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

Alicia Adams, Vice President of International Programming and Dance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Laura Ballman, Founder, Capital Art Strategies

Joel Bergner, Co-Founder, Artolution

Lauren Bernstein, Founder, Culinary Diplomacy Project

Megan Beyer, former Executive Director of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Victoria Butler, Journalist and Writer

Carla Canales, Senior Fellow, Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative

Devon Caraher, Jewelry Historian

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

David Castillo, Founder, David Castillo Gallery

Meryl Chertoff, Former Chair of Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy

Tess Davis, Executive Director of the Antiquities Coalition

Tamsin Dillon, Executive Director, Socrates Sculpture Park

Deborah Driesman, Kennedy Center, Council Member

Caitlin Doherty, Executive Director, Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville

Brady Doty, Senior Director, David Zwirner Gallery

Teresita Fernandez, Visual Artist

Luke Frazier, Founder and Music Director, American Pops Orchestra

Simon Godwin, Artistic Director, Shakespeare Theatre

Christiana Ine-Kimba Boyle, Senior Director of Sales and Online, Pace Gallery, NY

Frank Islam, Meridian Council Member

Nora Halpern, Independent Curator and Vice President of Leadership Alliances at Americans for the Arts.

Vicki Heyman, co-founder of Uncharted LLC

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

Tessa Kaneene, Senior Advisor at Harvard University

Julie Kent, Artistic Director, The Washington Ballet

Krista Kim, Artist and Founder, Techism Movement

Gary Knell, Chairman, National Geographic Partners

Bonnie Larson, Meridian Board Member

Bonnie Lautenberg, Photographer

Rachel Lehmann, co-founder, Lehmann Maupin Gallery

Stacy Lieberman, Deputy Director, The Broad LA

Shahin Mafi, Founder and CEO, Home Health Connection

Ambassador Capricia Marshall, Ambassador-in-Residence, Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, Atlantic Council of the United States

Kimberly Marteau Emerson, Attorney and Civic Leader

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

Eva Meharry, Cambridge Heritage Research Centre

Clare Reichenbach, CEO, The James Beard Foundation

Jennifer Roberts, CEO, Design Miami

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

Aviva Rosenthal, Director, The Smithsonian Office of International Relations and Global Programs

Deborah Rutter, President, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

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

Fred Tomaselli, Artist

Lisa Sasaki, Deputy Undersecretary for Special Projects, Smithsonian Institution

Ambassador Cynthia Schneider, Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

Nada Shabout, Modern Arab and Middle Eastern Art, College of Visual Arts and Design, University of North Texas

Virginia Shore, Independent Curator and former Director of Art in Embassies

Ana Sokolof, Independent Curator

The Honorable Ann Stock, Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State

Sasha Suda, Director, National Gallery of Art, Canada

Vicki Match Suna, Executive Vice President & Vice Dean, Real Estate Development & Facilities at NYU Langone Health

Noor Al Suwaidi, Cultural Advisor and Curator

Jean Yves Thibaudet, Pianist

Mark Vlasic, Senior Fellow and Adjunct Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center

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

Heidi Zuckerman, CEO and Director, Orange County Museum of Art

 

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