Dave Causer serves as President of Global Educational Concepts (GEC), a designated sponsor of the U.S. Department of State’s BridgeUSA J-1 Visa program. Under his leadership, GEC has facilitated cultural exchange opportunities for more than 30,000 international visitors, strengthening global understanding through Public Diplomacy. Dave is an active advocate for exchange programs, frequently traveling to Washington, D.C. to engage with policymakers and promote the value of international educational exchanges. He also serves on the Board of the Alliance for Educational Exchanges.

In addition to his role at GEC, Dave is President of Southwestern Advantage, a company recognized by Forbes as offering “the number one internship in the USA for training.” Over 120,000 university students have participated in the program, which has produced a distinguished network of alumni, including two U.S. Senators, four Governors, and the current Speaker of the House. Other notable alumni include the founders of Habitat for Humanity, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and leaders of hundreds of civic and faith-based organizations worldwide.

Craig Anderson became the 32nd individual to serve the IHSA as an Assistant Executive Director when he was named to the position by the IHSA Board of Directors on February 11, 2010. On June 9, 2015, Anderson was named to replace Marty Hickman as Executive Director of the IHSA, upon Hickman’s retirement in January 2016. This makes Anderson the seventh individual to serve as the organization’s Executive Director.

A 1987 graduate of Cambridge High School, Anderson participated in football, basketball, track & field, chorus, band and was the lead in a school musical during his high school career. He moved on to Monmouth College, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education/Mathematics in 1991, after high school and enjoyed a standout career for the Fighting Scots on the football field and basketball court. Anderson went on to earn a Master’s of Arts Degree in Educational Administration from Illinois State University in 1997.

Prior to starting at the IHSA, Anderson held the position of Athletic Director at Washington High School and also served as the Tournament Director for the nationally renowned State Farm Basketball Tournament of Champions. He began his teaching and coaching career at Morton High School, before moving on to Olympia High School, where he was the head football coach for two seasons. Anderson then moved into the role of Activities Director at Olympia, a position he held from 2002-05 before leaving for Washington in 2006.

Anderson has held a number of leadership positions during his career, including associations with the Illinois Athletic Directors Association Board of Directors and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. He also served on IHSA’s Athletic Administrator Committee and Legislative Commission prior to his hiring.

Marcelle Benedicta is Vice President at Greenheart International, bringing over 20 years of experience in international education, nonprofit leadership, marketing, and global event management. A former exchange student from Jakarta, Indonesia, Marcelle is a passionate advocate for cultural exchange and has held leadership roles across all of Greenheart’s J-1 Visa programs, including Summer Work Travel, Secondary School, Intern, Trainee, and Teacher designations. She currently leads the organization’s marketing, communications, and cultural outreach efforts, and plays a key role in industry engagement through her work with the Alliance for International Exchange and CSIET. Prior to Greenheart, she managed large-scale events for one of Indonesia’s top event planning firms. Marcelle holds an MBA from Loyola University Chicago and a BA in Communications and Public Relations from Marquette University.

John has been involved with international youth exchange since 1980. He was first associated with EF Foundation in Greenwich, Connecticut as a recruiter and later in Santa Barbara as National Program Administrator. Beginning in 1987, John helped develop the Aspect Foundation as the Executive Vice President in San Francisco.

In 1991, John founded International Cultural Exchange Services (ICES) in Atlanta, Georgia. ICES will celebrate its’ 35th Anniversary in April of 2026. ICES works with over 80 Sending Organizations and places 1400-1600 high school exchange students annually from more than 60 countries. John is committed to operating a quality high school academic and cultural exchange program so that each student thrives and has a positive life-changing experience as they learn about the United States and its wonderful people. ICES conducts J-1 and F-1 inbound and Outbound high school cultural programs. ICES also offers Intern and Professional Training programs. 

John has served four terms on the Board of Directors of CSIET (Council on Standards for International Educational Travel). ICES has also been a member of the Alliance for International Exchange   since 1997. John also served on the Board of IEA in the late 1980s.

Flavio is the Director of International Relations of BELTA (Brazilian Educational and Language Travel Association) and the national coordinator of the BELTA high school committee. He is also the CEO and founder of BEX Brazilian Exchange, an agency specialized in study abroad programs, with 33 years in the market.

Ellen Hoggard has been working in the field of international educational exchange for over 35 years. She was a high school exchange student herself at 14 to England and at 16 to Romania. Those 2 experiences were life changing and led her to major in International Relations at Duke University. Since that time, Ms. Hoggard has been a passionate supporter of exchanges, especially high school exchange programs.

