Michelle Lenihan, 2026

Michelle Lenihan is the Deputy Commissioner for Maine’s Department of Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management. She previously served in various national security roles in the Pentagon, the White House, and the U.S. Senate – including acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs, Chief of Staff for Homeland Defense and Global Security, Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and National Security Council Director for African Affairs. Additionally, she served on the Secretary of Defense’s Reserve Forces Policy Board.

Outside of government, Michelle advised leading corporates and investors at Hakluyt, associate-produced historic stories for ABC News, led the creation of the first dialysis center in Guyana, and taught at the American International School of Johannesburg. She currently serves as the Board Chair for the Hearts of Pine Foundation and as a member of the Sports Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) AMERICA Advisory Board.

Michelle earned a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania. Her journalism honors include a George F. Peabody Award, an Emmy Award, an Alfred I. DuPont Silver Baton Award, a Silver Cindy Award, a Communicator Award for Video, and two Angel Awards. She received the Dean’s Excellence Award for Innovation while at Harvard. At the Pentagon, she earned the Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service, the Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service, and the Joint Civilian Service Achievement Award. She is a former term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Deqa Dhalac, 2025

Deqa Dhalac is a trailblazing leader, advocate, and public servant with deep roots in Maine’s immigrant and civic communities. Born in Somalia, she became the first African-born female mayor in the United States when elected mayor of South Portland, and is currently a member of the Maine House of Representatives. Deqa holds master’s degrees in Social Work and Development Policy, and has served in leadership roles with the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition and other community organizations. Her experience, vision, and commitment to cross-cultural understanding make her an ideal member of the Board of Directors of the World Affairs Council of Maine.

Rebecca Davis Gibbons, 2025

Rebecca is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Southern Maine and a non-resident Senior Associate with the Project on Nuclear Issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She previously served as a fellow and associate of the Project on Managing the Atom at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs after receiving her Ph.D. from Georgetown University in 2016. Her research focuses on the nuclear nonproliferation regime, arms control, disarmament, climate change, norms, public opinion, and global order, and her work has been published in numerous academic journals. Her book The Hegemon’s Tool Kit: US Leadership and the Politics of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime was published by Cornell University Press in 2022. Before becoming an academic, Dr. Gibbons taught elementary school among the Bikini community in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. She also co-directs the Maine Model UN program and has been an advocate for expanding our partnership with USM.

Hans Eysenbach, 2020

Hans is an attorney at Verrill in Portland, ME. He works on a variety of utility and energy matters before the Maine PUC, FERC, and FCC on behalf of energy, telecommunications, and water utility entities, among others. In his past career, Hans advised international development projects regarding their environmental regulatory compliance obligations to U.S. government donors. After entering Vermont Law School, Hans was an articles editor for the Vermont Law Review and a teaching assistant. Before joining Verrill, Hans served as a law clerk to the Honorable Justice Andrew Mead of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Hans spends much of his free time with his family, biking, skating, paddling, and sailing around Maine. He also enjoys adventure racing to raise funds and build camaraderie. As a near-fluent Spanish speaker, Hans volunteers in public school Spanish classrooms and at local organic farms to swap stories with students and farm workers.

Ross Hickey, 2019

Ross Hickey is Assistant Provost for Research Integrity in the Office of Research Integrity at the University of Southern Maine(USM) which has centralized oversight over all areas of university research compliance. A member of the USM Research Council and Academic Affairs Leadership Team, Mr. Hickey serves as Chair of the Institutional Biosafety Committee and Director of the Maine Regulatory Training and Ethics Center (MeRTEC). He was educated at the University of Maine School of Law and the University of Maine at Farmington and is admitted to the Maine Bar.

Lynne Houle, 2024

Lynne has been an attorney with Bernstein Shur since 2006. Before this, she worked as an attorney in Prague, Czech Republic for several years, where she also served as editor for Czechoslovakian Business Law in 1992. She has represented clients in diverse areas of international corporate law, including joint ventures and acquisitions. A long standing member of the Council, Lynne has served on the nominating committee as an “at-large member.” This will be her second tenure on the Board.

