Officers:

President: Clifford Gilpin
1st Vice President: Michael Wygant
2nd Vice President: Tim Honey
Secretary: Lynne Houle 
Assistant Secretary: Jacob Acker
Treasurer: Joe Keaney
Assistant Treasurer: Gino Nalli
Clerk: Bill Welch

Directors:
The year indicates the first year of service on the Board of Directors.

JACOB ACKER, 2012.  Jake moved to Maine after graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in International Affairs in 2010.  Since moving to Portland, Jake has been involved with the Council as a member of the Program Committee.  Jake currently works for CIEE (the Council on International Educational Exchange), providing support to international high school and college age students who work and study in the U.S.

DEBRA ANDREWS, 2007.  Debra is an Education Specialist in Career and Technical Education at the Maine State Department of Education.  She was the Director of the Center for Global Operations at Southern Maine Community College from 2000–2009. From 1995 to 2000 she managed study programs with Project Harmony in Vermont for business people from Russia and other former Soviet republics. Debra has traveled extensively in Eastern Europe and from 1991 to 1995 she lived in Denmark where she directed an international program at IUC-Europe. She holds a B.S. in Education from Eastern Connecticut State College and a M.S. in Education from USM. She serves on the Board of several organizations, including the Longview Foundation for Education in International and Global Understanding, and previously served on the board of the American Forum for Global Understanding.

BRADLEY O. BABSON, 2005.  Brad is a consultant on East Asia and global development issues, currently involved in Track II diplomacy with North Korea and economic engagement diplomacy with Myanmar.  He served 26 years with the World Bank, most recently as Senior Advisor, East Asia and Pacific Region, with assignments including Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.  He has published widely on East and Southeast Asia, has been a speaker for the World Affairs Council of Maine, and holds an MPA from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a BA from Williams College.

JOHN DOUGHTY, 2012.  John is Vice President and Associate Director of Research at R.M. Davis, Inc., which he joined in 2002 as a Vice President. Prior to that, John was a Vice President of Equity Research at Credit Suisse First Boston where he was a member of Institutional Investor magazine's top-ranked U.S. Equities Telecommunications research team from 1998-2001. Before joining Credit Suisse, John was a Vice President of Fixed Income Research at Bear Stearns. He also was a Senior Financial Analyst at Bath Iron Works from 1990-1991.

John earned his B.A. (cum laude) in History and Government and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College and his MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. John also completed graduate course work in Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago. He is a member of the CFA Institute, the Maine CFA Society, the Boston Security Analysts Society and the National Association of Petroleum Investment Analysts. John has served on numerous community boards and presently serves on the Pine Tree Council Investment Committee and the World Affairs Council of Maine's Program Committee. John grew up in Maine and now lives in Falmouth Foreside with his wife, Wendy, and their daughter.

Gordon Erikson, 2009.  Gordon Erikson is a graduate of the University of Maine with a BS and MBA. He has served as an Officer in the US Army which included service in Vietnam. Gordon has served for over 30 years in the Financial Services Industry with time in the Commercial Banking, Private Banking and Wealth Management sectors. He is currently with RBC Wealth Management. He is a Certified Financial Planner {tm} with a focus on family wealth creation and preservation. He is a board member of the Maine Children’s Cancer Program and on the Advisory Board Member of the Portland Stage Company. He is married to Donna Erikson and they have 2 adult Children, Dan and Abby both of whom are very engaged in international work. 

 

JULIE FISHER, 2010.  Dr. Julie Fisher was a Program Officer at the Kettering Foundation from 1997 to 2005, where she coordinated the International Civil Society Exchange and international fellows programs, and also worked on the international summer workshops. She is now an associate with the Foundation, and has just completed a book entitled: Importing Democracy: The Role of NGOs in South Africa, Tajikistan and Argentina.  Dr. Fisher has also served as Scholar in Residence at the Program on Non-Profit Organizations at Yale University, and a lecturer in the Biology Department for a course on World Population. She previously taught comparative politics and a course on The Politics of Third World Development at Connecticut College. As a specialist on nongovernmental organizations and microenterprise development, she has been a consultant to numerous international agencies, including CIVICUS, Technoserve, CARE, Trickle Up, Lutheran World Relief and Save the Children.  She is the author of The Road from Rio: Sustainable Development and the Nongovernmental Movement in the Third World (Praeger: 1993) and Nongovernments: NGOs and the Political Development of the Third World (Kumarian: 1997). Julie has been a member of the Advisory Board for the Civil Society Series published by the New England University Press. She often reviews articles for the Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly and Voluntas.  She received her B.A. in international studies at Pomona College and her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

