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President's Letter
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Dear Council Leaders, Supporters, and Friends:
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Former Defense Secretary Hagel
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Engaging our communities in direct, fact-based conversations with distinguished policymakers and leaders is the bread and butter of Councils. We are more relevant and needed than ever, and most WACA affiliates are developing an array of programs beyond the classic speaker forums. Be sure to listen to the No Passport Necessary podcast interview with WAC Upstate's Tracie Frese. And to test how well you're keeping abreast of the news, try the What in the World? weekly quiz of our Council of the Month, Tennessee WAC.
Some key dates here at WACA: We mark the 3rd anniversary of the Cover to Cover Author Series on Jan. 19 with intelligence expert David Priess; we'll welcome a record 50 high school teams to DC for the Carlos and MalĂș Alvarez 2017 Academic WorldQuest National Competition on April 28-29.
A request: WACA seeks to form a committee of Council executives to guide our offerings for the Spring and Fall Leadership Meetings, as well as best-practice conference calls. Please contact me if you are interested in serving.
Good luck with your programs - and be sure to take advantage of ours!
Bill Clifford, President & CEO
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Every day, the President receives a report revealing the most sensitive intelligence and analysis of world events: the President's Daily Brief, or PDB. As has been
widely reported, President-elect Trump has largely rebuffed intelligence briefers since his election win. See the
Jan. 3 piece by Jennifer Rubin, a conservative writer whose
"Right Turn" column appears in the Washington Post.
Dr. David Priess served during the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations as an award-winning intelligence officer, manager, and daily intelligence briefer at the CIA as well as a desk officer at the State Department (
full bio).
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Council of the Month: Tennessee WAC
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Operating 100% by volunteers, the Council will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year. It relocated to Nashville two years ago from the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee and recently moved onto the campus of its partner, Belmont University. The impressive schedule of town hall and public affairs briefings during 2016 included: Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak; Irish Ambassador Anne Anderson; Japanese Consul General Masami Kinefuchi; U.S. Ambassador (ret.) Thomas Pickering; Kurdish Government Representative Bayan Abdul Rahman, and many others. Most visiting speakers are further made available for guest lecture school visits and presentations at civic groups, expanding the Council's community outreach and impact.
Tennessee WAC reaches youth across the state through its year-round use of Academic WorldQuest, offering practice matches, online resources, and quizzes to engage students and teachers. Tennessee WAC included WorldQuest teams
from Alabama and Georgia in its programs when competitions were not locally available. The Council also offers a very popular international careers panel twice a year.
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Future of Korea Program Series
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WACA is sponsoring an Engage America Speaker Series on the
Future of Korea
in collaboration with the
Korea Economic Institute
. The program aims to broaden and deepen understanding of Korea and the U.S.-Korea relationship among opinion leaders and academics. The centerpiece of the program is a three-person panel discussion, consisting of one representative each from the U.S. Department of State, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, and KEI.
Upcoming event:
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Middle East Program Series
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With generous support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, WACA is delighted to present a fresh Engage America Speaker Series on
American Policy in the Middle East for a New Administration
. Eight Councils have been selected to participate in the program, which is designed to inform the American public about policy options in response to opportunities as well as the multiple interconnected crises in the Middle East.
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WACA-Global Ties Conference Breakfast
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 The World Affairs Councils of America is pleased to sponsor the Global Ties U.S. National Meeting once again this year as part of a reciprocal arrangement to strengthen collaboration between our organizations.
For those Council leaders, staff, and board members who plan to attend the Global Ties "Unity in Community
" Conference in Washington, DC, we cordially invite you to participate in the
WACA breakfast on
Thursday, February 9
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at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.
For more on Global Ties' accomplishments in building peace and prosperity through exchanges, check out this video.
