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In addition, she brings leadership experience with not-for-profit organizations, having chaired the Minnesota Humanities Council, and given more than 13 years of board service to the Lutheran Church of America (later the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). Mary Ellen also has a thorough grounding in the Fulbright Program and the Fulbright Association. She received senior lecturer awards to the People's Republic of China (1997) and the Republic of Macedonia (2005-6), teaching in their departments of English Language and Literature. She has also been active as a lecturer and participant in American Embassy-related conferences in Mongolia, Romania, Iceland, and Morocco, among others, and at the 2011 German Fulbright Alumni Conference in Berlin. She has been an evaluator in her academic field for the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars and is currently serving her second term on the Fulbright Association Board of Directors.
maryellen.schmider@fulbright.org
As executive director of the Fulbright Association, Mary Ellen brings a background in academic administration with teaching and research. A Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Minnesota, she spent 18 years at Minnesota State University Moorhead, where she was Director of Continuing Education and then Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. She also spent four years teaching on U.S. military bases in Germany and Turkey and has taught online for the University of Maryland University College for the past decade.
colin.kelley@fulbright.org
Colin Kelley joined the Fulbright Association as an Office Assistant in July 2011. In addition to working at the Fulbright Association, Colin is currently pursuing his master’s degree in international affairs at the Catholic University of America, where he also received his bachelor’s degree in world politics in 2010.
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Mr. Kelley has interned for several institutions in Washington, D.C., including EMILY’s List, Dialysis Patient Citizens, and the Catholic University Columbus School of Law. Mr. Kelley also worked for several years as a high school substitute teacher in Hollis, New Hampshire.
david.mcguire@fulbright.org
David S. McGuire, II, an association professional with a diverse background in non-profit management, joined the Fulbright Association in August 2011 as director, chapter relations. He serves as the primary staff contact and support for 48 Association chapters and for groups interested in forming chapters.
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Before joining the Association, Mr. McGuire marketed association events with the American Society of Travel Agents; oversaw Board of Director relations and strategic grassroots volunteer campaigns with the American Academy of Physician Assistants; and managed professional conference development courses with the American Society for Geriatric Psychiatry. Additionally, Mr. McGuire interned with the Michigan House of Representatives as an undergraduate and served as a candidate for Township Trustee in his native
Sarah N. Sears, CAE
sarah.sears@fulbright.org
Sarah Sears joined the Fulbright Association as senior director, membership in September, 2011 and serves as the primary contact for all membership-related programs. Prior to joining the association, Ms. Sears served as director of membership programs for the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) and assistant director of marketing for TeacherLine – a grant project with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). She has also served as a management associate and credit analyst for AmSouth Bank and assistant client representative for Media Services, Inc. (a division of Southern Progress Corporation).
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A graduate of Rhodes College with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and sociology, Ms. Sears studied abroad in Canada and has traveled throughout the world. She holds professional certificates in the association management field from The George Washington University and The University of Virginia. In 2007-2008, Ms. Sears was chosen for the Cambridge Who's Who Registry of Executives and Professionals. She achieved her Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and serves on the ASAE Greater Washington committee.
