May 7, 2018

WACA Weekly

This Week: Complete the Council Survey; Register for Spring Leadership and Board Meetings; Pakistan's Ambassador at Dallas/Fort Worth; Charlotte Hosts World Citizen Award Dinner; Council Highlights

WACA Council Survey to Close on Friday, May 11

WACA has been conducting a Council Benchmarking Survey in conjunction with WACA's annual membership dues renewal. While almost all of you have submitted your dues (thank you!), we would also like to achieve full participation in the survey.

The survey's objective is to gather data about local Council size and resources, programming, and marketing. Please only fill out one survey per Council. We plan to release the survey results at the Spring Leadership Meeting in San Antonio on May 18, and we will also provide them in a newsletter.

Council leaders: Please be sure to complete our Council Survey by Friday, May 11.

Stratfor's Reva Goujon to Speak at Leadership Meeting Dinner:

Where U.S. Trade Policy and Grand Strategy Intersect

Registration for the May 17-18 Council Leadership Meeting is now open! Please be sure to sign up even if you have already reserved your hotel room.

Reva Goujon, Vice President of Global Analysis at Stratfor, will keynote a special dinner at San Antonio's Club Giraud on Friday, May 18 from 6:00-9:00 pm, following the leadership workshop sessions.

WACA President Bill Clifford will host a conference call to brief Meeting participants on the full agenda and clarify topics for the popular breakout sessions. We want your input! Please sign up for the call - indicate your preference for Wednesday, 5/9 or Thursday, 5/10 at 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm ET - using this Doodle poll below. Be sure to respond to the poll by 12:00 pm ET tomorrow (Tuesday).

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

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

Reva Goujon

VP of Global Analysis

Stratfor

Next Week: Michael McFaul on Cover to Cover

When Michael McFaul was asked to leave his perch at Stanford and join an unlikely presidential campaign in 2008, 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

Request for Proposals: Meridian International Center U.S. Exchange Alumni Network and Capacity Building Program

Meridian International Center is seeking proposal partners for the FY2018 U.S. Exchange Alumni Network and Capacity Building Program. This program seeks to expand engagement with American citizen alumni by offering professional development seminars and accompanying career events in different regions of the U.S., focusing on professional networks, capacity building, and job-skills training.

Selected partner organizations will be responsible for the following:

·     In collaboration with Meridian, design one- to two-day professional development seminars and career opportunities for approximately 40-200 U.S. citizen alumni of USG-funded exchange programs;

·     Identify speakers, trainers, and local business contacts to participate in the professional development seminars and follow-on activities;

·     Assist Meridian to execute a communications strategy in order to drive event recruitment and media coverage.

Learn more: Friday, May 11 conference call with Gretchen Ehle, VP of GlobalConnect at Meridian.

Deadline for applications: Friday, May 18.

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth Hosts Pakistan's Ambassador

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts H.E. Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the U.S., today, May 7, for "Pakistan-U.S. Bilateral Relations."

A member of the Foreign Service of Pakistan with 36 years of bilateral and multilateral experience, H.E. Chaudhry has served as Ambassador of Pakistan to the U.S. since March 2017.

World Affairs Council of Charlotte to Hold World Citizen Award Dinner

Since 1990, the World Affairs Council of Charlotte has presented its World Citizen Award annually to prominent citizens who have enhanced their community’s standing in the world, honoring their accomplishments and contributions to the city, the region, and the international community.

At this year's sold-out dinner on Tuesday, May 8, the World Affairs Council of Charlotte will present the 2018 World Citizen Award to Pat Rodgers, President and CEO of Rodgers Builders.