Fletcher School Class Notes

Fletcher School Class Notes
Class Notes
At a time when social media and other forms of digital connection have greatly reduced the number of class notes at other schools, the class notes submitted by Fletcher alumni have remained robust. The vitality of your class notes reflects not only the dedication of our incredible class secretaries, but also the deep bonds that define the Fletcher community.
Your commitment to staying connected is more meaningful than ever.
Class Notes by Year
Malcolm Peck is still writing books at age 86.
MALCOLM PECK, F62, F64, FG70
1962
MALCOLM PECK
turned 86 in April, and old age does not diminish the impulse to scribble. He recently wrote a brief history of his church. In July, the third edition of his book
Historical Dictionary of the Gulf Arab States
was published. The first two editions were solo efforts; this one is co-authored with John Peterson. Malcolm is also editing his great-grandfather's history of his Vermont company of sharpshooters in the Civil War.
BRENDA EBELING
1963
BRENDA EBELING
has been retired from the U.S. Department of Commerce for 30 years. Her career included many different assignments in the International Trade Administration including doing long-range planning and budgeting as well as overseeing U.S. trade centers. Her last assignment was directing programs to assist U.S. companies compete for projects funded by the World Bank and its sister organizations. She fills her time with volunteer opportunities, gardening, and working with National War College alumni and classmates to raise money for scholarships. She is still mentoring young adults starting their careers.
RICHARD JACKSON
1964
After 23 years in Greece off and on,
RICHARD JACKSON
returned to the U.S. in mid-July and landed in Rockland, ME.
DOMINIQUE BUFFET-JACKSON, F68, F69
1968
DOMINIQUE BUFFET-JACKSON
is awaiting responses from a number of publishers regarding her most recent manuscript submission on childhood development.
CARMEN DIANA DEERE
1968
CARMEN DIANA DEERE
is hopeful that her next publication will be released sometime in early 2026.
SALLY MILLER, F68, F69
1968
SALLY MILLER
is thrilled to report that after surgery and radiation, she is facing only a 10% chance that the cancer that sidelined her from January to May will recur. Her garden has been her refuge and her joy throughout her medical journey. This summer, she celebrated her 80th birthday, along with so many others in the Class of 1968!
PETER OLESON
1968
In early March,
PETER OLESON
and his wife, Luuk, flew to Churchill, Manitoba, on the western edge of Hudson’s Bay, to see the aurora borealis. They were fully kitted out to withstand the minus-30-degree temperatures and cutting winds, and witnessed two nights of northern lights. They rode dog sleds, shoe-shoed, and explored a snow-covered and ice-bound environment unlike anything they had ever seen.
LEX RIEFFEL, F68, F68
1968
At the end of May,
LEX RIEFFEL
returned from two college graduations in California and four days of volunteering in San Pedro Harbor on the tall ships owned by the Los Angeles Maritime Institute.
CHRISTINA SCHOUX
1968
CHRISTINA SCHOUX
is now happily living in Boston, closer to her daughter and family in Northampton, MA, and other relatives. She's enjoying community living and all the area has to offer in performing arts. Her one great sadness, coupled with deep anger: to have witnessed the destruction of the U.S. Agency for International Development, where she proudly served for a quarter century. Christina would welcome hearing from any fellow Fletcher classmates in Massachusetts!
HANS BINNENDIJK, F69, F69, FG72,
and
MARY LOCKE, F70
1969
Bainbridge Island near Seattle may hold the record for the largest per capita concentration of Fletcher graduates on any small island in the world.
HANS BINNENDIJK
and
MARY LOCKE, F70
, live there part time; their daughters
ANIKA BINNENDIJK, F06, FG09
, and
DANA BINNENDIJK, F09
, and son-in-law
NAT HOOPES, F06
, are permanent residents. Hans’ fellow former Fletcher Board member
FRED PAKIS, F04
, also is a part-time resident. In addition,
MARIA PLACHT, F08
, lives there full time, and Seattle resident
JOSH NEWTON, F06, FG14
, is a regular visitor.
GERALD CARRUTHERS, F69, F70, FG73
1969
GERALD CARRUTHERS
and his wife, a registered nurse, are preparing for a two-year service mission with their church. Gerald’s fluency in both Spanish and French and his wife’s professional skills make them highly valued members for service abroad.
DICK FAST
1969
DICK FAST
completed a bike trip in Spain and Portugal, riding from Santiago de Compostela to Porto. He is planning another journey to Acadia in 2026. Dick had camped in Acadia during the summer of 1968, while at Fletcher, and is looking forward to a more extended stay in the park. When not planning exotic adventures, he enjoys hanging out in Big Sky country.
GEORGE LAMBRAKIS
1969
GEORGE LAMBRAKIS
and his wife, Claude, moved last year from Paris to Brighton and Hove, U.K., into the same building in which their elder daughter
FRÉDÉRIQUE LAMBRAKIS-HADDAD, F90
, and her family live. George and Claude planned to spend the summer at their dwelling on the sea in lower Brittany. George maintains active commentary on foreign affairs issues through the
Foreign Service Journal
GREG SMITH, A68, F69
1969
GREG SMITH
continues to serve on the Senior Executives Association Policy Committee. He also works for the Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge in VT, makes Meals on Wheels deliveries to seniors, participates in Braver Angels of Chittenden County, and is organizing the 12th season of pickleball in Charlotte. He recently helped secure Charlotte Selectboard approval of the Vermont Declaration of Inclusion, welcoming all to the community.
PIETER FEITH
1970
PIETER FEITH
is still in reasonable shape and is enjoying a quiet country life in southern Sweden.
MARY LOCKE
1970
MARY LOCKE
, see 1969.
CAROLYN PATTERSON
1970
CAROLYN PATTERSON
and her husband, Bill, were in southern Scotland in June, focusing on gardens and stately homes. They visited the King’s Dumfries House, one of four historic homes in Scotland, and had an elegant dinner there with antlers supporting silver candle holders as their table’s centerpiece.
KEN BUTTON, F72, F72, FG81
1972
KEN BUTTON
, see 1973.
PAT RADER
1972
PAT RADER
, see 1973.
Upon retiring, Michael L. Aresco was recognized by
Sports Business Journal
for an outstanding career.
MICHAEL L. ARESCO, A72, F73
1973
MICHAEL L. ARESCO
retired as commissioner of the American Athletic Conference after a long and distinguished career in that role and as sports and broadcast impresario at ESPN and CBS Sports. A double Jumbo and consistent supporter of the Fletcher Fund, Mike scored many firsts in the rise to prominence of sports in media broadcasting and crafted several multibillion-dollar broadcast deals to enrich college sports and other sports franchises. His 40-year career was celebrated by the industry standard,
Sports Business Journal
NIHAL GOONEWARDENE, F73, F73
1973
In March,
NIHAL GOONEWARDENE
, and his wife, Chrystal Goonewardene, visited
CHARLES DALLARA, F75, F76, FG86
, and his wife, Peixin Li Dallara, at their sprawling estate in Marshall, VA, followed by a convivial dinner at a bistro in horse country. Charles has scored an international bestseller with the publication of
Euroshock
, a widely acclaimed account of the Greek debt crisis and its resolution, in which Charles played a central role. In May, Nihal and Chrystal participated in the Class of 1975’s 50th reunion, invited by co-chairs
DAVID SLOAN, A74, F75, F76
, and
GREG WILSON, F75, F75
. The substantial class gift from the Class of 1975 may have broken all such records to date. In October 2024, Nihal spoke at an event in Washington, D.C., celebrating the legacy of Professor Emeritus Robert L. Pfaltzgraff Jr. The event enabled organizers to raise nearly 30% of the funds required to endow the Pfaltzgraff Assistant Professorship for The Fletcher School’s International Security Studies Program. Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Czech Republic
JAN HAVRANEK, F09, ROBERT FILIPPONE, F93, FG95, EVELYN FARKAS, F95, FG99
, and
STEVE FLANAGAN, F74, F76, FG79
, all spoke in honor of Professor Pfaltzgraff. The Pfaltzgraff Professorship launched in September.
CHRISTIANE DELESSERT
1973
CHRISTIANE DELESSERT
, see 1974.
HERB HOWE
1973
HERB HOWE
and his wife, Caryle, had the best of times on the
Queen Mary 2
last summer.
WOLFGANG ISCHINGER
1973
WOLFGANG ISCHINGER
, see Club Notes: Washington, D.C.
JIM HURD
1973
JIM HURD
celebrated his 80th birthday in February and even managed to blow out the candles. He was cheered on by son Sean Hurd,
HERB HOWE
and Caryle Howe,
KEN BUTTON, F72, F72, FG81
, and
PAT RADER, F72
STEVE FLANAGAN, F74, F76, FG79,
1974
STEVE FLANAGAN
, see 1973 and Club Notes: Washington, D.C.
Class of 1974
1974
The Class of 1974 had a minireunion dinner at the home of
NIHAL GOONEWARDENE
and Chrystal Goonewardene in Potomac, MD, in June 2024.
PHILIP HUGHES, F74, F75
, and Vicki Hughes,
STEVE FLANAGAN, F74, F76, FG79
, and Lynn Flanagan,
DENISE FRANK BATTAT, F74, F75
, and Ben Battat, and
CHRISTIANE DELESSERT, F73
, and her husband, John Shields, were present. See more in 1973.
In May,
PHILIP HUGHES, F74, F75
, held a minireunion for the Class of 1974 at his home in Millwood, VA. Attendees included:
JODY HAMMOND, MARILYN SKONY STAMM, STEVE FLANAGAN, F74, F76, FG79, NIHAL GOONEWARDENE, F73, F74, STANLEY KOBER, F75, F76, FG78
, Lynn Flanagan, Chrystal Goonewardene, and Vicki Hughes.
