Mexican Chief of International Affairs to Address Economic Recovery and Organized Crime Challenges at World Affairs Council Program - May 5

Luncheon Discussion Group & Webcast
Mexico: Meeting the Challenges of Economic Recovery and Expanded Organized Crime
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 (Cinco de Mayo!) - Noon - 1:45 p.m.

Dr. Arnulfo Valdivia Machuca, Chief of International Affairs of the State of Mexico

Location: The Duquesne Club, 325 Sixth Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh

Council Members & Partners: $45, Non-Council Members: $60,
Table of eight (8): $360

Click here to view the recorded webcast.

Event Sponsors:

Event Partner:

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Visitors From Egypt, Pakistan Discuss Volunteerism With Pittsburgh Teens

Three students from Pittsburgh Creative And Performing Arts 6-12 (CAPA) met recently with visitors from Egypt and Pakistan to exchange experiences and observations on youth volunteerism.

As part of the Pittsburgh leg of their International Visitor Leadership Program trip, Amr Hassan Abdelmonem Osman of Egypt and Asim Mehmood Malik of Pakistan met on Friday, April 23 with the Pittsburgh high school students to discuss volunteerism in U.S. communities and how young people "help foster a culture of service and civic responsibility."

Osman works for the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, focusing particularly on volunteerism, drug abuse prevention, and social and financial empowerment for youth, as well as working to empower community leaders in underdeveloped areas. Malik is the National Coordinator for the Aurat Foundation, whose goal is to promote women’s empowerment and citizen participation in governance.

Present at the meeting at the GlobalPittsburgh offices were Julianna Peebles, a harpist in CAPA’s instrumental department, and Rachel Rothenberg, a member of the literary arts department. Also in attendance was Ben Kline, another CAPA senior who is interning at GlobalPittsburgh through a literary arts service learning opportunity. The three students spoke of the various volunteer and service projects in which they have participated and discussed which recruitment and development strategies they found most effective.

Peebles shared her experiences doing volunteer work with patients at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, a job which she said helps alleviate the burden placed on parents of sick children and which has also inspired her to pursue a career as a pediatrician. Rothenberg, who is currently interning at the office of Pittsburgh City Councilman Bruce Kraus, discussed the service projects she has done with her youth group among the underprivileged of rural Appalachia, working on improving infrastructure and health care for the region.

Asked what inspires American youth to volunteer, the students offered a variety of explanations, ranging from school requirements to developing a competitive résumé for college applications to a mere desire to give back to the community. Additionally, the guests brought up the issue of the role of women in service.

The students also mentioned President Obama’s tentative plan for a national service requirement for youth, about which Osman had heard the president speak in Cairo. Whatever the motivation, the attendees stressed the importance of the mutual benefits of volunteerism, or the concept that the volunteer has as much to gain from the experience as those whom he or she is serving.

The visitors expressed satisfaction with the meeting, saying that they would return to their respective countries with improved insight on the organization of volunteer projects, as little infrastructure exists as of yet in Egypt and Pakistan to recruit and match volunteers with projects suiting their particular interests or skills.

- Ben Kline READ FULL ARTICLE

International Networking Event Scheduled for Thursday, May 20 - Tonic Bar & Grill

GlobalPittsburgh is joining the British American Business Council and Club Canada to host a spring networking event on Thursday, May 20 from 5:30-7 PM at Tonic Bar & Grill (upstairs) at 971 Liberty Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh.

There is no charge to attend this event, but we ask that you RSVP by 5/18 so we can inform the venue as to the number of guests. Light snacks will be provided. There will be a cash bar.

Feel free to bring your coworkers and clients, and prepare to make new connections. Remember to bring plenty of business cards.