 

Matthew Gardner, 2009.  Matt chairs the Council's Education Committee and has served as President, Board member, and Interim Co-Executive Director.  He edited the Maine International Resource Directory and directed the Maine East Asia Seminar for Teachers from 2000 to 2010. He is Life Director of Agawam Council, the non-profit which operates Camp Agawam for Boys in Raymond.  Before relocating to Maine, Matt was Director of Asian Studies at Georgetown University and Associate Dean of its School of Foreign Service.  A former Naval Air Intelligence Officer and Vietnam veteran, he holds an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. from Yale University.

 

DESMOND GILLIARD, 2007.  Desmond is a native of New York City, but has called Maine home for many years.  Currently, he works in the tax department at Fairchild Semiconductor.  He holds an A.B. in English from Bowdoin College, a J.D. from University of Maine School of Law, with a concentration in Taxation.  During his free time, he enjoys independent shoe-string travel.  He has had the opportunity to travel to over 30 countries on 5 continents. 

 

CLIFFORD GILPIN, 2008.  Clifford has previously served on the Council’s board for six years, including the position of 2^nd Vice President. From September 2006-June 2008 he served as interim Co-Executive Director.  He holds a PhD from Columbia University and his professional background is in education planning. Clifford was on the staff of the World Bank for 22 years and held several operations assignments in the Africa and East Asia regions before becoming director of the Bank’s staff training program. Since moving to Maine he has been a consultant trainer and professional coach.  In 2009, Clifford and his wife, Susan, moved in to a new house in Falmouth built to LEED certification standards. He is a member of the Falmouth Recycling and Energy Advisory Committee.

 

JAMES HETTENBACH, 2011.  Jim Hettenbach is a Director of Market Development at Unum where he focuses on Health Care Reform and other new business opportunities for the company, but was also able to spend the summer of 2011 working on an assignment at Unum’s UK office south of London.   He has been with Unum since November 2006.  Prior to joining Unum, Jim worked at American Express and New York Life, both in New York City. He has a Master’s Degree in Marketing from New York University’s Stern School of Business and currently resides in Portland with his wife and two young sons.

 

TIM HONEY, 2011.  Tim Honey has over 35 years of professional experience and a proven track record of exceptional accomplishments. He has worked locally and globally - including state and local government management, international non-profit management, intergovernmental relations, international development, citizen diplomacy, university teaching and administration, and private sector consulting. Tim is currently an international consultant, with his primary clients being in Africa. He recently returned from a “service sabbatical” in South Africa where he volunteered for 5 months in Imizamo Yethu township in Cape Town. Prior to that he served as Executive Director of Sister Cities International from 2000-2006.  He also served as city manager of Portland, Maine and Boulder, Colorado, as well as Executive Director of the Rhode Island Mortgage and Finance Agency.  He has also been a legislative lobbyist for the National League of Cities. Tim is an internationalist in both his personal and professional life. He has worked throughout Africa, as well as in Hungary, Lebanon, and the Republic of Georgia. His areas of expertise include urban revitalization, local governance, fiscal decentralization, local government association development, housing, technology, non-profit management, and leadership development. He is a passionate advocate of citizen diplomacy as an essential element to international security, peace and development. Tim holds a BA in American Diplomatic History from Cornell University, and an MA from Georgetown University in Political Science.  He is an elected Fellow at the National Academy of Public Administration.

 

LYNNE HOULE, 2010.  A member of Bernstein Shur's Business Law Practice Group since 2006, Lynne's legal practice focuses on general corporate and securities law.  Lynne worked as an attorney with Brobeck, Hale and Dorr in Prague, Czech Republic for several years.  While there, she represented clients in diverse areas of international corporate law, including joint ventures and acquisitions as well as transactions related to the privatization of formerly state-owned entities.  She also served as editor for Czechoslovakian Business Law in 1992.  Lynne and her family resided in Belgium, Hungary and The Netherlands prior to moving to Maine in 2002.  A graduate of Ohio University and Stanford Law School, Lynne lives in Cape Elizabeth.

