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Kevin O’Donnell, former CCWA Chair and Peace Corps Director, passed away

On February 29, 2012, Kevin O’Donnell, businessman, Peace Corps Director, and former Chair of the Board of the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, passed away. Services are on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 1pm at St. Malachi Catholic Church. A fund to support the internship program at CCWA has been set up in memory of Kevin O'Donnell. To contribute to the fund, please send a check to CCWA indicating it is in memory of Kevin O'Donnell.

A native Clevelander, O’Donnell graduated from Kenyon College and Harvard University before he joined SIFCO. In 1966, O'Donnell accepted an assignment from the Peace Corps to be Country Director for South Korea and to start the program. His assignment was to establish educational programs in English, math, science, and physical education. He managed 300 volunteers. After four years as Country Director for South Korea, O'Donnell was offered a job in Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington DC as director of administration and finance. He was made acting deputy director, and then, in July 1971, Director of the Peace Corps. O'Donnell believed strongly in a non-career Peace Corps and left six years to the day after he signed up but continued his interest and service in the Peace Corps for the rest of his life.

In 1972, O'Donnell returned to Cleveland as CEO of SIFCO, a metal working firm, where he'd worked before the Peace Corps and stayed there until his retirement in 1990. He continued to serve on several boards and run a consultancy firm.

“Kevin was a true internationalist and a great supporter of CCWA. He served our organization in many capacities including as Chair of our Board (1982-1989). He will be missed greatly.”- Stephen Petras, Baker & Hostetler LLP, current Chair of CCWA.


Council Announces new President and Ambassador in Residence

August 5, 2011 - Ambassador Heather Hodges, a Westlake native and graduate of Magnificat High School, is coming home after a career in the foreign service to run one of America' oldest and most respected councils on world affairs. Ambassador Hodges has been announced as the President and Ambassador in Residence for the Cleveland Council on World Affairs.
The Cleveland Council on World Affairs has appointed Ambassador Heather Hodges to be President and Ambassador in Residence, beginning November 1, 2011.
Ambassador Hodges was U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador from August 2008 to April 2011.  In April 2011, the Government of Ecuador declared her “persona non grata” and expelled her in reaction to the publication of confidential State Department cables by Wikileaks. In May 2011, she was assigned to the Headquarters of the U.S. European Command as interim Civilian Deputy to the Commander and Foreign Policy Advisor.  She left the Foreign Service in September 2011 after 31 years of service.
Prior to going to Ecuador, Ambassador Hodges was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of the Director General of the Foreign Service in Washington, DC.  She served as U.S. Ambassador to Moldova from September 2003 to May 2006.
Ambassador Hodges joined the Foreign Service in 1980 and was assigned to Caracas, Venezuela. Following Caracas, she served in Guatemala and later in Washington as Peru Desk Officer. In 1987, Ambassador Hodges received a Pearson Fellowship to work in the U.S. Congress, where she was counsel to the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration and Refugee Affairs. In January 1989, she became Consul General at the U.S. Consulate in Bilbao, Spain. In 1991, she returned to Washington to serve as Deputy Director of the Office of Cuban Affairs.
In 1993, Ambassador Hodges was assigned to Managua, Nicaragua, as Deputy Chief of Mission. From August 1996 to June 1997, she participated in the Department of State's Senior Seminar, a leadership program for select members of the Foreign Service. She served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Lima, Peru, from July 1997 to May 2000 and was also Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain, from June 2000 to July 2003.
Before she left Spain, the Spanish government awarded Ambassador Hodges the Spanish decoration of “Isabel la Catolica – Encomienda de Numero” for her contributions to Spanish-U.S. relations. Similarly, the Government of Moldova presented her with the Award of Honor in 2006, and the same year she was awarded a Presidential Meritorious Service Award.
Ambassador Hodges is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. She has a B.A. in Spanish from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and an M.A. from New York University and speaks fluent Spanish.

An article in Sunday’s Plain Dealer highlighted the Ambassador. The link to the article is: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/08/a_seasoned_diplomat_will_run_t.html