Why I Am Running for the Board of Directors

Sister Cities International sits at the intersection of my passion, transferable skillsets, and professional work. I’ve not only been part of organizations, committees, and fellowship programs funded by the U.S. Department of State, but I also run a consulting company that helps international companies with go-to-market strategies to the U.S. and vice versa.

After years of serving on another board in the space of citizen diplomacy and cultural exchange, I am ready for the next adventure. In a world that is blurring the boundaries between industries and getting increasingly more complex, I can’t imagine a better place for that next adventure than Sister Cities International – the ultimate long-term problem-solver. As the organization strives to live up to President Eisenhower’s vision of a network that champions peace and prosperity against the backdrop of multi-faceted, pervasive, and global challenges, I am drawn to the idea of confronting those challenges with like-minded people.

By strengthening the sister cities network through the provision of essential services, programs, and resources, I truly believe that Sister Cities International is doing God’s work and bringing the world closer together. I’d like a front-row seat to this work.

Bio

Even though I took my first trip abroad as an undergraduate student, I fell in love with international travel. Then, I committed to building bridges across cultural, lingual, and racial lines, even without knowing exactly how.

Luckily, life presented several platforms for citizen diplomacy and cultural exchange. As a Senior Advisor to a former Detroit Mayor, I ran the Sister Cities program. In this capacity, I added a new city (North Dhaka, Bangladesh) to the program and increased involvement with existing sister cities, leaving Detroit with seven active sister city relationships. I also got to live with a Japanese host family and learn best practices from other U.S. cities (Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles) that ran robust sister cities programs.

After the Mayor’s office, I got another opportunity to foster bonds between people and countries by serving on the Global Ties Detroit Board of Directors. In over a decade on this Board, including as its Vice Chair and Treasurer, the organization diversified its revenue, organized numerous international trips, and positioned itself as a true thought leader in citizen diplomacy. I also traveled to 30+ countries through the U.S. Speaker Program, presenting on social entrepreneurship and subnational diplomacy. Lastly, through both inbound and outbound programs like the German Marshall Fund (Marshall Memorial Fellowship Program), American Council of Young Political Leaders, and others, I’ve gained an in-depth understanding of effective citizen diplomacy that I am excited to bring to the Sister Cities International Board, if elected.