Daniel Berger, 2022
Dan has spent 15+ years in multinational growth and product management with experience in e-commerce, retail, fintech, software, and consumer hardware businesses. Prior to moving to Maine Dan was active with World Affairs Council of Seattle and Global Minnesota. He speaks Spanish, and holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota. Dan lives with his family in Yarmouth, Maine.
Michael Dickel, 2022
Mike has extensive, multi-national leadership experience in compensation & benefits, benchmarking analysis, human resource development and transition, risk management, auditing and outsourcing. He is currently the Vice President of Talent Rewards at DentaQuest. He speaks German, Spanish, and is a founding member of Optimist International and Rotary International.
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.
Clifford Gilpin,2020
Clifford Gilpin, PhD was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has a background in human resources. He was on the staff of the World Bank for 22 years and worked with countries in Africa and East Asia. From 1987 to 1992 he managed the Bank’s human resources program in Indonesia and subsequently directed the Bank’s internal learning and leadership program. He has a special interest in global energy supply and consumption. In 1996, he and his wife moved to Maine. Clifford is a trustee of the Falmouth Land Trust and former President of the World Affairs Council of Maine.
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.
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.”
Kathleen Sutherland, 2008
Kathleen served as the Council’s president from 2016 to 2019, and serves as a member of the 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, and is Associate Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Bowling Green State University, Ohio, and teaches at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at USM. Kathleen served on the OLLI Board at USM from 2007 to 2013, and teaches classes and gives talks on topics such as immigration to the U.S. and the politics of demagoguery. She is interested in watercolor/oil/pastel painting, drama, writing, and her family.
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.
- David Plumb, President
- Tim Wells, Vice-President
- Daniel Berger, Secretary
- Hans Eysenbach, Acting Treasurer
- Ross Hickey, Assistant Treasurer
- Ambassador (r) Rick Barton
- Admiral (r) Greg Johnson
- Charles Norchi
- Harold Pachios
- Ambassador (r) David Pearce
- Peter Plumb
- Michael Wygant
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.
Samuel Genovese, Research and Communications Intern
Sam is a junior at the University of Southern Maine studying Political Science and International Affairs with a Minor in Economics, pursuing the accelerated Law Pathway. His current role is as a Research and Communications Intern for the World Affairs Council of Maine, doing research and writing for the Weekly 7in7 World News Round-up. Sam has always had a deep interest in international affairs in large part due to his experience with Model UN in High School, and he has continued to pursue this in College both in his studies and by partaking in USM’s Model UN Program. During his time with the World Affairs Council, Sam hopes to channel his passion for international affairs and talent by researching various news stories to better prepare himself for his eventual goals of pursuing a law degree and, afterward, possibly politics. When he’s not doing school work, Sam is an avid enjoyer of Maine’s outdoors, reading about obscure history, or playing pool with friends.
Ben Gombos, Social Media and Communications Intern
Ben is a Political Science student at the University of Southern Maine, graduating in the Spring of 2025. Ben is on the executive board of the USM Model UN Club, and has previous experience in campaign work. He volunteered with the David LaFountain for State Senate Campaign in 2022, and Cassie Julia for State House in 2024. In 2022-2023, Ben served with AmeriCorps NCCC as a Corps Member in the Southwest region of the United States. Ben gained experience working with non-profits as he travelled through Arkansas working with the Girl Scouts Diamonds; Colorado, working with Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley and Mile High United Way; and in Texas, working with El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank. Ben joins the World Affairs Council of Maine as a Social Media and Communications Intern, working on social media postings, helping at events, and maintaining the WAC website.
Elizabeth Hildebrandt, Social Media and Communications Intern
Elizabeth is a Junior at the University of Southern Maine pursuing a Media Studies degree with a concentration in Media Production. With prior experience of working at the school’s newspaper, The Free Press, Elizabeth’s role at the World Affairs Council of Maine will be centered around her knowledge and experience with journalism. She has always been interested in international relations and affairs, and can speak, understand, and write in Russian almost fluently. She is excited to do work for the World Affairs Council, and hopes to create more awareness around it through outreach and creating content. Outside of work, Elizabeth loves to watch movies and talk about them, play video games, draw, and spend time outside. She hopes to continue her work with journalism and/or media production after she graduates.
Anna Lyons, International Visitor Leadership Program Graduate Assistant
Anna holds a BA in Linguistics from the University of Southern Maine and is now pursuing a graduate degree in Policy, Planning, and Management. With extensive experience in the nonprofit sector, she is deeply committed to educational policy and youth civic engagement. Anna is also the US Director for Debate Camp Canada, where she leads efforts to bring debate, public speaking, and Model UN programming to schools in New England, spending her summers directing debate camps in her hometown of Boston. In her role of Graduate Assistant at the World Affairs Council, she is responsible for managing the International Visitors Leadership Program, a public diplomacy initiative which brings emerging world leaders to Maine.
Erin Partridge, Social Media and Communications Intern
Erin is a senior at the University of Southern Maine studying Political Science, set to graduate in the Spring of 2025. She is a Social Media and Communications Intern for the World Affairs Council of Maine and works on social media, events, and IVLP projects. She has previous experience working with other local non-profits and serves on the executive board for USM’s Model UN club. She hopes to work in international relations post-grad and continue her involvement with global engagement.
Nolan Winslow, Research and Communications Intern
Nolan is a senior at the University of Southern Maine studying Political Science and International Affairs. He is a Research and Communications Intern for the World Affairs Council of Maine, doing research and writing for the Weekly 7in7 World News Round-up. The mission of the World Affairs Council fits Nolan’s career interests of international law and politics, and has provided an opportunity for him to broaden his knowledge of the world and global affairs. Outside of work and school, Nolan is a track and field athlete for USM, loves photography, and traveling. His plan is to go to law school and become an international lawyer post-undergrad.
