May 1, 2018

May Newsletter

This Month: Spring Leadership Meeting; Top AWQ Teams; Future of Korea Grant Awards; Council of the Month; Global I.Q. Minute; Council Opportunities and Highlights

Spring Leadership and Board Meetings Hotel Block Ends Wednesday, May 2

This year's Spring Leadership and Board Meetings will be held in partnership with the World Affairs Council of San Antonio, May 17-19. 

The meetings will open with an installment of WAC San Antonio's Distinguished Speaker Series on Thursday, May 17 at 5:30 pm CT: San Antonio’s First 300 Years: From Spanish Colony to Modern City

On Friday, May 18, following professional development workshops, WACA will host a dinner with a VIP speaker.

The WACA Board meets Saturday, May 19 from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.

Hotel Block

We have extended our hotel block at Hotel Valencia. We are offering a rate of $169/night. The block will now close Wednesday, May 2 at 5:00 pm CT. Book your room today!

*Registration and agendas coming soon. ($50; free for 1918 Society members and Council leaders who renewed membership by the deadline)

Academic WorldQuest 2018 National Competition

A heartfelt thank you to all students, teachers, parents, and other participants who made the Carlos and Malu Alvarez 2018 Academic WorldQuest National Competition a wonderful success!

Special thanks also to all of our sponsors, including the United States Institute of Peace, which held a welcome reception for all Academic WorldQuest attendees. Read the WACA press release.

Congratulations to the winning teams:

2018 Champions: Plano West Senior High School - World Affairs Council of Dallas/Forth Worth

Grand prize: Microsoft Surface Books 2

2nd: Palm Desert High School - World Affairs Council of the Desert

3rd: Indian Hill High School - World Affairs Council of Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky

4th: Thornton Academy - World Affairs Council of Maine

5th: Davidson Academy - Northern Nevada International Center

6th: duPont Manual High School - World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana

7th: Liberal Arts and Sciences Academy - World Affairs Council of Austin

8th: Keystone School - World Affairs Council of San Antonio

9th: Canyon Crest Academy - San Diego World Affairs Council

10th: Clements High School - World Affairs Council of Greater Houston

Scores will be sent to all 45 teams soon.

Keynote speaker: Nabil Kapasi, Academic WorldQuest National Competition alumnus and sophomore at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. See his speech about the Academic WorldQuest experience and attending university in our nation's capital. Watch now.

The Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest 2018 National Competition would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of students, teachers, parents, chaperones, and all World Affairs Council staff and volunteers across the country. Thank you for helping make the competition a great success!

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

May Cover to Cover with Michael McFaul:

From Cold War to Hot Peace

In 2008, when Michael McFaul was asked to leave his perch at Stanford and join an unlikely presidential campaign, he had no idea that he would find himself at the beating heart of one of today’s most contentious and consequential international relationships. As President Obama’s adviser on Russian affairs, McFaul helped craft the U.S. policy known as “reset” that fostered unprecedented collaboration between the two countries. Then, as U.S. Ambassador to Russia (2012-2014), he had a front-row seat when this fleeting, hopeful moment crumbled with Vladimir Putin’s return to the presidency.

From Cold War to Hot Peace is a riveting inside account that combines history and memoir to tell the full story of U.S.-Russia relations from the fall of the Soviet Union to the new rise of the hostile, paranoid Russian president.

Join the May Cover to Cover conference call to discuss McFaul's new book, From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin's Russia, on Tuesday, May 15, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET.

Council Leaders: Please Vote by May 18

New WACA National Board terms will commence July 1 (a term is three years).

According to the bylaws, one authorized representative of each member organization may vote YEA or NAY on the nominees for the WACA National Board. See bios.

Please respond by email vote to Chelsea Beaulieu at cbeaulieu@worldaffairscouncils.org no later than close of business on Friday, May 18.

With the start of our new fiscal year on July 1, 2018, WACA National Board Committees will be recomposed. The Nominating Committee will announce an official call for nominations to the board in early September. Please begin now to consider the strongest Supporting (corporate and institutional) and Council candidates for the WACA National Board, with terms to start in July 2019. 

CANDIDATES ELECTION (JULY 2018-JUNE 2021 TERM):

BOARD CANDIDATES (Supporting Member Nominees):

Carlos Alvarez, CEO, The Gambrinus Company (TX)

Alex Lari, CEO, The Claremont Group (NY) 

BOARD CANDIDATES (Council Rep Nominees):

Joan Lemoine, immediate past Executive Director, WAC Hilton Head

Derrick Olsen, President, WorldOregon

Incumbent Supporting Member Nominee (second 3-year term):

Forough Hosseini, Senior Vice President, Information Systems, ICI Homes, Inc. (FL) 

Incumbent Council Rep Nominees (second 3-year term):

Craig Snyder, President and CEO, WAC Philadelphia 

Xiao Yin Zhao, Executive Director, WAC Kentucky and Southern Indiana

Announcing: Future of Korea 2018 Selected Councils

Selected Councils:

·     Colorado Springs WAC/WorldDenver

·     Indiana Council on World Affairs

·     Peoria Area WAC

·     Santa Fe Council on International Relations

·     Utah Council on Citizen Diplomacy

·     WAC Charlotte

·     WAC Harrisburg

·     WAC New Hampshire

The World Affairs Councils of America is pleased to announce selected Councils in our annual programming partnership with the Korea Economic Institute (KEI).

KEI, in consultation with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the U.S. Department of State, and the World Affairs Councils of America, based its selection on a highly competitive application process. WACA will administer the grants for Future of Korea 2018 programs.