Philadelphia, January 5, 2018 – Eisenhower Fellowships (EF) has selected 11 U.S. leaders from diverse professional backgrounds representing a number of key regions of the United States. These leaders were chosen to advance the mission of Eisenhower Fellowships, the premier 64-year-old midcareer fellowship program to enhance international understanding and promote peaceful dialogue.
The 2018 Fellows are thought leaders in sustainable food production, quantum computing, transportation, sustainable design, education, labor migration and healthcare.
General Colin L. Powell (Ret), Chairman of Eisenhower Fellowships, noted the diverse and dynamic backgrounds of the new Fellows and welcomed them to the EF program. “We are pleased to provide this group of exceptional American young leaders the unique opportunity to meet with influential leaders across the world to expose them to new ideas, grow professionally and enhance international understanding,” General Powell said.
Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, Vice Chair of the EF Board of Trustees, 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.
“These influential young U.S. leaders will return home to have a real impact in their fields and in their communities after a transformational fellowship experience overseas,” Gov. Whitman said. “We look forward to welcoming them into the Eisenhower Fellowships global network of dynamic doers.”
Eleven Fellows were selected for the 2018 USA Eisenhower Fellowship:
Sonya Anderson
Senior Vice President for Storytelling and Development, Leading Educators
Chicago, IL
Kim Brackett
Owner/Operator, Brackett Ranches Ltd. Partnership
Homedale, ID
Jennifer Cohen
Director of Government Affairs, Los Angeles Department of Transportation
Los Angeles, CA
Dr. Brian Englander
Chairman, Department of Radiology, Pennsylvania Hospital
Philadelphia, PA
William Hurley
Founder and CEO, Strangeworks
Austin, TX
Andwele Jolly
Business Director, Clinical Affairs, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO
Matthew Kopac
Sustainable Business and Innovation Manager, Burt’s Bees
Durham, NC
Jay Kothari
Project Lead, Glass, Google X
San Francisco, CA
Beaudean Seil
Managing Partner, Patamar Capital
San Francisco, CA
Christopher Sherman
President, Island Creek Oysters
Duxbury, MA
Adam Theil
Fire Commissioner, City of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
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 seven steering committees around the United States–Philadelphia, Boston, Raleigh-Durham, St. Louis, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago– composed of local leaders and Fellows who embody the organization’s principles. The 2019 application cycle will open in March 2018.
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. Eisenhower Fellows commit to lifelong engagement with the organization and its nearly 1,600 active Fellows around the world. Fellows apply what they learn from their peers and in their meetings with experts in their respective potential and produce sustained impact through their fellowship experience and collaboration within the EF global network.