Staff Biographies
Heidi Shoup
Heidi Shoup became Executive Director of the World Affairs Council - Washington in October 2006 (President in 2008) after two decades in non-profit management. She previously served as founding Executive Director of the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center, the Mosaic Foundation, and the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development. She is a Middle East area specialist who has lived and worked in the region and is originally from Portland, Oregon.
Stephanie Fassler
Stephanie Fassler is a Program Assistant at the World Affairs Council - Washington, DC. She recently completed a Master's degree at American University in the Comparative and Regional Studies program of the School of International Service. Her academic interest is in Europe and foreign policy, and how they influence peace and conflict. In the summer of 2010 she interned in the Conflict Studies Department at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels, Belgium, assessing the impact of the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership on peace and security. A native of California, she graduated from California State University, Stanislaus in 2007 with her bachelor’s degree in political science.
William Keppler
Bill Keppler is the International Affairs Director at the World Affairs Council - Washington, D.C. Prior to joining WAC-DC in 2011, he was the Director of Government Relations and Global Events at the International Road Federation; and, a career foreign service officer at the U.S. Department of State where he served on the staff of multiple Secretaries of State and as a U.S. diplomat overseas – including 4 Embassy postings and field assignments in more than 45 countries. Bill holds a MBA from George Washington University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Villanova University. His MBA studies focused on Government-Business Relations.
Amanda Stamp
Amanda Stamp is the Global Education Director for the World Affairs Council - Washington, D.C. During her tenure, Ms. Stamp has overseen two successful Summer Institutes for Teachers attracting 50-60 high and middle school teachers from around the country and a student exchange to Costa Rica. In addition, she has expanded the WACDC Youth Forum Series allowing high school students from the Washington, DC metropolitan area to increase their knowledge of world issues with hands on role playing activities. Prior to her work at the council, Ms. Stamp spent a year teaching English in Beijing to both adults and children. There she also assisted in editing of English subway signs and in the creation of a series of English textbooks. She is originally from Homewood, IL, a close suburb of Chicago and spent a year working for her Congressional Representative, Mr. Jesse Jackson, Jr. Ms. Stamp graduated from American University with an Interdisciplinary BA in Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government and has a knowledge of intermediate level Mandarin Chinese.
2012 Interns
Roberta Belden was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. Living in such an industrialized and globalized city, she discovered the need to be involved in the international arena. Being impacted by the poverty and the violence that over took her city during the last 5 years, she decided to do something about it and joined the Democratic Party called Partido Accional Nacional where she participated and organized peace walks, fundraisers ,and events to promote civil rights as well as the electoral vote. She is in her third year of college, majoring in International Affairs at Tec de Monterrey. She is currently spending this spring semester studying at Georgetown University in the Semester at Washington Program. Her academic focus is on international law and she would like to work for the Mexican government after getting her masters in political science.
Francisco Garcia is originally from Culiacan, Mexico. After spending time in various cities in Mexico and the United States as a child, he has studied in Monterrey and in Mexico City, currently majoring in International Relations at Tec de Monterrey in its Mexico City Campus. He is currently studying at Georgetown University in its Semester in Washington Program, also focusing on International Affairs. Fluent in Spanish and English and proficient in French, Francisco plans on pursuing an academic career focused on foreign policy in the region of North America and Security Studies.
Emily Heron is a Global Education intern at the World Affairs Council-DC and a graduate student at The George Washington University. She has lived and worked in France and China and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in International Education. She is interested in a variety of issues, including intercultural communication, international development, and the use of creative media in global education.
Mallory Smith, originally from the Pittsburgh area, discovered her love of international affairs in high school when she attended programs sponsored by her local World Affairs Council. She is a recent graduate of Wofford College with a BA in Government and a concentration in World Politics and is currently pursuing her MA in the Comparative & Regional Studies program at American University’s School of International Service. Her academic focus is democracy and governance issues in Southern Africa, specifically Lusophone countries. Following her graduate program, Mallory plans on pursuing a career in civil service or the NGO community.
Cem Yolbulan is currently in his third year at School of Foreign Service in Georgetown University, where he is majoring in International Politics with a concentration on foreign policy. From Istanbul, Turkey, he decided to move to Washington, DC to pursue a career in foreign policy, as he saw it as a great opportunity to learn and gain experience on international affairs. He is a native speaker of Turkish, also possessing fluency in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
