Meet the Travel Professionals — with 35 years of experience!

Joan Russell, Vice President of Travel Joan has run the Council’s travel program for eighteen years and last year was appointed Vice President, Travel.  Prior to joining the Council, she ran the travel program of the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco; held the position of Product Marketing Manager for the British Tourist Authority; and worked for several special interest tour operators based in England, Australia and the U.S. During her career in travel, Joan has visited every continent and led many tours around the globe.

Shoshana Altrichter, Associate Director of Travel Shoshana has been with the travel department at the World Affairs Council for over six years.  Prior to arriving at the World Affairs Council, Shoshana earned a B.A. from Drexel University in Philadelphia.  Shoshana had led several tours for the Council including a Ukraine Dnieper River and Black Sea Cruise, a Russia River Cruise, and a cruise to the U.A.E. and a tour to Iran with Ambassador Mark Johnson, a tour to Israel, and a Mekong River Cruise.

Meet some of our Lecturers and Leaders

Dr. Donald M. Stadtner

Dr. Donald Stadtner was for many years an Associate Professor at the University of Texas, Austin, after completing his PhD at the University of California, Berkeley. His publications include Ancient Pagan: Buddhist Plain of Merit (2005) and Sacred Sites of Burma. He has conducted many study tours for educational groups including a tour to Burma for the Council in 2011. Dr. Stadtner divides his time between the San Francisco Bay Area and research trips to India and Southeast Asia. Dr. Stadtner will lead our tours to Sri Lanka and India in 2012.

Admiral William J. Fallon

William J. Fallon retired in 2008 as a four-star admiral after a distinguished, 40-year career of military and strategic leadership. In his last assignment, Admiral Fallon directed all U.S. military operations in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa, focusing on combat efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. He previously commanded the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and U.S. Fleet Forces Command, with responsibility for the readiness of U.S. Naval forces worldwide. He then led U.S. Pacific Command, with responsibility for all U.S forces in the Asia-Pacific Theater. Admiral Fallon is a graduate of Villanova University, the U.S. Naval War College, the National War College, and has an M.A. in International Studies from Old Dominion University. He is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Naval Analyses.

Jim Falk

Since August 2001, Jim Falk has been the president and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and is a past board member of the World Affairs Councils of America. He formerly was at the Middle East Institute as press officer and director of education. He is an adjunct professor of international relations at the University of North Texas. Jim Falk is the moderator of the Global IQ with The Economist, the Council’s monthly webcast. Jim has a French Baccalaureate from the Academy of Grenoble in France and is fluent in French. He led two Council tours to Tunisia and will lead our cruise from Venice to Cannes in 2012.

Dr. Carla Thorson

Dr. Carla Thorson, Vice President of Public Programs, World Affairs Council of Northern California, earned her MA and PhD in Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to joining the Council, she was on the faculty at UCLA and was Outreach Coordinator for the UCLA International Institute’s Center for European and Eurasian Studies.  While studying for her degrees, she also worked as a consultant at the RAND Corporation and as an analyst at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Inc. Dr. Thorson has led several Council tours and lectured on the Baltics cruise in 2011. She will repeat this cruise in 2012.

Ambassador Mark Johnson

Ambassador Johnson was a career foreign service officer, serving as Ambassador to Senegal, as Deputy Inspector General of the State Department, Deputy Chief of Mission in Kuwait in 1991, and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Cairo, Egypt. He was the first American diplomat to return to the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait City after it was liberated in the Desert Storm campaign. He also was involved with the Middle East peace process and the Iranian hostage crisis. Mark is the former national Vice Chair of the World Affairs Councils of America and is the Founder of the World Affairs Council of Montana. He is a Mansfield Adjunct Professor at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at the University of Montana. Ambassador Johnson has lectured on several tours for the Council and in 2012 will lecture on the Aegean and Mediterranean cruise.

John E. McLaughlin

John E. McLaughlin is a Senior Fellow in the Merrill Center for Strategic Studies at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of the Johns Hopkins University.
Mr. McLaughlin, a 1966 graduate of SAIS, most recently served as Acting Director of Central Intelligence from July to September of 2004 and as the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence since October 2000. Prior to that he was the Deputy Director for Intelligence at the Central Intelligence Agency, Vice Chairman for Estimates and Acting Chairman of the National Intelligence Council. Mr. McLaughlin participated in the Council’s Inside Washington program in 2011 and will lecture on our Balkans cruise in 2012.

Maria Wulff

Maria Wulff is President of the World Affairs Council of Oregon. Prior to joining the Council, Maria worked for over 20 years in international business. She has lived in the Philippines, Morocco, the former Yugoslavia, and England. Maria serves on the national board of the World Affairs Councils of America, and was founder and president of the East West Business Association. She holds a BA and an MS in History and Social Science/International Relations from Portland State University, a Certificate in Central European Studies from the University of Zagreb in Croatia, as well as a graduate degree in Business from Harvard University. Maria led a tour to Morocco for the Council and will join General Wesley Clark on the Adriatic cruise.

Maria Zammit

Maria Zammit has been with the World Affairs Council system since 1989, serving as both Executive Director and President of her local council – World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads – as well as Secretary and Vice Chairman of the national organization, World Affairs Councils of America. In her capacity with these organizations, she has led Leadership Missions throughout the Middle East and the first American delegation to Viet Nam after the embargo was lifted (Feb. 1994.) In January 2009, then Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan C. Crocker, invited Ms. Zammit to lead the first civilian delegation to Baghdad since the Americans arrived in 2003. Maria has led several member tours for the Council and will return to Vietnam to lead our tour in 2012.

Dr. Pamela A. Zeiser

Dr. Pamela A. Zeiser is an Associate Professor of Political Science and the Director of the International Studies Program at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the University of Nevada, Reno, and both a Masters degree in International Studies and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Claremont Graduate University.   She teaches courses on Europe generally, with special interests in former Soviet countries and foreign policy.  She is a member of the World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, where she volunteers for the Education Committee.  

Dr. Steven I. Levine

Dr. Steven I. Levine has 40 years of experience writing and teaching about modern East Asia, in particular Chinese history and politics. He has published extensively in the fields of modern Chinese politics and foreign policy as well as American-East Asian relations. A Mandarin speaker, he has traveled to China a couple of dozen times – twice in Xinjiang. He makes his home in two places – Montana and North Carolina with his wife, Madeline G. Levine, a retired professor at UNC-Chapel Hill. The Levines were founding members of the World Affairs Council of Montana and Steven has been a lecturer at WAC of Montana programs.

Mimi Gregory

Mimi Gregory is Past President and now Program Chairman of the Naples, Florida, Council on World Affairs. Mimi has traveled extensively in Central and Eastern Europe, participated in a Council Leadership Mission to Germany, and led a Great Decisions group for eleven years. She also lived in France for several years, where she worked as an Executive Recruiter for the banking industry. Mimi maintains very strong ties with France through her association with the Alliances Francaises, as President of their Federation, and was recently honored by President Sarkozy with the National Order of Merit, Rank of Commander.

Dr. Frank Argote-Freyre

An assistant professor of Latin American history at Kean University, Dr. Frank Argote-Freyre received his Ph.D from Rutgers University in 2004. His first book, Fulgencio Batista: From Revolutionary to Strongman was published in 2006. His second book, A Brief History of the Caribbean, coauthored with Danilo Figueredo, came out in January 2008. He is currently working on the second volume of his Batista biography. Prior to embarking on scholarly pursuits, he worked as a journalist for 10 years and as a congressional press secretary.  Dr. Argote-Freyre participated in a World Affairs Council of Philadelphia Great Decisions program on Cuba.