Fellows Cohort 2019-2020

The 2019-2020 World Affairs Council Fellows Program cohort was comprised of 35 impressive Seattle leaders representing diverse fields. The Fellows convened once a month for breakfast discussions with carefully selected high-caliber international experts who offered unparalleled insights into global issues, in addition to meeting throughout the year for additional Council events and networking opportunities.

2019-2020 Speakers:

Gary Locke, former Washington State Governor, United States Secretary of Commerce, Ambassador to China
Mark Suzman, CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Sheila Smith, Senior Fellow for Japan Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
General (Ret.) Barry McCaffrey, U.S. Army; formerly Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
Reza Marashi, Research Director, National Iranian American Council
Daniel C. Esty, Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy, Yale
Jeffrey Hall, Deputy Director, U.S. Policy and Advocacy, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Ambassador (Ret.) Jimmy Kolker, former Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Ambassador (Ret.) William Burns, President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Ambassador (Ret.) Deborah K. Jones, former U.S. Ambassador to Libya
Reuben Culpin, Head of Field Office for the United Nations
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)

Molly Abbruzzese

Senior Program Officer, Global Delivery Programs, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Captain Matt Arny

Commanding Officer, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, U.S. Navy

Carsten Belanich

Fund Manager, Columbia Pacific Management, Inc.

CEO, Kenan Block Media & Communications

Controller, Aero Law

Chief of Staff/Chief of Operations, Panorama

Katherine Cheng

Head of Global Corporate Citizenship and Community Relations, Expedia

Managing Director, Government Affairs, Vulcan

Regional Director, Airline Market Analysis, Boeing

Director of Communications, Holland America Group

Meg Goldner-Rabinowitz

Assistant Head of School, The Northwest School

Cristin Gordon-Maclean

Director, Immunotherapy Coordinating Center, Seattle Children's Research Institute

Deputy Director, US Policy and Advocacy, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Global Account Executive, Flexport International

Senior Product Marketing Manager for Azure ISV, Microsoft

FSO on year-long sabbatical

Senior Director, Impact Team, Vulcan

Consul and Program Manager, Consulate General of Canada

Director of Curriculum and Instruction and Associate Professor, City University of Seattle

Director, Global Readiness, Microsoft

Kimberly Mecham

Director, Center for Leadership and Innovation, St. Thomas School

Wealth Advisor, Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo Private Bank

Associate, Stoel Rives LLP

Economist, Payscale; Data and policy analyst specializing in Latin America

Japanese Teacher, John Stanford International Elementary School

Executive Director, American Institute of Architects, Seattle Chapter

Director, Timberlands Strategic Planning, Weyerhaeuser

Managing Director, Global Oncology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Managing Director, BCA, International Strategy & Business Development, Boeing

Director of Scientific Programs and Chief of Staff to the CEO, Intellectual Ventures

Director of Product Management, Data and Insights Division, Tyler Technologies

Consul, Consulate General of Japan in Seattle

Vice President, MyCOS Corp.

Policy Director, National Center for APEC