Staff Leadership
Ambassador Heather Hodges
President and Ambassador-in-Residence
hhodges@ccwa.org
(216) 255-9010
The Cleveland Council on World Affairs has appointed 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. 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. She left the Foreign Service in September 2011 after 31 years of service. 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.
Julie Kelly
Chief Operating Officer
jkelly@ccwa.org
(216) 255-9001
Julie Kelly is the Council's COO and has been an employee of the Council since June 2007. Prior to that she managed her own CPA firm and worked with many small business clients, both for profit and nonprofit (including CCWA) to strengthen and implement organizational financial systems, financial controls, accounting procedures and management reporting. She is responsible for all financial functions and provides support for development and programming operations. Julie earned her BS/BA degree from John Carroll University.
Richard Crepage, Ed.D.
Senior Director of Outreach and Education
rcrepage@ccwa.org
(216) 255-9007
Rich Crepage began his career with the Council in 2007 as a volunteer following 35 years in public education as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. In his role as Senior Director of Outreach and Education, he is focused on increasing public awareness of the Council and its programs as well as ensuring that all programs are of the highest quality, are relevant, and are timely. He serves as a member of the World Affairs Councils of America national Board of Directors. Rich earned his Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Youngstown State University.
Gina Cirino
International Visitors Program Officer
gcirino@ccwa.org
(216) 255-9008
Gina Cirino joined the Cleveland Council on World Affairs staff in Aug. 2008. During her time with the CCWA she worked with National Programming Agencies and the U.S. Dept. of State to develop long-term programs for delegations from all over the world including, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Serbia, Russia, Buryatia, Pakistan, India on topics ranging from Rule of Law and Politics to Foreign Affairs and Media. She has also hosted a variety of youth groups from Serbia, Mexico, Germany, Brazil, and Iraq and developed programs designed to enhance youth appreciation for civic activism, volunteerism and diversity. Prior to becoming involved with the CCWA, Gina pursued a cultural world travel expedition, where she was immersed in local societies, villages and home stays in; South America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Gina’s interests include; yoga, art, music, theater, history and science.
Maura O'Donnell-McCarthy
International Visitor Program Officer
modonnellmccarthy@ccwa.org
(216) 255-9004
Maura joined the Council in February 2012. She brings
extensive experience in planning and logistics as well as a familiarity with
the Council through a long time association with CCWA. Maura’s international experiences started at a
young age having ‘grown up’ in Seoul, Korea while her father served as the
first country director of the U.S. Peace Corps to Korea. Maura combines her
love of international travel and living with a strong family commitment to
citizen diplomacy. Together with her husband and four children they have
home-hosted 12 student exchanges over the last 13 years, in addition to hosting
many adult foreign visitors. Her
experience as a former executive director of The Civic Development Corporation
of Ashtabula County will assist the Council in strengthening their development
efforts. Immediately prior to joining CCWA, Maura was an independent consultant
and facilitator working with non-profits and community based organizations in
the area of strategic planning. Maura is a graduate of Boston College.
Sue Gundich
Office Manager
sgundich@ccwa.org
(216) 255-9009
Sue joined the CCWA in 2006 when the Cleveland International Program merged with the Council. In her current position Sue keeps the office running smoothly. She has worked in international programs for the past 10 years. Her background is in business affairs.
Reka Barabas
Web, Accounting
rbarabas@ccwa.org
(216) 255-9005
Reka has been affiliated with CCWA since 2002 when she started as the PR intern. She headed the International Visitors Programs from 2002-2005 and after that she was involved with the public speaker programs and accounting. In her current role, she maintains the CCWA website and assists with content development. Reka has a CNM from the Mandel Center at Case Western Reserve University, a M.A. in German from Bowling Green State University, and a M.A. in German, Education, and ESL from the University of Debrecen, Hungary.