About icwa
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!
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 Story
Our Mission
To develop individual responsibility for the climate of public
opinion relative to US foreign policy
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To carry out the foregoing purposes
in concert and cooperation with such national, state or regional organizations as
shall be deemed appropriate
To conduct
conferences, forums, institutes and other programs concerning world affairs and
US foreign policy
for the benefit and education of the member of the corporation and
the public
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To engage in such other non-profit activities as are incidental or related to the forgoing purposes
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To provide a
non-partisan
medium for the exchange of ideas, information and experience concerning
world affairs
To foster public understanding of
world conditions
and appreciation
of the significance
and effect of these conditions on the
US
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To compile, distribute and publish information regarding world affairs and US foreign policy
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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
Larry Cimino
Past President
Larry Cimino is a strategic global management and logistics consultant and is president of ProConsult, LLC, where he works with multinational corporations, professional medical associations and international governments maintaining a special focus on mental health policy, advocacy and training.
Larry currently serves as the Global Program Director for the Dialogue on Diabetes and Depression, an international effort addressing problems related to the co-occurrence of diabetes and depression under the auspices of a Geneva, Switzerland-based non-governmental organization, the Association for the Improvement of Mental Health Programmes.
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Member since: 2005
Janet I. Harris
VP Community Engagement
Janet Harris serves as Academic World Quest Liaison and Community Engagement Director. She initiates alliances with allied organizations which takes ICWA educational programs to expanded audiences. To this end, Janet manages the Academic World Quest competition for high school students, the Great Decisions Briefing Book sales, as well as selected outreach events and endeavors. As President of HARRIS Marketing, Inc., Janet develops sales campaigns for corporate and non-profit organizational expansion. She also conducts analytical research for strategic direction.
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Member since: 2008
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
Claire Collins
Secretary
Clair Collin has served as Co-chair Great Decisions and as Chair for International Dining Adventures. Claire’s early career was as a Certified and Registered Respiratory Therapist at several hospitals including 34 years at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. After her retirement, she decided to enter a second career and obtained a BA in Political Science from Indiana University. Mentored by Professor John Clark, one of the founders of the Sagamore Institute, this led to Claire’s long standing engagement with the Indiana Council on World Affairs. She is active in the Lawrence United Methodist Church, participating in Helping Hands Community Outreach which delivers meals and clothing to unhoused people.
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Member since: 2003
Teshome Alemneh
Board Member
Dr. Teshome Alemneh is Currently the Associate Vice President for International Research and Development and Director of the Office of International Development at Indiana University. He served as the Program Officer for Africa at the American Council on Education office of Higher Education for Development, and led over 11 higher education partnership projects in Africa. He served as the Deputy Minister of Higher Education in Ethiopia and is the co-Chair of the Governance and Leadership Working Group of the Ethiopian Ministry of Science and Higher Education Advisory Council. A Fulbright New Century Scholar and Fulbright Specialist, he earned his doctorate in Earth Sciences - Soil Sciences and Land Evaluation at Ghent University in Belgium.
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Member since: 2020
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
Donald Cassell
Board Member
Donald L. Cassell, Jr., M.Div., Architect, AIA, CSI, Sagamore Institute’s Senior Fellow in the Africa portfolio, and Director of the Liberian Initiatives. His research is in international development and nation building. He published a case study on Philanthropy Secretariat in Liberia and oversaw the development of the Indiana-Africa Connections Project. He founded the ISOKO Leadership Workshop in '15. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and Construction Specification Institute. A native of Liberia, he graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston and studied at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, where he received his Master of Divinity.
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Member since: 2020
Mary Clark
Board Member
Mary G. Clark is the Executive Director of the Indianapolis International Marketplace Coalition and Global Village Welcome Center. 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 building has space for dedicated projects to aid in the area becoming a cultural destination for the State of Indiana, and for the world beyond.
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Member since: 2021
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
Marco Dominguez
Board Member
Marco is the Assistant Vice President of Public Relations and Outreach at the Financial Center of First Credit Union. He provides weekly seminars at the Mexican Consulate on financial education and banking products and services to Mexican immigrants in Indiana. Marco was awarded the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash and serves on the Mayor's Commission on Latino Affairs. He is a founding member of the Indiana Latino Expo. A native of Venezuela, Marco created and managed his own television production house. He is Co-Host of "Community Link” (WISH-TV Channel 8). His Bachelor's and Master's are in telecommunications from Butler University. With his wife, Morella, and three children, Marco is committed to "bringing the world to Indiana...and introducing Indiana to the world."