She has received the Award for Distinguished Service from Sister Cities International, the Exemplary Leadership Award from the Alliance for International Exchange where she served as Treasurer for 3 consecutive terms and held 4 consecutive board positions.

She is proud to have been a pioneer in the creation of the first long term high school exchanges between the USA and the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the 1990s. She was also honored to be chosen to represent the entire field of youth exchange of the United States of America at the Department of State sponsored European Union – USA Summit in 1996.

Ms. Hoggard has worked for numerous organizations in the field of international educational exchange including AFS, AMIDEAST, Sister Cities International, OPEN DOOR Student Exchange, AYUSA, STS Foundation/STS Global Studies, Au Pair Foundation and HSUSA. She has served as President/Managing Director in the 4 most recent positions. She is also an experienced grant writer/fund raiser having raised over 1 million dollars of funding for her exchange programs.

Chris is a third generation Rotarian. In 1989 he joined the Rotary Club of Iowa City AM as a charter member. Some of the activities that he has participated in as a Rotarian within District 6000 are: District Treasurer, District Youth Exchange Chair, member of the Iowa RYLA board, District Governor 2016-2017, and District Foundation Chair 2017-2021.

Chris has chaired NCPETS (North Central President Elect Training Seminar), he is Past President SCRYE (South Central Rotary Youth Exchange, the 34 district Youth Exchange organization for the promotion, development, and execution of Rotary Youth Exchange), Board member of RAG4Clubfoot and recently appointed to a three year term 2024-27, Assistant Rotary Regional Foundation Coordinator for Zone 29.

Chris retired as a banker from US Bank after 35 years. He started his career as a part-time teller and spent his last 8 years as a Trust Officer. While working at the bank he was an adjunct faculty member of Kirkwood Community College for over 20 years teaching economics, business, and banking courses. He has served in leadership roles in his church and as a township trustee or clerk for 40 years.

Chris is married to Vernette. She is also a member of the Rotary Club of Iowa City AM and club president 2024-2025. They met at work. Vernette retired after 42 years working for US Bank. They have two sons, Thomas, married and living in Portland, OR, and Andrew living in Coralville, IA. They are happy grandparents to two cats, Julia and Min. (Your family is what you make it.) They love to travel around the U.S. and around the world often to attend Rotary International conferences where they both often spend time at the RAG4Clubfoot booth in the House of Friendship.

Maria is director and co-founder of InterStudy, a study abroad agency based in Bratislava, Slovakia. Since its founding in 1998, InterStudy has dedicated itself to fostering international education and cultural exchange programs, collaborating with exchange organizations, schools and higher education institutions across 17 countries.

As a strong believer in the potential of today’s youth as tomorrow’s leaders and the driving force behind positive societal change, Maria is passionate about high school exchange programs. With a dedicated team of high school exchange enthusiasts, InterStudy has been promoting cultural exchange programs and inspiring teenagers to seize the enriching opportunities of international experience, empowering them to become global citizens and ambassadors of intercultural understanding.

Maria holds a master’s degree in English Language & Literature and German Language & Literature from Masaryk University, Czech Republic, and has studied at the University of Regensburg in Germany as a DAAD scholarship holder.

Dr. Pascal Losambe, an accomplished author, speaker, and consultant, brings a wealth of expertise. Holding a Bachelor’s in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and a Master of Science in Biology focusing on Neurobiology, Dr. Losambe’s educational journey is marked by excellence, including the prestigious Donald J. White Award for teaching.

Dr. Losambe’s commitment extends beyond academia; he played a vital role in the United Front Initiative. He contributed as the keynote presenter and co-curriculum developer, fostering regional unity and reconciliation. Together with his wife and business partner, Dr. Crystal Losambe, he co-authored the impactful book “Breaking the Barriers to Belonging: United by Our Biology and Shared Humanity.”

As a sought-after consultant, Dr. Losambe addresses diverse topics like educational leadership, and organizational culture. His influence is felt in strategic vision initiatives for institutions and workshops on cultural competence at national and international conferences. Recognitions include the Mahogany Columbus Outstanding Educator Award and invitations to advisory boards at Purdue University and other esteemed organizations, showcasing his dedication to excellence.

