Christopher E. Barr, 2025
Chris Barr brings a decade of experience at the intersection of U.S. foreign policy, Congress, and the Middle East and North Africa to the the Board of Directors. Until recently, he was the Senior Legislative and Policy Analyst for the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a position he has held since June 2013. His main focus areas were the Middle East and North Africa, non-proliferation, and international financial institutions, and he provided critical analysis and policy guidance to the Committee Chairman. He holds a Juris Doctor (JD) in International and Corporate Law, focusing on Islamic Jurisprudence, from the New York University School of Law. He also earned a Graduate Diploma in Middle East Politics and Economics from The American University in Cairo and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Princeton University. Since moving to Maine, he has joined the program committee and facilitated a library session of Great Decisions.
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 makes 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.
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.
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.
- David Plumb, President
- Tim Wells, Vice-President
- Daniel Berger, Secretary
- Hans Eysenbach, Acting Treasurer
- Ross Hickey, Assistant Treasurer
- Bradley Babson, Past President
- Ambassador (ret) Rick Barton, Founder
- Admiral (ret) Greg Johnson
- Clifford Gilpin, Past President
- Maureen Hurley, Past President
- Andrea Hester, Past President
- Harold Pachios, Founder
- Ambassador (ret) David Pearce
- William Hall, Past President
- Kathleen Sutherland, Past President
- Michael Wygant, Founder
- David Plumb, President (ex-officio)
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.
Elisabeth Olson, Research and Communications Intern
Elisabeth is a senior at the University of Southern Maine, majoring in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Criminology. She is passionate about examining the intersections of race, policy, and power, and has recently contributed to research on Islamophobia and racial profiling in the United States. Elisabeth studied abroad in South Korea, where she deepened her understanding of East Asian politics and culture, strengthening her cross-cultural awareness and global perspective. With a strong ethical compass and a deep commitment to justice, she aspires to pursue graduate studies and a career in policy analysis or research. She currently serves as a Research and Communications Intern with the World Affairs Council of Maine, where she contributes to research projects, supports public events, and promotes international dialogue and diplomacy.