Members of the Class of 1974 and their spouses at a minireunion in May. Seated left to right: Chrystal Goonewardene, Vicki Hughes, Jody Hammond. Standing left to right: Marilyn Skony Stamm, Steve Flanagan, Lynn Flanagan, Philip Hughes, Nihal Goonewardene, and Stan Kober.
Class of 1975
1975
In May, the Class of 1975 celebrated its 50th Reunion alongside the Class of 1976 in Medford, MA.
MICHAEL BALABAN, SALLY MARTIN O'BRIANT, MASATSUGU NAGATO, PETER ALAN THOMAS, GREG WILSON, JOHN MEDEIROS, F75, F76, JAMES PAVLE, F75, F76, ROBERT REYNOLDS, A73, F75, F76, JOHAN SEGERDAHL, F75, F76, DAVID SLOAN, A74, F75, F76, BRUCE STRONACH, F76, F80, FG80, NANCY WOLF, F75, F76, NEIL ALLEN, F76, DAVID ENDERLIN, F76, J. BYRON FLECK, F76, ROBERT MANNING, F76
, and
FRANK MCCOY, F76, F76
, had a wonderful time celebrating their milestone reunion. They even restarted the
‘Mid-70’s Fletcher Alumni’ group
group on LinkedIn to keep the conversations going. Thank you to
GREG WILSON
and
DAVID SLOAN
for being the co-chairs for the Reunion Committee! For more on Greg and David, see 1973.
Members of the Class of 1975 celebrated their 50th Reunion.
The Class of 1975 gathered in Medford, MA, for Reunion in May.
CHARLES DALLARA, F75, F76, FG86
1975
CHARLES DALLARA
, see 1973.
STANLEY KOBER, F75, F76, FG78
1975
STANLEY KOBER
, see 1974.
NEIL ALLEN
1976
NEIL ALLEN
, see 1975.
DAVID ENDERLIN
1976
DAVID ENDERLIN
, see 1975.
J. BYRON FLECK
1976
J. BYRON FLECK
, see 1975.
ROBERT MANNING
1976
ROBERT MANNING
, see 1975.
FRANK MCCOY
1976
FRANK MCCOY
, see 1975.
NANCY CATON
1978
NANCY CATON
is still in Northern California and would love to hear from any other Fletcher grads who took classes with Leo Gross or survived the blizzard of 1978.
SAEED M. FEYZ-MAHDAVI
1978
SAEED M. FEYZ-MAHDAVI
published a memoir,
Saeed's Notes: Resonance of History in Destiny
, in which he examines a life shaped by decades of transnational experiences across five countries.
John Maurer, Alison Russell, and Toshi Yoshihara at the Current Strategy Forum in June.
JOHN MAURER, F78, FG92
1978
JOHN MAURER
, the Alfred Thayer Mahan professor at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, RI, was the host and a speaker at the college’s Current Strategy Forum in June.
ALISON RUSSELL, FG12
, and
TOSHI YOSHIHARA, FG04
, were guest speakers at the event, too!
CYNTHIA VALIANTI CORBETT
1978
CYNTHIA VALIANTI CORBETT
, see Club Notes: London.
Stephen Del Rosso is a vice president at the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
STEPHEN DEL ROSSO, A78, F81
1981
In January,
STEPHEN DEL ROSSO
was appointed vice president, International Program at the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
ABDULKADER THOMAS
1981
ABDULKADER THOMAS
published his latest book,
Islamic Finance and Sustainable Development
, by Routledge.
Read about his new book online
MANSOOR ARIFEEN
1982
MANSOOR ARIFEEN
, see Club Notes: Pakistan.
BRAD M. MESLIN, F82, FG84, A21P
1982
BRAD M. MESLIN
published
The Moldavian Gambit
, a geopolitical thriller inspired by actual events.
ELIZABETH JENSEN
1983
ELIZABETH JENSEN
will spend this academic year at the University of Michigan, as a
Knight-Wallace Great Lakes Local News Fellow
. Elizabeth, who is the co-chair of Press Forward Northern Michigan, will research strategies to support regional news networks, focusing on organizational structures, platforms, and diversified business models.
LOUISE CORD-GUIOT, F84, FG91
1984
LOUISE CORD-GUIOT
, see 1985.
VICTOR GAETAN, F84, AG81
1984
VICTOR GAETAN
has spent years covering Vatican foreign policy. In his 2021 book,
God’s Diplomats
, and a recent
article
in
Foreign Affairs
, he explored the diplomatic legacy of Pope Francis. Gaetan spoke with Fletcher about his career, his reporting and what Francis leaves behind on the global stage.
Read the article online
ANDRÉS MONTERO, LEOPOLDO CALVO-SOTELO
and
RODRIGO PALACIOS
1985
As president of the Chilean Spanish Business Council,
ANDRÉS MONTERO
organized an 80-person visit to Madrid and Bilbao.
LEOPOLDO CALVO-SOTELO
helped host the event, and
RODRIGO PALACIOS
participated with the group.
LYNNE SHERBURNE-BENZ, F85, FG93
1985
LYNNE SHERBURNE-BENZ
hosted dinner with Fletcher classmates at her house in Maryland in June.
KATE FARNSWORTH
was in town from Ethiopia, and
EDITH MILLAR
was in town from Vietnam. Also attending were
KATHERINE BAER, STEVE BENZ, CALVIN SCHNURE
and his wife, Malathi Jayawickrama,
LINDA SPECHT, LOUISE CORD-GUIOT, F84, FG91
, and her husband, Philippe Guiot, and
MONIKA HUPPI, F88
, and her husband, Jim Parks.
Members of the Class of 1985 gathered at the home of Lynne Sherburne-Benz.
GWENN BOOKMAN
1986
GWENN BOOKMAN
served as a public member on a summer promotion board for the United States Agency for International Development in May–June 2024. Because of the closure of USAID, Gwenn served on a board for the U.S. Department of State this summer.
CHANGROK SOH, F86, FG92
1986
In March,
CHANGROK SOH
was elected chair of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. He feels honored to serve in this role at such a critical time for the international human rights system.
Learn more about the committee online
MIKE HAMMER
and
MARGRET BJORGULFSDOTTIR, F88
1987
It’s a small world for the Fletcher alumni community! Serving as the U.S. Embassy Havana chief of mission,
MIKE HAMMER
, with his wife
MARGRET BJORGULFSDOTTIR, F88
, ran into Foreign Service Officers
NICOLE BERMUDEZ, F20
, and
LAURANCE COSPER, F19
. Visiting were
MERI MCCOY-THOMPSON, STEVE THOMPSON, JIM WINKLER, F87, FG89
, and
MARY PACKARD-WINKLER, F88
From left to right, Steve Thompson, Mike Hammer, Margret Bjorgulfsdottir, Laurance Cosper, Nicole Bermudez, Mary Packard-Winkler, Jim Winkler, and Meri McCoy-Thompson.
John and Julie Hennessey-Niland live in College Station, TX.
JOHN HENNESSEY-NILAND, A85, F87
1987
Ambassador
JOHN HENNESSEY-NILAND
is the new director of the Scowcroft Institute at Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government & Public Service. John retired from the U.S. Foreign Service after a 35-year career. He has led the Diplomacy Program at the Bush School for the last three years. John and his wife,
JULIE HENNESSEY-NILAND
, now reside in College Station, TX, and welcome any Fletcher visitors who may be in town for Aggie football.
MARGRET BJORGULFSDOTTIR
1988
MARGRET BJORGULFSDOTTIR
, see 1987.
MONIKA HUPPI
1988
MONIKA HUPPI
, see 1985.
Prakash Mirchandani and Aruni Jayakody met for dinner in Melbourne.
PRAKASH MIRCHANDANI
1988
PRAKASH MIRCHANDANI
was appointed to the advisory board of the
Advocata Institute
, an independent public policy think tank based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Prakash caught up with
ARUNI JAYAKODY, F13, FG24
, over a dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Melbourne in May.
MARY PACKARD-WINKLER
1988
MARY PACKARD-WINKLER
, see 1987.
FARUKH AMIL
1989
AMBASSADOR FARUKH AMIL
, see Club Notes: Pakistan.
ClimateMusic Project premiered a new violin concerto with the South Dakota Symphony in Sioux Falls.
STEPHAN CRAWFORD
1989
STEPHAN CRAWFORD
’s ClimateMusic Project premiered a new violin concerto with the South Dakota Symphony in Sioux Falls before an enthusiastic audience of more than 1,000 people. Then it headed to Florida for a concert near Fort Myers and to the International Ocean Film Festival, with a live concert in San Francisco. Learn more at
climatemusic.org
PHYLLIS DININIO
1989
Until the recent disruption in the federal government,
PHYLLIS DININIO
had a great job as chief of party on a USAID-funded anti-corruption project. After the cuts, she’s been forced, like so many others, to look for a job.
BEN DRIGGS
1989
BEN DRIGGS
, living in Salt Lake City, has been getting involved in some sustainability projects in Sierra Leone.
RICK FITZPATRICK
, who’s been in Africa most of his career, got him involved. Ben enjoys producing music and released his fifth album a few months ago called
The 2024 Collection
TESS OXENSTIERNA
1989
In February,
TESS OXENSTIERNA
was named Investment Banker of the Year by Global M&A Network. Read more about the award
online
JOSEPH ROUSSEL
1989
JOSEPH ROUSSEL
is navigating the massive upheavals in global public health at the NGO VillageReach. He and his wife, Jana, are settling into Aix-en-Provence, where they marked their first full year in June. Joseph is looking forward to a trip in early November to Japan and Hong Kong with his son, Robert. If you are in the Marseille/Aix-en-Provence area, please contact him at
josephroussel@orange.fr
LISA SWENARSKI
1989
LISA SWENARSKI
, see Club Notes: Pakistan.
