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Letter from the President

Dear Colleagues,

You know that wonderful feeling you get when you realize that a project you assigned produced an amazingly creative product – one that far exceeded your expectations? Then you understand my excitement after meeting with NCIV’s talented summer interns Frank Kaszar and David Moore today. A few weeks ago I gave them a collection of quotations about the value of educational exchange and citizen diplomacy that a former intern and I had compiled. I asked them to turn it into an attractive gift that we and our members could use to thank stellar volunteers, donors, and other supporters. Through extensive additional research, creative formatting, and pure hard work, Frank and David have produced an extraordinary NCIV publication entitled: “A Tribute to Citizen Diplomats.” (If you have a favorite quotation, there is still time to have it considered for inclusion. Send it to Frank Kaszar at fkaszar@nciv.org.) I can hardly wait to send this publication to you in August. It will be available on-line as well.

Many of us are fortunate to work with talented interns. In fact, some NCIV members excel at this. The recent NCIV Western Regional Meeting was hosted by the Northern Nevada International Council ably led by Dr. Carina Black, Executive Director. Their corps of interns contributed a great deal to the success of the meeting. From the opening event at the National Automobile Museum to the spectacular evening of home hospitality hosted by Judge Miriam Shearing on the shore of Lake Tahoe, NNIC’s organizational skills, deep community outreach, and commitment to excellence were clearly evident. My own home hospitality hosts were Judge and Mrs. William Dressel. Judge Dressel is president of the National Judicial College. He and his colleagues meet with many of the participants in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). The judge also spoke on the panel addressing the “U.S. Justice System and Rule of Law.”

The concurrent sessions were informative and interactive; the plenary speakers inspiring. Brad Minnick, Director, Office of Internatinal Visitors, U.S. State Department shared examples of the International Visitor Leadership Program’s impact that were excellent reminders of why we all are so engaged in this important work. Dr. Emma Sepulveda, Foundation Professor of Foreign Languages & Literature, Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures, University of Reno, Nevada, spoke movingly about her human rights work and how much she gains from meeting with IVLP participants. As she expressed it: “I learned more from those women activists from the Middle East in three hours than from many books and reports.” And her reaction to serving as a professional resource for the IVLP – “It is a great privilege to travel all over the world without leaving Nevada.” In sum, Carina and her colleagues did a superb job of showcasing Reno’s impressive resources. Many of us are trying to figure out how soon we can return.

By the time you read this we will have celebrated America’s 232nd birthday. Amidst the picnics, parades, and fireworks, this is a time to reflect on America’s role and reputation in the world –- and what we as individual citizens can do for our country as well as our fragile planet.

With thanks,
Sherry L. Mueller, Ph.D.

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