20 American Leaders Selected as Eisenhower Fellows

Philadelphia, January 18, 2017– Eisenhower Fellowships (EF) has selected 20 U.S. leaders from government, business and civil society, to embark on a global fellowship to engage in a transformative exchange of knowledge and ideas with the leading minds in their fields. General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.), chairman of Eisenhower Fellowships, said these young leaders advance the mission of the premier 63-year-old fellowship program to enhance international understanding and promote peaceful dialogue. “These impressive men and women will serve as outstanding ambassadors for the United States as they travel overseas to grow professionally and take their place in the Eisenhower Fellowships’ global network of influential leaders,” said General Powell.

Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, vice-chair of the EF Board of Trustees, said this year’s Fellows are innovative leaders who apply multi-disciplinary approaches to problem-solving and seek collaboration across geographic borders. “They are diverse, they are dynamic and they are doers,” Whitman said. “We are delighted to help them acquire new perspectives that will allow them to leave their mark on society.”

George de Lama, president of Eisenhower Fellowships, 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. “This exceptional group of American leaders will meet some of the leading experts in their fields around the world and return home to apply what they learn to make a positive impact and better their communities across the country,” de Lama said.

The 2017 Fellows are thought leaders in agricultural policy, education, consumer protection, diplomacy, defense, health, media, immigrant integration and public services. Ten Fellows were selected for the USA Eisenhower Fellowship and will travel to two countries in EF’s network of 55 countries for five weeks. Ten Fellows were selected for the Zhi-Xing China Eisenhower Fellowship, and will travel exclusively to mainland China for four weeks as part of a unique partnership with the Chinese Ministry of Education.

The 2017 USA Eisenhower Fellows are:

Dr. Albert Chan, Vice President, Chief of Digital Patient Experience, Sutter Health

Korea and Brazil

John Chandler, Partner, Chandler Farms LP

Australia and Chile

Cathryn Cluver, Executive Director, Future of Diplomacy, Harvard Kennedy School

Singapore and Colombia

Kelly Davenport, Executive Director, Build the Future

China

Sherina Edwards, Commissioner, Illinois Commerce Commission

Australia and South Africa

 Robin Emmons, Founder, Sow Much Good

China

Jason Frei, Director, Ethics and Business Conduct, Boeing Defense, Space & Security

Australia and Israel

Peter Gonzales, President and CEO, Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians

Korea and Germany

Andrew Greenblatt CEO & Executive Director, Philadelphia Film Society

China

Dr. Phuoc Le, Co-Founder, HEAL Initiative

Kenya and South Africa

Kel O’Neill, Senior Fellow, Economist Media Lab

Chinese Taipei

Elzandi Oosthuizen, Vice President, Geographical Strategy, Monsanto

China

Anupam Pathak, Technical Lead, Google

China

Jonathan Fantini Porter, Expert, McKinsey & Company

China

Jill Reynolds, Manager, Aging and Disability Services, Public Consulting Group

Peru and Japan

William Shaw, Executive Director, Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Mass General Hospital

China

Candice Smith, Director, Global Engineering & External Technical Affiliations, Boeing Company

Singapore and Kenya

Elliot Weinbaum, Program Director, Great Learning, William Penn Foundation

China

Joshua Walker

Senior Vice President, APCO Worldwide

China

Alison Young

Executive Director, Institute for Strategic Leadership, Drexel University

China

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 six steering committees around the United States – Philadelphia, Boston, Raleigh-Durham, St. Louis, San Francisco and Chicago – composed of local leaders and Fellows who embody the organization’s principles and have experienced the Eisenhower journey. The 2018 application cycle will open in March 2017.

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 and who commit to lifelong engagement with the organization and its nearly 1,500 active Fellows around the world. Fellows apply what they learn from their peers and in their meetings with experts in their respective fields to maximize their potential and produce sustained impact through their fellowship experience and collaboration within the EF global network. 

Eisenhower Fellowships identifies, empowers and connects innovative leaders through a transformative fellowship experience and lifelong engagement in a global network of dynamic change agents committed to creating a world more peaceful, prosperous and just.

For More Information:

Jane Grabias, Director, Fellowship Programs
Eisenhower Fellowships
jgrabias@efworld.org | +1-215-965-1738