AMB. JAMES R. JONES

Amb. Jim Jones was inaugurated as Chairman in February 2003. CEO of ManattJones Global Strategies, he has served as US Ambassador to Mexico and currently serves as Chairman of the US-Mexico Business Council, Chairman of the International Business Council of Greater Washington, and Chairman of the Meridian International Center. Previously he served as Chairman of the American Stock Exchange, Chief of Staff to President Johnson, and a Congressman representing Oklahoma. He holds a law degree from Georgetown.

MR. ALEX LARI

Alex Lari is founder and CEO of The Claremont Group, a multi-billion dollar Manhattan-based real estate development and holding company. He is a New York University graduate holding both a Bachelor degree and Masters degree in Civil Engineering. His experience is equally divided between construction projects and real estate development in the New York Metropolitan area.

MR. MICHAEL C. MAIBACH

Michael C. Maibach is President & CEO of the European American Business Council in Washington DC. He previously served on the World Affairs Councils of America board and is now Vice Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Business Forum of the World Affairs Council of Washington, DC. A former Intel Vice President, he established the Intel Government Affairs Department in Washington, DC.

MR. JOSEPH MELOOKARAN

Joseph Melookaran CPA is a first generation immigrant from India and a businessman who is very active in the civic leadership and business community initiatives in the Greater Kansa City area and at the national level.  He established JMA Chartered in 1994 and provides public assurance services, information technology consulting, and electronic healthcare solutions to a wide variety of clients.  He is currently President of the International Relations Council of Kansas City.

MR. CARLOS ALVAREZ

Carlos Alvarez is the founder and CEO of the Gambrinus Company, based in San Antonio, Texas. Thanks to his leadership, Gambrinus became the exclusive importer of Corona Extra in the US. Gambrinus also acquired exclusive rights to import and distribute in the US Moosehead Canadian Lager. Mr. Alvarez was also responsible for the purchase of Pete's Brewing Company in 1998, then a publicly owned brewery.

 MS. DIXIE ANDERSON
Dixie Anderson has been Executive Director of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan for over twelve years.  This Council, winning the first WACA “Best Small Council in the Nation” award, recently hosted President George W. Bush for a policy address on Iraq and the Middle East, with Anderson introducing the President to an internationally televised audience.  Anderson, voted “One of the 50 Most Influential Women in Western Michigan," was a marketing and public relations executive before taking over the Council position.  She hold a an MBA in industrial marketing from Grand Valley State University and a BS degree in sociology and art history.

MR. DAVID BAILEY

MR. LOWELL BLANKFORT
Blankfort Unlimited Inc. is a consulting firm specializing in media consulting, and article and column writing.  Mr. Blankfort is co-owner (in conjunction with on-scene operating publishers), consultant or columnist of 14 community newspapers in California, Minnesota, Colorado, Illinois, Wisconsin and Arizona.  He is also a co-owner of MI Media Inc., a publisher of two national music magazines.  He also writes special articles, mostly on foreign countries.

DR. RACHEL BRONSON
Rachel Bronson joined The Chicago Council in January 2007 as Vice President, Programs and Studies. Prior to that, she served as Senior Fellow and Director, Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York.  Dr. Bronson's book Thicker than Oil:   America's Uneasy Partnership with Saudi Arabia (Oxford University Press) was published in May 2006.   She has testified before the Congressional Anti-Terrorist Finance Task Force, the Joint Economic Committee and the 9/11 Commission.  In 2003 Dr. Bronson was named a Carnegie Corporation Scholar.  She earned a B.A. in history at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University.

MR. ALI EBRAHIMI

Mr. Ali Ebrahimi is the president of Ersa Grae, a multi-million dollar real estate development firm active in Texas and Florida.  He received a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil engineering from the University of Maryland and his Master’s Degree in urban planning from Catholic University in Washington DC.  Mr. Ebrahimi is the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

MR. JIM N. FALK

Jim Falk is the President of the World Affairs Council of Greater Dallas. Prior to joining the council, Mr. Falk served as Vice President of Development at the National Center for Policy Analysis, Director of the Institute for International Education Regional office in Houston, as a Vice President and Group Manager at First City National Bank of Houston, National Deputy Director for Egypt Today, and Director of Education and Media Relations at the Middle East Institute. He holds an MA in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and in 2001 was designated a CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive).

MR. FARES I. FARES

Fares Fares is Chairman of the Board of Wedge Alternatives Ltd, a London-based firm specializing in alternative investments. He is also Chairman of Wedge Real Estate Holdings and a board member of Wedge Group, a Houston-based company that provides products and services throughout the world in a variety of sectors including hospitality, energy services, process engineering, banking, and real estate.

MR. ROBERT FISCHER

Robert Fischer is the Executive Director of the World Affairs Council of St. Louis. As an information technology executive, he managed global divisions for IBM, Dun & Bradstreet, McDonnell Douglas, Computer Sciences and others.