 

MAUREEN HURLEY, 2007,  Director, International Visitors Program.  Maureen retired from the Air Force in 2003 where she served as a human resources and protocol officer.  She has resided in the United Kingdom and the Azores, and also traveled and worked in Italy, Norway, Germany, and the West Indies. Since returning to Maine, Maureen has been an active volunteer with the World Affairs Council of Maine, Habitat for Humanity, and the Pejepscot Historical Society in Brunswick.  Maureen received her B.A from Hillsdale College and M.Ed. from Vanderbilt University.

 

JOSEPH KEANEY, 2004.  Joe is managing member of Joseph A. Keaney CPA, LLC, P.A. He specializes in tax planning and compliance for banks and other financial institutions, as well as corporate and individual taxation.  He is a graduate of University of Maine and Bentley College.  Joe is active in Maine Society of CPAs, American Institute of CPAs, St. Andre Home, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Portland and Auburn/Lewiston, SCIM Foundation, The Woodlands Club, and Catherine McAuley Board of Directors.

 

Trisha Mason, 2009.  Trisha Mason is the founding director of the Center for International Education at the University of New England.  She received her B.A. in World Politics from Hamilton College and her M.A. in Public Policy and Management from the University of Southern Maine.  Prior to returning to her native Maine, Trisha worked in Washington, D.C. as the senior program coordinator for the Western Hemisphere division of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where she led congressional delegation visits to Latin America and managed an ambassador tour for the Brazilian Embassy.

ELLEN MOY, 2012.  Ellen Driscoll Moy has been teaching history and political science courses at Husson University since 2001 and Southern Maine Community College since 2003.  Previously, Ellen was the Executive Director of the Kennebunkport Historical Society for six years, a Community Manager with the American Heart Association in Connecticut and the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation.

Ellen is a board member of Kachlite, a Zambia-based organization that empowers communities to help themselves through sustainable microfinance projects and by promoting literacy as a tool to fight poverty.  She is a member of the Education Committee of Partners of America, Maine Chapter, which facilitates educational and cultural exchanges between the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil with Maine.  Currently, she is the advisor for the newly formed Model United Nations Club at SMCC.  Ellen was a board member of Maine Association of Nonprofits and the advisor for the Multicultural and International Student Club at SMCC.  She has reviewed grants for the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington, DC and was involved with Maine Archives and Museums while at Kennebunkport Historical Society. 

Ellen received a Masters degree in History from Colorado State University and a Bachelors degree in History and American Studies from Boston College.  She lives in Kennebunk with her husband, Quincy.

GINO NALLI, 2010.  Gino Nalli is retired as Assistant Research Professor and Chair of the Graduate Program in Health Policy and Management at the Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine. In 2010, he served as Interim Director of the Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy at Muskie. Mr. Nalli has extensive experience in health systems and policy and previously served as Senior Consultant with Towers Watson, an international actuarial and benefits consulting firm, and President and CEO of MD-Individual Practice Associates, Inc, a multi-state health maintenance organization. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Maine Medical Center, Chamber Health Alliance, and Martin’s Point Physicians Group, as well as Program Specialist for the Fulbright Program. Mr. Nalli received a B.A. degree from Binghamton University (SUNY) in 1972 and a Masters of Public Health from Yale University in 1976.  He currently consults to health care and educational organizations.

 

CHARLES H. NORCHI, 2010.  Charles Norchi, J.S.D., is Professor of Law at the University of Maine School of Law and Fellow in the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation in the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Dr. Norchi is Visiting Professor in the City University School of Law in Hong Kong, and Professor in the Xiamen Academy of International Law in China. His expertise and publications are in international law, oceans law, law and development, and comparative law. Dr. Norchi has extensive consulting experience in Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He has counseled the World Bank, UNDP, WHO, UNIDO, the US government agencies and law firms. Dr. Norchi is Co-Chair of the Institute for Law and Development Policy in Geneva, Switzerland; Fellow of the Explorers Club, Member of the Board of the Policy Sciences Center, Inc., and the Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong Centre for Maritime and Transport Law. Professor Norchi holds an A.B. from Harvard University, a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, an LL.M. and a J.S.D. from Yale Law School.  He was born in Dublin, Ireland and resides in Portland, Maine.

