About icwa
OUR HISTORY
Founded in 1955,
ICWA is a non-profit, non-partisan, educational organization.
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We've been an active part of the Indiana community for over 60 years.
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Our members come from a rich background of industries including education, corporate, not-for-profit, law, military and the public sector.
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OUR FOCUS
ICWA programs and activities are administered by a volunteer group in cooperation with local, national and global institutions.
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We welcome anyone with an interest in learning about topics that affect our world.
OUR PURPOSE
The purpose of the ICWA is to foster public understanding of world conditions and US foreign policy through forums, lectures, conferences, publications, and now Zooms!
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Indiana Council on World Affairs is to promote international awareness and understanding in order to prepare all Indiana citizens to thrive in the increasingly complex and interdependent world and to further enhance Indiana’s global stature.
Our Story
Our Objectives
In carrying out its mission the Indiana Council on world Affairs strives to:
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Take responsibility for the climate of public opinion on US foreign policy
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Cooperate with national, state and regional organizations
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Present a non-partisan exchange of ideas
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Disseminate of information regarding world affairs and US foreign policy
Dr. Gerry Danquist (RPh) trained as a pharmacist with also an MBA from Harvard School of Business, worked with Eli Lilly and Company, serving extensively in Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. Gerry has been an advisory board member to the Washington State University College of Pharmacy, providing counsel on issues impacting the college and the future of pharmacy. In 2014, Gerry established an endowed scholarship with the College of Pharmacy, and in 2015 donated to name the Danquist Innovation Conference Room in the Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Building, leading to his being selected as the 2015 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year.
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Member since: 2015
Meet Our Board
Ray Montagno
President
Having received his PhD at Purdue University, Dr. Montagno retired as Professor Emeritus of Management at Ball State University. For over the 25 years Ray was associated with Ball State’s international programs, traveling to 30 countries building relationships with global programs. Ray spent a semester in Oxford, England and received a Fulbright teaching and research grant to Jena, Germany.
Deeply connected with the Muncie IN community, Ray served as Community Development Director for the Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity and later as a member of the Board of Directors for the Indianapolis Habitat for Humanity.
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Member since 2018.
Janet I. Harris
VP Community Engagement
Janet I. Harris serves as Academic WorldQuest Facilitator and Community Engagement Director. She initiates alliances with allied organizations to take ICWA's educational programs to expanded participants. To this end, she manages the Academic WorldQuest competition for high school students, and the Great Decisions Briefing Book sales for groups around the State, as well as selected outreach events and endeavors.
As President of HARRIS Marketing, Inc., Janet provides marketing research services and manages sales campaigns for corporate and non-profit organizations.
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Member since 2006.
Betty Tonsing
VP Programs
Dr. Betty Tonsing served as Fulbright Scholar (South Africa, Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon) and Indiana Humanities Scholar. She is Founder and President of Global Visits Inc and Patient Advocates Speak Out. She taught for both the Indiana and Purdue University systems as well as universities in South Africa, Lebanon and Kyrgyzstan. For close to 15 years Betty worked overseas in Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East on contract with the United Nations, State Department, USAID, Catholic Relief Services and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. Her initiative – Internationalizing the Classroom Without Leaving the Room – received special recognition for ‘excellence in teaching’ from the Institute for International Education.
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Member since 2017.
Pierre Atlas
Board Member
Dr. Pierre M. Atlas is a Senior Lecturer and Director of the Master of Public Affairs (MPA) program at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Indianapolis. Prior to joining IU in 2021, he spent two decades at Marian University as a Political Science professor, and served as the Founding Director of the Richard G. Lugar Franciscan Center for Global Studies . Pierre earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Rutgers University and holds Master’s and Bachelor's degrees in Political Science from the University of Arizona and the University of Toronto, respectively. A native of Texas, he grew up in California, is a US Army veteran, and writes a monthly opinion column for the Indianapolis Business Journal.
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Member since 2020.
Mary Clark
Board Member
Mary G. Clark is President and Executive Director of the International Marketplace Coalition and the Global Village Welcome Center in Indianapolis. After a career in retail and bank branch management with L.S. Ayres, Value City, and National City Bank, Mary founded and became the President and Executive Director of the International Marketplace Coalition which owns and manages the Global Village Welcome Center. The Center has space for continuing cultural displays and dedicated projects to be a cultural destination for the State of Indiana, and for the world beyond.
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Visit Indy, the nonprofit organization that serves as the official sales and marketing arm for the City of Indianapolis and the Indiana Convention Center, has recently elected Mary Clark to its Board of Directors
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Member since: 2021
Claire Collins
Board Member
Claire Collins has been a member of ICWA since 2004, the year she received her B.A. in Political Science from Indiana University. She has been a member of the ICWA Board of Directors since 2016 where she has served as Co-Chair of Great Decisions and Chair of International Dining Adventures. As a graduate of Ivy Tech’s Respiratory Therapy Program in 1982, she has worked at several hospitals for almost 33 years, including Methodist Hospital before retiring. Active in the Lawrence United Methodist Church, she volunteers in the Helping Hands Community Outreach which delivers meals and clothing to unhoused people. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming at the YMCA, painting, drawing, and caring for her two cats.
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Member since 2003.
Gerry Danquist
Board Member
Dr. Gerry Danquist (RPh) trained as a pharmacist with also an MBA from Harvard School of Business, worked with Eli Lilly and Company, serving extensively in Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. Gerry has been an advisory board member to the Washington State University College of Pharmacy, providing counsel on issues impacting the college and the future of pharmacy. Gerry also established an endowed scholarship with the College of Pharmacy in 2014, and in 2015 donated to name the Danquist Innovation Conference Room in the Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Building. This led to his being selected as the 2015 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year.