Please let us know you're coming by calling Pat Fustich or Tim Allen at 412-392-4513 or by sending email to globalpittsburghpat@gmail.com. READ FULL ARTICLE

GlobalPittsburgh Presents Bridge Awards to Manchester Bidwell, Westinghouse, Omnyx & Canada

PITTSBURGH, April 21, 2010 - GlobalPittsburgh today presented its annual International Bridge Awards to two companies, one community group and one country for "building bridges of understanding and cooperation between the Pittsburgh Region and the world."

Winning the 2010 International Bridge Awards were:
Manchester Bidwell Corp., which runs Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and Bidwell Training Center - Community & Culture
Westinghouse Electric Company - Established Commerce
Omnyx LLC - Emerging Commerce
Canada - Country

Since 1993, the Bridge Awards have been a unique recognition of the region’s global connections by GlobalPittsburgh, formerly the Pittsburgh Council for International Visitors. The event brings together the area’s leaders in the fields of energy, environmental design & innovation, education, high technology, life sciences and advanced manufacturing.

Held at the Heinz Field East Club Lounge, the International Bridge Awards event was the centerpiece of the GlobalPittsburgh Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase, which welcomed more than 20 Embassy and Consulate officials from countries including Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Vietnam.

MANCHESTER BIDWELL CORPORATION - Community & Culture
Bill Strickland established Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild in 1968 to help combat the effects of economic and social devastation experienced by the youth of his inner-city neighborhood on Pittsburgh’s North Side.

Just as the introduction to art had helped to change the course of his life, Bill hoped art would inspire similar change in his community. Located in a residential row house, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild initially offered informal ceramics classes and a small exhibition space. Then something amazing started happening. Young people who participated in the program started doing better in school. They started graduating from high school. They became contributing members of society. They became successful.

Because of his successful track record with Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, Bill was asked to assume the leadership of Bidwell Training Center, a vocational education program serving mostly displaced steel workers from the same community. The same thing happened at Bidwell. People who had no hope found direction in their lives. They too found success.

Today, Manchester Bidwell Corporation lives in a beautiful 62,000 square-foot arts and career training center. This facility, which many of you saw this morning, offers studios, classrooms, workshops, gallery spaces, and a 350-seat auditorium. The center currently provides training in fields as varied as gourmet food preparation, chemical, office, and medical technologies, and education arts programming in ceramics, photography, and digital imaging. In addition, the center presents nationally acclaimed jazz performances, and its own jazz recording label has produced four Grammy-winning CDs. And most noticeable is the fact that there are no metal detectors at the doors, and the police have never been called to break up a fight.

This started out as a great Pittsburgh story. Now it’s a great global story. Bill Strickland plans to bring the model he created in Pittsburgh to 100 centers in the United States and 100 more around the world. Three new centers already have opened in San Francisco, Cincinnati and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Others are on the drawing board in Canada, Ireland, Israel and Brazil.

The idea that grew out of the streets of Pittsburgh’s North Side is now taking root in cities around the world in which leaders are looking for solutions, and in which young people are looking for hope. Manchester Bidwell Corporation builds bridges of opportunity.

Learn more at www.manchesterbidwell.org.

WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY - Established Commerce
The roots of Westinghouse Electric Company run deep into the history of Pittsburgh and the United States. Founded by George Westinghouse in 1886, the company made its name promoting Nicola Tesla’s alternating-current system.

Westinghouse Electric used Tesla’s system to light the World’s Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893. This system was also a factor in winning the company the contract to install the first power machinery at Niagara Falls. By the turn of the century, Westinghouse’s enterprises had grown to employ over 50,000 people.

Financial difficulties plagued Westinghouse in the 1970’s and ‘80’s, but by 2000, the company had streamlined and refocused on its energy expertise. Today, nearly 50 percent of the nuclear power plants in operation worldwide are based on Westinghouse technology, including projects in South Korea, Japan, China, Europe and South Africa, and nearly 60 percent in the United States.

The company is currently working with the nuclear industry and government agencies on formulating design improvements and an improved risk-based licensing process that will reduce the construction costs of new plants to help maintain the essential nuclear option for the future world energy marketplace.

