GLOBAL AFFAIRS - Key Persons

Ariel Schwartz joined the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in 2022 as director of the Emerging Leaders Program. In this role, she oversees the strategy and execution of the Council's signature global leadership development program. Prior to joining the Council, Schwartz directed interdisciplinary research initiatives at Northwestern University's Buffett Institute for Global Affairs. She holds a Ph.D. in religious studies, with a certification in global politics and religion from Northwestern University, a BA in religion from Barnard College of Columbia University, and a BA in Hebrew Bible from the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Arthur L. Kelly

Job Titles:

Honorary Life Director
Managing Partner, KEL Enterprises L.P

Ashish K. Lal

Job Titles:

Director
Partner, BDT

Ashley Powers

ap..@globalaffairs.org

Job Titles:

Director of Digital Platforms & Web Services

Ashley Powers joined the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in 2019 as the digital platforms and projects manager to enhance the Council's web presence and digital platforms. She is now the director of digital platforms & web services. Prior to joining the Council, Powers worked at the Chicago Architecture Center where she managed an in-house web team and external vendor relationships to conceptualize and execute strategic digital initiatives related to the organization's public offerings. Powers graduated from Purdue University with a BS in apparel design and technology and a minor in fine arts/art history, and recently studied for a certificate of web design from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Barbara Higgins

Job Titles:

Director
Independent Director, EMPLOYERS

Brad J. Henderson

Job Titles:

Director
Chief Executive Officer, P33

Brett J. Hart

Job Titles:

Officer of the Board
Vice Chair / President, United Airlines

Brian Hanson

Job Titles:

New Vice President for Studies, Joins Chicago Council on

Bruce Braun

Job Titles:

Director
Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

Camille Dolce

Job Titles:

Public Opinion Intern

Carlos E. Calderon

Job Titles:

Director
Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Ariel Investments

Caryn Harris

Job Titles:

Director
Philanthropist, Harris Family Foundation

Charles L. Evans

Job Titles:

Director

Chris Keogh

Job Titles:

Council Board Member

Christina Colón

cc..@globalaffairs.org

Job Titles:

Director of Audience Strategy and Impact

Christina Colón joined the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in 2023. Prior to joining the Council, Colón was the associate editor of Sojourners magazine. She has also served as the communications manager of the Nonprofit Association of Washington and as an editor at Global Press Journal. Colón holds an MA in emerging media studies from Boston University and a BA in sociology and anthropology from Centre College. Outside of the Council, Colón served on the steering committee of The Uproot Project and is a member of the Solution Journalism Networks' "Journalist in the Classroom" program.

Claire Shirey

cs..@globalaffairs.org

Job Titles:

Director of Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships

Claire Shirey joined the Council in 2023 and is the director of corporate partnerships and sponsorships. In this role, she serves as the primary liaison and account manager for the Council's portfolio of corporate partners. Prior to joining the Council, Shirey worked in a variety of industries, including recruitment, healthcare, and higher education, and spent several years living overseas in Scotland and Ireland. She holds a BS in psychology from the University of St Andrews, an MS in applied psychology from Trinity College Dublin, and is involved in research in the fields of psychology and mental health.

Clare Muñana

Job Titles:

Director
President, Ancora Associates, Inc

Claudette Lexsee

cl..@globalaffairs.org

Job Titles:

Director, Accounting

Craig Kafura

ck..@globalaffairs.org

Job Titles:

Director
Director of Public Opinion and Foreign Policy
Security Fellow With the Truman National Security Project

Craig Kafura is the director of public opinion and foreign policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. At the Council he coordinates research on public and elite opinion on a wide variety of foreign policy and international affairs issues and is a regular contributor to Running Numbers. Kafura is a Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project, a Pacific Forum Young Leader, and a 2021 US-Australia Next-Generation Leader. He holds an MA in Political Science from Columbia University and a BA in Political Science from Yale University.

Craig Martin

Job Titles:

Director
Chairman, Midwest, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, LLP

Craig Merriman

cm..@thechicagocouncil.org

Job Titles:

Human Resources Manager
Human Resources Officer

Craig Merriman joined the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in 2022 as human resources officer, and is currently the human resources manager. In this role, he is responsible for recruitment support, coordinating training and onboarding programs, the administration of employee benefits, payroll processing, and HR policies and procedures in support of the organization and its employees. He also has an active role in the human resources activities that support the Council's diversity, inclusion, and equity strategy. Prior to joining the Council, Merriman spent nine years at the Field Museum as a human resources generalist and holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Millikin University.