Luiz is currently the vice-president and a Board member of International Cultural Exchange Services (ICES), an organization I joined in 2007. ICES was founded in 1991, and operates J-1 high school, F-1 high school, Short-Term, Outbound programs and virtual exchange programs, among other ones not covered by CSIET. Among those, J-1 high school is the most important. ICES has over 600 students on J-1 and F-1 programs in 2020 and close to 2000 scheduled for 2021. Among his responsibilities with the organization, he oversees the financial department, human resources, IT, sales, F-1 and other programs, relationship with new and existing international partners and develop new programs. He is also an Alternative Responsible Officer with the DoS. Prior to ICES, with a BA in Economics, a BA in Accounting, a MBA and a Masters in Accounting. His career started in 1989 as a CPA for PwC (Price Waterhouse Coopers), and continued solid as controller, corporate controller and CFO for large corporations such as McDonald’s, Tyco and First Student/ Laidlaw, having participated in committees with the SEC and several leaderships positions and projects worldwide in USA, Europe and South America. Currently, Luiz has been serving for the last 2 years on the advisory board for the graduate college of UNLV (University of Nevada – Las Vegas). He has attended all CSIET conferences since 2008. With CSIET, he was part of the Conference Planning Committee for the 2015 and 2021 conference, and has also been part of the F-1 committee as well.

Alix is CEO of Education Travel & Culture (ETC) for J-1 secondary school since 2004 and he founded a F-1 focused company PSE – Private & Public School F-1 in 2006. These companies also manage short-term, outbound programs. Alix did a gap-year to Venezuela with AFS and also studied and worked in Japan for nearly two years. His wife is Chinese born and their two teenage daughters have both done study abroad programs. He is passionate about global education, world travel and outdoor sports/adventures.

Brenda Padilla Ericksen is a former agent (Spain), international student (Spain & Norway), host mother (Thailand, France, Austria & USA), and sending mom for her daughters’ international programs in France, Canada, USA, Nepal, South Korea, China and Japan. She has prepared thousands of J-1 and F-1 students around the world for their programs in the USA. She has created an innovative pre-departure training program for exchange students – and their parents as well as courses for host families, agents and anyone wishing to boost intercultural competence. Brenda graduated from Western Washington University. She is from Seattle, has lived in Spain for 30 years and worked as a journalist, corporate trainer and speaker before diving into the world of youth exchange.

Christopher Page is Executive Director for the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel. He accepted this position in January of 2011, after 21 years as a Spanish teacher and exchange program director at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia. He served on the CSIET Board of Directors from 2003-2009.

Chief among his several duties Chris advocates for a variety of international student exchange initiatives, including student safety, public awareness and fair play on the athletic field. Chris communicates regularly with international student exchange organizations both domestic and international, regarding visa trends, preferred practices and industry Standards. Chris frequently represents CSIET at state education associations and boards, advocating for adoption of CSIET’s Model School Policy.

Among his achievements, Chris served as a Director of exchange programs at the secondary school level, where he rewrote policy, improved programming and lowered risk. He worked in translation, educational technology and earned accolades as a Spanish teacher. During his teaching career he wrote Cuenta conmigo, a Spanish textbook to accompany Cuéntame cómo pasó, the #1 television series in Spain.

Chris holds a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Economics from Hampden-Sydney College, a Master’s in Spanish Language and Culture from Middlebury College and a Global MBA from IE Business School (Madrid, Spain). He lives in Alexandria, Va.

Kelly Pilleux-Petronia started as the Chicago-area Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Field Representative in 2014. Prior to joining SEVP, she taught ESL in Ohio and Washington D.C. at the higher education and K-12 levels and then spent 14 years working as a Principal/Designated School Official (P/DSO) in higher education in Ohio and Illinois, building over 20 years of SEVIS experience. She holds a master’s degree in linguistics from Ohio University.

Oliver Rodríguez Pearson is one of the founders of The Lemon Tree Education, a company dedicated to empowering K-12 students through personalized learning experiences that foster global citizenship and academic success. With extensive expertise in international education, Oliver has developed innovative strategies to enhance academic mobility, inclusion, and cross-border collaboration.

Through The Lemon Tree Education, he champions a vision of equipping young learners with the skills and mindset needed to thrive in an interconnected world. His leadership and commitment to diversity and educational equity have made him a respected voice in the global education community, driving impactful change for future generations.

Sam started his relationship with international exchange programs as a host brother, before deciding to become an exchange student himself. In 2010, he spent a year of high school in Germany as a CBYX scholarship recipient with Youth For Understanding. The impact that his year had on him inspired him to begin volunteering with YFU as soon as he returned home. He acted as a Local Coordinator for several years, focusing heavily on student orientations, and now serves as the Educational & Volunteer Programs Manager for YFU USA.

As Associate Director of CSIET, Charissa Slack promotes and supports international student programs to ensure they meet established standards of excellence. She is responsible for organizing and executing school outreach efforts, managing CSIET’s domestic program agenda, and maintaining strong relationships with member programs and stakeholders. She plays a pivotal role in communicating the impact of international student exchange programs, which includes close collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders, to ensure that certified programs emphasize the outstanding support and services they provide for schools and international students.