 

ADAM RUBIN, 2007.  Adam is Program Director for Africa, Middle East, and Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe at CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange). During his sixteen-year tenure with CIEE, Adam has also served as the on-site director of the CIEE Tokyo program, Director of Campus Relations, and External Relations Officer for Asia-Pacific programs.  While in Japan, Adam held adjunct faculty positions at both Meiji University and Sophia University.  He received his B.A. in Economics from Whitman College and his M.A. in East Asian Studies from Stanford University.  An international explorer since the age of five, Adam has visited all 50 US states and has traveled to various corners of the world, including more than 50 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

 

TIMOTHY SEAVEY, 2007.  Tim is an independent consultant specializing in international and domestic market development and risk management in the financial services sector. Prior to this he was Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Unum, responsible for determining long-term strategic priorities for Unum's US and UK businesses.  He returned to Maine in 2003 after working and residing in Buenos Aires and Toronto over a five year period.  This followed several years developing start-up businesses in Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, France and Germany.  He holds a BA in Economics and Psychology from St. Lawrence University and resides in Portland with his wife and two children.  Tim is taking a one-year leave from the Board in 2012-2013.

 

LAONGDAO “Tak” Suppasettawat, 2009.  Tak works for Fidelity Investment. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Before moving to Maine in 2001, Tak worked in the financial services industry for many years in many countries including United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand.  Tak also serves on the board of the University of Southern Maine Alumni association. Tak lives in Cape Elizabeth with her husband Fred Thomas and their daughter, Nina.

 

KATHLEEN SUTHERLAND, 2006.  Kathleen is a member of the Council’s Program Committee.  She was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, where her father was Dean of the American University. She has conducted research in Egypt, Morocco, and Pakistan on women’s status in these countries and served on the Board of Directors of the Women’s Association of Cairo. She holds a PhD from Indiana University and a BA from Western College for Women in Ohio. She is Associate Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Bowling Green State University, Ohio and teaches at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at USM.  She is interested in watercolor/oil/pastel painting, drama, writing and her family. 

 

GAIL WITHERILL, 2008.  Gail began her career as a clinical dietitian and nutrition educator after obtaining her degree in Dietetics at Michigan State University.  Her career also included working for the Portland Symphony Orchestra as Education Project Manager in charge of education programs. Volunteerism has been a primary focus and Gail served as Co-Director of Volunteers for MSAD 51, was a member and chairperson of the Board of MSAD 51, a volunteer for and President of Friends of PSO, and Chair of the Greely Middle School Building Project.  Other organizations Gail has been involved with include Habitat for Humanity and Project Vote Smart.  Her involvement with the World Affairs Council of Maine has included the Leadership Committee of 2008-2010, Great Decisions Dinners Coordinator and membership on the Development and Program Committees.  Gail is taking a one-year leave from the Board in 2012-2013.

 

MICHAEL WYGANT, 2011.  Mike Wygant and his wife, Lee, moved to Maine in 1990 after a 31 year career in the US Foreign Service. They served on three continents, and in the Micronesian islands, including a two year assignment at the US Embassy in Moscow, 1968-70. Since coming to Maine, Mike has been active with the World Affairs Council and has done much public speaking in Northern New England. He also has developed a second career with the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), having accepted numerous OSCE assignments, mostly of short duration, in the former Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe.

 

CLERK

WILLIAM M. WELCH.  Bill is a former two-term Board Member and the current Clerk of the World Affairs Council of Maine. He is a shareholder at the Portland law firm of Bernstein Shur, where he concentrates his practice on real estate and business law. Bill is a member of the firm’s management committee and a Vice President of Monument Title Company, the firm’s in-house title insurance company. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America for his work in real estate law. Prior to joining Bernstein Shur, Bill served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy where he was awarded Navy Achievement and Navy Commendation medals. After completing his military service, Bill joined Grumman Aerospace in Houston, Texas where he was a business planner and cost analyst for the NASA Space Station and other aerospace-related government projects. Bill is a cum laude graduate of the University of Houston Law Center where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Houston Journal of International Law. Bill also holds an MBA and BA from Tulane University. Bill is a long-time Junior Achievement volunteer and coaches youth hockey and little league baseball.