If your Council is looking to diversify programming and audience representation, then this next WACA Best Practices Session is for you! The “Diversity in Programming and Young Professionals” session will take place Thursday, May 13, at 3:00-4:00 PM ET and will expand on April's conversation on diversity, equity, and inclusion by looking at how diversity in programming can be achieved by engaging young professionals. Whereas last month's discussion focused on internal best practices, this session will center on an external lens: how to diversify programming and audiences.

Armen Babajanian, CEO of the World Affairs Council of San Antonio, Valerin Lopez DeFrank, Business Manager at the World Affairs Council of Atlanta, and Katie Ferman, Senior Program Officer for International Visitor Programs at the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, join us today to discuss their Councils’ experiences with young professionals (from established programs to newly formed initiatives). They will also talk about the diversity in formats or roles that young professionals can take part in and how young professional programming is part of their Councils’ overall Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategies. 

While the official program will run from 3:00-4:00 PM ET, WACA will leave the Zoom meeting open as an option for an additional 30 minutes in case any participants want to continue their conversations.

Note: Registration is open to Council staff and boards. More than one person per Council may attend.

Armen Babajanian currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the World Affairs Council of San Antonio. Armen was most recently the Chief Operations Officer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in political science and developmental psychology. He completed his Masters in Political Science from the University of Texas, San Antonio (UTSA). Armen worked for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston for 2 years before moving to Kerrville in 2003 to restart and run operations for Big Brothers Big Sisters serving Kerr County. In 2009, Armen relocated to San Antonio to continue to work with Big Brothers Big Sisters and focus on communications, marketing, partnerships & public relations, as VP of External Communications. In 2014, Armen relocated to Warsaw, Poland to help start and sustain the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Poland affiliate as their Executive Director. 

Valerin Lopez DeFrank is the Business Manager at the World Affairs Council of Atlanta. Valerin is responsible for the Council’s finances and administration, but, like all Council staff, she also helps manage memberships and programming. Before moving to Atlanta, Valerin lived in Northern California where she worked with local and national non-profits in fundraising, public affairs and community relations.  Molded by the experiences of growing up in a Spanish-speaking household in New York City, Valerin is a keen advocate for cross-cultural collaboration and exchange.  She has traveled to 21 countries and 24 U.S. states and is an avid hiker. Valerin earned her BA in English and Studio Arts from Tufts University in Medford, MA and her MA in Global Communications from the American University of Paris in Paris, France.

Katie Ferman is Senior Program Officer for International Visitor Programs at the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, where she manages fee-for-service initiatives. Before CCWA, Katie lived and worked in Central America and conducted research in India. In 2020, Katie earned a Masters in Nonprofit Administration from John Carroll University. Previously, she earned a BA in International Studies and a BS in Environmental Policy and Management from Ohio State University.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Recording and Materials

Member Councils can access last week's WACA Best Practices Session: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion recording and materials by visiting the WACA Members Resources webpage and selecting the "Best Practices Meetings" square. Many thanks to WACA Board Member Derrick Olsen and his team at WorldOregon.