Julie Mueller, 2024

Julie Mueller is an experienced Associate Professor with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Skilled in Political Communication, Intercultural Communication, Political Science, Academic Writing, and International Relations. Strong education professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) focused in International Relations from the University of Delaware. She has been a member of the World Affairs Council of Maine since 2018 and actively encourages her students to become members.

Sarah Dawn Petrin, 2023

Sarah has over 25 years of global experience in the humanitarian sector, serves as a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, and is the author of “Bring Rain: Helping Humanity in Crisis”. Sarah is also an advisor for refugee crises and nonprofit advancement in the areas of civilian harm mitigation, child protection, cultural property protection, disaster risk reduction, human security, and women’s peace and security. Sarah has led operational teams and established successful partnerships with UN agencies, Red Cross, and NGOs in conflict zones and disaster settings, and advised U.S. government agencies and NATO on peace and stability operations in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean.

David Plumb, 2021

David Plumb is a mediator, facilitator, trainer, and researcher with experience managing complex development and public policy issues in a variety of environments, including Nigeria’s Niger Delta, northern Chile, and urban United States. David is CBI’s Director for Latin America and co-leads the organization’s Corporate Community Engagement practice. Prior to CBI, he directed the Sustainable Business Practice at Search for Common Ground. He also spent eight years working as a financial journalist and correspondent, mostly for Bloomberg News. A primary focus of David’s work is assisting communities, companies, and authorities to interact more constructively and engage in productive dialogue. He has particular expertise in energy, environment, and international development issues. In addition, David has assisted NGOs and industry groups to negotiate environmental and social standards for key commodities such as farmed fish. As a trainer, David has worked with community-based organizations to strengthen their capacity to engage in dialogue, with government regulators who need assistance in managing complex public participation processes, and with multinational corporations that need to improve their community relations and social performance globally.

Ray Salvatore Jennings, 2025

Over the past twenty-eight years, Ray has served as country director and senior advisor with the United States Agency for International Development, the United Nations, the World Bank, the United States Institute of Peace, and international non-governmental organizations in 53 countries. He has held academic posts and lectured at Sheldon Jackson College, Georgetown University, the Naval Post-Graduate School, and Syracuse University. Jennings has also served as a Senior Fellow with the United States Institute of Peace, a Research Fellow with the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC, and as a Visiting Scholar with Stanford University’s Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law. Jennings media appearances and panel contributions include CNN, CBS, ABC, BBC, CBN, CSPAN, NPR, the New Yorker, the Los Angeles Times, the Daily Star, the Brookings Institution, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Aspen Institute, Stanford University, and the Carnegie Endowment. Jennings has received numerous awards for his teaching and scholarship on the social, political, ecological, and economic impacts of violence and fragility.

Imad Khalidi, 2025

Imad Khalidi is a globally recognized business leader and the longtime CEO and Executive Chairman of Auto Europe, a leading international car rental provider headquartered in Maine. Born in Jerusalem and educated at Jean Batiste de La Salle College and Birzeit University, Imad began his career in the travel industry in 1978 and quickly rose through leadership roles at Hertz and Europcar before joining Auto Europe in 1990. Under his visionary guidance, Auto Europe has grown from a small team to a global company with over 20,000 locations, setting industry standards for service and innovation. Imad is multilingual, has received numerous industry awards, and is known for his commitment to excellence and cross-cultural collaboration—qualities that make him an great addition to the board. This year, Imad has also been an active member the fundraising committee.

Ghomri Rostampour, 2023

Ghomri Rostampour is currently the President of Transform Education Network and has extensive experience helping New Mainers settle in the state. She also serves as Director for Empower Immigrant Women and is a Member of the Kurdish National Congress. Ghomri worked as a teacher and school principal in Iran before fleeing political persecution in 1998. She moved to Maine and became a US citizen in 2004. She has degrees in education and computer technology from The University of Maine and Tabriz University in Iran. She has just completed her master’s degree in International Relations at Harvard University. Ghomri has two children and lives in South Portland. She has been an active member of the World Affairs Council since 2018 and has been working with Jackie Dennis on the development of “Worldly Women.”