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Member since 2015.
Daniel G. Foote
Board Member
Daniel G. Foote graduated as a member of the Mortar Board Senior Honor Society and the Indiana University School of Law, earning his J.D. in 1997. Later, in 2005, the Governor appointed Dan to the Worker’s Compensation Board of Indiana where he serves as an Administrative Law Judge. Dan is also a Registered Civil Mediator and has argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the McKinney School of Law where he teaches Federal Administrative Law. Dan became accredited as an observer of transitional elections in Nicaragua (1990) and El Salvador (1994). From 2012 and in 2018, Dan used his Spanish language skills as a volunteer with a not-for-profit group of orthopedic surgeons providing joint replacement surgeries to patients in Nicaragua and Guatemala.
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Member since 2022.​​​​​​​​
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Pamela Haase
Board Member
Pamela Haase has consulted with large hospitals, colleges and universities implementing employee benefits program structure. She was the first woman owned Independent Property Casualty Insurance Agency in Indianapolis. Pam served on the Pan Am Insurance Risk Committee and helped to facilitate programs with the Paso Conference and was also the U.S. Midwest Leader and trainer for the International Ecumenical Services of Taizé, France. Pam worked in the Holy Land in 2000 with both Palestine and Jewish programs as part of the Diplomatic Tour to Turkey with the Holy Dove/Niagara Foundation. Her first trip out of the United States was to take medical supplies to Russia with an acting group in 1992.
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Member since 2021.
Kenneth Holland
Board Member
Dr. Kenneth Holland's current assignment is in Pakistan where he is Chief of Party for USAID's higher education project. He is President Emeritus of the American University of Afghanistan. He earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago and M.A. in Government from the University of Virginia. He is a Past President of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States, and World Affairs Council of Memphis. For the past 14 years, he has been implementing higher education development and partnership projects for the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and United States Agency for International Development.
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Member since 2018.
Robin Kohn
Board Member
Robin Kohn is Public Relations Director of the Michigan City Library where she oversees the local implementation of the Great Decisions Program, America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. A native of Michigan City, IN, Robin is deeply engaged in her community to help advance the arts and other positive community initiatives, she serves as president of the art committee in Michigan City, and also sits on the board of Junior Achievement, an organization that helps teach children financial literacy.
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Member since 2021.
Curtis Robbins
Board Member
Curtis Robbins, retired actuary with 35+ years in health insurance, is a member of the Society of Actuaries, American Academy of Actuaries, and Conference of Consulting Actuaries. Curtis served professional groups producing briefs on health reform. His career includes: Blue Cross Blue Shield system culminating at BCBS Association brand protection; Chief International A&H Actuary at AIG; and Director at Humana for actuarial development. His travels include the Far East and Europe. He led church groups and serves missions in Liberia (COO, JKBA Foundation). Curtis is speaker, author, and consultant for actuarial professional development. He graduated top actuarial student at Ball State.
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Member since 2024.
Sue Tempero
Board Member
Sue Tempero is a retired consultant in diversity and management with over 20 years’ experience as VP/Director of Human Resources at the Des Moines Register and the Indianapolis Star. Other professional experience includes: high school and college teacher, university administrator, Congressional staff member, and program director for the Institute of International Education and the Iowa Refugee Service Center.
A graduate of the U of Nebraska, she received her MA from Northwestern (IL) and studied on a State Department grant at the East West Center (Hawaii) focusing on Southeast Asian Cultures and International Education.
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Member since 2020.
Trevor Williams
Board Member
Trevor Williams is a retired U.S. Army veteran who served as a chaplain assistant. As a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP), he helps develop D&I initiatives that create community integration and cultural competence. Beyond his military service, Trevor has also contributed to education as a former elementary substitute teacher, where he applied his skills in creating inclusive and supportive learning environments.
An active volunteer in the Indianapolis community, Trevor is committed to using his skills to enhance various local initiatives and programs, continuing his lifelong dedication to service and community engagement.
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Member since 2022
Douglas Woodwell
Board Member
Dr. Woodwell, Professor of History and Political Science at the University of Indianapolis, teaches courses in international conflict, the history of nuclear weapons, terrorism studies, and more. He has authored two books. He currently serves as the regional director for the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and a board member for Accessibility, a public-private partnership for people with disabilities. Doug holds a bachelor's from American University, a Masters in German and European Studies from Georgetown University, and a Ph.D. from Yale University in Political Science.
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For a number of years, Doug has served as ICWA's Academic WorldQuest Quizmaster.
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Member since: 2020.
Thank You!
The Indiana Council on World Affairs would like to thank the following individuals for contributing to our mission.
Donors
Margaret Ahearn
Keira Amstutz
Melissa Beuc & Erik Young
Charles & Cary Boswell
Victor Childers
Larry & Joan Cimino*
Claire Collins*
Thomas A. Egold
Matt Fox
Brendan Fox
Bruce Frank
Henry Fu
Carl & Donna Gahwiler
Jane Gehlhausen
Elenanor Hall
Elizabeth Hamilton
Marta Hamilton
Janet I. Harris*
Cenk Kandemir
Melisa & Todd Keiser
David & Susan Luedtke
Salim Najjar
Jason C. Reinhardt
Paul Roland
Carol A. Schmitz
Randy & Linda Shields
Sharon Sullivan*
Betty Tonsing
Zeno & Amanda Tutino
Patrice & John Waidner
David Woll
Douglas & Barbara Vawter*
*Donors to Educational Outreach