HAROLD ZAPPIA
1989
HAROLD ZAPPIA
is enjoying retirement, although he misses the Foreign Service. His 3-year-old grandson, Ira, is a constant joy and source of hope for the future. He keeps busy with hobbies: model trains, collecting coins and currency, books, old telephones, and researching family genealogy.
Class of 1990
1990
In May, four classmates gathered at the Foundry on Elm in Davis Square to celebrate the class’s 35th Reunion:
MATT AUER, ROB MCKEON, MIEKE VAN DER WANSEM
, and
JOY YAMAMOTO
From left, Mieke van der Wansem, Matt Auer, Rob McKeon, and Joy Yamamoto.
MATT AUER
1990
MATT AUER
and his wife, Anne, have a son and daughter.
JINDRA ČEKAN/OVÁ, F90, FG94
1990
JINDRA ČEKAN/OVÁ
lives and works in Prague, Czech Republic, where she heads two firms.
ROB MCKEON
1990
ROB MCKEON
is a managing director who oversees U.S. public policy at the financial services company State Street.
From left, Jetsen Auer de Saram, Mieke van der Wansem, and Jindra Čekan/Ová.
MIEKE VAN DER WANSEM
1990
MIEKE VAN DER WANSEM
is the director of programs at the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy and Climate Policy Lab at The Fletcher School. She and her husband have two daughters. Mieke had great fun catching up with
JETSEN AUER DE SARAM, F91
, and
JINDRA ČEKAN/OVÁ, F90, FG94
, during a weekend in New York City. Jet and her husband were grand hosts, serving Sri Lankan food and fancy drinks, while they all shared various tales of work, travel, and volunteering.
FRÉDÉRIQUE LAMBRAKIS-HADDAD
1990
FRÉDÉRIQUE LAMBRAKIS-HADDAD
and her husband, Lawrence Haddad, live in Brighton and Hove, U.K., with their two children, Sovanne and Raph. She is a child and adolescent therapist and very proud of being the co-founder of her small, registered charity called Flourish Mentors, which offers young women free mental health support. Frédérique is still in touch with
BASTIENNE JOERCHEL ANHORN, IVAN MONÈME
, and
TAMSIN SMITH, F91
. See more in 1969.
BILL LAWRENCE, F90, FG04
1990
BILL LAWRENCE
, director of North Africa Area Studies at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, recently traveled with the council's president, H. Delano Roosevelt (Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s grandson), on the latter’s first trip to North Africa. They visited key World War II sites and held a large reception in the Roosevelts’ honor with Moroccan musician Nouamane Lahlou—whose music Bill produced in the 1990s—and his orchestra at Villa Mirador, site of the Casablanca Conference in 1943. Bill also has been working with Hollywood director Ron Maxwell (
Gettysburg, Gods and Generals, Copperhead
) scoping a new movie in North Africa, and he is working with former French culture minister Jack Lang developing programs with the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. Bill appears nearly every day on Arab satellite television. In June, he traveled with
HASSAN ABBAS, F02, FG08
, to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to lecture on behalf of National Defense University.
BUSADEE SANTIPITAKS
1990
BUSADEE SANTIPITAKS
retired from the Thai Foreign Ministry after serving 38 years in numerous positions, including deputy permanent secretary and Thai ambassador to Australia. In January, she was appointed by the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Council to serve as CEO of the MRC Secretariat. She is based in Vientiane, Lao PDR, at the headquarters for the MRC, an intergovernmental organization supporting sustainable development of the Lower Mekong River Basin.
JOY YAMAMOTO
1990
In 2019,
JOY YAMAMOTO
retired from the U.S. Department of State, with her last position being director of the Office of Korean Affairs. She lives in Arlington, VA.
JETSEN AUER DE SARAM
1991
JETSEN AUER DE SARAM
, see 1990.
TAMSIN SMITH
1991
TAMSIN SMITH
, see 1990.
DAVID GRANN
1992
Award-winning
New Yorker
writer and bestselling author
DAVID GRANN
visited campus in April to speak with community members about his work. He discussed how he identifies stories that matter and his research process for the books
Killers of the Flower Moon
and
The Wager
and the article “The Hunt for the Giant Squid.”
ZAHID EBRAHIM
1993
ZAHID EBRAHIM
, see Club Notes: Pakistan.
ROBERT FILIPPONE, F93, FG95
1993
ROBERT FILIPPONE
, see 1973.
Fletcher Board of Advisors member Maureen Alphonse-Charles, F87, Annalee C. Babb, and Women’s Leadership Award nominator Skip Nordhoff, senior director of development and alumni engagement at The Fletcher School.
H.E. ANNALEE C. BABB, F94, FG03
1994
The 2025 Fletcher Women’s Leadership Awards were presented to two remarkable alumnae,
H.E. ANNALEE C. BABB
and
AZITA SHARIF, F01
. Annalee received the award for her work in the public sector. She’s currently the ambassador of Barbados to the United Arab Emirates and the permanent representative-designate of Barbados to the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Watch the ceremony on YouTube
MANFRED WIEGANDT
1994
In June,
MANFRED WIEGANDT
, who lives in Wareham, MA, spoke to students and faculty at German universities about the decline of the rule of law in the United States. He is active in "Wareham for Law and Democracy," a group that raises awareness of the Trump administration's attempts to turn the U.S. into an autocracy.
Class of 1995
1995
The Class of 1995 celebrated its 30th reunion on both sides of the Atlantic! Over midsummer weekend,
BJÖRN GILLSÄTER
hosted a dozen members of the class (plus assorted partners and kids) at his home in Halmstad, Sweden, where they toasted Fletcher over pickled herring instead of lobster. In attendance were
MARK BAKER, DIANE (TAUSNER) DE KLERK, DONNA DEMENUS DHOLAKIA, LULLIT GETACHEW, LARRY HANAUER, ANNIKA HANSEN, DUNCAN HOLLIS, MAURA LYNCH, MARC PARRISH, JOSHUA LINCOLN, F95, FG00, PHIL MOREMEN, F95, FG05, and JOEL REHNSTROM, F95, FG98. ERIN CONATON
and
LADEENE FREIMUTH
dialed into the group’s final dinner via FaceTime.
Class of 1995 in Sweden for 30th Reunion.
The reunion crowd in Medford was small but mighty, featuring
DONNA DEMENUS DHOLAKIA, ALICE HURLEY, PHIL MOREMEN, AYA NAKAJIMA, JOEL REHNSTROM, CAROLINE SANDERSON
, and
ERIC SANDERSON
Class of 1995 at its 30th Reunion.
MARK BAKER
1995
MARK BAKER
spoke to Fletcher students as part of the Fink Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series in February.
STEPHAN BERWICK
1995
STEPHAN BERWICK
visited Fletcher for the first time since graduation to participate in a conference on democracy in East Asia. His college sophomore daughter, Nava, won her second consecutive State Department Critical Language Scholarship to Indonesia, after which she will do advanced language training in Japan with Columbia University’s Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies. She is now considering a career in international affairs and looks forward to applying to Fletcher!
ANDREW BOVARNICK
1995
ANDREW BOVARNICK
skied with
BJÖRN GILLSÄTER
in Switzerland last winter and had a drink with
DONNA DEMENUS DHOLAKIA
when she visited Panama, where Andrew lives. He is working as the global head of food systems at United Nations Development Programme.
STELLA CUEVAS
1995
STELLA CUEVAS
, see Club Notes: Colombia.
DIANE (TAUSNER) DE KLERK
1995
DIANE (TAUSNER) DE KLERK
has been working at a Swiss-based private equity firm in New York since 2023. Her daughter, Maya, is at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
DONNA DEMENUS DHOLAKIA
1995
DONNA DEMENUS DHOLAKIA
has been a psychotherapist since earning a master’s degree in social work in 2015. She is now working on her dissertation to earn her Ph.D. in psychoanalysis. She is newly engaged to Ernie, a fellow therapist, and they are beginning to plan for retirement in Portugal, Panama, and elsewhere.
EVELYN FARKAS, F95, FG99
1995
EVELYN FARKAS
, see 1973.
LULLIT GETACHEW
1995
LULLIT GETACHEW
is analyzing sustainable energy economics at a company in Madison, WI.
BJÖRN GILLSÄTER
1995
Working out of Geneva,
BJÖRN GILLSÄTER
has raised $9 billion for global vaccine efforts on behalf of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. He was a featured speaker at The Fletcher School’s annual Talloires Symposium in France. Earlier in the year, he launched a documentary film he produced on changes in the Falkland Islands over the past 55 years, and he is producing a film on the Galapagos Islands. His oldest daughter, Lucia, is in her second year at the University of Durham in the U.K. His second daughter, Rosalie, just graduated from high school in Florence.
LARRY HANAUER
1995
Now an empty nester,
LARRY HANAUER
is training to be a volunteer tour guide at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. Come visit! His son C.J. is a sophomore at the University of Missouri’s journalism school.
ANNIKA HANSEN
1995
ANNIKA HANSEN
has been working on multinational civilian police missions since just a few years after graduation. She is currently at the Center for International Peace Operations in Berlin, which does analysis and deploys civilian personnel into peace operations for the German government.
DUNCAN HOLLIS
1995
DUNCAN HOLLIS
gave a talk on international law in Amsterdam. His son, Arlo, is a sophomore at Temple University.
ALICE HURLEY
1995
ALICE HURLEY
traded in financial services for a new job at a nonprofit in New Haven, CT, which focuses on homelessness and food insecurity. She vicariously enjoyed the travels that her older daughter, Fiona, took while studying abroad in London.
