compliant visitor visa programs. David is currently Chairperson of the Immigration Forum of Worldwide Employee Relocation Council (WERC). Mr. Berry served as Assistant Professor of Immigration Law at Hastings College of Law, University of California, in an adjunct faculty position. He holds a Juris Doctorate from Antioch School of Law, a Bachelor of Arts from University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and is admitted to the State Bar of California. He has served on the board of directors at Cultural Vistas since 2018.
Kirsten Burt leads a strategic consultancy based in London focusing on financial education, sustainable investing, and wealth management. She has a particular interest in helping empower female investors, having launched a global female customer program at UBS. In 2020, Kirsten helped create the 3-year strategy for the British government to improve financial wellbeing, which she presented to the board of the Pensions department. She works extensively in the areas of sustainability, impact investing and philanthropy. Recent work includes creating the sustainable investing and philanthropy strategy for two major private banks. Kirsten is also interested in helping expat Americans navigate the financial complexities of living overseas and consults for firms that serve US Citizens abroad. Prior to founding her consultancy, Kirsten had over 20 years of experience in financial services in both the US and UK across wealth management, asset management and private banking. She sat on the Executive Committee of UBS Wealth Management in the UK for five years. Prior to UBS she held senior marketing roles at Standard Chartered, Citibank and American Express. She holds a BS from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, and an MBA in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. She participated in two overseas internship programs which helped start her global career. Kirsten has also lived in France and speaks French.
Sharon Chae Haver is a Client Service Lead, at Slalom Consulting, a modern consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. Previously, she served as a Principle Account Executive for Business Talent Group, a consulting firm that leverages the emerging “human cloud” of high caliber, independent consultants to solve client’s problems faster and better. Prior to her role there, she worked at Deloitte as a Senior Manager for Global Clients & Industries. She holds a Master of Public Policy in Business & Government from the Harvard Kennedy School and dual degrees in International Studies & Business from the University of Pennsylvania’s Huntsman Program (Wharton & SAS).
Lisa Cohen has 25 years of experience in international education and intercultural exchange. She served five years each as the chief of training at US Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, DC, and as the director of global training for AFS International headquarters in New York. At AFS, Lisa helped to launch the design of an Intercultural Learning curriculum for the global network and led a redesign of the leadership curriculum for country directors. At Peace Corps, she co-founded an Intercultural Competence, Diversity & Inclusion initiative. In 2018 Lisa earned her coaching certification and she has a practice focused on mid-career women with global and nonprofit careers. A co-founder of Open Horizon, a family foundation, she also co-hosts a monthly roundtable about race and belonging. Lisa holds a master’s in international education from Harvard and a BA in history from Cornell. She has served on the board of Cultural Vistas since 2015.
Ann-Janette (A.J.) Fuentes currently is the VP of Sales at Wheelhouse, a company that builds software to help individuals and teams maximize the value of their rental properties and portfolios. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at NYU Stern School of Business. A.J. is a member of the Truman National Security Project Defense Council and serves as a member of the Cultural Vistas National Board of Directors as well as the Hispanic Heritage Foundation National Board of Directors. Previously, A.J. worked as an Adjunct Instructor at Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC Chapel Hill as well as at Georgetown University and held management roles in the New York offices of Visit.org, Mobilize, LinkedIn, and American Express. She also worked at Goldman Sachs as a Private Wealth Advisor and was a Term Member at the Council of Foreign Relations. Prior to joining the private sector, Ms. Fuentes served three undercover tours with the CIA, including a tour in Afghanistan. Before joining the CIA, she was a U.S. Senate staffer with Senator Lieberman’s Governmental Affairs Committee. She has an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School and a BA in English and Creative Writing, with a French minor from Trinity College-Hartford.
Rekha Grennan is an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategist who has unique multi-sector, multi-industry expertise. She is currently a Senior ESG Advisor at Edelman where she provides strategic services to clients across the firm and within a new specialized practice. She has developed ESG related programs in politics, government, non-profit, start-up and corporate enterprises and is a believer in the power of partnerships and stakeholder collaboration to achieve long-term value and economic inclusion. Prior to joining Edelman, Rekha was a Director of Corporate Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy at Cisco Systems Inc. Rekha has held leadership roles at Pfizer, Inc. where she supported enterprise-wide sustainability alongside management of signature initiatives, including a global pro-bono employee volunteerism program. Passionate about social good and public service; Rekha has worked in U.S. presidential politics and was a Senior Communications Officer at USAID. Rekha holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a degree from Boston University in International Affairs and Environmental Policy and Analysis.
