Cultural Diplomacy Leadership Council

The Cultural Diplomacy Leadership Council is a network of leaders and advisors around the United States and the world who believe in employing the arts and culture as a tool of diplomacy and global engagement. Council members are committed to supporting the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy, which serves the U.S. government, private sector, and the diplomatic community through creative programming, such as exhibitions, cultural exchanges, panel discussions, lectures, film screenings, and concerts.

By broadening the reach of our work around the world and gaining strategic guidance and partnerships for our programs, council members elevate awareness of the role of arts and culture in diplomacy. Specific benefits are outlined below.


Terry K. Harvey, Vice President, Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy | (202) 939-5566 | tkharvey@meridian.org

Chair, Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy

Cultural Diplomacy Leadership Council Advisors

"Meridian lives at the nexus of global partnerships between the public and private sector, the diplomatic community and leaders in media, education and advocacy from around the world. These connections form the foundation necessary for accelerated collaboration and consensus building among all stakeholders as we tackle today’s most pressing challenges and opportunities." - Ambassador Stuart W. Holliday, CEO, Meridian International Center

Cultural Diplomacy Leadership Council Members

The Cultural Diplomacy Leadership Council is a network of leaders and advisors around the United States and the world who believe in employing the arts and culture as a tool of diplomacy and global engagement. Council members are committed to supporting the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy, which serves the U.S. government, private sector, and the diplomatic community through creative programming, such as exhibitions, cultural exchanges, panel discussions, lectures, film screenings, and concerts.

By broadening the reach of our work around the world and gaining strategic guidance and partnerships for our programs, council members elevate awareness of the role of arts and culture in diplomacy. Specific benefits are outlined below.


Terry K. Harvey, Vice President, Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy | (202) 939-5566 | tkharvey@meridian.org

Cultural Diplomacy Leadership Council Members

Museum Leaders and Curators: 

Heidi Zuckerman, Director, Orange County Museum of Art 

Aviva Rosenthal, Director, Office of International relations, Smithsonian   

Caitlin Doherty, Director, Jacksonville MOCA 

Lisa Sasaki, Deputy Under Secretary for Special Projects, Smithsonian 

Damion Thomas, Curator, National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian 

Ana Sokolof, Independent Curator  

Virginia Shore, Former Chief Curator   

Nora Halpern, Independent Curator 

Concetta Duncan, Head of Communications & Marketing, National Portrait Gallery 

 

Cultural Leaders:  

Jennifer Roberts, CEO, Design Miami  

Megan Beyer, Director, Art in Embassies  

Carla Canales, Senior Advisor, NEA 

Tamsin Dillon, Director, Art in Public  

Miriam Magdieli, Director of Communications, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace  

Danielle Baussan, Arts & Policy, Aspen Institute  

 

Gallery Professionals: 

Brady Doty, Senior Director, David Zwirner Gallery 

Christina Ine-Kimba Boyle, Director of Online Sales, Pace Gallery 

Bettina Korek, Director, Serpentine Gallery  

David Castillo, Owner, David Castillo Gallery 

Rachel Lehmann, Founder, Lehmann Maupin Gallery 

 

Performing Arts: 

Luke Frazier, Founder and Maestro, American Pops Orchestra 

Simon Godwin, Artistic Director, Shakespeare Theater Company  

Jean Yves Thibaudet, Pianist 

Deborah Rutter, Director, The Kennedy Center 

Alicia Adams, Vice President of International Programs, Kennedy Center  

 

Artists: 

Krista Kim, NFT 

Joel Bergner, Muralist and co-founder, Artolution 

Noor Al Suwaidi, Visual Art 

Teresita Fernandez, Visual Art 

Nada Shabout, Visual Art 

Fred Tomaselli, Visual Art 

 

Philanthropists: 

Donna McClarty, Founding Member and Board Co-Chair, Vital Voices Global Partnership

Vicki Butler, Journalist and Writer

Ambassador Tim Carney, Former U.S. Ambassador to Sudan

Debbie Driesman & Frank Islam   

Vicki Heyman, co-founder of Uncharted LLC

Meryl Chertoff, Former Chair of Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy

Allison Kahl, Principal, Director of Design, OTJ & Associates

Shahin Mafi, Founder and CEO, Home Health Connection

Bonnie Larson 

Tim Wyman 

Augusta Tigrett 

Devon Caraher, Jewelry Historian

Bonnie Lautenberg, Photographer

Stephanie Robinson, Commissioner, Commission on Presidential Scholars for the U.S. Department of Education.

Sue Hostettler Wrigley, President and Co-Founder of the Hostetler Wrigley Foundation and former Editor in Chief of Art Basel Magazine

 

Academics: 

Stacy Lieberman, President and CEO, Library Foundation of Los Angeles  

Ambassador Cynthia Schneider, Professor, Georgetown University 

Faye Hobson, Program Director, Culture, Salzburg Global  

Tessa Kaneene, Harvard University  

Eva Meharry, Senior Analyst, Cultural Rescue Initiative, Smithsonian 

Vicki Match Suna, EVP and Vice Dean, NYU 

 

Cultural Preservation: 

Mark Vlasic, Professor of Law, Georgetown University  

Laura Ballman, Founder, Capital Art Strategies

Tess Davis, Executive Director, The Antiquities Coalition  

 

Culinary 

Lauren Bernstein, Founder and CEO, The Culinary Diplomacy project  

 

Current and Former U.S. Government Officials: 

Ambassador Capricia Marshall, Author and Former Chief of Protocol, White House 

Ambassador Randi Levine, Former MCCD Chair and U.S. Ambassador to Portugal 

Ann Stock, Former Chair of Meridian Board of Trustees 

Fred Hochberg, Chair, Meridian Board of Trustees 

 

Latest Projects and News