Alice “Pips” Veazy, 2024

Dr. Alice “Pips” Veazey is the inaugural director of the Portland Gateway. She joined UMaine from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she was the principal investigator and project director of the Alaska National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR). Veazey received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bates College and holds a master’s degree in oceanography and a Ph.D. in team science leadership, both from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Her research focuses on fostering the development of large interdisciplinary initiatives.

Tim Wells, 2022

Tim has extensive multinational experience in business planning, sales, international business development, and global product management across multiple industries. He is currently the President of SJV Properties. He is a 12 graduate of Boston University and served as a captain in the U.S. Army. Tim also serves as Board President for Portland Media Center.

Zeke M. Williams, 2024

Zeke earned his bachelor’s degree in international affairs from The George Washington University and is a member of the Portland Museum of Art and a sponsor of The World Affairs Council of Maine. As Owner and Principal at Norland McKee, Zeke helps organizations with change management, best practice implementation, corporate communication, crisis response, due diligence, post-acquisition integration, and big data strategy.

Tobin Williamson, 2023

Tobin Williamson , Advocacy Manager for the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition: Tobin works with government officials and community partners around Maine to advance policy priorities around the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers. He has worked with two Congressional Offices in Washington, DC, and also worked with the Consulate General for Japan and the Czech Republic. Tobin was an intern with the World Affairs Council of Seattle, where he supported the IVLP program. He joined the World Affairs Council of Maine in 2021 and became an active member of the Exchange Committee in 2022.

Riley Worth, 2024

Riley Worth received his Master’s of Public Policy and Non-Profit Management from the University of Southern Maine (USM) in 2026, and obtained a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from USM in 2024.

While at USM, he was Student Body President, conducted an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Project funded by NASA and the Maine Space Grant Consortium focused on AI and unmanned weapon systems, and attended the Johns Hopkins Kissinger Summer Academy focused on Nuclear Policy and American Grand Strategy.

Since first graduating in 2024, he has served as a regional campaign director with the Maine Senate Democratic Campaign Committee during the 2024 election cycle and worked at AARP Maine for a year as their Outreach, Advocacy, and Communications intern/lobbyist, where he focused on issues of fraud, housing, healthcare, and retirement. He is currently the campaign coordinator for Rick Bennett for Governor, an independent candidate for Maine

Allison Beth Hodgkins, Executive Director

Allison comes to the Council from the American University in Cairo, where she was a member of the faculty in the School of Global Affairs. Before that, she was Resident Director for CIEE’s Amman, Jordan Study Center and Academic Director for the School for International Training’s Peace and Conflict Studies Program in Jerusalem. Allison has a PhD in International Affairs from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Boston Consortium for Arab Region Studies. She is also a regular contributor to the Cairo Review of Global Affairs and serves on the Board of the New England Arab-American Organization and is a member of the United States Global Leadership Coalition’s Maine State Advisory Committee. Allison has more than twenty years of experience living, working, and learning in the Middle East, which means she has reasonable fluency in Arabic, some Hebrew, and a significant attitude when it comes to hummus.

Elisabeth is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations in December 2025. Her academic background reflects a strong interest in global affairs, cross-cultural communication, and the policy issues that shape international relationships. While studying abroad in South Korea, she deepened her interest in East Asian politics and culture, an experience that continues to shape her work today. Initially a research and communications intern for the World Affairs Council of Maine, Elisabeth found her passion for the International Visitors Leadership Program, where she now serves as Program Coordinator. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), with a focus on secondary education. Elisabeth is passionate about East Asian politics, human rights, and teaching English to secondary learners — interests that continue to inform her commitment to global engagement and cross-cultural exchange.