Thirteen highly accomplished American mid-career professionals from the worlds of finance, academia, affordable housing, health care, urban agriculture, veterans’ affairs and the performing arts are the recipients of the 2019 USA Eisenhower Fellowship.
These rising leaders from across the United States will travel to Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and the Middle East, broadening their horizons and expanding their approaches to problem-solving as they pursue individual projects.
“I am delighted to welcome this exceptional group of dynamic young leaders from across the United States to Eisenhower Fellowships’ influential global network,” said Eisenhower Fellowships Chairman, former Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates. “These thirteen dynamic doers were selected for their exemplary leadership and commitment to our mission of making the world more peaceful, prosperous and just.”
Eisenhower Fellowships sends outstanding ascendant American leaders overseas to learn best practices abroad that they can then apply to their communities after they return home.
The 2019 USA Eisenhower Fellows include:
A financial services director who wants to learn about the experiences of female employees in male-dominated work environments in India.
A president of a historically black university who wants to study how various European countries maintain their low incarceration and recidivism rates.
The founder of a Chicago-based nonprofit who wants to discover how countries from different ends of the wealth spectrum are developing future generations of STEM professionals.
An education consultant in Texas who wants to study Germany’s vocational training system.
An insurance company lawyer in Philadelphia who wants to study the role of physical exercise in promoting mental and general health.
“In the times in which we live it is vital that as many Americans as possible be exposed to the world beyond our shores,” said Eisenhower Fellowships President George de Lama. “We are proud to send these exceptional leaders abroad to broaden their perspectives and help them bring new approaches to challenges right here at home. “
Jessie Banhazl
CEO and Founder, Green City Growers
Boston, MA
John Boerstler
CEO, Combined Arms
Houston, TX
Jason Coleman
Executive Director, Project SYNCERE
Chicago, IL
Chantalle Couba
Director, Alternative Investments
Charlotte, NC
Ernestine Fu
Investment Partner, Alsop Louie Partners
San Francisco, CA
Sarajeni Hammond
Senior Director, Human Resources Post Merger Integration, Bayer
St. Louis, MO
Zheng Huang,
Chairman, Yu Capital
San Francisco, CA
Raun Lazier
Senior Executive, U.S Department of Veterans Affairs
Washington DC
Julie Linn
Co-Founder/Partner, Shapiro Linn Strategic Consulting
Dallas, TX
Rei Onishi
Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary, Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom
Sacramento, CA
Jonathan Prokup
Managing Counsel, Group Insurance & Government Segments, CIGNA
Philadelphia, PA
John Michael Schert
Founder & Principal, JMS & Company
Boston, MA
Dwaun Warmack
President, Harris-Stowe University
St. Louis, MO
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Now in its 65th year and named for America’s 34th president, Eisenhower Fellowships brings together innovative leaders from all fields from around the globe who tackle big challenges to better the world around them. Since 1953, nearly 2,400 mid-career leaders from 115 countries have benefited from the unique, customized experience of an Eisenhower Fellowship.