Christian Hänel most recently served as Senior Vice President Future Issues and Foundation Development at the Robert Bosch Stiftung in Stuttgart, Germany. He brings almost two decades of experience in philanthropy in various management and advisory roles. Christian has headed International Relations departments at the Robert Bosch Stiftung, developing and overseeing the foundation’s portfolio in America, Asia, Europe, Middle East and North Africa. As Senior Vice President Future Issues and Foundation Development, his tasks included challenges and opportunities for the impact ecosystem in the nonprofit sector, digitization, sustainable alumni networks, agile structures, and strategic foresight. He has led the strategic implementation and evaluation of international and transnational partnerships and programs in topic areas such as civil society, governance, promoting Europe, international affairs and global issues, education and cultural exchange. Christian holds a M.A. in history and economics from the Universität Bielefeld and Johns Hopkins University.
Harmon Kong is the founding principal of Apriem Advisors, located in Irvine, California. Apriem provides comprehensive wealth management solutions to multi-generational families, entrepreneurs, and non-profit organizations across twenty-nine states in the US and four countries around the world. Harmon is passionate about building lasting relationship while helping others achieve significance beyond monetary success and prosperity with perspective. As an inaugural CBYX participant, Harmon has remained connected to Cultural Vista over the years by interviewing program candidates, hosting students, and providing financial support. He is an active volunteer serving as board member to Pasadena Playhouse, as well as serving as a member of World Vision’s National Leadership Council, Baylor University President’s Leadership Council, and InterVarsity’s Investment Council.
James Lambert serves as Secretary for Hemispheric Affairs (SHA) of the Organization of American States. Before joining the OAS, Lambert served for 33 years as a Canadian diplomat and Ambassador. As a leading expert on Latin America and the Caribbean in the Government of Canada, he served in Costa Rica, Japan, and Mexico, before becoming Ambassador to Guatemala and El Salvador in 2002. In Ottawa, Lambert held positions of Director General of Latin America and the Caribbean and Director General of Public Diplomacy. Between 2010 and 2015, he was appointed Canadian Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. He holds a Master of Arts (M.A.) in International Relations and Affairs from Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton U. and a degree in History from Queen’s University.
Philip C. Lauinger, Jr. is the former chairman and chief executive officer, and a director of PennWell Publishing Company (now PennWell Corp.), an international publisher of business and trade magazines based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He served in senior management capacities in this family owned company for almost 30 years and was CEO from 1970 to 1992. A life member of American Business Media, he served as the trade association’s director from 1972 to 1992 and as chairman of its board of directors from 1979-1980. Today, Mr. Lauinger is the co-chair of the advisory council of Global Ties U.S., a counselor of Meridian International Center, a director of the American Committees on Foreign Relations, an advisory counselor to the Georgetown University Library, as well as the chairman of the Tulsa Committee on Foreign Relations. Mr. Lauinger holds an AB in economics and philosophy from Georgetown University. He is a recipient of the McAllister Fellowship Award at Northwestern University’s Medill Graduate School of Journalism.
Kendra Mirasol is the former CEO of Seattle-based VitalTalk, a nonprofit communication training firm serving clinicians who manage patients living with serious illness. Previously, she was co-owner and President of IOR Global Services headquartered in Chicago for 12 years. At both organizations, she led their growth strategy, managed day-to-day operations, secured their financial strength, and improved their organizational cultures. Over the span of her career, she has served as a thought leader on the importance of communication skills and managing differences in a variety of intercultural settings. Her earlier career involved stints as Director at RR Donnelley & Sons in Chicago, Siemens AG in Berlin and McGraw-Hill Publishing in Los Angeles. She holds an MBA in Finance & Accounting from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BA in German Literature from the University of California – Irvine. She has served on the board of Cultural Vistas since 2015.
Dr. N. Joyce Payne founded the nationally-recognized Thurgood Marshall College Fund. She has served as Executive Director of the National Alliance for Public Trust and as Vice President of the Office for the Advancement of Public Black Colleges. Previously, Dr. Payne was the president of Global Systems, Inc. and a senior staff member under the Carter administration with the President’s Advisory Committee for Women; President’s National Advisory Council on Women’s Education Programs, and the White House Conference on Families. She also served on the distinguished Foreign Service Performance Evaluation Boards at the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Dr. Payne has a bachelor’s in speech pathology from the former District of Columbia Teachers College and earned her master’s and doctorate in education from the former Atlanta University. An authority on women’s issues in higher education and labor force participation, Dr. Payne received a Presidential Medal from Delaware State University and holds honorary doctorates from Lincoln University of Missouri, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Kentucky State University, University of the District of Columbia and Central State University.
