ELECTIONS - Committee Chair Candidate statements

4. PROGRAMS COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
(3 candidates)

Deborah Jones
Our Fletcher community in DC is one of the most dynamic and diverse of any in the world. I would like to put together programs to draw on that community so that we might all benefit and learn from one another's experiences. As for my own experience: I'm from the class of 06, attended Fletcher mid-career, and now head the TV division of Search for Common Ground.

Maria Stephan
Maria Stephan (MALD '02; PhD '05) is especially interested in working with her co-chair and the Club to organize events featuring Fletcher faculty and alumni with a focus on regional and functional (environment/sustainable development, conflict management, women's issues, national/international security) issues. She would like to work more closely with other DC-based Fletcher groups (Ralph Bunch Society, Women's Network) to organize panels, round-tables, film screenings, and small discussion groups around topics of interest while taking advantage of different event venues like think tanks, government institutions, embassies, and universities. There is a wealth of Fletcher talent and expertise in this city waiting to be tapped into!

Uzma Wahhab
I am running for an Acting Co-chair position, and, in the alternate, a Programs Committee co-chair. My goal is to continue the good work that is already being carried out by the Fletcher Club in providing alum an opportunity to stay connected to one another and to develop an active Fletcher community here in DC.
Since graduating, many Fletcherites have expressed how much they miss being a part of a community with diverse intellectual interests. While at Fletcher, we all experienced the benefit of hearing multiple perspectives on the hot button issues. Ultimately, I believe that exposure to these perspectives help all of us develop better analytical tools with which we can understand our work, the world around us, and both "big P" and little "p" politics.
I hope that I can help serve the needs of the alumni community here by organizing events that give Fletcherites the opportunity to socialize, continue to learn, and expand their networks in DC.

5. CAREER DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
(2 candidates)

Michael Zwirn
Michael directs the U.S. headquarters of Wildlife Alliance, an international conservation organization with the mission to provide direct protection to wildlife in danger, by stopping habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia, Russia, and the Western Pacific. He represents the organization to funding agencies, government partners, and peer organizations in the United States, and supervises the headquarters role in financial oversight, communications, and fundraising. Michael has a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Political Economy from Carleton College and an MALD from the Fletcher School in international environment and resources policy. He has worked closely with the Office of Career Services at Fletcher to broaden employment, internship and mentoring opportunities for Fletcher students and graduates, especially in the international NGO and environment and resources fields.

Rosie Wells
A graduate of the Class of 2005, Rosie worked at the Office of Career Services (OCS) throughout her final year at The Fletcher School. During that time she helped plan the annual career trip in DC. This opportunity allowed her to become familiar with the challenges that OCS faces and the needs of graduates who seek career services.

6. SOCIAL / VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
(2 candidates)

Kevin McGeehan
The education that we all received at Fletcher was outstanding, but the network that we join once we leave Medford is almost as important to our careers. The Fletcher network in Washington is one of the largest in the world, but more has to be done to bring together different generations of alums and to make the network more active and engaged. I hope to work towards those goals as social chair.

Brian Casabianca
Brian Casabianca is a graduate from the Fletcher class of 1997. He has served previously on the DC Fletcher Alumni Club for 3 years (1999-2001) organizing fundraisers for charity with the World Bank Group in which he helped raise nearly $5000 in donations to charities in the Washington, DC area which were given on behalf of the Fletcher Club. He also organized several outings to DC area food kitchens to prepare food for the homeless.
Brian looks forward to continuing to organize charitable causes for the Fletcher Club of DC to show that we care about the plight of the homeless, the disadvantaged and the marginalized in the Washington, DC area and abroad.

7. MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
(1 candidate)

Catherine J. McAuliffe
I am a 1989 graduate of Fletcher. I have been working at the International Monetary Fund since 1991, and participating in the Washington, D.C. area alumni activities during this time. For the past 5 years I lived in Beijing, China with my family, and worked with some other Fletcher alumns there to start a local alumni chapter. The Fletcher alumni connection has been an important connection over the years, and I look forward to getting more involved in the activities of the Washington chapter.

8. SPECIAL EVENTS COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
(no candidates)