TOMILA LANKINA
1995
TOMILA LANKINA
, a professor at the London School of Economics’ Department of International Relations, braved air raids in Ukraine to teach a course at the Kyiv School of Economics.
JOSHUA LINCOLN
1995
In 2023,
JOSHUA LINCOLN
published a biography about Abdu’l-Bahā Abbās, the eldest son of the founder of the Bahá’í Faith.
Get a copy online
. Several weeks before Björn Gillsäter’s gathering, Joshua and
OLAF GROTH
connected at a conference in Astana, Kazakhstan. So Fletcher! Joshua came to Sweden with his daughter
SOPHIE LINCOLN, A23
, who just finished her first year at Tufts medical school.
LINDA JEAN MAGUIRE, J91, F95
1995
LINDA JEAN MAGUIRE
was featured in
Fletcher News
for her work at the United Nations Development Programme as the assistant administrator and director of the Bureau for Management Services.
Read the feature online
PHIL MOREMEN
1995
PHIL MOREMEN
was promoted to full professor at Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations. His daughters will both be studying in Europe this year, one in graduate school and one doing an undergraduate term abroad.
JOEL REHNSTROM
1995
After a 35-year career with the United Nations,
JOEL REHNSTROM
(who made both reunions!) retired in 2024. He asserts that his time at Fletcher—both in and out of class—served him well.
MARC PARRISH
1995
MARC PARRISH
wrote a book about us!
Fletcher Tales: Stories From the Fletcher School of International Affairs
celebrates the school’s internationalism and the contributions of its alumni to global affairs.
Get a copy online
. His son Alex is studying aerospace engineering at Texas A&M University.
PAUL PODOLSKY
1996
PAUL PODOLSKY
published
The Uncomfortable Truth About Money
JENNY AKER
1997
JENNY AKER
, see Club Notes: The Netherlands.
CHRISTINE MAURER-VOSS
1997
CHRISTINE MAURER-VOSS
, see Club Notes: Frankfurt.
CAMI MAZARD
1997
CAMI MAZARD
, see 1998.
Hattie Brown, Irina Gorbman, and Yuko Hirose in New York.
IRINA GORBMAN
1998
IRINA GORBMAN
had a solo exhibition on view at the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture in New York this spring. She was honored to welcome members of the Fletcher Club of New York, including
HATTIE BROWN, F20, N20
, and
YUKO HIROSE, F14
. Irina’s work also was featured at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire. For exhibition inquiries, virtual visits, or simply to connect, feel free to reach out to her at
igorbman@gmail.com
LIZ KERTON
1998
LIZ KERTON
spent some time in Geneva visiting her daughter, who is interning with the governance team at UNAIDS. Seems like this apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
DOUG SHUSTER
1998
DOUG SHUSTER
is still in Oakton, VA, and is still principal and founder of Tuatara Group, which consults on emerging markets infrastructure. He is also the president of a local civic association promoting environmental stewardship, and taking local and state governments to task on various issues. He’s still playing lots of basketball and a little bit of golf and tennis, as he quipped that he’s not old enough for pickleball yet!
ANA TRBOVICH, J97, F98, FG06
1998
ANA TRBOVICH
is still working on next-gen energy tech, balanced by Lisbon's calm and Fletcher visits, including recent pop-ins by
CAMI MAZARD, F97
, and
KRISTINA LYONS, J87, F98
. She shared that the Fletcher Women's Forum 1997 alumni recently reunited informally to support Tufts’ stance on democratic governance, and all enjoyed the Law Day celebratory oath webinar by
KATIE HAMILL, F99
. Ana authored an opinion piece on why Serbia's student-led movement for rule of law should be given more attention by EU policy makers.
Read her opinion piece online
JOYCE LOUISE CONNERY, J92, F99
1999
In January, after more than 23 years,
JOYCE LOUISE CONNERY
closed the chapter on her federal career. Now, she has opened her own LLC, Connery Strategies, and is trying her hand at consulting work. Meanwhile, she has been able to do some more active political work in state and local government and recently started as the chair of the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Northern Virginia. She lives in Prince William County, VA, with her boyfriend, John, and a sweet, old cat named Belka.
ERIC EVERSMANN
1999
After 15 years at Save the Children,
ERIC EVERSMANN
took an early retirement when his position was closed because of USAID funding cuts. He took a few months off to commiserate and support friends and colleagues who have similarly been impacted, including a great three-day trip with
RAIMUND GRUBE, MARK HANNAFIN
, and
ROB THOMAS
to Traverse City, MI. He also traveled with his family to Japan and then started a new job teaching math at Coolidge High School in Washington, D.C.
OLEG KAGANOVICH
1999
OLEG KAGANOVICH
is slowly making his way through an artificial intelligence master's degree while building a holding company to acquire traditional (nontech) businesses that can benefit from AI automation. He is also playing with AI and 10 years of his personal Fitbit data to experiment with building an intelligent health, longevity, and fitness training app to level up his long-term health and wellness. If you're ever traveling through Sacramento, CA, he would love to see you!
KATIE HAMILL
1999
KATIE HAMILL
, see 1998.
SARAH HARPENDING
1999
SARAH HARPENDING
, see Club Notes: Jordan.
LIANA LUM
and
ZACH LUM
1999
LIANA LUM
and
ZACH LUM
pendulate between Cape Cod, MA, and Rosslyn, VA. Their youngest graduated from Williams College in the spring and is moving to Washington, D.C., for work. Zach works as a contractor for the Department of Defense; Liana, having retired from the government two years ago, is still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up. She welcomes opportunities to catch up over coffee with fellow Fletcherites.
NOAH RUBINS
1999
NOAH RUBINS
marked 21 years in Paris, where he is a partner in the international arbitration group of U.K.-based international law firm Freshfields. In 2020, he was appointed Queen’s Counsel by Elizabeth II. Noah’s wife, Maria, is a professor of Russian literature at University College London. Fletcherites finding themselves in Paris should not hesitate to reach out:
noah.rubins@freshfields.com
JEFF RYDER
1999
JEFF RYDER
decided to leave his position as a vice president at GM Defense. Jeff joined in 2019 to build a commercial defense business at GM. He’s taking four to six months off to spend time with family and friends, travel, and scuba dive. He went on a late-summer trip to Europe to explore the expansion of the European defense industrial base and the establishment of a new European security policy. If you work in these areas and would like to meet with Jeff, please contact him at
ryder.jeff@gmail.com
TIMOTHY SWETT
1999
TIMOTHY SWETT
, see Club Notes: Pakistan.
VLADA TKACH
1999
VLADA TKACH
, see Club Notes: Frankfurt.
ZAID ZAID
1999
ZAID ZAID
, see Club Notes: Washington, D.C.
Class of 2000
2000
The Class of 2000, including
JIM ALEXANDER, ANNA BALOGH, DAVIS BOOKHART, STEPHEN GOODMAN, AMY KIRSHNER, AIDA MENGISTU, KELLY MORGAN, HANNAH PIERPONT, GIBRÁN RIVERA LOPEZ, VIGEN SARGSYAN, NIKKI SAYRES, MICHAEL P. SULLIVAN, CHRIS YOUNG, FIONA EVANS, J96, F00, LAKSHMI KARAN, F00, FG09, SUSAN WILLIAMS, F94, F00, Dean KELLY SIMS GALLAGHER, F00, FG03, MICHAEL ZWIRN, F01
, and
LUSINE GALAJYAN, F03
, reunited to celebrate 25 years since their graduation. It was as if no time at all had passed, as they caught up on careers and families, shared personal and professional updates, chatted with favorite professors, and had dinner at The Burren. The Class of 2000 was proud to celebrate one of our own classmates, Dean
KELLY SIMS GALLAGHER
. We missed our classmates who could not attend but look forward to the next reunion or catching up at Fletcher alumni events worldwide before then.
Members of the Class of 2000 gathered at Reunion.
LAKSHMI KARAN, F00, FG09,
and
JIM ALEXANDER
2000
LAKSHMI KARAN
and
JIM ALEXANDER
are celebrating the first fully successful commercial lunar landing, which occurred in March. They are both board members of the international nonprofit LunARC, which contributed a payload to the mission: a digital art gallery with more than 30,000 original artworks from artists across 40 countries.
INGRĪDA KARIŅA-BĒRZIŅA
2000
INGRĪDA KARIŅA-BĒRZIŅA
, see Club Notes: Baltic States.
KELLY SIMS GALLAGHER
2000
For more on
KELLY SIMS GALLAGHER
, see 2012 and Club Notes: Geneva.
Fletcher Board of Advisors member Maureen Alphonse-Charles, F87, Azita Sharif, and Women’s Leadership Award nominator Professor and Nobel Laureate Robert C. Merton.
AZITA SHARIF
2001
In May, the 2025 Fletcher Women’s Leadership Awards were presented to two remarkable alumnae,
H.E. ANNALEE C. BABB, F94, FG03
, and
AZITA SHARIF
. Azita received the award for her work in the private sector. She’s currently CEO and founder of DSI—Precision Medicine Biobanking and the CEO of BINDS (Biospecimen Inventory Network for Discovery Science).
Watch the ceremony on YouTube
MICHAEL ZWIRN
2001
MICHAEL ZWIRN
, see 2000.
HASSAN ABBAS, F02, FG08
2002
HASSAN ABBAS
, see 1995.
LISA NEUBERGER
2002
LISA NEUBERGER
, see Club Notes: Madrid.
Cynthia White’s artwork displayed at ShawSpring Partners.
CYNTHIA WHITE
2002
CYNTHIA WHITE
has an ongoing solo show of her abstract paintings at ShawSpring Partners on Newbury Street in Boston, MA. The show is an expression of her love for color and fluidity, with each painting using different mediums and colors to explore movement and energy dynamics.
LUSINE GALAJYAN
2003
LUSINE GALAJYAN
, see 2000.
