Philadelphia, January 18, 2017– Eisenhower Fellowships (EF) has selected 20 U.S. leaders from government, business and civil society, to embark on a global fellowship to engage in a transformative exchange of knowledge and ideas with the leading minds in their fields. General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.), chairman of Eisenhower Fellowships, said these young leaders advance the mission of the premier 63-year-old fellowship program to enhance international understanding and promote peaceful dialogue. “These impressive men and women will serve as outstanding ambassadors for the United States as they travel overseas to grow professionally and take their place in the Eisenhower Fellowships’ global network of influential leaders,” said General Powell.
Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, vice-chair of the EF Board of Trustees, said this year’s Fellows are innovative leaders who apply multi-disciplinary approaches to problem-solving and seek collaboration across geographic borders. “They are diverse, they are dynamic and they are doers,” Whitman said. “We are delighted to help them acquire new perspectives that will allow them to leave their mark on society.”
George de Lama, president of Eisenhower Fellowships, noted that this year’s group of Fellows advances the organization’s emphasis on increasing the number of American leaders exposed to the world beyond our shores. “This exceptional group of American leaders will meet some of the leading experts in their fields around the world and return home to apply what they learn to make a positive impact and better their communities across the country,” de Lama said.
The 2017 Fellows are thought leaders in agricultural policy, education, consumer protection, diplomacy, defense, health, media, immigrant integration and public services. Ten Fellows were selected for the USA Eisenhower Fellowship and will travel to two countries in EF’s network of 55 countries for five weeks. Ten Fellows were selected for the Zhi-Xing China Eisenhower Fellowship, and will travel exclusively to mainland China for four weeks as part of a unique partnership with the Chinese Ministry of Education.
The 2017 USA Eisenhower Fellows are:
Dr. Albert Chan
Vice President, Chief of Digital Patient Experience, Sutter Health
Korea and Brazil
John Chandler
Partner, Chandler Farms LP
Australia and Chile
Cathryn Cluver
Executive Director, Future of Diplomacy, Harvard Kennedy School
Singapore and Colombia
Kelly Davenport
Executive Director, Build the Future
China
Sherina Edwards
Commissioner, Illinois Commerce Commission
Australia and South Africa
Robin Emmons
Founder, Sow Much Good
China
Jason Frei
Director, Ethics and Business Conduct,
Boeing Defense, Space & Security
Australia and Israel
Peter Gonzales
President and CEO, Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians
Korea and Germany
Andrew Greenblatt
CEO & Executive Director, Philadelphia
Film Society
China
Dr. Phuoc Le
Co-Founder, HEAL Initiative
Kenya and South Africa
Kel O’Neill
Senior Fellow, Economist Media Lab
Chinese Taipei
Elzandi Oosthuizen
Vice President, Geographical Strategy, Monsanto
China
Anupam Pathak
Technical Lead, Google
China
Jonathan Fantini Porter
Expert, McKinsey & Company
China
Jill Reynolds
Manager, Aging and Disability Services,
Public Consulting Group
Peru and Japan
William Shaw
Executive Director, Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Mass General Hospital
China
Candice Smith
Director, Global Engineering & External Technical Affiliations, Boeing Company
Singapore and Kenya
Elliot Weinbaum
Program Director, Great Learning,
William Penn Foundation
China
Joshua Walker
Senior Vice President, APCO Worldwide
China
Alison Young
Executive Director, Institute for Strategic Leadership, Drexel University
China
Since 1999, Eisenhower Fellowships has sent nearly 300 U.S. citizens and permanent residents abroad. The recruitment and selection of EF’s USA Program Fellows was supported by six steering committees around the United States – Philadelphia, Boston, Raleigh-Durham, St. Louis, San Francisco and Chicago – composed of local leaders and Fellows who embody the organization’s principles and have experienced the Eisenhower journey. The 2018 application cycle will open in March 2017.
Successful candidates for EF programs are exceptional leaders eager to advance their personal and professional growth, who can articulate how the fellowship will serve them to produce impactful change and who commit to lifelong engagement with the organization and its nearly 1,500 active Fellows around the world. Fellows apply what they learn from their peers and in their meetings with experts in their respective fields to maximize their potential and produce sustained impact through their fellowship experience and collaboration within the EF global network.