Nancy Prial is Co-Chief Executive Officer & Senior Portfolio Manager at Essex investment firm. Prior to joining Essex in 2005, Nancy spent six years at Burridge Growth Partners as the Chief Investment Officer and Senior Vice President responsible for the SMID and Small Cap Growth Strategies. Prior to Essex, Nancy spent four years as a Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager at American Century Investors where her responsibilities included leading the team that managed the Heritage Fund. Nancy began her career at Frontier Capital Management in 1984 where she served as both a fundamental analyst and portfolio manager in the small and mid-cap area. Nancy has held multiple board roles including chair of the investment committee overseeing the management of Bucknell University’s $800 million endowment and also served as chair of the finance committee.
Jeffrey Reinke serves as chief of staff to the president as well as secretary of the corporation as the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. He joined CFR in 1994 as part of the Corporate Program staff, and also worked in CFR’s Meetings Program and Executive Office, where he served as director of special projects. He has served on the board of directors of Cultural Vistas since 2011, and currently serves as Chairman of the Board. He holds an MA in South Asia Regional Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a BSFS in International Affairs from Georgetown University.
Susan Stella is Head of Investor Relations and ESG for venture capital firm Activate Capital where she oversees all investor engagement and IR activities, marketing and communications as well as ESG initiatives across the firm. Previously, Susan provided strategic consulting to the private equity and venture capital industry. Her clients include multi-billion-dollar private equity funds, up-and-coming venture funds, and industry associations. Prior, she a was Principal and Director with Knightsbridge Advisers, Director of the Thunderbird Global Private Equity Center, Marketing Co-Chair of the Thunderbird Independent Alumni Association, and Partner at Venture Archetypes, a strategic advisory firm. Her background also includes professional assignments with Intel; the German Ministry of Economics and Labor; Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in Germany; and the United Nations—as part of a three-year stint living and working in Mongolia. A 2003-2004 alumna of the Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program, Susan holds a BA from Drake University and an MBA in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management. She is proficient in both German and Mongolian.
Dr. ‘Dimeji R. Togunde is professor of international studies and vice provost for global education at the Gordon-Zeto Center for Global Education at Spelman College, where he is responsible for building strategic partnerships aimed at enhancing student international exchanges, faculty and students’ research, and students’ global learning experiences. ‘Dimeji oversees the Office of Semester Study Abroad, Cultural Orientation Program, Global STEM Program, International Affairs Center, International Student Services, and all study abroad programs led by faculty and staff. A scholar-practitioner, he has expertise in developing and implementing strategic planning on campus internationalization, global studies curriculum, student learning outcomes, faculty development, accreditation, and strategic initiatives for enhancing access, diversity, and inclusion in international education. Dr. Togunde directs the operations of the Gordon-Zeto Center for Global Education and stewards a $17 million endowment to support international initiatives. He received his Ph.D. Degree in Development Sociology from Cornell University. Dr. Togunde has been working closely with Cultural Vistas on our STEM Launch program (sending students from Spelman to Germany to explore careers in the STEM fields) for over 5 years. He also spearheaded our pilot project to East Africa in 2023. ‘Dimeji brings an important academic institutional perspective.
Howard A. Wallack is the Deputy Chief Human Resources & Administrative Officer in Global Human Resources (GHR) at Jhpiego, an international, non-profit health organization affiliated with The Johns Hopkins University. Howard spearheads the organization’s leadership development program and shares responsibility for management and oversight of global HR functions. Previously, he held senior-level international positions in human resources, training and development, global business development, and project management at organizations including the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Goodwill Industries International, the US Peace Corps, and the Center for International Private Enterprise. Howard holds an MA in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University; an MSc in International Human Resources and Globalization from the University of Leicester; and an AB in Anthropology and Spanish from Hamilton College. Howard was an Eisenhower Fellow in Argentina and is multilingual.
Esayas Wureta serves as the Head of Inclusion & Belonging and Community Impact at CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer. Esayas was born in Sudan to Eritrean parents, and now lives in the Washington D.C. Area. He lived and worked for 3 years in Central Asia (Mongolia), including working directly with the Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia. While on staff at Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Esayas first led diversity recruitment for program participants and then led the ICDEI training area. A strategic thinker and skilled implementer, he was a founding member of the ICDEI initiative at Peace Corps and facilitated week-long transformational learning events for staff in dozens of posts around the world. He holds a Masters in International Development and Social Change and is an ICF certified coach. He has expertise in DEI, organizational development/change management, intercultural competence development, youth development, and curriculum design.
