Letter from the Communications and Marketing Manager; WACA National Conference; Star Speakers; Council of the Month; WorldQuest Weekly Quiz; October Best Practices; Councils are Hiring; Council Highlights; & more!
Letter from the Communications and Marketing Manager
Dear Council Colleagues and Supporters,

As we celebrate our 35th anniversary, the team here at WACA is working to make our programming more responsive to the needs of our members and Councils across the national network.

Of all our programs, our Best Practices Sessions reflect the initiative and creativity of our Council leadership. The sessions provide a platform for Member Councils to share their strengths and lessons learned as inspiration for fellow leaders and staff.

Take the Survey!

Now, with the WACA 2021 National Conference approaching, we seek your input for the Leadership Day professional workshops on Wednesday, Nov. 17.

Please take a moment to fill out this survey so we can make this milestone Conference as impactful as possible for our network.

We would like to thank the dedicated WACA Board Members and Council leaders who have thoughtfully crafted Best Practices Sessions in 2021: Michelle Harpenau (task force chair), Karen Burghart, Matthew Hughes, Derrick Olsen, and Xiao Yin Zhao. Under their guidance and expertise, the latest webinar covered Boards and Governance—the video will be shared with Councils in the coming days—and we look forward to the next webinar on Organizational Mergers on October 14 (see below for more).

Thank you in advance for your survey feedback and see you at the National Conference!




Kathleen Euler, Communications and Marketing Manager
WACA 2021 National Conference
Bridging Divides at Home and Abroad
November 16-19
New Conference Speaker
AMBASSADOR (Ret.) KELLEY CURRIE

Member, Board of Directors, National Endowment for Democracy

Member, Board of Governors, East West Center

Adjunct Senior Fellow, Indo-Pacific Security Program, CNAS

Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues (2020-2021)
Our COVID-19 Policy
The health and safety of our guests and communities remains a top priority for the World Affairs Councils of America as we approach our 35th anniversary. We look forward to welcoming Member Councils at our 2021 National Conference and are monitoring and responding to the latest information and guidance at the local and national levels.
 
In order to keep all guests as safe as possible, we are implementing the following guidelines and steps to mitigate risk of exposure at the 2021 National Conference and Associated Events:

  • Proof of vaccination required for all attendees. Accepted forms of proof of vaccination include: physical vaccination card or digital photo of vaccination card (on mobile device). Guests will not be permitted entry to the 2021 National Conference without proof of vaccination. (Any medical exemptions must be cleared in advance with the WACA office).
  • Limit to 6-person tables and social distancing measures where appropriate and possible.
  • A CDC-approved face mask, covering mouth and nose, must be worn when indoors (except when eating and drinking).
  • Coordination with the Hotel and Associated Event Venues to implement protective measures such as social distancing and hand sanitization.
   
To read the full policy, head to our conference website.
Star Speakers at Councils This Week
James Olson
Fmr. CIA Chief of Counterintelligence
Dr. Dhabia Al-Mohannadi
Asst. Prof., Texas A&M in Qatar
John Pomfret
Correspondent, Washington Post
Pedro Pizarro
President, Edison Institute
Dr. Sara AlThani
Saudi Ministry of Investment
Council of the Month Highlight
Tennessee World Affairs Council
WACA is pleased to announce the Tennessee World Affairs Council as its October 2021 Council of the Month! Each month, WACA features one of its 90 Councils, highlighting their accomplishments and top quality programming.

On Wednesday, TNWAC will present experienced practitioners from the fields of diplomacy, national security, international development, and the Peace Corps at the International Careers Panel.
WorldQuest Weekly Quiz
This week's WACA WorldQuest Weekly is out! Test your global affairs awareness and dive into news stories that represent a broad spectrum of developments of interest and importance. Most of the questions are drawn from both WACA's Weekly World News Update, and a curated news Twitter feed @TNWAC #WACquiz.

In partnership with WACA, WorldQuest Weekly is produced by the Tennessee World Affairs Council, which offers customized subscriptions to the quiz for Council members. Contact pat@tnwac.org or visit tnwac.org/quiz for details.

Last Week's Winners (10/10 Points):
Roger (Louisville), Barbara (Jacksonville), Catherine (Cleveland), Clarice (Indianapolis), & Carol (Worcester)
Best Practices Webinar: Thursday, October 14
Paul Rooprai
VP, Strategy Division of Ashley Rountree 
Kim McCleary Blue
President & CEO, LAWACTH
We are excited to hold WACA's 7th WACA Best Practices Sessions of the year on Thursday, October 14 at 3:00 PM ET on Mergers in World Affairs Councils.
 