HIND KABAWAT
2003
In May,
HIND KABAWAT
was sworn in as minister of social affairs and labor in the new Syrian government. She is the only woman and only member of Syria’s Christian religious minority serving as a minister in the government.
Read more about Hind online
RAPHAEL CARLAND
2004
RAPHAEL CARLAND
is detailed from the U.S. Department of State to the congressionally-mandated Afghanistan War Commission as the head of Policy and Diplomacy Research.
BELINDA CHIU
2004
BELINDA CHIU
published
The eMBA Coach Playbook: Preparing Future-Ready Leaders
, a tool kit for leaders, high performers, and executive coaches who want to lead with a mindset of generativity and compassion.
ERIK DAHL, F04, FG08
2004
ERIK DAHL
is still on the faculty of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, where he and his wife, Christa, continue to enjoy life on California’s Central Coast. He has been promoted from associate professor to professor, and he has also been elected as the chair of the NPS Faculty Council for the coming academic year. His most recent publication is a co-edited book,
Predictive Intelligence for Tomorrow’s Threats
, published by Routledge. He can be reached at
ejdahl@nps.edu
ABIGAIL LINNINGTON, F04, FG13
2004
ABIGAIL LINNINGTON
, see Club Notes: Washington, D.C.
ARUSYAK MIRZAKHANYAN BARSAM
2004
ARUSYAK MIRZAKHANYAN BARSAM
, see Club Notes: Armenia.
FRED PAKIS
2004
FRED PAKIS
, see 1969.
TOSHI YOSHIHARA
2004
TOSHI YOSHIHARA
, see 1978.
REBECCA EASTWICK-HASKELL
2005
REBECCA EASTWICK-HASKELL
, see Club Notes: Brussels.
WILLIAM HOLMBERG
2005
WILLIAM HOLMBERG
, see Club Notes: Paris.
RODERICK BRAZIER
2005 GMAP
RODERICK BRAZIER
was appointed Australian ambassador to Indonesia.
Read more about his appointment online
DANIEL BENAIM
2006
In January,
DANIEL BENAIM
finished four years as the deputy assistant secretary of state for Arabian Peninsula Affairs and as the senior national security speechwriter for President Biden. He is now at the Middle East Institute and running his own consultancy on Gulf issues and leadership communications.
BENEDETTA BERTI ALBERTI, F07, FG11
2006
BENEDETTA BERTI ALBERTI
, see Club Notes: Brussels.
ANIKA BINNENDIJK, F06, FG09
2006
ANIKA BINNENDIJK
, see 1969.
ADAM DAY
2006
ADAM DAY
is still think-tanking in Geneva. He came out with a new book,
The Forever Crisis
, and became the lead researcher for the Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board. He recently acquired a red “Make Science Great Again” hat but hasn’t dared to wear it publicly yet.
NAT HOOPES
2006
NAT HOOPES
, see 1969.
JOSH NEWTON, F06, FG14
2006
JOSH NEWTON
, see 1969.
ARTAK SHAKARYAN
2006
ARTAK SHAKARYAN
, see Club Notes: Armenia.
Gillian Sheehan is still at the UN Secretariat.
GILLIAN SHEEHAN
2006
GILLIAN SHEEHAN
is still at the UN Secretariat, attempting to prop up the waning global commitment to multilateralism, figure out how to get AI to do at least some of her job (?!), and get her kids to shower occasionally. Maybe AI can coordinate an in-person meet-up for the Fletcher06 text group?
DÉBORAH VOUCHE
2006
DÉBORAH VOUCHE
, see Club Notes: Paris.
BILL MATEIKIS
2007 GMAP I
BILL MATEIKIS
is teaching at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit on a two-year contract for the 2025–26 and 2026–27 school years. He also continues to consult at triSearch as the HR and legal/compliance practice leader.
RADMILA SEKERINSKA
2007 GMAP I
RADMILA SEKERINSKA
, see Club Notes: Brussels.
ALEKSANDRS BUCENS
2007 GMAP II
ALEKSANDRS BUCENS
, see Club Notes: Brussels.
NAO AOYAMA
2008
From 2018 to 2022,
NAO AOYAMA
worked as a Washington, D.C., correspondent for the
Asahi Shimbun
, a Japanese newspaper, and since January of this year, he had been working as the paper's New York bureau chief. In September, Nao returned to Washington, D.C. Nao attended Professor Emeritus John Perry's memorial service in Gloucester, MA, in July. He believes the wonderful memories of Professor Perry and of Fletcher will continue to support him throughout his life. Feel free to reach out to Nao at
aoyama-n@asahi.com
ELIZABETH A. BENNETT
2008
ELIZABETH A. BENNETT
, see Club Notes: Bay Area.
MARIA PLACHT
2008
MARIA PLACHT
, see 1969.
RYTIS VALUNAS
2008
RYTIS VALUNAS
, see Club Notes: Baltic States.
DANA BINNENDIJK
2009
DANA BINNENDIJK
, see 1969.
JAN HAVRANEK
2009
JAN HAVRANEK
, see 1973.
TAMARA SARTANIA
2009
TAMARA SARTANIA
, see Club Notes: Georgia.
KIRSTIN ELLISON
2010
KIRSTIN ELLISON
, see Club Notes: Madrid.
ANDREW FREEDMAN, A01, F10
2010
ANDREW FREEDMAN
joined CNN as a senior reporter for climate and weather.
NONA LAMBERT MAJIDI
2010
NONA LAMBERT MAJIDI
, see Club Notes: Georgia.
SUREN SARGSYAN
2010
SUREN SARGSYAN
, see Club Notes: Armenia.
FRANZISKA M. SCHMID
2010
FRANZISKA M. SCHMID
, see Club Notes: Frankfurt.
DAMIR VALEEV
2010
DAMIR VALEEV
, see Club Notes: United Arab Emirates.
DAVID VIOLA
2010
DAVID VIOLA
published
You Have Unleashed a Storm: New York City’s Descent Into Chaos During America’s Most Explosive Era of Radical Violence
HARVEY BEASLEY
2011
HARVEY BEASLEY
is with the Department of State at U.S. Embassy Tokyo. He has participated in several in-person Fletcher events there. He hopes to keep the Fletcher community strong!
ELISE CRANE
2011
ELISE CRANE
began her next Foreign Service adventure this summer as public affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Moldova. Her husband and two kids (Ollie, 6, and Emmie, 3) are most interested in where they can build a treehouse and find the best mountain biking trails. Drop a note if you are in Eastern Europe and you want to have some great wine.
Elise Crane with her husband and two kids.
ELSPETH SUTHERS
2011
ELSPETH SUTHERS
, see Club Notes: Georgia.
ROSS SAWTELLE
2011 GMAP II
ROSS SAWTELLE
is married and living in Alexandria, VA, with two basset hounds and with two grandsons nearby. He is still working for the Navy as a civilian and hopes that the Department of Defense will start supporting the GMAP program again.
Sam Chapple-Sokol and Dean Kelly Sims Gallagher at the fireside chat.
SAM CHAPPLE-SOKOL
2012
SAM CHAPPLE-SOKOL
is the senior editorial director for José Andrés Media, focusing on José’s Substack newsletter, books, and other written projects. In March, he came back to Fletcher for a fireside chat with Dean
KELLY SIMS GALLAGHER, F00, FG03
, to speak about the power of culinary diplomacy.
Read his feature in
Fletcher News
online
JOHN CROWLEY, A92, F12
2012
JOHN CROWLEY
, see Club Notes: Bay Area.
RACHEL FREDMAN LYNGAAS
and
SEAN LYNGAAS
2012
RACHEL FREDMAN LYNGAAS
and
SEAN LYNGAAS
welcomed a baby boy, Raphael Lyngaas, to their family. They live in Potomac, MD, with their daughter Talia, 4, and basset hound Willis, 7. Rachel recently joined RAND Corporation as a senior policy researcher. This fall, she started teaching a course at the RAND Pardee Institute on economic statecraft. Sean is still the cybersecurity reporter for CNN.
JINA KIM
2012
JINA KIM
was appointed as the second vice minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Korea. As she reflects on this new chapter, she remains deeply grateful to the Fletcher faculty for their invaluable guidance and encouragement during her studies.
Aziza Mohammed in
Murdoch Mysteries,
season 18, the "Bomb Girls" episode.
AZIZA MOHAMMED
2012
AZIZA MOHAMMED
has launched her federally incorporated multimedia production company, 221AM. The company is currently working on a feature-length musical called
Heart of the City
, with a few Fletcher alumni as crew and background performers. Aziza has been featured in hit TV shows and movies like
Painkiller, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Handmaid’s Tale, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
, and the
Jonas Brothers Christmas Movie
. After 20 years in front of the camera, she is excited to take on a new role as an executive producer and director. Aziza is now a national delegate for Miss Universe Canada 2025 after having been a runner-up for Miss Canada 2008.
ZOE RICHARDS
2012
ZOE RICHARDS
, see Club Notes: Pakistan.
ALISON RUSSELL
2012
ALISON RUSSELL
, see 1978.
SARAH DOERRER
2013
In June,
SARAH DOERRER
presented her original empirical research on community anti-racism reading and discussion groups at the Women Leading Education biennial conference in Bogota, Colombia.
ARUNI JAYAKODY, F13, FG24
2013
ARUNI JAYAKODY
, see 1988.
PATRICK KABANDA
2013
PATRICK KABANDA
reviewed
The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society for Global Policy
Read his review online
. See more in Club Notes: Washington, D.C.
STEVE MONROE
2013
STEVE MONROE
published
Mirages of Reform: The Politics of Elite Protectionism in the Arab World
, which discusses how international and domestic factors interact to shape the Arab world's rugged trade policy terrain.