MR. JONATHAN M. FOX

Jon M. Fox was President and CEO of Samuel Aaron International, Thai- Link and Sino-Link Trading Company – jewelry manufacturing companies based in New York, Bangkok and Hong Kong. He founded Spirit of Hope, a non-profit that raises money t to help children with HIV/AIDS in northern Thailand. He received his B.A. from Tufts. He was the past Chairman of the World Affairs Forum of Stamford.

DR. WARD FREDERICKS

Ward Fredericks is Chairman of the World Affairs Council of the Desert, in Palm Springs, California.  As an international business executive for 35 years, he served as a senior officer of Massey Ferguson and Rockwell International.  Currently a venture capitalist, he currently serves as President of the College of the Desert Foundation.

MR. KEN FURST
For the past six years, Ken Furst has served as President of the World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts.  As President of Momentum Group, a sales growth company working for leaders in multiple industries, Mr. Furst counsels his clients on business development.  Mr. Furst holds an MBA from the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business.

MS. MIMI CHAPIN GREGORY

Mimi Gregory is President of the Naples World Affairs Council.  She served as Vice President of WorldBoston for many years.  She has a 25 year history with the Alliances-Francaises and serves on their National Board.  She has been Knighted by the French Government as a "Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters."  In 2005 she was named the Florida Council for Social Studies' Outstanding Citizen and in March 2007 a Woman of Achievement by the American Association of University Women. 

DR. JOSEPH M. HA

Joseph Ha is Vice President for International Business and Government Relations at Nike. Dr. Ha currently serves as Professor of International Politics at Portland State University, Lewis & Clark College, and the Russian Academy of Sciences. He is also the Director of the Trans-Pacific Institute and a Nike board member in Japan, Korea, China, and the Philippines. Dr. Ha has served as the New York Regional Director of the Peace Corps, and is a past president of the World Affairs Council of Oregon. He has authored fifty scholarly articles and authored or co-authored seven books.

MS. FELICITY HARLEY

Felicity Harley has an extensive professional background that combines 30 years of national and international experience as a senior manager and Chief Executive Officer in nonprofit institutions, and is currently the Executive Director of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut. Felicity Harley was educated in Great Britain and the United States. She is a published writer and poet.

MR. NOEL V. LATEEF

Noel Lateef serves as President and CEO of the Foreign Policy Association, the New York chapter of the World Affairs Councils of America. Lateef came to FPA in 1995 after his Chairmanship of the Bowery Division of Home Savings of America. A graduate of Yale and Princeton, Lateef holds a law degree and a Master's Degree in International Affairs.

MR. JAMES LEXO 
Mr. James Lexo currently serves as Vice President of VSE Corporation, a diversified technical and management services company that serves the federal government.  Previously, Mr. Lexo directed the growth of ICRC from a start-up to a multimillion dollar company over the last decade.  He has extensive experience related to campaign marketing, advertising, and government contracting.  He has also served on the staff of Alaska Rep. Don Young in both Washington, DC and Alaska offices.

MR. KENTON E. MCDONALD

Kenton E. McDonald is a shareholder in the law firm of Branscomb | PC in Corpus Christi, Texas. Previously, he served as Assistant to the Commissioner in the National Office of the Internal Revenue Service.  McDonald attended Southern Methodist University where he received a bachelor of business administration degree and a juris doctor degree.

MS. DEANNA K.W. PELFREY

Deanna K.W. Pelfrey, APR, Fellow PRSA is chairman of the Louisville International Cultural Center and the Louisville World Affairs Council. She is President of Pelfrey Associates, Inc., a 28 year-old public relations and marketing firm with national and international reach. She is a frequent lecturer at conferences and professional meetings.

 MR. MICHAEL PHILLIP
Michael Phillip is a Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor to Merrill Lynch with clients across the globe.  He currently serves as Chairman of the World Affairs Council of America - California Central Coast.

MS. ANGELA WECK

Angela Weck is the Executive Director for the Peoria Area World Affairs Council in Illinois. She is a faculty member of the Institute of International Studies and the Department of Political Science at Bradley University. She has a BA from Iowa State University and an MA from University of Minnesota. Her areas of expertise are Russia and Eastern Europe.

MR. PETER WHITE

Peter White is president and founder of the Southern Center for International Studies, a nonprofit educational institution whose mission is to educate and inform Americans about international affairs. He graduated from Fordham University, the Hague Academy of International Law, and the National War College.

MS. MARIA WULFF

Maria Wulff is President of the World Affairs Council of Oregon. She was formerly Director of Business Assistance at the International Trade Institute and Managing Director of an import company producing custom products in Asia for worldwide distribution. She was founder and president of the East West Business Association and serves on a number of civic boards. She holds degrees in History, International Relations, and Business from Portland State University, the University of Zagreb in Croatia, and Harvard University.

DR. DOV S. ZAKHEIM
Dr.  Dov S. Zakheim is Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. Prior to that, Zakheim was Comptroller of the Defense Department from 2001-2004. He served as a senior foreign policy advisor to then-Governor Bush. He also served as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Planning and Resources in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense. He holds a Ph.D. from Oxford.