Worldwide, the nearly 8,500 employees of Westinghouse Electric Company – which is now owned by Toshiba Corporation – continue to pioneer value-added engineering and services creating success for our customers in their increasingly demanding markets.

Learn more at www.westinghousenuclear.com.

OMNYX LLC - Emerging Commerce
Omnyx is a joint venture of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and GE Healthcare and with headquarters in Pittsbugh. The company is developing a software platform to transform the scope of pathology to an all-digital workflow.

Omnyx will market its digital pathology platform to clinical labs and offer a software system for image management, workflow automation, image analysis algorithms and system integration along with its high speed whole-slide scanners.

Omnyx recently announced the launch of a Global Collaborators Program to advance Digital Pathology products, technology and use for clinical applications. The program brings together thirteen institutions in seven countries – the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Singapore, France, Italy and Scotland.

Close collaboration with pathologists at UPMC and other institutions along with their relationship with GE Healthcare allows Omnyx to focus its innovation on the needs of anatomic pathologists worldwide. Omnyx digital pathology products are currently in development and have not yet been cleared by the FDA.

As a joint venture of UPMC and GE Healthcare, Omnyx draws from each partner’s deep roots in engineering and clinical excellence. GE Healthcare has experience in clinical radiology and cardiology in hospitals worldwide, and Omnyx will build on GE Healthcare’s proven device research and next generation medical software platforms. As a recognized leader in digital pathology, UPMC will guide the product design and serve as a proving ground within its network of hospitals and labs.

Learn more at www.omnyx.com.

CANADA - Country
Canada is by far the largest customer for Pittsburgh-area exports, with nearly $9 billion worth of goods and services shipped north of the border from Pennsylvania in 2008. In 2008, Pennsylvania exported 30 percent of its foreign-bound goods to Canada, more than to its next six international trading partners — Mexico, Belgium, China, Japan, United Kingdom and Germany — combined.

An estimated 295,000 jobs in Pennsylvania are attributed to Canada–U.S. trade.
Canada is also the largest supplier of energy to Pennsylvania and the United States. The vast Alberta oil sands reserves represent not only a major source of oil and gas for U.S. consumers, but also a tremendous business opportunity for Pittsburgh-area engineering, manufacturing and oilfield service companies.

Canadian firms employ approximately 4,300 people at more than 50 locations in the Greater Pittsburgh region. Some 1,000 employees of Montreal-based Bombardier are located in Pittsburgh working to make the company a global leader in the production of aircraft, people-movers and other transport systems. Among the Bombardier sites found in Pittsburgh are the design and manufacturing facilities of Bombardier’s CX-100 rail shuttles. The CX-100 is used to move travelers quickly and easily around airports throughout the world.

Bombardier is one of many companies that profit from a highly-integrated supply chain that exists between operations in the two countries that increasingly depends on cross-border shipments and just-in-time deliveries.

Ontario-based Hatch Associates is a global leader in engineering, construction management and consulting. Its Pittsburgh office serves as the U.S. regional headquarters, where more than 250 professionals use their expertise to help clients undertake complex building projects.

These are just a couple of examples of the important partnerships between the United States and Canada.

Learn more at www.canada.gc.ca.

This year's International Bridge Awards event also featured booths and interactive displays highlighting the Region’s leading companies and organizations in the field of energy, environmental and education.

As a member of the National Council for International Visitors, GlobalPittsburgh works with the U.S. Department of State and other international organizations to arrange and coordinate visits by foreign individuals and delegations interested in learning more about Pittsburgh’s centers of excellence, including energy, education, technology, health sciences, green design and social services, and in studying the region’s economic and environmental transformation.

