Learn about the Global Leadership League

Volunteer TEAM

DIRECTOR, Strategy & Innovation

Cynthia Banks is a seasoned entrepreneur and a passionate company leader raising her own global organization from the age of 24 and now helping others with strategy and business development. She built the company GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, which she sold in 2014, and now serves as Faculty Director for Global Initiatives at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder and teaches entrepreneurship. In addition she has her own private consulting practice, called New World Vistas. Her passions include developing women leaders and making education abroad accessible, and she is founder of the Global Leadership League and the Foundation for Global Scholars in support of those efforts. She has served in numerous roles with major industry groups such as NAFSA, Diversity Abroad, the Fund for Education Abroad, Greenhouse Scholars and Terra Dotta Software. She is a member of the International Women's Forum. A Colorado native, Cynthia earned degrees from both Colorado State University and University of Colorado. She’s been honored with numerous business awards in the state including top three minority owned business by the Metro Chamber of Commerce.

DIRECTOR, developing global (AUSTRALASIA)

Dawn Hewitt is based in Melbourne, Australia and is the Senior Advisor for Australia and New Zealand at ISEP Study Abroad. She is responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction of ISEP’s engagement in the region including relationships with institutions, government and peak industry bodies. Previous to this, Dawn held positions as Assistant Director International Relations at RMIT University, Manager Education Abroad at La Trobe University, and Manager Outbound Programs at Macquarie University. Dawn has a B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University and an M.A. in International Communications from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.  Dawn has been working in international education for 20​ years. Throughout her career, she has made a contribution to the intellectual discourse on the internationalization of higher education through research, publications and presentations at major conferences and forums. Dawn was the national Chair and joint founder of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA)’s Student Mobility SIG from 2009 to 2013.

DIRECTOR, WEBINAR PROGRAMS

Kris Holloway serves as the President of CISabroad, a leading education abroad organization whose vision is to create a more compassionate and connected world, one student at a time. Kris is the author of the award-winning travel narrative, Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali, based on her experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa. She is a frequent lecturer on the topics of international human rights, and women’s studies in a West African context. She is the mom of two sons who have studied and volunteered abroad in Norway, Portugal, Nepal, Mexico, Ecuador, Spain, Thailand, and Costa Rica. Kris holds a MPH from the University of Michigan despite being a native Ohioan. Other stats: Confirmed Francophile. Slow, devoted runner and biker. Lover of camping, playing board games, and chocolate, preferably together. She lives in Northampton, MA with her husband and their giant black poodle.

ADVISOR

Martha Johnson is the Assistant Dean for Learning Abroad at the University of Minnesota and oversees one of the largest education abroad offices in the US, currently sending over 4000 students abroad annually. She has worked in international education since 1991 for organizations and institutions in the US, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Her experience includes on-site program management, teaching of short-term programs, program development and marketing, and management of a large university education abroad office. Martha has presented on numerous sessions and workshops at national and international conferences, consults with universities internationally, served in a variety of leadership positions in NAFSA and the Forum on Education Abroad, and authored many articles and publication chapters on topics relating to international education.

DIRECTOR, GLOBAL STRATEGY

Sarah E. Spencer began her work in international education in 1993 and is currently Director, Office of Study Abroad at the University of St. Thomas. She holds a B.A. from St. Olaf College and an M.A. in English from St. Thomas and studied at Harris Manchester College, Oxford, UK. She is co-editor of the first and second editions of NAFSA's The Guide to Successful Short-term Programs Abroad. Sarah is active in the field’s professionalization efforts, including many workshops and conference sessions focused on human resources and women’s leadership. She served two terms and vice-chair of the Forum on Education Abroad Council, and is a member of CIEE’s Academic Consortium Board.

advisor

Malaika Marable Serrano, Associate Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, International Studies Abroad (ISA)  Malaika joined ISA in 2017 and has been actively engaged in international education for nearly twenty years. Significant international experiences include studying abroad in Australia and Brazil, serving as a faculty program director for a service-learning course to the Dominican Republic, and teaching Global Leadership in Bogotá, Colombia. Previously, Malaika served as Executive Director for Academic and Field Programs with Semester at Sea, Associate Director for Global Communities at the University of Maryland, Outreach and Alumni Officer for the U.S. Department of State's Critical Language Program, Associate Director for Education Abroad and International Enrollment Management at NAFSA, and Study Abroad Coordinator at the University of Tennessee. She received a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Southern California and a M.A. in College Student Personnel from the University of Maryland. Malaika is passionate about increasing access to international education and believes inclusive leadership is mission-critical to achieving this goal.