MONICA M. SMITH
2013 GMAP I
MONICA M. SMITH
has launched two new offerings for her company Tradewinds Career Consulting. She has long been coaching expats about global dexterity and intercultural communications. She has also been a guest lecturer at a number of business schools, including in the U.S. and India. Now she is providing a workshops and consulting to improve effective intercultural leadership. She also co-hosts a podcast on corporate culture called
Collaborative Culture
Visit her website
YUKO HIROSE
2014
YUKO HIROSE
, see 1998.
JUANITA TOLLIVER
2014
JUANITA TOLLIVER
published
A More Perfect Party: The Night Shirley Chisholm and Diahann Carroll Reshaped Politics
MARIA RITA BORBA
2015
MARIA RITA BORBA
moved from Bangkok to Rome in 2023 to work as a consultant at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In 2024, she was hired as a natural resources officer in the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, where she works in the Environmental and Social Management Unit.
KATERINA CANYON
2015
KATERINA CANYON
is the executive director of the nonprofit Peace Economy Project. This year, she’s been focused on expanding the organization’s fellowship program, launching a new podcast series called
Voices for Peace
, and organizing national webinars on issues including demilitarization, environmental justice, and economic transformation. She recently released a policy report analyzing the economic impact of defense contracts in Missouri and has been active in efforts to build community partnerships for peace-centered development. When not working, Katerina continues to write poetry and is completing her M.F.A. at the Mississippi University for Women. See more in Club Notes: Washington, D.C.
Niyash Mistry gave fellow alums a tour of his new art exhibit.
NIYASH MISTRY, A14, F15
2015
In June,
NIYASH MISTRY
hosted
NITESH GUPTA, F18
, and
BATUL SADLIWALA, F18
, on a tour of his inaugural art exhibit, Ways of Being. Niyash runs
Art Manzil
, a new visual arts platform that curates art projects commercially and in collaboration with museums and cultural institutions, amplifying the voices of contemporary artists from South Asia and the diaspora.
MELISSA WEIHMAYER
2015
MELISSA WEIHMAYER
completed a Ph.D. in urban planning at the London School of Economics in September 2024, and a few days after submitting her revisions, she gave birth to an adorable boy, Alistair. An intense time, but a fruitful one! She is now job-searching in London but also enjoying practicing tummy time in parks with her little one. A highlight has been reuniting with Fletcher friends in London, like
AMEYA ASHOK NAIK, F16, F16
, and
JA-EUN LEE
Ameya Ashok Naik, F16, F16, his partner Livia, Melissa Weihmayer’s baby Alistair, Melissa, and Ja-Eun Lee in London in May 2025.
Pauline Yang at Tianjin Juilliard School.
PAULINE YANG
2015
Pianist and U.S. Arts Envoy
PAULINE YANG
was honored to be the commencement speaker for the Tianjin Juilliard School’s 2025 Pre-College Commencement Ceremony on May 11. While there, she hosted a conversation on cultural diplomacy with graduate students at Tianjin Juilliard, and met with the administration and faculty to discuss ideas on how to incorporate cultural diplomacy into a conservatory curriculum. She also gave a talk, master class, and concert at the Western Academy of Beijing, and looks forward to continuing public diplomacy engagement at both institutions and beyond.
NIVINE AFIOUNI
2015 GMAP
NIVINE AFIOUNI
, see Club Notes: United Arab Emirates.
GIORGI LASHA KASRADZE
2015 GMAP
GIORGI LASHA KASRADZE
, see Club Notes: Georgia.
WASEEM QURESHI
2015 GMAP
WASEEM QURESHI
, see Club Notes: Pakistan.
CAROLYN SZUM
2015 GMAP
CAROLYN SZUM
continues her work at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where she leads innovative efforts to scale energy efficiency solutions through data-driven tools and international collaboration. She has also begun to represent the United States in the development of global International Organization for Standardization energy management standards. She keeps in touch with her wonderful Fletcher classmates through WhatsApp!
Baby Elias.
MIRANDA BOGEN
2016
MIRANDA BOGEN
and her husband, Micah, welcomed their son, Elias, to the world in December. He’s already ready to be a globetrotter!
DANIELLE DEMERS
2016
DANIELLE DEMERS
, see Club Notes: Jordan.
TINATIN GENEBASHVILI
2016
TINATIN GENEBASHVILI
, see Club Notes: Georgia.
NADEZHDA A. KAZAKOVA, A14, F16
2016
NADEZHDA A. KAZAKOVA
, see Club Notes: Frankfurt.
Ali Mize on Cotopaxi.
ALI MIZE
2016
ALI MIZE
recently transitioned out of her role as a vice president at Neiman Marcus Group. She took a few months off to travel through South America, starting in Patagonia and ending in Ecuador, where she summited Cotopaxi. In June, she started in a new role as vice president of sustainability at Alterra Mountain Company. She splits time between Dallas and Denver with her husband, John, and dog Daisy.
AMEYA ASHOK NAIK, F16, F16
2016
AMEYA ASHOK NAIK
, see 2015.
TAMTA OTIASHVILI
2016
TAMTA OTIASHVILI
, see Club Notes: Georgia.
JAMES WHITACRE
2016
Thankfully, with support from friends, family, and the Fletcher community,
JAMES WHITACRE
completed a 10-year journey and graduated from UMass Boston with a Ph.D. in international studies and human rights. Please feel free to share any online teaching opportunities with him!
Baby Annika in a field.
ANNA ACKERMAN
2017
ANNA ACKERMAN
is on the Entrepreneurship Team at the Roux Institute at Northeastern University in Portland, ME, where she is leading efforts to advance innovation in the state. Outside of work, her 1.5-year-old daughter, Annika, is keeping her joyfully on her toes!
ABRAHAM CHERIAN
2017
In 2024,
ABRAHAM CHERIAN
launched his own investment advisory firm called 360° Wealth Advice in India for personal financial planning and investments, currently focused on armed forces officers. He also relocated to Bangalore.
LOUISE JULIN
and
SEBASTIÁN HURTADO, F18
2017
In October,
LOUISE JULIN
and her husband
SEBASTIÁN HURTADO, F18
, welcomed their first child, Valentina Marianne Hurtado-Julin, in October. They are still based in New York City and are enjoying life with Valentina and their dog, Apollo.
SANG YEOB KIM
2017
SANG YEOB KIM
published
The Proxy Pact
, a Cold War political thriller exploring the legal and geopolitical tensions behind the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
MAX MCGRATH-HORN
2017
MAX MCGRATH-HORN
and Jamie Eisner (not a Fletcher alum, but we like her anyway) married on May 30 in Provence, France. There were many Fletcher friends in attendance, and much merriment was had by all.
KARTIKEYA SINGH
2017
KARTIKEYA SINGH
, see Club Notes: Washington, D.C.
Clark Webber is based in College Park, MD.
CLARK WEBBER
2017
CLARK WEBBER
is based in College Park, MD. He is a Ph.D. candidate at Georgia State University and is wrapping up his dissertation remotely. This summer, he interned at the Government Accountability Office in the Contracting and National Security Acquisitions team. He was awarded a Rosenthal Fellowship for his internship.
ADONIA AYEBARE
2017 GMAP
ADONIA AYEBARE
was appointed an ex-officio Cabinet member in Uganda.
PALOMA ROBLES
2017 GMAP
PALOMA ROBLES
, see Club Notes: Madrid.
KHATUNA BURKADZE
2018
KHATUNA BURKADZE
, see Club Notes: Georgia.
KAT CALLO
2018
KAT CALLO
was delighted to ghost-write
The World According to Stoopball: A Bronx Childhood
, based on interviews with her 95-year-old father, retired Rear Adm. Joe Callo. It's about his growing up in the Bronx in the 1930s, the grandson of Sicilian and Irish immigrants.
Watch the book trailer on YouTube
ROBIN EL KADY
2018
ROBIN EL KADY
, see Club Notes: Brussels.
LAURA GIL
2018
LAURA GIL
was named assistant secretary general of the Organization of American States. She was nominated by Colombia and is the first woman to hold this position.
ANDREA GOLDSTEIN
2018
ANDREA GOLDSTEIN
joined the leadership team at the Center on Extremism at the Anti-Defamation League earlier this year and is now based in New York half of the time (the other half she splits between Washington, D.C., and the Bay Area—because what are a few thousand miles for a Fletcher grad?).
NITESH GUPTA
2018
NITESH GUPTA
, see 2015.
BROOKLYN HAMEL
2018
BROOKLYN HAMEL
, see Club Notes: Bay Area.
MOLLY HARAGAN
2018
MOLLY HARAGAN
and Matt Erford celebrated their wedding in Harrisburg, PA, with family and friends. Molly continues to work at The Hershey Company in the area of responsible sourcing, focusing on human rights and deforestation in supply chains.
SEBASTIÁN HURTADO
2018
SEBASTIÁN HURTADO
, see 2017.
Mariya Ilyas at the UN in New York.
MARIYA ILYAS
2018
MARIYA ILYAS
is posted to the United States Mission to the United Nations in New York. She never thought she’d live in the Big Apple; though it’s overwhelming, it’s also inspiring and energizing. Attending forums and crafting multilateral diplomacy brings fond memories of her time at Fletcher. Mariya’s courses in international organizations, negotiations, maritime security, and international humanitarian law prepared her well for her role at the UN as a Foreign Service officer!
BATUL SADLIWALA
2018
BATUL SADLIWALA
, see 2015.
ANTHONY SCHULTZ
2018
ANTHONY SCHULTZ
, see Club Notes: Bay Area.
Laura Smith and Utsav Mulay on Mount Kenya.