For 50 years, GlobalPittsburgh has welcomed volunteers and hosts to act as tour guides, dinner hosts, home stay hosts and drivers for visiting delegations and individuals. For more information about GlobalPittsburgh programs, visit www.globalpittsburgh.org, call 412-392-4513 or send email to info@pciv.org. READ FULL ARTICLE

New National Energy Technology Laboratory Director Cugini to be Keynote Speaker at GlobalPittsburgh International Bridge Awards on April 21

Anthony V. Cugini, newly appointed director of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), will be the keynote speaker at the GlobalPittsburgh® International Bridge Awards on the evening of April 21, 2010 at the Heinz Field East Club Lounge.

GlobalPittsburgh will welcome two dozen top Embassy and Consulate representatives from 11 countries and the United Nations, including Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Oman, South Africa, United Kingdom and Vietnam as it honors corporations, organizations and individuals whose efforts have succeeded in building bridges of understanding and communication between the Pittsburgh Region and other parts of the world. CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE INVITATION AND RESERVATION FORM.

Bringing together area leaders in the fields of energy, life sciences, education, environmental design & innovation, technology and advanced manufacturing, the International Bridge Awards is the centerpiece of the GlobalPittsburgh Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase. This two-day program of presentations, panel discussions and tours highlighting the Greater Pittsburgh Region’s innovation, leadership and centers of excellence for the visiting foreign dignitaries on April 21-22, 2010.

The event takes place on the eve of Earth Day 2010, and will help kick off the six-week period of events and celebrations leading up to World Environment Day 2010 on June 5. More than 500 invitations have been issued for the event. Reservation information is available at www.globalpittsburgh.org.

“We are thrilled that Dr. Cugini will join us to represent NETL and the region’s energy leadership as we help launch this exciting series of events to further highlight the Greater Pittsburgh Region’s leadership and advancements in energy and the environment, life sciences and education,” said Roger O. Cranville, GlobalPittsburgh Chairman and President. “We know from experience that Pittsburgh’s reputation as an example of successful economic and environmental revitalization is known around the world.”

Operated by the U.S. Department of Energy, the primary mission of Pittsburgh-based NETL is to develop new technologies and approaches that will ensure the safe, clean, and affordable use of U.S. fossil energy resources through the 21st century, including carbon capture and storage (CCS); advanced generation technology for both new and existing coal-based power plants; and advanced research on novel concepts.

Since 1993, the Bridge Awards have been a unique recognition of the region’s global connections and a major networking event. In addition to honoring this year’s winners, this gala event will feature booths and interactive displays highlighting the Region’s leading companies and organizations in the field of energy, environmental and education.

The inclusion of senior embassy and consulate representatives from major international players at the International Bridge Awards will allow attendees to make important business and cultural connections that have the potential to lead to valuable partnerships and future economic development opportunities, Cranville said.

The GlobalPittsburgh Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase (by invitation only) will include:

• A tour of Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild
• Lunch at Phipps Conservatory
• Presentation about the University of Pittsburgh's energy-related research programs, which cover energy diversification, nuclear power advances, clean coal technologies, renewable energy and environmental solutions. More information about Pitt's energy & environmental initiatives is available at http://www.energy.pitt.edu/ and http://www.mascarocenter.pitt.edu.
• International Bridge Awards Gala
• Half-day symposium on the morning of April 22 focusing on the Greater Pittsburgh Region’s energy innovations, both in conventional fossil fuels and new energy fields.
• Tour of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC

Sponsors for the GlobalPittsburgh Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase include UPMC Global Care, UPMC Health Plan, Westinghouse Electric Co., First Niagara Bank, Bombardier, Burt Hill, Robert Morris University, the government of Canada, Babst, Calland, Clements & Zomnir, Sycor Americas and Vivisimo.

As a member of the National Council for International Visitors, GlobalPittsburgh (formerly the Pittsburgh Council for International Visitors) works with the U.S. Department of State and other international organizations to arrange and coordinate visits by foreign individuals and delegations interested in learning more about Pittsburgh’s centers of excellence, including energy, education, technology, health sciences, green design and social services, and in studying the region’s economic and environmental transformation.

