A.C.E. Luncheon at NAFSA
On Wednesday, May 28, friends and staff of Associates in Cultural Exchange commemorated the A.C.E. 40th Anniversary at NAFSA 2014 in San Diego. The luncheon event was a celebration of the dedication, friendship, and hard work committed to our organization by the friends and family of A.C.E. over the past four decades. President David Woodward opened the event by welcoming distinguished guests and presenting certificates to members of the A.C.E. International Advisory Council. Scott Hardman welcomed guests on behalf of the A.C.E. Board of Directors. In honor of Board member Jeff Parker, BMO Private Bank was acknowledged for their generous support of the luncheon.
View all photos from the event by clicking here.
A.C.E. International Advisory Council members with certificates
Representatives from each A.C.E. host university spoke about their partnership over the years, including Dr. Norman Peterson, Executive Director of International Programs at Montana State University; Nancy Stricklin, Assistant to the Provost for Global Strategies and Partnerships at the University of Rhode Island; Dr. Ross Stewart, Lead for Global Initiatives at Seattle Pacific University; and Brother Shamus McGrenra, Retiring Director of International Admissions and Student Services at Saint Francis University.
Brother Shamus McGrenra speaks
The luncheon also served as a platform for Brother Shamus McGrenra to formally announce his retirement after a 40 year career in the field of international education. A transcript of Brother Shamus’s retirement speech can be downloaded here. Building upon Brother Shamus’ progress, Sam Heikinen was introduced to fulfill his role.
James Donaldson gives keynote
The culminating keynote speaker was James Donaldson, President & CEO of America China Education Services and A.C.E. IAC member. After his career playing professional basketball in the NBA, James began to promote various study abroad and cultural/sports exchange programs and more recently served as a liaison with Tsinghua University in China. James inspired the audience with his remarks on building cross-cultural cooperation across organizations to support the youth of the future.
On behalf of the A.C.E. staff, we thank you for your continued support over these past 40 years!
President Woodward welcomes distinguished guests
Download the transcript of Shamus McGrenra’s Speech
View all photos from the event at http://trlphoto.shootproof.com/event/631490/view#a_all-mason
A.C.E. 