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr.

Job Titles:

Honorary Life Director
Chairman, Old Harbour Partners / Trustee, the Brookings Institution

Darren Zeidel

Job Titles:

Director
Executive Vice President, General Counsel, & Company Secretary, Aon

David J. Vitale

Job Titles:

Director
Chairman, Urban Partnership Bank

David K. Reyes

Job Titles:

Officer of the Board
Vice Chair / Chief Executive Officer, Reyes Holdings LLC

Decker Walker

Job Titles:

Director
Managing Director & Partner, the Boston Consulting Group / Alex Washington

Diane C. Swonk

Job Titles:

Director
Chief Economist, KPMG US

Dina Smeltz

ds..@globalaffairs.org

Job Titles:

Vice President, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy

Dina Smeltz, a polling expert, has more than 25 years of experience designing and fielding international social and political surveys. Prior to joining the Council to lead its annual survey of American attitudes on US foreign policy, she served in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the US State Department's Office of Research from 1992 to 2008. With 25 years of experience designing and fielding international social and political surveys, Dina Smeltz joined the Chicago Council on Global Affairs as senior fellow on public opinion and foreign policy in 2012 and became vice president of public opinion and foreign policy in 2023. She oversees the Council's well-known annual survey of American attitudes toward foreign policy and has authored and co-authored many of the analyses based on that work. She also directs the Council's collaboration with Russian, Mexican, Canadian, Australian, and East Asian research organizations. Smeltz has published commentary on public opinion and international issues in The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, POLITICO, RealClearWorld, Foreign Policy, and the Council's survey blog (Running Numbers).

Donald A. Cooke

Job Titles:

Director
Vice President, Alford Group

Dorri McWhorter

Job Titles:

Director
President & Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago

Doug Bereuter

Job Titles:

Distinguished Fellow, Global Food and Agriculture

Douglas A. Doetsch

Job Titles:

Officer of the Board
Secretary / Partner, Mayer Brown LLP

Dr. Victor Yuan

Job Titles:

Named Scholl Visiting Fellow on US - China Relations

E. Scott Santi

Job Titles:

Director
Non - Executive Chairman of the Board, Illinois Tool Works Inc

Eduardo Alvarez

Job Titles:

Director
Chief Operating Officer at Amyris

Endy Zemenides

Job Titles:

Director
Executive Director, Hellenic American Leadership Council ( HALC )

Eric E. Whitaker

Job Titles:

Director
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Zing Health

Eric Larson

Job Titles:

Director
Co - Founder, Chairman & Co - Chief Executive Officer, Tilia

Ertharin Cousin

Job Titles:

Distinguished Fellow, Global Food and Agriculture

Fay Hartog-Levin

Job Titles:

Director
Distinguished Fellow

Funmi Olopade

Job Titles:

Director

Glenn Tilton

Job Titles:

Named Executive Vice Chairman of the Board for the Chicago Council on

Greg Morris

Job Titles:

Director
Senior Vice President & President, Archer Daniels Midland Company

Heather Russell

Job Titles:

Director
Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, TransUnion

Henry S. Bienen

Job Titles:

Honorary Life Director
President Emeritus, Northwestern University

Ivo H. Daalder

id..@globalaffairs.org

Job Titles:

Officer of the Board
CEO, Chicago Council on
Chief Executive Officer / Chicago Council
Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Host of World Review
for Council CEO
Named Global Parliament of Mayors Advisory Committee Chair

Ravi Agrawal, Steven Erlanger, and Carla Anne Robbins join Ivo Daalder to discuss the week's top news stories. Ivo H. Daalder served as the US ambassador to NATO from 2009 to 2013. He joined the Council as president in 2013 and took on the new role of CEO in 2023. Previously, he was a senior fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution and served as director for European affairs on President Bill Clinton's National Security Council. He is the author or editor of 10 books. Ivo H. Daalder is the Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and host of World Review with Ivo Daalder. He first joined the Council as president in 2013 after serving as US ambassador to NATO under President Barack Obama. After 10 years as president of the Council, Daalder took on the new role of CEO in 2023.