Previously, Charissa served as the Director of Marketing and Communications for 9 years where she determined KPIs, analyzed performance, and executed solution-based strategies to achieve marketing goals for CSIET websites, digital and print publications, email and social media campaigns.

Prior to working in the international exchange student industry, Charissa worked in digital and TV advertising sales at ESPN International, Azteca America and Comcast Spotlight. She worked directly with companies in Mexico, Brazil, Japan & Argentina and was responsible for every stage in the life of a marketing campaign. Charissa oversaw the creation of marketing proposals, coordinated with counterparts to guarantee successful execution, trained and managed assistants to deliver timely reports.

Charissa holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Richmond. Outside of her professional life, Charissa volunteers for local schools in Alexandria where she lives with her husband, three children, two dogs and two cats.

Fraser is a counselling psychologist and clinical director at MAPP Psychology in Glasgow, Scotland. Fraser finished his doctorate in counselling psychology in 2020 and launched Psychology Scotland in 2021. Currently, MAPP Psychology has a growing team of psychologists as part of the team, all working in one to one, couple’s therapy and autism and ADHD assessment. Additionally, MAPP Scotland also works with a number of organisations in Scotland supporting the mental and emotional health of staff and employees. Fraser has also done extensive work on his previous online platform called GetPsyched and specializes in men's mental health. In 2019 he conducted a TEDx talk in Glasgow on the men’s mental health crisis and has spoken internationally at numerous conferences about the issues surrounding men's mental health.

Mark Uyl has served as the Executive Director of the Michigan High School Athletic Association since May 2018, becoming the association’s fifth full-time director. He first joined the MHSAA staff as an Assistant Director in January of 2004. He served on the Board of the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) from 2011-2015, and served as the Board Chair in 2015. Currently, he serves as the lone high school representative on the Officiating Development Alliance (ODA), which consists of the supervisor of officials for the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, CFL, MLS and NCAA Division I sports. Uyl is a 1996 graduate of Calvin College (NCAA Division III), where he was a four-year starter on the baseball team. Most of Uyl’s educational career had been at Thornapple Kellogg Schools in Middleville, MI. He started there as a high school history teacher and varsity football coach. He returned to his alma mater as athletic director at Caledonia High School, and then returned to Thornapple Kellogg to assume the athletic director’s and assistant principal’s post there up until his appointment to the MHSAA staff. He served as a NCAA Division I baseball umpire for 22 seasons primarily in the Big Ten Conference. He has umpired ten NCAA Division I Baseball Regionals, five Super Regionals and the 2014 and 2017 College World Series in Omaha, serving as the crew chief in 2017. Mark also umpired the 2007 Pan American Games played in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is also involved with college football in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NCAA D-III) as a former on-field official (referee) and currently serves as the league’s coordinator of officials. Uyl’s wife, Marcy, is an accomplished educator and coach, having served as a high school varsity basketball coach since 1994. They have three children, Jackson, Grant, and Madison.”

Gidget Vickers currently lives in Lumberton NC with her husband of 27 years. They have 6 children, 3 grandchildren, 3 dogs, and she has been a host mom to 6 international students over the past decade.

Gidget joined FLAG in 2017 as a local coordinator and in 2021 accepted her current position as the School Relationship Specialist, a position created by FLAG for the sole purpose of building strong and trusting relationships with school partners. Additionally, FLAG saw an opportunity to educate districts on the benefits of hosting international students, highlighting the many ways that these students contribute to both the school environment and the community.  Gidget spends her days carrying out FLAGs vision and passion for bringing schools along not only as partners, but as advocates for this lifechanging diplomatic effort.  And while Gidget is building those relationships, she is simultaneously opening doors for incoming students.

 She enjoys speaking with students about the importance of showing gratitude to their host families, their schools and the community that has welcomed them.  Gidget loves spending time with her family, antiquing, thrifting, and would love to travel more! Her bucket list currently includes Portugal and Ireland.

Jennifer Wilson is a certified leadership coach, writer and consultant. After a 17-year career in her family’s business, The Canada Homestay Network (CHN), she now chairs their Board of Directors. At CHN, Jennifer worked in HR and technology, and served as CEO for 12 years. Prior to CHN, she practiced as a Registered Midwife in Manitoba and BC. Jennifer is a certified Kolbe Consultant and is trained in crisis intervention and compassion fatigue. Jennifer’s coaching and consulting work focuses on helping next-generation leaders who want to be more confident and authentic as they take on roles with greater responsibility. She also offers training, team-building workshops and retreats for multi-generational workplaces and teams working in international education. She holds an MBA in leadership and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction. Her book, The Heart of Homestay: Creating Meaningful Connections When Hosting International Students, was published in February 2025.