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TAKE NOTE
PCFR has a new address and fax number...
7949 E. Acoma Drive, Suite 207, Scottsdale, AZ 85260, fax 480-289-5765. Please update your records accordingly. |
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Upcoming Events
GRY WINTHER
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
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We urge you to participate in meetings by posing questions, by recommending speakers, and by suggesting meeting sponsors. Please bring guests who may have a particular interest in the topic, and who may become prospective members.
NOVEMBER 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010 (Dinner)
Gry Winther
Norwegian Journalist and Independent Documentary Filmmaker
Gainey Ranch Golf Club
by PCFR Member Susan Shultz
DECEMBER 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Immigration Panel: Neville Cramer, Prof. Dirk Hoerder, Shoshana Tancer, Luz Sarmina
Gainey Ranch Golf Club
JANUARY 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 (Dinner)
Andrew Nagorski
Vice President, East West Institute
Paradise Valley Country Club by PCFR Member John Roberts
FEBRUARY 2011
Date TBD
Amb. Namik Tan
Location TBD
MARCH 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Abe Lowenthal, Professor of International Relations at USC
Location TBD
APRIL 2011
Governor's State of the International State Address
Date TBD
Click here for more information. |
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November Newsletter
Volume 2 |
President's Letter
Welcome NEW MEMBERS. Welcome RETURNING MEMBERS.
With the debut of our 2011-2011 season, it is clear that PCFR's outreach is more on target and more proactive than ever. We continue to recommend to our current members that they include potential new members as guests. Just to update you on this subject -- membership renewals are progressing beautifully, and we're attributing the excellent renewal rate to two things ...1) You love PCFR and 2) The new website is facilitating and simplifying the renewal and application process.
Thank you for making the effort to share your thoughts with us. Among the most oft received accolades is your enthusiasm for the Honorary Student Membership program. As you know, this signature program, unique to PCFR, offers 'scholarships' to local graduate students whose interest is International Relations. The pool of applicants from diverse backgrounds is sizable, and selecting the finalists this year has been the job of the Membership Committee's newly designated HSM Chair--the talented Jon Kaufman. Jon will be introducing this year's selected candidates at upcoming meetings. Please get to know these young internationalists of the future.
Let's talk for a moment about the funding of the program which permits us to invite Honorary Student members to our meetings. We do need everyone's help with the effort. May I urge our PCFR members to assist with the scholarship program? First of all...there are self selected levels of participation--and second,the program is fully tax deductible. Why not join with another member and create a funding consortium? You should consider your assistance as an investment in the future. You will have the satisfaction of having provided a once in a lifetime opportunity to a deserving young person. We do need your help urgently and we will gratefully recognize those of you who make the effort. Please contact either our Executive Director, Conni Ingallina, or me should you care to participate in this excellent Scholarship fund.
Now it's time to pull out your calendars...because PCFR's Annual Meeting Calendar is almost completely full...and members will want to make notations of the dates and upcoming speakers. You'll find the information in the Events section of the new website.
In keeping with PCFR's goal to enlighten visitors to our site on issues of international concern, we have added a special feature page entitled "the World Clock." Click here to visit this feature. Stats in the World Clock page are updated from multiple reliable sources. Keeping current is no easy task, since many sources report contradictory figures. Please share your thoughts with us on this new feature.
Looking forward to seeing you all very soon.
Optimistically,
Susie B. Lavenson,
President |
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Featured Member
Karen Gill Meyer is a Certified Financial Planner (TM) at The Meyer Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Scottsdale. Originally from New York City, Karen graduated cum laude with a BA in Mathematics from Sweet Briar College in Virginia, one of the nation's premier liberal arts and sciences colleges for women. She continued her education at the New York University Graduate School of Business Administration.
Karen began her career in portfolio analysis at Merrill Lynch in New York City. She then moved to Smith Barney in research and security analysis, specifically metals and steels. In 1966, Karen and her husband of one week relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, as her husband, Jim, was offered a position with Merrill Lynch. In 1990, Karen joined Smith Barney as a Financial Advisor and Jim's partner. She holds the Smith Barney designation of Wealth Planning Associate and her efforts are concentrated on financial planning, money management, and strategic fixed income investing.