J. Douglas Gray

Job Titles:

Honorary Life Director
Independent Director, Marshall Street Capital

James H. M. Sprayregen

Job Titles:

Director

Jason Gordon

Job Titles:

Public Opinion Intern

Jeffrey C. Neal

Job Titles:

Director
Founding Partner, Horizon Capital Advisors, LLC

Jennifer F. Scanlon

Job Titles:

Officer of the Board
Vice Chair / President & Chief Executive Officer, UL LLC

Jim Edgar

Job Titles:

Honorary Life Director
Distinguished Fellow, University of Illinois

John DeBlasio

Job Titles:

Director
General Partner & Chairman, DT Global / Founder & Executive Director, Global Peace and Development ( GPD ) Charitable Trust

John E. Rielly

Job Titles:

Honorary Life Director
President Emeritus, Chicago Council on Global Affairs / Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Northwestern University

John R. Ettelson

Job Titles:

Officer of the Board
Chairman / Chairman Emeritus, William Blair
Named Board Chair for the Chicago Council on

Jon Banner

Job Titles:

Director
Executive Vice President & Global Chief Impact Officer, McDonald's

Jonathan C. Bunge

Job Titles:

Director
Partner, Quinn Emanuel Trial Lawyers

Jose Luis Prado

Job Titles:

Director
Chief Executive Officer, Palmex

Josh Hale

Job Titles:

Director
President & Chief Executive Officer, Big Shoulders Fund

Joshua Busby

Job Titles:

Fellow

Justin Bandy

Job Titles:

Director
Investor, Self - Employed

Kara O'Keefe

Job Titles:

Digital Marketing and Creative Director

Kara O'Keefe is the Council's digital marketing and creative director, responsible for marketing operations and creative direction, including maintaining and enhancing the organization's brand position and visual identity. O'Keefe joined the Council in 2019 as the assistant director of digital marketing and design, leading the Council's digital creative efforts and playing a critical role in expanding the reach of the Council's content. Prior to joining the Council, O'Keefe served as marketing and membership manager at the American Library Association and manager of member services at the Council of Residential Specialists. O'Keefe earned a BS in business management from Northern Illinois University and an MPS in design management and communications from Georgetown University.

Karen Gray-Krehbiel

Job Titles:

Director
Philanthropist

Karl Friedhoff

kf..@globalaffairs.org

Job Titles:

Fellow for Asia Studies at the Chicago Council

Karl Friedhoff is the Marshall M. Bouton Fellow for Asia Studies at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Prior to his work at the Council, he was based in Seoul where he was a program officer in the Public Opinion Studies Program at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. He has been a Korea Foundation-Mansfield Foundation US-Korea Nexus Scholar and a member of the Mansfield Foundation's Trilateral Working Group. His writing has appeared in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, among others, and he has been a frequent guest on both TV and radio to discuss US foreign policy in Asia, South Korea's politics, and international relations in East Asia. Friedhoff earned his BA in political science at Wittenberg University and an MA in international commerce at Seoul National University.

Katherine Dusak Miller

Job Titles:

Director
Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Kelhan Martin

km..@globalaffairs.org

Job Titles:

Director of Production & IT Operations

Lama El Baz

Job Titles:

Research Assistant, Public Opinion and US Foreign Policy

Lee Miller

Job Titles:

Director
Co - Head of Management & Investment Committees, Abundant Venture Partners

Leo Melamed

Job Titles:

Honorary Life Director
Chairman Emeritus, CME Group, Inc

Lester Crown

Job Titles:

Officer of the Board
Chairman Emeritus / Chairman, Henry Crown and Company

Libby Berry

lb..@globalaffairs.org

Job Titles:

Communications Officer
Chicago Council in 2022 As the Communications Officer

Libby Berry joined the Chicago Council in 2022 as the communications officer for the Lester Crown Center on US Foreign Policy. In this role, she works to connect audiences with expert research and analysis and to deepen public engagement in foreign policy conversations. Before joining the Council, Berry worked as a digital producer at WBEZ, where she led newsroom social media efforts and helped get the station's original reporting online. She also previously served as an intern on NPR's Washington Desk and for the Boston Globe's DC bureau. Berry holds a degree in journalism and political science from Northwestern University.