LAURA SMITH
2018
LAURA SMITH
continues living life to the fullest in Nairobi, Kenya. She is currently employed with the International Organization for Migration and is taking time to enjoy East African sights, food, and adventures. Laura and
UTSAV MULAY
summited Mount Kenya in June.
Sakshi Suri lives in New Zealand.
SAKSHI SURI
2018
SAKSHI SURI
sends her greetings from New Zealand. After seven years as a full-time staff member at the Asian Development Bank, she has started her own climate finance consulting firm, focusing on projects in the Pacific islands and South Asia.
MOHAMAD AL-ARIEF
2018 GMAP
MOHAMAD AL-ARIEF
has been appointed managing director of Danantara, Indonesia's premier sovereign wealth fund. He will oversee global engagements and governance at the investment management agency.
OXANA PADURARU
2018 GMAP
After completing her second diplomatic posting in Washington, D.C., in June 2022,
OXANA PADURARU
returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Republic of Moldova, where she took on the role of desk officer for the United States. Shortly thereafter, she was promoted to acting head of the Americas Division within the Bilateral Directorate at the MFA. In this capacity, she was responsible for managing and advancing Moldova’s bilateral cooperation with the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Latin America countries. Last year, she began a new diplomatic posting as political counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova to France.
GIORGI TSIKOLIA
2018 GMAP
GIORGI TSIKOLIA
, see Club Notes: Georgia.
KUDRAT CHAUDHARY-KONTILIS
2019
KUDRAT CHAUDHARY-KONTILIS
was recently re-elected vice chair of the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission and started a new position with the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Pivoting from law to policy and advocacy, Kudrat will be joining the Master of Public Affairs program at Brown University in summer 2026.
LAURANCE COSPER
2019
LAURANCE COSPER
, see 1987.
Maria Elena A. Juarez with her 3-year-old.
MARIA ELENA A. JUAREZ
2019
Since September 2024,
MARIA ELENA A. JUAREZ
has been working as a government affairs specialist in the Office of Protocol at Los Alamos National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory specializing in nuclear security. Maria Elena lives in Santa Fe with her husband Luis Pedro and her 3-year-old.
SENJUTI MALLICK
2019
SENJUTI MALLICK
, see Club Notes: Washington, D.C.
KENICHI NOZAKI, A12, F19
2019
KENICHI NOZAKI
, see Club Notes: Bay Area.
CONOR SANCHEZ
2019
CONOR SANCHEZ
, see Club Notes: Bay Area.
SAM SCHLEIPMAN
2019
SAM SCHLEIPMAN
lives in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and works for the development consulting company Insuco.
HARRIET CROSS
2019 GMAP
As of April,
HARRIET CROSS
is the new governor of Montserrat.
FELIPE GARCIA LANDA
2019 GMAP
FELIPE GARCIA LANDA
was appointed to the board of directors of Everstand, a nongovernmental organization that serves children and families. Previously known as the Board of Child Care, it has a 150-year history of providing a wide range of services, including residential programs, mental and behavioral health support, and trauma recovery.
Learn more about his appointment online
NICOLE BERMUDEZ
2020
NICOLE BERMUDEZ
, see 1987.
HATTIE BROWN, F20, N20
2020
HATTIE BROWN
, see 1998.
GIOIA CHAOUCH
2020
GIOIA CHAOUCH
was promoted to senior analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, working primarily on national security acquisitions. In June 2024, she married Ram Rajagopal, and
JULIE TRA, F21
, was her bridesmaid. Gioia lives in Boston and would love to connect with other alums in the area.
SIOBHAN HEEKIN-CANEDY
2020
In 2024,
SIOBHAN HEEKIN-CANEDY
became a contributing editor at Providence, an online magazine dedicated to Christian realism in international affairs.
MATT KOKKINOS
and
ANASTASIA THANO, F23
2020
MATT KOKKINOS
and
ANASTASIA THANO, F23
, and their Fletcher crew celebrated their wedding in Aegina, Greece, in August 2024.
Matt Kokkinos and Anastasia Thano, F23, celebrated their wedding with Fletcher friends.
KRISTIN MACDOUGALL-SULLIVAN
2020
After graduating from Fletcher,
KRISTIN MACDOUGALL-SULLIVAN
worked for five years as an asylum lawyer at the border of Greece and Turkey (on the European side), representing asylum seekers from various regions around the world. More recently, Kristin has been the program director for humanitarian programs in Afghanistan. Kristin recently connected with fellow Fletcher alumni through Fletcher Alumni for Palestine and finds being around other Fletcher colleagues passionate about the rights of Palestinians incredibly fulfilling.
SKYLER SCOGGAN
2020
SKYLER SCOGGAN
, see Club Notes: Bay Area.
Bryan Wells with his husband, Wilhelm Engelbrecht.
BRYAN WELLS
2020
BRYAN WELLS
and Wilhelm Engelbrecht married in June in Bryan’s home state of Minnesota after having met in Somerville while Bryan was studying at Fletcher. Over the summer, they honeymooned in Wilhelm’s home country of South Africa.
Perry Boyle is the founder and CEO of a company that invests in Ukrainian defense tech startups.
PERRY BOYLE
2020 GMAP
PERRY BOYLE
is the founder and CEO of MITS Capital, which has offices in New York City and Kyiv. Over the past year, the group has become the largest investor in Ukrainian defense tech startups. Perry regularly travels between the U.S. and Ukraine and is happy to host Fletcher grads active or interested in the Ukrainian defense sector in Kyiv.
SCOTT MALCOMSON
2020 GMAP
SCOTT MALCOMSON
earned his Ph.D. in history from the University of Cambridge in 2025. His thesis, inspired by his capstone at Fletcher, is "The Origin of British-American Cooperation in Foreign Affairs 1897–1920."
Read his thesis online
. An article titled “The Disappearance of Self-Determination From the League of Nations Covenant, January–February 1919” was published in
The Historical Journal
, based on part of the dissertation.
Read the article online
. Now how Fletcher is that? Scott also became an associate fellow in geoeconomics and technology at the German Council on Foreign Relations.
RONIT PRAWER
2020 GMAP
In January,
RONIT PRAWER
was appointed the director of the International Science Council Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific. Ronit will lead the group’s program at the Australian Academy of Science, aimed at ensuring the needs and priorities of the region are integrated into the global scientific dialogue.
ARTŪRS ZAĶIS
2020 GMAP
Latvia has been elected to serve on the UN Security Council for the 2026–27 term, and
ARTŪRS ZAĶIS
moved to New York in August to become spokesperson for Latvia’s Mission to the UN. See more in Club Notes: Baltic States.
FATEMA DADA
2021
FATEMA DADA
has a 4-year-old! Fatema is acting as a deputy legal director at Crown Law Office–Civil with the Attorney General's Office in Ontario, after spending a few years focusing on anti-Black racism and policing while serving as a lawyer with the Ontario Human Rights Commission. She was recently awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of her contributions to Canada.
JEREMY GWINN
2021
JEREMY GWINN
, see Club Notes: Washington, D.C.
JD KRISTENSON
2021
JD KRISTENSON
, a former ship captain in the U.S. Navy, left McKinsey & Company to start an applied AI consulting firm called Haze Gray. He sends his congratulations to longtime friend and recent Fletcher Ph.D. graduate
GARY SAMPSON, FG25
, on his retirement from the United States Marine Corps!
LUCIA LOMBARDO
2021
LUCIA LOMBARDO
, see Club Notes: Washington, D.C.
HANIA MUMTAZ, F21, M22
2021
HANIA MUMTAZ
graduated from Tufts University School of Medicine in 2022 and completed his residency in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in June. He moved to Washington, D.C., following graduation.
SOFIA PRZYBYLEK
and
SHEHRYAR SHAH
2021
SOFIA PRZYBYLEK
and
SHEHRYAR SHAH
wed in May 2024. The couple met at orientation in 2019, sat together for PDP (professional development program), and collaborated on group projects in Econometrics. Numerous Fletcher classmates attended their wedding.
Sofia Przybylek and Shehryar Shah celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary.
MATT REITZ
2021
MATT REITZ
, see Club Notes: Washington, D.C.
JULIE TRA
2021
JULIE TRA
, see 2020.
BRAD GOODEN
2021 GMAP
BRAD GOODEN
completed a master’s degree in fintech from New York University and started the Wharton Executive M.B.A. program at UPenn. He successfully completed a command tour as a U.S. Army Reserve commander full time this past year. Brad lives in West Palm Beach, FL.
SUGHRA IMAM
2021 GMAP
SUGHRA IMAM
, see Club Notes: Pakistan.
RAQUEL ALBERTO DE LA FUENTE
2022
RAQUEL ALBERTO DE LA FUENTE
, see Club Notes: Brussels.
RACHEL GORETSKY
2022
RACHEL GORETSKY
, see Club Notes: Brussels.
LARK ESCOBAR
2023
LARK ESCOBAR
, see Club Notes: Jordan.
AUBREY HARTNETT
2023
AUBREY HARTNETT
and her husband, Jason, celebrated one year as a family of five with their children Leo, Aixa, and the newly minted 1-year-old Roya. She is based in Boston where she continues to support Fletcher Alumni for Palestine and serve other local organizations as she enjoys these precious early days with her children.
ALEX SANDOVAL
2023
ALEX SANDOVAL
, see Club Notes: Baltic States.
ANASTASIA THANO
2023
ANASTASIA THANO
, see 2020.
HARALD BIEDERBICK
2023 GMAP
HARALD BIEDERBICK
, see Club Notes: Frankfurt.
BARBORA LEHKA
2024
BARBORA LEHKA
, see Club Notes: Brussels.
RIHARDS GEDERTS
2024 GBA
RIHARDS GEDERTS
, see Club Notes: Baltic States.
RORY O'NEILL
2024 GBA
RORY O'NEILL
, see Club Notes: Bay Area.