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Podcast: Tracie Frese on WAC Upstate
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Tracie Frese, Executive Director of
World Affairs Council Upstate
(which joined WACA nearly a year ago), was interviewed by 864Living on Dec. 29. Her role and vision in promoting international affairs in South Carolina's Upstate region came through in the artfully titled
No Passport Necessary
podcast episode.
Tracie discussed the many ways the Council provides opportunities for local residents to engage in the increasingly global Upstate region through innovative cultural programs and services, including language classes, distinguished speaker programs, relocation services, humanitarian outreach luncheons, global business connections, and educational programming.
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Maureen Korzik New WACHH Executive Director
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The World Affairs Councils of America congratulates
Maureen Korzik, who officially became
Executive Director of
World Affairs Council of Hilton Head (WACHH) on January 1. Maureen succeeds
Joan Apple Lemoine, who is retiring from the position after seven years of excellent leadership.
A Hilton Head resident, Maureen served as Executive Director of Second Helpings, a nonprofit food rescue and distribution network which helps to eliminate hunger in the Low Country. She led an all-volunteer team and was responsible for development, corporate partnerships, marketing and budgeting. Second Helpings was honored as the Beaufort Chamber's Outstanding Nonprofit in 2014, and received the South Carolina Angel Charity Award from the S.C. Secretary of State in 2013.
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World Affairs Councils in the News
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World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth
Vermont Council on World Affairs
World Affairs Council of Atlanta
WorldDenver
Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council
World Affairs Council of Hilton Head
World Affairs Council of the Desert
Naples World Affairs Council
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Academic WorldQuest 2016-2017
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This year's
AWQ Study Guide
, is now available, along with complete information about the Carlos and MalĂș Alvarez 2017 Academic WorldQuest
National Competition.
This year's National Competition will feature a welcome reception at the
United States Institute of Peace
, on
Friday, April 28, at 4:30-6:00 PM.
For Topics, Study Guide, and other information click
here
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Hotel Reservations:
To utilize our special hotel rates, book your room now at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center (775 12th St. NW, Washington, DC 20005)! For reservations click here
. Book now! These discounted rates expire
March 30
.
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
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Travel the World from WAC Philadelphia
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Just Announced:
Council Leaders to Lecture on Travel the World tours from the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia!
Ambassador Heather Hodges, President & Ambassador-in-Residence, Cleveland Council on World Affairs,
Colombia Rediscovered
: February 3 - 13.
Joyce M. Davis, President, World Affairs Council of Harrisburg,
Journey to
Southern Africa: February 26 - March 13.
Megan Torrey, Executive Director, World Affairs Council of Connecticut,
Cultural Cuba: March 26 - April 3.
Jim Falk, President and CEO, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth,
Inside Iran: April 21 - May 4.
Mimi Gregory, Vice President and Program Chairman, Naples Council on World Affairs,
Cruise the Face of Europe
:
May 15 - 30.
Trina Medarev, Executive Director, World Affairs Council of Jacksonville,
Italian Riviera & Chianti: June 11 - 20.
Dr. Carla Thorson, Senior Vice President of Programs, World Affairs Councils of Northern California,
Circumnavigation of Iceland: August 1 - 9.
Kay Maxwell, Executive Director, World Affairs Forum, Stamford,
Silk Road Odyssey: October 1 - 20.
Derrick Olsen, President, World Affairs Council of
Oregon,
Trade Routes of Coastal Iberia
: October 9 - 17.
Craig Snyder, President and CEO, World Affairs Council of Philadelphia,
Burma
:
October 10 - 22.
Ambassador Mark Johnson, Founder, World Affairs Council of Montana,
Mystique of the Orient: October 17 - 29.
Dr. Jerry Leach, former President, World Affairs Councils of America,
Inside Morocco: October 20 - November 2.
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| The World Affairs Councils of America 1200 18th St., NW, Suite 902, Washington, DC 20036 Phone (202) 833-4557 Fax (202) 833-4555 Email waca@worldaffairscouncils.org Website www.worldaffairscouncils.org |
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