Learn about the Global Leadership League

Volunteer TEAM

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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, PROGRAMS (WEBINARS)

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, LINK NAFSA REGIONAL CONFERENCES

Kim McGrath is an international specialist with more than fifteen years of experience from a broad range of institutions, including ten years of progressive positions in international education. Her previous roles encompass elementary and higher education, journalism, bilingual and overseas work in teaching, training, student services, marketing and community outreach. Kim holds a B.A. in journalism from Truman State University, a M.A. in international relations from Webster University; and, is pursuing her education doctorate at Webster. In her current role as Director of the Webster International Network of Schools (WINS) program, Kim spearheads initiatives for WINS affiliate students and organizations worldwide, fostering relationships among participating institutions; and, she regularly presents on global learning and women’s leadership. She has served as adjunct faculty and was a Global Leadership Academy fellow at Webster in 2013-2014.

ADVISOR

Natalie A. Mello is The Forum on Education Abroad’s Vice President for Member Services & Training. She oversees a range of initiatives to train members in the Standards of Good Practice through her development of The Forum’s Professional Certification Program, the Critical Incident Database, Standards Institutes, and other programs. Natalie joined The Forum in 2011 after serving 18 years as Director of Global Operations in the Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). While still at WPI, Natalie was honored to receive NAFSA’s Lily von Klemperer Award and Region XI’s Sally M. Heym Award in 2010. She has been a leader in the field and is widely recognized as developing a model for responsible risk management for off-campus experiences. Natalie has published and presented in the areas of engineering education, education abroad and educational outcomes assessment at the national level.

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, RESEARCH & OUTCOMES

Melissa Mace serves in the capacity of Assistant Vice President of Enrollment, International Admissions at Maryville University of St. Louis in Missouri. She brings nearly 25 years of combined experience in non-profit, academic service-learning and community based-research, and international student services and admissions. Melissa serves on several academic committees including the academic leadership team, graduate school council, and the disability services. She serves on the advisory group for Hotcourses, has co-presented at NAFSA regional conferences, a poster session at the national NAFSA conference, and online webinars. In addition to her work at Maryville University, she dabbles in consulting on international enrollment management and comprehensive internationalization. She has traveled extensively, holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational communications, a master’s in student affairs in higher education, and is a doctoral candidate in higher education and leadership. Her dissertation topic focuses on comprehensive internationalization leadership. Melissa has one daughter, Rachel, who is studying Social Work at the university level. And, Melissa home hosts Susana, an international student from Ghana.

DIRECTOR , vibrant CONTENT

Dana Tottenham is Associate Director of Global Internships at Emory University. Her role entails connecting liberal arts majors with innovative online coursework and industry sector exploration. She also manages oversight of Terra Dotta and connected technology systems. Her professional areas of interest include intersections of applied anthropology, education, and study abroad. She studied abroad in England and Spain, traveled to Taiwan with her in-laws, and connected with the Tibetan community in India. She has worked as an international educator for over 18 years in capacities ranging from program development, project management, business analysis, technology implementation, administration, and advising. She 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 Tex-Mex (when she’s not dodging Nerf darts and stepping on Legos).

director, dEVELOPING GLOBAL (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.

COORDINATOR - MENTOR MATCHMAKER

Erica Jorgenson has worked as a Study Abroad Coordinator at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, one of 23 California State University campuses, for 4 ½ years. Her background of working in education and travel both in the US and abroad was a windy path that led her to this field and she is so happy to be a part of it. She coordinates and advises on affiliated partner programs and international exchange programs and manages the Peer Advising team. She also received a Master’s Degree from SIT Graduate Institute in International Education in 2015. She is passionate about the field of International Education and in particular, mentoring others new to the field. She looks forward to strengthening women’s leadership in the field through her role with the Global Leadership League!

LEAD COORDINATOR - LIMELIGHT INTERVIEWS

Noreen Lucey's first international education experience started over 20 years ago as an Erasmus student in Germany and she has worked and lived abroad for much of her career since. She holds a B.A. Hons in European Studies and Languages and an M.A in International Relations. She runs a consultancy company from offices in Dublin and Beijing, working with higher education institutions on internationalization strategies, student recruitment and campus diversification. Having lived overseas for much of her career in Europe, Australia, USA, Latin America and Asia, she now has a network of global consultants who share her vision of International Education. Recently she has started working with social enterprises globally, connecting universities to these organizations. This is to enhance the study abroad experience for academia and students and help social enterprises in the process.

COORDINATOR - AWARDS

Micaela Mathre is currently the Director of Marketing and Community at Via TRM, a next generation software company in international education. Previously, she helped lead Generation Study Abroad, a national campaign by the Institute of International Education seeking to double the number of U.S. students who study abroad before the end of the decade. She honed her digital marketing skills collaborating with education technology companies in the NYC area. She also helped launch Disrupt Design, a team of spirited designers in NYC seeking to instigate social change using design thinking tools. The common thread throughout her background has been a curiosity about the potential of human-centered technology and a commitment to student success.

COORDINATOR - ON FIRE KUDOS

Sara McGuinn is a Senior Study Abroad Program Manager in Northwestern University’s Office of Undergraduate Learning Abroad, where she advises outbound study abroad students as well as supports inbound international exchange students. Her professional interests include foreign language acquisition, campus inclusion initiatives, assessment of student learning outcomes, and mentorship. She holds a BA in Spanish from Northwestern University and an MA in Applied Linguistics from the University of Massachusetts Boston, and she is a proud alumna of NAFSA Academy Class 12. Prior to joining the education abroad world, she taught ESL at her local community college. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her husband and children, reading, watching (and re-watching) Marvel movies, and listening to live music.