Staff Directory
Program Teams
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals [CBYX]
Dr. Daniel Villanueva, Sr. Director
Max Flescher, Assistant Director
Colin Ackerman, Sr. Program Officer
Fiona Laux, Program Officer
Courtney Cox, Assistant Program Officer
Exchange Visitor and Grant Programs
Paul Champaloux, Sr. Director of Exchange Visitor and Grant Programs
International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)
Rachel Reed, Assistant Program Director
Jacob Beard, Program Officer
Margaret LaPre, Program Officer
Sarah Wang, Program Officer
Caitlyn Schmitt, Assistant Program Officer
Lilayali Garcia, Assistant Program Officer
Lillie Shallowhorn, Assistant Program Officer
Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship Program
Anastasiia Futrell, Assistant Director
Alex Kurki, Program Officer
Samuel Carruthers, Assistant Program Officer
Priya Baumann, Communications Coordinator
Professional Visitor Exchanges
Dawn Davis, Director, Citizen Ambassadors Program
Kasey McKevitt, Assistant Program Officer, Citizen Ambassadors Program
Global Talent Development Programs
(Train USA J-1 U.S. Internship + Training Programs, Cultural Vistas Fellowship, Global Internship Programs, IAESTE, Japan Internship for the Development of Young Leaders, Korea WEST, STEM Launch, Custom Internship Placement Programs)
Jung Lim, Vice President, Global Talent Development Programs
Nancy Ongstad, Senior Director, Global Talent Development Programs
Sarah Hocevar, Director of BridgeUSA Operations
Caroline Gillam, Director of J-1 Compliance and Training
Coco Lei Li, Senior Visa Specialist
Cyn Rowan, Senior Business Development Manager
Erin Merritt, Senior Visa Manager
Sasha Gerhardson, Senior Visa Manager
Wenonah Echelard, Senior Participant Experience Manager
Christine Stephens-Bez, Business Development Manager
Stacy Macceca, Visa Specialist
Katriya Burkdoll, Visa Specialist
Catriona Gibbs, Visa Specialist
Koichi Murayama, Visa Specialist
Chris French, Visa Specialist
Ayako Yamada, Visa Specialist
Jamie Cleveland, Visa Specialist
Danijela Gavrilovic, Visa Specialist
Harry Gilliard, Visa Specialist
Judit Markarian, Visa & Placement Specialist
Saejeong Kim, Visa & Placement Specialist
Liam Gully, Program Assistant
Afiong Onyile, Program Assistant
Program Development & Indo-Pacific Programs
Dan Ewert, Senior Vice President, Program Research, Partnerships and Innovation
Courtney Nelson, Senior Director, Program and Strategic Development
Ariana Stuhl, Assistant Director, Indo-Pacific Programs
Phoebe Heibeck, Senior Program Officer, Indo-Pacific Programs
Steven Hendrickson, Program Officer, Indo-Pacific Programs
Heather Schloss, Program Officer, Indo-Pacific Programs
Haley Clemson, Assistant Program Officer, Indo-Pacific Programs
Selena Hall, Program Assistant, Indo-Pacific Programs
Ana Sundvall, Program Assistant, Indo-Pacific Programs
European Office
Will Maier, Vice President, Transatlantic Relations and Social Impact
Jan Tasci, Director of European Exchanges & Program Development
Alexandra Drexler, Assistant Director, Parlamentarisches Patenschafts-Programm (PPP)
Matthias Neureither, Program Manager
Doreen Paap, Program Officer, Parlamentarisches Patenschafts-Programm (PPP)
Patricia Pahlke, Program Officer, Specialty Exchanges
Hanna Eiermann, Assistant Program Officer, Parlamentarisches Patenschafts-Programm (PPP)
Jana Wiggenhauser, Assistant Program Officer, Parlamentarisches Patenschafts-Programm (PPP)
Felicitas Brobeil, Assistant Program Officer, Parlamentarisches Patenschafts-Programm (PPP)
Christina Di Prima, Accounting Manager
Alina Rollo, Intern
Janina Castro Martinez, Student Assistant
Operations Teams
Accounting + Finance
Elizabeth Bortkiewicz, Accounting Manager – Accounts Receivable
Marina Brodsky, Accounting Manager – Accounts Payable
Torri Gaines, Accounting Assistant
External Relations
Anna Hutto, Vice President, External Relations
Emily Commer, Director of Alumni Engagement
Ivan Dervishi, Digital Communications Manager
Haley Waites, External Relations Associate
Human Resources
Laura Gross, Senior Director of Administration, People & Culture
Cassandra Sánchez, Senior Advisor ICDEI
Anne-Desiree Kaba, HR Generalist
IT Information Systems
Steve Wantz, Managing Director, Applications Architect
Mike Hoffmann, Senior Director of Information Systems
Noah Areaya, Senior Systems Administrator
Talia Lev, Applications Business Analyst
Robert McKnight, Systems and Support Analyst