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Member since: 2021
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Matt Fox
Past-President
Matt Fox is President Emeritus of the Indiana Council on World Affairs and past Program Chair for the council. As a Certified Executive Management Associate with advanced training from Wharton Executive Education, Matt is Senior Vice President-Wealth Management Financial Advisor in metro Indianapolis. He also serves on the board of Hearts and Hands of IN.
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Member since: 2005
Leslie Grishin
Board Member
Leslie Grishin is the International Visitors Program Manager at The International Center where she has the pleasure of connecting international professionals with Hoosier counterparts through the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program. She enjoys traveling and has spent time studying and working abroad in Germany, Honduras, and Japan.
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Member since: 2020
Judy Hagan
Board Member
Judy Hagan has been active in the Carmel Clay community and politics for 25 years. After serving on the Carmel Clay Board of Parks and Recreation, she was elected Clay Township Trustee in 1998 and served 2 terms guiding develop-ment of the local park system. Judy is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Lincoln with a BA in History and Political Science. She is a past president of the Rotary Club of Carmel and served as the 2008 Rotary District 6560 Group Study Exchange Team leader to East Africa. She currently serves on the Carmel Clay Park Foundation Board.
Member since: 2018
Kenneth Holland
Board Member
Dr. Kenneth Holland 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
Cenk Kandemir
Board Member
Cenk studied Chemistry at Marmara University-Istanbul, Turkey and John Carroll University. He also has a Masters degree in School Administration from Lindenwood University, MO. For 15 years Cenk worked as a teacher and school principal in various school districts across the Midwest and currently works with the Niagara Foundation.
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Member since: 2017
Robin Kohn
Board Member
A native of Michigan City IN, Robin Kohn 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. As part of her work with the Michigan City Library, Robin oversees the local implementation of the Great Decisions Program, America’s largest discussion program on world affairs.
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Member since: 2021
Board Member
Claire Mauschbaugh is the events and communications associate at Indiana Humanities Council. Claire grew up in Washington, Ill., and graduated in '17 from Butler University with a BA in Human Communication and Organizational Leadership. She is a big sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, a volunteer with Family Promise of Greater Indianapolis, a graduate of Class VII of IndyHub’s 1828 Leadership project and a member of Career Services Advisory Board at Butler University.
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Member since: 2020
Ian McIntosh
Board Member
Ian McIntosh is the Director of International Partnerships at IUPUI and an adjunct faculty member in philanthropy and liberal arts. He is the founder of the Sacred Journeys Project, the Indianapolis Spiritual Trail, and the heritage organization Past Masters International. He is also the former managing director of the global indigenous rights group Cultural Survival Inc.
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Member since: 2020
Joel Olufowote
Board Member
Dr. Joel Olufowote is currently the Chief Academic Officer and Principal of the #1 ranked public high school in Indiana, The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities. Prior, Olufowote spent a decade on the college campus in assistant professor, associate professor, and executive leadership roles. Olufowote is a former Rockefeller postdoctoral Fellow and 2019 Indiana State Educator of the Year award winner. The CEO and cofounder of MixedMessages Consulting LLC, Olufowote’s research and scholarly activity can be found in outlets such as USA Today and numerous publications serving the construction industry.​
Member since: 2020
Claire Mauschbaugh
Kevin Ryan
Board Member
Kevin Ryan has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Financial Center First Credit Union since 2009. He has more than 40 years of financial services and credit union experience. Mr. Ryan has led the credit union to many achievements including work with veterans, feeding the hungry and sharing financial literacy education with thousands of people.
Kevin currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame Board of Directors where he secured credit union support and financial contributions to construct the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame Memorial, the only building of its kind in the country. He has also traveled internationally to share the credit union message and has welcomed credit union visitors from many foreign countries to Indiana. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and a Master of Arts degree in Executive Development from Ball State University.
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Member since: 2021
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
Jillian Foster Turner
Board Member
Jillian Turner joined the Indiana Economic Development Corporation as the Director of International Programs in 2019. She focuses on economic development and strengthening Indiana’s international engagement.
Jillian worked for 7 years at the US Department of State, including as the Secretary of State’s Public Affairs Advance Lead where she communicated US foreign policy objectives globally. Jillian worked in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs where she advised Bureau leadership on policy and strategic planning initiatives and managed Fulbright Programs throughout South and Central Asia. She holds a B.A. in International Studies from Indiana University and a M.Ed. in International Education Policy with a concentration in Negotiations from Harvard University. She is originally from Shelbyville, Indiana.
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Member since: 2020
Douglas Woodwell
Board Member
Dr. Woodwell is Professor of History and Political Science at the University of Indianapolis where he teaches courses in international conflict, the history of nuclear weapons, terrorism studies, and more. He has also 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 Bachelors 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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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