The Cleveland Council on World Affairs is pleased to announce its 2021-2022 Richard W. Pogue Fellows. “The Richard W. Pogue Fellowship gives young professionals in Cleveland a voice in conversations about foreign policy and global issues. In particular, the Fellowship supports us in continuing to lower barriers for participation. We are very much looking forward to engaging with the talented group that was selected for the coming year,” says Carina Van Vliet, CCWA’s Chief Executive Officer.

CCWA’s 2021-2022 Richard W. Pogue Fellows are: Samantha Alonso, Vito Giannola, Jack Lupica, Germaine Peña, and Bailey Wells.

Samantha Alonso is Impact Manager at City Year Cleveland. She is an aspiring diplomat interested in world cultures and looks forward to gaining insights and experiences that help her become a leader in foreign affairs. Samantha has lived abroad and draws inspiration from her global experiences.

Vito Giannola is law clerk for the United States District Courts. Vito is interested in understanding the world beyond our borders and fostering open dialogue about current issues. As a young attorney, he looks forward to building relationships in our community through the Fellowship experience.

Jack Lupica is Investment Consultant at CBIZ Investment Advisory Services. He has worked to advance equity in our community through civic engagement and non-profit board service, and is always interested in looking at things with a global lens. Jack hopes to become a globally-minded leader in our community and to further his own understanding of our global, interconnected world.

Germaine Peña is Manager of Post-Secondary Initiatives at Esperanza, Inc. and works to increase access to opportunities for Cleveland’s Hispanic community. As a global citizen with roots and connections in multiple countries, she hopes to continue to expand her global network, learn from leaders in world affairs and help promote global engagement in Cleveland.

Bailey Wells is Director of Strategic and Executive Communications at Eaton. Her professional role puts her directly at an intersection of business, policy and strategy at the global level. She looks forward to gaining learning opportunities and sharing these insights with her team, and to further developing herself as a civic leader.

Our 2021-2022 fellows will have the opportunity to participate in members-only speaker forums on the most pressing international topics of our time, and network with other internationally-minded business and civic leaders in our community through participation in the Cleveland Committee on Foreign Relations (CCFR).

The fellowship is named after Richard W. Pogue, civic leader and Senior Advisor at Jones Day, in recognition of his more than 60 years as a member of CCWA. The fellowship program is supported by funding from the Kulas Foundation.

For more information, contact Jenni Carney, Director of Development and Marketing, at (216) 255-9005 or jcarney@ccwa.org.