The final list of nominees for election or appointment to the NABN Board for the 2021-2023 term are listed below. An official ballot with e-voting instructions will be sent to all current NABN members whose e-mail address we have on file no later than May 8th, Members in good standing may vote “in person” instead at the NABN online business meeting on May 15th, 2021. (Note: Board members Sarah Panjvani (Canadian Delegate) and the New Alumni Delegate (vacant) are per by-laws elected separately by functional constituency.)
Chair
Allie Drexler
Year of IPS Participation: 2016
Allie has served on the board of the American Bundestag Network since completing the IPS program in 2016. During her time on the board she has played a key role in connecting ABN and its members with other German-American alumni associations and organizations. In 2019 she was the lead organizer of the Transatlantic Alumni Conference in Washington, DC and was a key planner in the 2020 Wunderbar Webinars. Allie is based in Berlin, Germany and works as a program officer for the Parlamentarisches Patenschafts-Programm (PPP/CBYX) and is also active in the German Fulbright Alumni Association. If elected president, she hopes to focus further on reactivating the membership by providing more opportunities for members to engage and professionalize the administration of (N)ABN by implementing agile methods and standardizing processes.
Vice Chair
Jay Morgan
Year of IPS Participation: 2016
I’ve been active in ABN since 2017, serving as regional coordinator in DC and later Treasurer. I’m currently in the last semester of UNC’s Transatlantic Masters Program, after which I will return to DC to work on transatlantic relations full time at the Representative of German Industry and Trade. My goals for the network are to finalize our 501c3 status, complete our fusion with the Canadians, and to deepen our cooperation with other transatlantic/German-American organizations. I think we’re well-positioned to do all three and increase the value we provide to new and veteran members alike.
Secretary
Matthew Delmastro
Year of IPS Participation: 2018
Matt recently completed an MA in Political Science at the University of Konstanz and an MA in International Relations at the Charles University in Prague. He currently serves as Program Assistant for the German Marshall Fund of the United States and resides in Berlin. Matt is a 2018 cohort member of IPS where he worked for the Green Party in the office of Omid Nouripour. He was an exemplary member of that cohort, demonstrated strong command of and passion for German and transatlantic policy, and was notable in his efforts to connect with IPS fellows from different countries and regions. Matt’s activities while on IPS also included planning for various events like the Ländertisch and the cohort’s signature Pfannkuchenpolitik gatherings. He communicates well and has been a collaborative team member.
Treasurer
Clover van Steenberghe
Year of IPS Participation: 2008
Our alumni organization is at an exciting crossroads. It’s been tough to keep up the momentum during the pandemic but we are very close to being able to file and finalize our application to become a 501c3. Over the last 2 years I have been an active board member appointed to assist with the 501c3 process. As Treasure candidate, I’d like to see this through and help shape and grow the NABN. My background is in international business and I hold an MBA in Global Business Management at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. I currently reside in Northern California.
Nominations for At-Large Board Seats
(to be appointed at the discretion of those duly elected to the offices above as of May 15, 2021)
Haima Askari (Treasurer field)
Year of IPS participation: 2017
I graduated with a bachelor’s in international relations from James Madison University and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Virginia and during IPS worked for Bundestagspräsident Norbert Lammert. Most recently I worked for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership helping bring European investments to Virginia. I’m proud of how effective ABN has been in bringing American IPS Alumni together. I want to help further this and bring a more cohesive structure between American and Canadian IPSlers. I believe that my background makes me an ideal candidate.
Charlotte Carstens (Congressional Liaison)
Year of IPS Participation: 2008
Charlotte currently works as Policy Analyst at the prestigious law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, and prior to that earned an MA in International Affairs with a concentration in European Studies at Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service. During her time at graduate school, she interned for the DC office of BMW Group, and has since developed a niche on government affairs and strategic communication amongst German-American stakeholders. She was previously the new ABN Alumni Delegate and was the 2018 cohort’s spokesperson during the fellowship. Charlotte is a strong leader and would make a good addition to the board especially with a focus on liaising with congressional stakeholders that work on German-American business and relations as well as assisting with wider conversations on promoting and maintaining relationships with important transatlantic education programs such as CBYX.
William Medina (At-Large, undetermined)
Year of IPS Participation: 2013
I want to give back and help an organization that made a dream come true and helped me with my career and personal life. I’m willing to learn and help any of the others who are nominated for the other official positions. I’ve worked for the State Department for 5 years now as a Consular Officer. I do not have much experience in organizations such as this one, but I am happy to assist with any administrative duties and learn more about what the goals and priorities of the organization are and how I can play a role in advancing those interests. Please note that my government role may hinder my ability to carry out certain activities.
Moises Mendoza (Treasurer field)
Year of IPS Participation: 2012
Moises is a former President of ABN and has been serving on the Board as Alumni Relations Chair since 2017. He is the creator of the ABN Mentor Program and has assisted with the 501c3 drafting process this term. After serving in the office of CDU parliamentarian Philipp Missfelder during his 2012 IPS experience, Moises Mendoza went on to serve in the European Commission before joining the U.S. Department of State as a Charles B. Rangel Fellow. As a Foreign Service Officer, he credits IPS for giving him the broad international experience he needed to make him a competitive candidate for the diplomatic service. In the future Moises hopes to specialize in transatlantic affairs while representing U.S. interests worldwide in public service.
Daniel Villanueva (Historian)
Year of IPS Participation: 1996-97
As a long time Board member, ABN’s immediate past President and manager of the archives, as well as the author of the Festschrift for the 30th anniversary of IPS, Daniel’s knowledge and demonstrated engagement will be key in preparing for this year’s anniversaries and getting the organizational history on solid ground in such a monumental year. His connections with alumni across generations and passion for connecting people make him the perfect person to lead the efforts in documenting, honoring, and reviving the history of ABN in order to ensure its future success.
Jason Wong (University Relations)
Year of IPS Participation: 2018
As Assistant Professor of Economics at Occidental College, Jason is highly qualified to take on a university liaison role on behalf of NABN. One initiative that he would like to consider bringing to NABN is an IPS publicity/promotion campaign at North American universities with strong German programs. As an alum of University of Maryland, Columbia University and MIT programs, Jason is very well plugged-in to university networks across the US and would be an excellent liaison and spokesperson to promote IPS to potential applicants across North America. Especially as we are facing challenges with decreasing numbers of slots for US-Americans/North Americans per IPS cohort, it is particularly important that NABN as an alumni organization plays a part in ensuring that our region is continuously able to produce a highly competitive pool of candidates each year.
North American Bundestag Network 