LOREN CRUZ, CANDICE PITTS,
and
MÓNICA ROSALES
2024 GMAP
LOREN CRUZ, CANDICE PITTS
, and
MÓNICA ROSALES
were featured in Fletcher News for creating a digital toolkit to help small business reduce their cyber risk.
Read their story online
KATE HIBBERT
2025
KATE HIBBERT
, see Club Notes: Jordan.
MEG REILLY
2025
MEG REILLY
quit her job to sail around the world, even though she had never sailed before. Now, she uses skills from the water to help others and created Ocean Racers, an international network of sailors who enjoy learning, exploring and sailing with each other, with her husband.
Read more on
Tufts Now
GARY SAMPSON
2025
GARY SAMPSON
, see 2021.
In Memoriam
Ambassador Raymond Gonzalez, F50
April 11, 2025
San Diego, CA
Ursula Hahn Shears, FG54
December 23, 2024
Washington, D.C.
Warren I. Cohen, F56
April 30, 2025
Washington, D.C.
Lois E. Nelson, F60
January 9, 2025
West Alexandria, OH
Frederic Schumann Le Clercq, F60
January 12, 2025
Rome, Italy
Steven M. Goldstein, A61, F62
February 10, 2025
Newton, MA
Najmuddin A. Shaikh, F62
March 28, 2025
Karachi, Pakistan
Sheldon E. Boege, F66
December 22, 2024
New London, NH
Dan Dimancescu, F66
January 31, 2025
Concord, MA
Allen L. Lear, F66
February 1, 2025
Bethesda, MD
Roy A. Stacy, F70
March 10, 2025
Brittany, France
Dan Edward Caldwell, F71
January 8, 2025
Pacific Palisades, CA
Ekram Hossain, F72, F72, FG73
May 3, 2021
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Albion W. Land, F78
July 15, 2025
Granada, Spain
Maryse Robert, F91, FG95
December 2, 2024
Bethesda, Maryland
Brent M. Law, F06
January 15, 2025
Springville, UT
Anita L. Luhulima, F07
February 15, 2025
Jakarta, Indonesia
Professor Emeritus John Curtis Perry
March 1, 2025
Club News
BAY AREA
The Fletcher Club of the Bay Area had a gathering at The Interval at the Long Now in San Francisco in May. Attendees included
ELIZABETH A. BENNETT, F08, JOHN CROWLEY, A92, F12, BROOKLYN HAMEL, F18, KENICHI NOZAKI, A12, F19, RORY O'NEILL, F24, CONOR SANCHEZ, F19, ANTHONY SCHULTZ, F18
, and
SKYLER SCOGGAN, F20
COLORADO
The Fletcher Club of Colorado held a happy hour at the Edgewater Beer Garden in June.
NEW YORK
The Fletcher Club of New Yok had a summer picnic in Central Park in June.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The Fletcher Club of Washington, D.C., board member
SENJUTI MALLICK, F19
, coordinated and participated in a Fletcher Alumni of Color Association panel session during the Student Career Trek in D.C. at the National Press Club in February. Panelists
KATERINA CANYON, F15, PATRICK KABANDA, F13, KARTIKEYA SINGH, FG17
, and
ZAID ZAID, F99
, shared insights on career journeys, workplace culture, mentorship, and networking. They also participated in a speed networking round with students.
JEREMY GWINN, FG21, LUCIA LOMBARDO, F21, MATT REITZ, F21, STEVE FLANAGAN, F74, F76, FG79
, and other alumni attended the annual General John R. Galvin Lecture on May 9 featuring Ambassador
WOLFGANG ISCHINGER, F73
, President of the Munich Security Conference Foundation Council, in a fireside chat with Joanne Leedom-Ackerman. The club also hosted a conversation about national security with Professor
ABIGAIL LINNINGTON, F04, FG13
, on June 3.
BALTIC STATES
In March, in collaboration with the Riga Business School, club leader
RIHARDS GEDERTS, F24
, organized a workshop on economic and social resilience for Latvian public and private sector leaders. Fletcher Professors Dan Drezner and Monica Duffy Toft led the workshop. A Fletcher alumni dinner the following day was attended by
INGRĪDA KARIŅA-BĒRZIŅA, F00, RIHARDS GEDERTS, F24, ALEX SANDOVAL, F23, RYTIS VALUNAS, F11
, and
ARTŪRS ZAĶIS, F20
BRUSSELS
Fletcher alumni who work at NATO gathered in February and welcomed new NATO Deputy Secretary General
RADMILA SEKERINSKA, F07
. Attendees included
RAQUEL ALBERTO DE LA FUENTE, F22, BENEDETTA BERTI ALBERTI, F07, FG11, ALEKSANDRS BUCENS, F07, REBECCA EASTWICK-HASKELL, F05, RACHEL GORETSKY, F22, ROBIN EL KADY, F18
, and
BARBORA LEHKA, F24
COLOMBIA
STELLA CUEVAS, F95
, the leader of the Fletcher Club of Colombia, planned a June summit with the MIT and Harvard clubs called “Shaping the Future.” The gathering in Bogota featured academic panels and networking sessions with leaders in philosophy, business, science, art, education, and more. More than 150 people attended.
FRANKFURT
HARALD BIEDERBICK, F23, NADEZHDA A. KAZAKOVA, A14, F16, CHRISTINE MAURER-VOSS, F97, VLADA TKACH, F99
, and
FRANZISKA M. SCHMID, F10
, got together in Frankfurt in June.
GENEVA
The Fletcher Club of Geneva welcomed Dean
KELLY SIMS GALLAGHER, F00, FG03
, and members of Fletcher’s development and alumni engagement team for a networking reception in June. More than 20 alumni attended the event.
GEORGIA
The Fletcher Club of Georgia; Arik Burakovsky, associate director of the Russia and Eurasia Program and the Hitachi Center for Technology and International Affairs at Fletcher; and Jeffrey Taliaferro, professor of political science at Tufts, hosted a dinner for alumni in Tbilisi, Georgia, in June. Attendees included
KHATUNA BURKADZE, F18, TINATIN GENEBASHVILI, F16, GIORGI LASHA KASRADZE, F15, NONA LAMBERT MAJIDI, F10, TAMTA OTIASHVILI, F16, TAMARA SARTANIA, F09, ELSPETH SUTHERS, F11
, and
GIORGI TSIKOLIA, F18
JAPAN
The Fletcher Club of Japan held an event for prospective students and alumni in Tokyo in April. More than 30 people attended.
JORDAN
The Fletcher Club of Jordan had a gathering in Amman in May with
DANIELLE DEMERS, F16, SARAH HARPENDING, F99, KATE HIBBERT, F25
, and club leader
LARK ESCOBAR, F23
LONDON
Gallerist
CYNTHIA VALIANTI CORBETT, F78
, the Fletcher Club of London, and the Tufts Club of London hosted an evening networking reception in June at Cynthia Corbett Gallery, which presented a solo exhibition of works by artist Andy Burgess.
MADRID
The Fletcher Club of Madrid held a happy hour in February and another one in June. The June event, to toast the start of summer, was held at El Cielo de Alcalá, a stunning rooftop bar atop the H10 Hotel Alcalá, with
KIRSTIN ELLISON, F10, LISA NEUBERGER, F02
, and
PALOMA ROBLES, F17
THE NETHERLANDS
The Fletcher Club of the Netherlands held an after-work social gathering in Amsterdam in May.
JENNY AKER, F97
, research professor at Fletcher, was the special guest.
PAKISTAN
ZOE RICHARDS, F12
, has started the Fletcher Club of Pakistan. The first meeting was on April 24 in Islamabad. Hosted by the gracious
LISA SWENARSKI, F89
, and organized by Zoe,
AMBASSADOR FARUKH AMIL, F89, MANSOOR ARIFEEN, F82, ZAHID EBRAHIM, F93, SUGHRA IMAM, F21, WASEEM QURESHI, F15
, and
TIMOTHY SWETT, F99
, gathered for an unforgettable evening filled with memories, conversation, and the joy of reconnecting. Here's to the bonds that transcend borders!
PARIS
The Fletcher Club of Paris had a busy first half of the year with a nice balance of discussion about world affairs and fun social events. Club members gathered for St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo. In June, the Fletcher Club of Paris and the Georgetown Club of Paris co-hosted a panel titled “International Aid and Investment in Developing Countries in the Current Geopolitical Context: A Reset,” which included four speakers from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the European Investment Bank. The discussion moderators were
WILLIAM HOLMBERG, F05
, and
DÉBORAH VOUCHE, F06
. A couple of alumni from Paris attended Fletcher’s annual Talloires Symposium in France, and the club had a summer community picnic with Fletcher and Tufts alumni at Parc André Citroën.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The new club leaders for the Fletcher Club of UAE are
NIVINE AFIOUNI, F15
, and
DAMIR VALEEV, F10
. If you would like to join the WhatsApp group, please email
fletcheralum@tufts.edu
FLETCHER WOMEN’S NETWORK - D.C.
During the first half of 2025, the Fletcher Women’s Network&endash D.C. enjoyed two brunches in the homes of generous hosts, as well as a workshop called “Thriving on Purpose” offered by
MARTHA BRETTSCHNEIDER, F91
, of Damselwings.
The group also hosted its annual panel during the Fletcher D.C. Career Trip in February, featuring
ELMIRA H. ASKEROVA-FOGGO, F20, PAULA FYNBOH, F14, CRISTINA GALLOTTO, F22, CELESTE LE ROUX, F14
, and
DOMINIQUE G. RAMSAWAK, F23. CARLISLE LEVINE, F99, FG03
, moderated the discussion.
New members are always welcome. To learn more, please email
fletcherwomensnetworkdc@gmail.com