The World Affairs Council of St. Louis connects the citizens of the region with the world. The Council's mission is to promote understanding, engagement, relationships, and leadership in world affairs.

International Leadership Program (IVLP) 
We serve as the regional host for the International Visitor Leadership Program, the State Department's premier professional exchange program. This program seeks to build mutual understanding between the U.S. and other nations through short term visits to the U.S. for current and emerging foreign leaders. In our role, we host approximately 200 international visitors per year from all around the globe who are chosen by our embassies. 

Ambassador Forums and Speaker Series 
The Council sponsors 10-12 member/guest programs throughout the year, incuding Ambassador Forums, where the World Affairs Council of St. Louis hosts ambassadors from strategic countires to the United States. The most recent ambassador was Javlon Vakhabov of Uzbekistan. The discussion centered around US-Uzbekistan relations, the COVID-19 situation in Uzbekistan, and recent economic developments in Uzbekistan. 

Foreign Policy Association (FPA) "Great Decision" Series 
Every year the FPA selects and develops materials on eight critical and timely challenges to U.S. foreign policy. On eight successive Thursdays in the spring, we will offer moderated discussions of the current year's "Great Decision" topics. Everyone is welcome!

World Affairs Council of St. Louis

Lawrence R. Taylor

Philip Deford

Matt Harvey

Fatima Khan

Hadi Alhor

Mohan Chellaswami

Burt Follman

Nick Powers

John Wade

Donna B. Kirtian

The Leadership Team at the World Affairs Council of St. Louis provides strategic direction and oversees the execution of the Council's mission to promote global understanding and engagement. This includes managing key programs such as the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), coordinating Ambassador Forums and Speaker Series, and facilitating the Foreign Policy Association's "Great Decision" series. The team ensures quality programming, strengthens community connections, and leverages their diverse expertise to foster relationships between St. Louis and the global community.

Leadership Team

Financial Management Team

Legal Team

Leadership Team

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Team members

Other teams at World Affairs Council of St. Louis

Financial Management Team

Legal Team