Karen is a graduate of Valley Leadership (Class 4) and recently joined the Scottsdale Boys and Girls Club's foundation board. She also serves on the board of the Financial Planning Association of Greater Phoenix, the board of trustees of Sweet Briar College, and the Women's Board of Barrow Neurological Foundation, which works to raise funds for Barrow Neurological Institute. Karen has written numerous newsletter articles for the Maricopa Chapter of the Arizona Women Lawyers Association.
During the summer between her junior and senior years of college, Karen studied mathematics in Geneva, Switzerland. And the classes were taught entirely in French...très difficile! Geneva remains one of her favorite international destinations, along with Paris, France, China, and Israel. With a lifelong interest in international issues, Karen was introduced to PCFR by Susan Shultz and became a member in 2000. Karen is now serving as Treasurer and also serves on the Membership Committee. She enjoys the varied programs and the commaraderie of people with similar interests.
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Women Build Hope in Afghanistan
by Barbara Barrett
A group of 20 inspiring women from war-torn Afghanistan arrived Oct. 16 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport for a two-week crash course in business at Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Starting and growing a company takes courage anywhere, but the challenges are multiplied for these women.
Besides the usual considerations that come with any startup, they must cope with inadequate systems for security, infrastructure, education, health care and gender rights. Even walking outside without a burqa can be a risk.
Yet these women persevere and succeed in incredible ways.
Masooma owns an electrical engineering company. Maryam owns a high school and a women's only Internet café. Naida owns a food processing business that makes jam, pickles and other canned foods. Fatima owns a road construction company.
Other women in the group run factories, handicraft shops and nonprofit organizations in Kabul and many rural communities. Collectively they employ more than 750 people, including many women earning paychecks for the first time.
The entrepreneurs are part of Project Artemis, a women's empowerment program at Thunderbird. Launched in 2005, Artemis was designed to help build a more inclusive economy in Afghanistan.
Earlier participants in 2005, 2006 and 2008 have returned to Afghanistan and are working to grow the economy. Project Artemis mentors, who provide one-on-one guidance for at least two years, assist from the United States and other parts of the world.
During their stay in Arizona, the 2010 participants toured local businesses and studied with Thunderbird professors and other thought leaders. Then the women headed to Washington for a week as guests of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council.
I first envisioned Project Artemis through my membership on this council, which gave me an opportunity to tour Afghanistan in 2004 and see firsthand the challenges that Afghan women face.
Time after time, the women I met expressed the need for management education. They had courage, passion and tenacity, but they lacked knowledge to write business plans, manage cash flows and market their enteprises.
I thought immediately about the rich resources available at Thunderbird, where I served as a member of the Board of Trustees.
Getting the school on board was an easy sell. Thunderbird professors Steven Stralser and Mary Sully de Luque stepped forward with other volunteers and put together a program that emerged as Project Artemis. They raised the funds for it, created the curriculum and recruited faculty, alumni, students and community volunteers to help. The impact has been profound - not only for the Afghan participants, but for all of us who met them and interact with them. The following videos show why: |
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From the Membership Committee
With several wonderful meetings already in our rearview mirrors and as we drive further into the 2010-2011 season, it doesn't hurt to take a moment to reflect on your role as a member of PCFR and what exactly it takes to continue successfully as an organization year after year. After rich debate, the theme for this month's newsletter is Before, During and After - how to recruit the right members (before), how to counsel and direct prospective members (during), and how to acclimate and nurture new members (after).
The Before
How many times over a month do you find yourself at a dinner, cocktail reception, meeting or social gathering and find the conversation merge into global affairs? I would imagine this happens to many of us, frequently. Those individuals whom we run across each day engaging in thought-provoking dialogue and promoting the global conversation represent the next generation of PCFR members.
The During
We would encourage you as the 'sponsor' of an interested individual to join a meeting and meet their globally inclined peers. As sponsors, please introduce guests to the membership committee and to other members; we are there to get to know prospective members beyond an application and a resume. From there, anyone can fill out an application at www.pcfraz.org. Be sure to send an e-mail to the membership committee so that we can be on the lookout for their application.
The After
For a newly selected member of PCFR, one might find himself or herself lost or intimidated in a sea of established relationships and friendships. The sponsorship process continues beyond the acceptance of an applicant. The success of PCFR as a organization relies as much on the programs and speakers as it does on the relationships between members both new and old; please take the time to introduce new members to the whole group.
It may be easier than you think to contribute and both enjoy PCFR programs and play a vital role and in the health and growth of our wonderful organization as a whole.
Sincerely,
Jon Kaufman |
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