For 50 years, GlobalPittsburgh has welcomed volunteers and hosts to act as tour guides, dinner hosts, home stay hosts and drivers for visiting delegations and individuals. For more information about GlobalPittsburgh programs, visit www.GlobalPittsburgh.org, call 412-392-4513 or send email to info@pciv.org.

For more information about the GlobalPittsburgh Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase, go to www.globalpittsburgh.org or contact Thomas Buell, Jr., GlobalPittsburgh VP-Communications, at 412-392-4513 or 412-720-2218, or by email at tcbuell@versopartners.com.



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Great Decisions - China Looks at the World: The World Looks at China

Great Decisions - China Looks at the World: The World Looks at China
World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh

Stephen H. Greer, International Entrepreneur and Business Owner

April 15, 2010

Registration: 5:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Program: 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

The Rivers Club, 301 Grant Street, One Oxford Centre,
Downtown Pittsburgh

* Council Members - $25.00

* Great Decisions Series Member - Free

* Non-members - $40.00

CLICK HERE to register

Doing business in one of the fastest growing economic markets in the world is not without its challenges. As China emerges from the global financial crisis, various U.S. companies and entrepreneurs are looking to grow or expand their presence in the region. However, navigating through the challenges and opportunities of doing business in China can be a daunting task. Join us as we hear from someone who has keen insight into how things work on the ground in China, and how American companies can experience success in Asia.

Pittsburgh native Stephen H. Greer is an international entrepreneur and business owner who has enjoyed a successful career in Asia. He has served as president of Hartwell Pacific, a scrap metal company he founded in Hong Kong in 1993. At age twenty-four, he was drawn to Asia in search of business opportunities. After a few stumbles in learning the ropes in international business, Mr. Greer began to realize a growing demand for scrap metal was paralleling the rapid economic growth in Asia.

He soon discovered his market niche in the scrap metal recycling business and quickly established himself in the Asian region, headquartered in Hong Kong. He sold the company and fully exited in 2008 and has recently released a book, "Starting from Scrap: An Entrepreneurial Success Story," where he describes the triumphs and setbacks of his own career and doing business in Asia.

He holds a degree in Economics from The Pennsylvania State University and is currently a Senior Advisor for Oaktree Capital, a large distressed debt and private equity firm. He remains based in Hong Kong. READ FULL ARTICLE

Pitt Grad Cugini Named Director of DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory, Based in Pittsburgh Region

Anthony V. Cugini, a senior scientist with a range of research experience and interests over a wide cross section of energy and environmental technologies, has been named director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), which is based in the Pittsburgh region. He succeeds Carl O. Bauer, who retired from the post in January 2010.

Cugini, who has been with NETL since 1987, created and directed the lab’s Computational and Basic Sciences Focus Area from 2001-2007; served as division director of the Fuels and Process Chemistry Division from 1999-2001; and served as a research chemical engineer with DOE’s Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, a predecessor of NETL, from 1987-1999. Previous to joining the lab, he worked at Gulf Oil Corp. and Procter and Gamble. He has B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

NETL is a national laboratory operated by DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy (FE), with some 1,200 Federal and contractor employees in Pittsburgh, Pa.; Morgantown, W.Va.; Houston, Texas; Albany, Ore.; and Fairbanks, Alaska. Its primary mission is to develop new technologies and approaches that will ensure the safe, clean, and affordable use of U.S. fossil energy resources through the 21st century, including carbon capture and storage (CCS); advanced generation technology for both new and existing coal-based power plants; and advanced research on novel concepts.

Cugini's background includes expertise in a number of key energy and environmental research and development (R&D) areas, including catalyst development, advanced carbon synthesis, hydrogen production and separation, gas hydrates, and CO2 sequestration and computational modeling. His 23-year career at NETL includes serving since Jan. 1, 2010 as the lab’s acting director and, prior to that, overseeing its Office of Research and Development (ORD) since 2007. In that capacity, he supervised an organization with over 400 personnel at three NETL locations, which included cutting-edge research and computer simulations conducted onsite as well as that performed through partnerships, cooperative research and development agreements, financial assistance, and contractual arrangements with universities and the private sector.