We'll feature Paul Rooprai, Vice President of the Strategy Division of Ashley Rountree, and Kim McCleary Blue is the President & CEO of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall. 
Council Members, check your inboxes for the registration email!
Inventing a New World
Discussion with TIME Magazine's Kid of the Year
Tuesday, October 19
The Columbus Council on World Affairs will host TIME Magazine’s 2020 Kid of The Year, Gitanjali Rao. The 15-year-old innovator, author, and STEM promoter has a mission to create a global community of young innovators to take on the world’s most pressing challenges. Rao’s noteworthy work in STEM addresses issues ranging from potable water access to cyberbullying, and she’s just getting started. Her presentation will focus on the importance of young people taking action and why their perspectives are valuable when considering global issues.
Job Announcements in the Network
Colorado Springs World Affairs Council seeks to hire a Part Time Executive Director. Learn more.
Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs seeks to hire a President. Learn more.
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth seeks to hire a Director of Membership and Development. Learn more.
World Affairs Council of Seattle seeks to hire a Program Officer, Global Leadership Exchange. Learn more.
International Institute of Buffalo seeks to hire an Immigrant Domestic Violence Advocate and a Development Assistant. Learn more.
World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana seeks to hire a Global Education Program Coordinator. Learn more.
World Affairs Council of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky seeks to hire an International Programs Associate. Learn more.
All programs below are accessible online unless otherwise indicated.

Monday 10/4

Global Minnesota hosts Elizabeth Shackelford, former career diplomat and Senior Fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, for “Global Book Club: The Dissent Channel – American Diplomacy in a Dishonest Age”

Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts Timothy Snyder, Professor of History at Yale University, and Nora Krug, author and Associate Professor at the Parsons School of Design, for “ON TYRANNY: Is our Democratic Republic on the Brink of Authoritarianism?”

Cleveland Council on World Affairs presents “Cleveland LEADS: Leadership, Exchange, and Diplomacy Scholars Program” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky presents “The History and Importance of the Jewish Community in Cincinnati”

Tuesday 10/5

World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosts Tracy Walder, former CIA officer and FBI special agent, for “The Unexpected Spy”

World Affairs Council of Austin hosts Dhabia Al-Mohannadi, Assistant Professor at Texas A&M in Qatar, for “Kozmetsky Forum on Global Challenges in Carbon Footprint”

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts James Olson, former CIA Chief of Counterintelligence and Professor at the Bush School at Texas A&M University, for “A Different Kind of Career: Under Cover in the CIA” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Hilton Head presents “Fall Forum” (In Person)

Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy hosts Ian Houston, President and Ambassador of the Scottish Business Network (SBN), for “Celebrating Steps Forward: The Future of Modernist Scotland Post-Brexit”

Wednesday 10/6

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts John Pomfret, a correspondent for the Washington Post, for “Peninsula Webinar: Is It Xi or Is It China?”

Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council hosts Roya Hakakian, author and founding member of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, for “A Beginner’s Guide to America: The Immigrant Experience”


World Affairs Council of Charleston hosts Al Thibault, World Affairs Council of Charleston Program Chairman, for “Afghanistan: Unraveling What Really Went Wrong - A South Asain Dynamic”

Tennessee World Affairs Council hosts a panel of specialists for “International Career Panel: Across the Spectrum of Professions”

World Affairs Council of Austin hosts a panel of specialists for “Understanding Tariffs: Strategies to Manage Impact and Influence Outcomes”

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts David McCloskey, former CIA analyst and consultant at McKinsey & Company, for “Damascus Station” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts Robert Costa, national political reporter at the Washington Post, for “Inside Peril”

Thursday 10/7

WorldDenver, Colorado Foothills World Affairs Council, and Colorado Springs World Affairs Council host Sarah Chayes, prizewinning journalist and former Special Assistant on Corruption to Mike Mullen, for “Afghanistan: The Peril of Neglecting Democracy and the Rule of Law”

World Affairs Council of Western Michigan hosts Sara Althari, Advisor for Biotechnology and Healthcare at the Saudi Ministry of Investment, for “Saudi - U.S. Economic Collaborations”

Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts Pedro Pizarro, President and CEO of Edison Institute, for “A Conversation with Edison International President & CEO on California’s Pivotal Climate Change Moment”

World Affairs Council of Orange County hosts Gregory Shaffer, Professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, for “Emerging Powers and the World Trading System” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky present “Stammtisch” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Maine presents “Coffee and Discussion on the AUKUS Submarine Deal”

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts Tara Kangarlou, award-winning journalist, for “The Heartbeat of Iran: Real Voices of a Country and Its People”

Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs hosts Michael O'Hanlon, Director of Research at the Brookings Institution, for “The Art of War in an Age of Peace: The U.S. Grand Strategy and Resolute Restraint” (In Person)

International Relations Council hosts David Dollar, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, for “Great Decisions Lecture Series: The End of Globalization?”

Friday 10/8

International Relations Council hosts Brian Tronic, Counsel at Perseus Strategies, for “International Career Series: Human Rights Law”

Global Minnesota presents the “9th Annual Cine Latino Film Festival” (In Person)

Saturday 10/9

World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh hosts “Hot Metal Bridge to McKeesport Community Bike Ride” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth presents “Be the Change: Meridian Young Professionals Service Project with North Texas Food Bank” (In Person)

Sunday 10/10

Harrisburg World Affairs Council hosts “Walk Against Hate” (In Person)