DIRECTOR, LEAGUE LASSO

Dana Tottenham is an applied anthropologist and international educator with over 20+ years of professional experience. She currently serves as the Product Director of Academic Innovation in the Office of the Provost at Emory University. Her role entails implementation and management of Interfolio, a software product focused on faculty data, reporting, and workflow management. In this role, she aspires to help Emory tell the story of how faculty are connecting with the larger higher education enterprise, from research to student flourishing to global endeavours. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership at The University of Texas at Austin (a life-long dream in her hometown). Dana earned an M.A. in Anthropology (Georgia State University) and a B.A. in English/Spanish (Emory University). She lives in Decatur, Georgia with her husband and two sons, is an engaged volunteer in her community, and loves to swim, run, and eat tacos.

director, GLOBAL OUTREACH (EUROPE)

Germaine Broadbent is a professional in international education specialising in account management, sales & international payments. She started her career in the 90s working overseas in various language schools. After returning to the UK to have her daughter (now 18!), Germaine spent several happy years working for a start up language agency in Brighton. Progressing through the company as it grew, her skills developed from an Academic Director through to Sales Director. The team quadrupled & many long term friendships were formed. Post her second child, a son, several years later, Germaine started her own company, providing career services for international students. Signing up a string of language school clients & meeting hundreds of international students in the process, was a time of great development. Since 2012, Germaine has worked within the international payments sector, focusing on education. Her current role is Relationship Manager for Flywire. She is lucky to work remotely from her home in Sussex & her clients are universities, boarding schools, language colleges & more.

DIRECTOR, MENTORING & COACHING

Meri Price is the Senior Associate Director of International Services at Johns Hopkins University, where she facilitates the flow of inbound international scholars and students across all Johns Hopkins University campuses. Prior to her current position, Meri has applied her international education background across a variety of sectors including higher education, primary/secondary education, government, museums and cultural institutions. She also has a Master’s degree in International Education Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park, and experience living, working and studying abroad in both Latin America and Europe. With a professional focus on facilitating global connectivity through people-to-people exchanges and programs, Meri is also passionate about enabling learning and growth opportunities within the field of international education at every level. She has created curriculum and taught courses for all learning levels, and has been active with NAFSA Trainer Corps. She has founded thriving International education internship programs at both the Smithsonian as well as the University of Maryland, and is excited to enable new growth and learning opportunities for members of the Global Leadership League.

Director, partnerships

Coryn Shiflet lives in Atlanta, Georgia and is the Assistant Director of International Education at the University System of Georgia. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from Penn State and an M.A. in Human Geography from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her master’s thesis focused on the everyday experiences of married international graduate students (and their spouses!) and ignited her passion for International Education. She worked in International Student and Scholar Services at Northwestern University for 5 years. Then, living in London for 4 years, she worked in Education Abroad at SOAS and Goldsmiths (University of London). Coryn studied abroad in the UK and Brazil, participated in professional staff exchange programs in Germany, Norway, and Croatia and received an International Education Administrator Fulbright to Japan in 2019. She speaks Portuguese, loves to dance, and is always on the hunt for the next travel adventure!

Director, the chat box

Katie Lander is based in London, UK and has been working within the Higher Education sector for 8 years. She is currently the London Internships Manager for CAPA: The Global Education Network, where she works closely with students from across US institutions supporting their professional development and engages regularly with local companies that offer exceptional guidance to students. She is also an active member of the American Association for Study Abroad/UK (AASAP). Katie's passion and interests within the sector are centred around how to support colleagues across organisations in their personal and professional development, as well as supporting early career professionals into the field, which is what lead her initially to seeking out and joining the Global Leadership League. 

DIRECTOR, RETREAT & REVIVE PROGRAMS

Amy Bass Henry is the Executive Director of International Education at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The Office of International Education leads student-centered internationalization, serving the campus with “global at home” and on-campus internationalization programs, and serving education abroad students, international students, and international scholars. Amy majored in Sociology at the College of William and Mary and earned a Master of Science in International Affairs at Georgia Tech. She has served in various volunteer roles, including Trainer for the Management Development Program of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, planning committee for the International Engineering Colloquium, Executive Committee of the Global Engineering Education Exchange consortium, and co-authorship of NAFSA's e-publication “Curriculum Integration of Study Abroad”.