In announcing the appointment, Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu said Cugini’s background provides "an excellent combination of leadership abilities, scientific and research expertise, understanding of key technical challenges in clean energy, and familiarity with NETL’s programs, personnel, and capabilities. Dr. Cugini’s outstanding career at the laboratory, including his most recent service as acting director, has demonstrated a clear ability to continue NETL’s important mission at a high level of achievement and accomplishment. I look forward to the lab’s continued progress and success under his leadership as we move forward."

For more information, go to www.netl.doe.gov.
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GlobalPittsburgh Hosting Embassy & Consulate Officials from 11 Countries for International Bridge Awards April 21, 2010 - Reserve Today!

The government of China has joined the list of foreign Embassies and Consulates sending representatives to the GlobalPittsburgh International Bridge Awards and related Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase April 21-22, 2010. CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE INVITATION AND RESERVATION FORM.

Other confirmed countries for the event include: Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Oman, South Africa, United Kingdom and Vietnam.

The International Bridge Awards event will take place on the eve of Earth Day 2010, and will help kick off the six-week period of events and celebrations leading up to World Environment Day 2010 on June 5. It brings together the area’s leaders in the fields of energy, environmental design & innovation, education, high technology, life sciences and advanced manufacturing to honor corporations, organizations or individuals whose efforts have succeeded in building bridges of understanding and communication between the Pittsburgh Region and other parts of the world.

The Bridge Awards gala is the centerpiece of the GlobalPittsburgh Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase, a two-day program of presentations, panel discussions and tours highlighting the Greater Pittsburgh Region’s innovation, leadership and centers of excellence for the invited international delegates.

“We are thrilled to be helping launch this exciting series of events, which further highlight the Greater Pittsburgh Region’s leadership and advancements in energy and the environment, life sciences and education,” said Roger O. Cranville, GlobalPittsburgh Chairman and President. “We know from experience that Pittsburgh’s reputation as an example of successful economic and environmental revitalization is known around the world.”

The inclusion of senior embassy and consulate representatives from these major international players at the International Bridge Awards will allow attendees to make important business and cultural connections that have the potential to lead to valuable partnerships and future economic development opportunities, Cranville said.

Since 1993, the Bridge Awards have been a unique recognition of the region’s global connections and a major networking event. In addition to honoring this year’s winners, this gala event will feature booths and interactive displays highlighting the Region’s leading companies and organizations in the field of energy, environmental and education.

The GlobalPittsburgh Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase will include:

• On the afternoon of April 21, visiting dignitaries will receive a presentation about the University of Pittsburgh's energy-related research programs, which cover energy diversification, nuclear power advances, clean coal technologies, renewable energy and environmental solutions. More information about Pitt's energy & environmental initiatives is available at http://www.energy.pitt.edu/ and http://www.mascarocenter.pitt.edu.
• A half-day symposium will be held on the morning of April 22 focusing on the Greater Pittsburgh Region’s energy innovations, both in conventional fossil fuels and new energy fields.
• Opportunities also will be available on the morning of April 21 and the afternoon of April 22 for tours of several individual companies, organizations and facilities that represent the Region’s leadership role in energy, life sciences and education innovation.

Sponsors for the GlobalPittsburgh Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase include UPMC, Westinghouse Electric Co., First Niagara Bank, Bombardier, Burt Hill, Robert Morris University, the Government of Canada, Babst, Calland, Clements & Zomnir, and Vivisimo.

