The Cleveland Council on World Affairs Announces Changes to Its Exchanges Team

The Cleveland Council on World Affairs (CCWA) bids farewell to Maria Crowder (née Garcia-Olalla), Program Officer for International Exchanges, as she moves on to an exciting new chapter in her career. Her last day with CCWA will be April 15, 2025. CCWA is excited to announce the promotion of Trey Rainey as CCWA’s new Program Officer for Exchanges effective May 1, 2025.

As Maria wraps up her time with CCWA, we are all very excited for her and wish her every success in her new role. In her next professional chapter, Maria has an incredible opportunity for professional growth at DCTech.

Over the past several years, Maria has tremendously contributed to CCWA in helping to grow our reach and impact in our community. Maria started her journey with CCWA in 2019 as an Exchanges Intern. In the following years, Maria continued to engage with CCWA as a member of the inaugural class of the Carter E. Strang Young Professionals Advisory Committee, and our inaugural LEADS global leadership development program. She formally joined the staff team in 2021 as the Program Associate for Exchanges and was later promoted to the position of Program Officer. During her tenure, Maria managed CCWA’s International’s Visitors Leadership Program and worked many other exchange programs and various initiatives at CCWA. Maria loved working on CCWA’s youth exchanges and helping to create global connections for the next generation. In 2025, Maria received national recognition with Global Ties U.S.’ Network Honor for Programming and Leadership award, and in 2023 she was selected as one of the 100+ Latinos Cleveland Must Know.

“A native of Spain, I have always had an interest in world cultures, but it was CCWA that truly ignited my passion for exchanges and helping people expand their global awareness. I am proud of having been a part of a team that helps break down global barriers and shows people that we are all human and deal with similar challenges. It has been inspiring to facilitate dialogue and spark new ideas for the international exchange participants and local Citizen Diplomats alike,” reflects Maria on her time at CCWA.

Trey Rainey joined CCWA in January 2024 as a part-time Program Associate for Exchanges. In this role, Trey has worked closely with Maria to welcome exchange participants from around the world to Cleveland on professional exchanges through the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitors Leadership Program. Trey twice graduated from the Ohio State University with an M.A. of East Asian Languages and Literatures, specializing in Advanced Chinese Language and Culture, and a B.A. in International Relations and Mandarin Chinese. Trey has always had a strong interest in world cultures that has been strengthened by several study abroad opportunities and working in China for a combined three and a half years. He is excited about working on international exchanges where he can help foster international relations at the individual level.

“I truly believe that person-to-person diplomacy has the power to bridge the divide between our perception of people and what they are actually like; we learn that we have far more in common with the average person from any given country than we would ever imagine. I feel like I finally have found my professional niche by working on the exchange team at CCWA. I feel so incredibly blessed that I get to apply my skills in a way that serves my passions by bringing the world to Cleveland, promoting person-to-person diplomacy, and strengthening our community,” reflects Trey on being a part of the CCWA team.

To learn more about exchange programs at CCWA, please contact Andrew Kovach, Director of Exchanges, at akovach@ccwa.org or Trey Rainey, Program Officer, at trainey@ccwa.org.