As a member of the National Council for International Visitors, GlobalPittsburgh (formerly the Pittsburgh Council for International Visitors) works with the U.S. Department of State and other international organizations to arrange and coordinate visits by foreign individuals and delegations interested in learning more about Pittsburgh’s centers of excellence, including energy, education, technology, health sciences, green design and social services, and in studying the region’s economic and environmental transformation.

For 50 years, GlobalPittsburgh has welcomed volunteers and hosts to act as tour guides, dinner hosts, home stay hosts and drivers for visiting delegations and individuals. For more information about GlobalPittsburgh programs, visit www.GlobalPittsburgh.org, call 412-392-4513 or send email to info@pciv.org.

For more information about the GlobalPittsburgh Energy, Life Sciences & Education Showcase, go to www.globalpittsburgh.org or contact Thomas Buell, Jr., GlobalPittsburgh VP-Communications, at 412-392-4513 or 412-720-2218, or by email at tcbuell@versopartners.com.

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World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh Names Steven Sokol New President and CEO, Replacing Sky Foerster

The Board of Directors of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh today announced the appointment of Steven E. Sokol as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective this June. Sokol succeeds Dr. Schuyler Foerster, who led the organization for the past 13 years.

In his role as President and CEO, Sokol will oversee all Council operations, including the development and implementation of some 175 programs that reach over 17,000 people annually. Through these programs – plus a weekly radio show and webcasts – the Council seeks to foster informed, independent, and critical thinking about important global issues as they affect the nation, the region, and Pittsburgh.

“We are delighted to have Steve take over at the helm of the Council,” said David A. Murdoch, Chairman of the Council’s Board of Directors. “Steve’s unique background and experience promoting a deeper understanding of global issues with policy makers, business leaders, journalists, and academics will serve the Council well as it positions itself to address the challenges of the 21st century.”

Murdoch also noted that Sokol brings an “entrepreneurial spirit” to the management of a non-profit organization. Sokol has 20 years of experience with foundations, think tanks, and NGOs in Europe and the United States, and has spent over ten years working at non-partisan membership-based organizations focusing on a range of domestic and foreign policy issues.

Since 2002, Sokol has served as Vice President and Director of Programs at The American Council on Germany (ACG), where he oversees programming in New York as well as the ACG’s 18 Eric M. Warburg Chapters across the United States. In addition to his work at the ACG, Sokol launched the Political Salon which brings together mid-career professionals in New York City to discuss pressing foreign policy issues and global concerns. Prior to the ACG, Sokol was the Deputy Director of the Aspen Institute Berlin. He has also worked for a non-profit consulting company and as a Program Officer at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

“It is an honor and a privilege to join the team at the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh,” said Sokol. “The Council has a stellar reputation as one of the premier organizations of its kind. I am very excited to contribute to the continued growth and excellence of this organization.”

Sokol added that he wants to make sure the Council focuses on issues of relevance for the Pittsburgh community and that he hopes to work closely with the Council’s board and staff to excite decision makers and opinion leaders – as well as the successor generation – about the importance of global affairs. “The World Affairs Council can serve as Pittsburgh’s window on the world.”

Sokol is a frequent commentator on transatlantic relations and German and American political affairs in the U.S. and European media. He is currently working on a Doctorate in Law and Policy at Northeastern University and holds an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins University’s Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a B.A. from Wesleyan University. Sokol has also studied at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität in Heidelberg and as a Fulbright Scholar at the Freie Universität in Berlin.
For Sokol’s full biography, please go to: http://www.worldaffairspittsburgh.org/nu_upload/Sokol_Steven_bio.pdf

About the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh
Founded in 1931, the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh encourages informed discussion of world affairs, demonstrating the growing connections between Western Pennsylvania and the rest of the world. The Council is a national leader in its extensive work with secondary school students and teachers throughout the region. Each year, the Council offers over 175 programs, reaching more than 17,000 people. The Council is a member of the World Affairs Councils of America, the largest grassroots foreign policy organization in the United States. For more information about the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, please visit www.worldaffairspittsburgh.org.
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