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Quarterly Newsletter on International Understanding
This year’s Passport to Prosperity Gala
was genuinely an inspirational evening, one
of those evenings in which the audience was
touched by the thoughtful and exceptionally
insightful presence of our honorees: Suku
Radia, Dr. Yogesh Shah, Ying Sa and Sol
Varisco-Santini.
In reflecting on this year’s celebration,
Suku Radia quoted Oscar Handlin’s insights
about immigrants when he wrote, “I once
thought to write a history of immigrants in
America. Then I discovered that immi-
grants were the history of America.” As
Suku went on to observe, “We in this room
are living confirmation of his discovery be-
cause every one of us is an immigrant or
comes from a family that is the progeny of
immigrants.”
For the second year in succession the
Gala event was a sell-out with 240 people in
attendance. The audience thanked each of
the honorees for their extraordinary contri-
butions to Iowa:
- for the creation of jobs and busi-
nesses, which in the case of Ying Sa has led
to the Immigration Entrepreneur Summit
and the establishment of 86 new businesses
in Iowa;
- toward the creation of a department
of Global Health serving the needs of people
throughout the world in the case of Dr.
Shah’s work at Des Moines University
- to the timely and helpful response to
refugees in need of resources thanks to Sol
Varisco-Santini and her work at Catholic
Charities
- to the climate of philanthropy and
This Issue
Passport Review P.1
Director’s Corner P.2
Pioneer-ICIU Dialogue Recap P.3
Upcoming Events P.4
Donors & Volunteers P.5
Cammeo Medici P.6
International Visitors Review P.7
Board of Directors P.8
service thanks to the work of Suku Radia
who Chaired this year’s United Way of Cen-
tral Iowa Campaign
The Passport Gala also honored the Busi-
ness Record by presenting to them the Elinor
Robson award, named in honor of the foun-
der of ICIU in 1938. The Business Record
earned this prestigious award for the design
and publication of “Welcome to Iowa,” the
first multi-lingual International Resource
Guide ever produced in Iowa. ICIU thanked
the Business Record for its vision, its courage
and its generosity in partnering with ICIU
to produce the Guide.
The whole of the evening was special,
made so in unique and wonderful ways. Bal-
let Des Moines choreographed a special bal-
let from each of honorees’ country of origin,
a dance to honor Suku Radia from Uganda;
to honor Ying Sa from China; to honor Dr.
Shah from India and to honor Sol Varisco-
Santini from Argentina. An elegant menu
with cuisine from each of the honorees’
countries was served by Cyd’s Catering.
Thanks to the generous contributions of
sponsors and donors, Passport was able to
raise over $40,000 to support the many pro-
grams and activities of ICIU. The support is
critical to our ability to respond to the needs
of new immigrants and refugees as ICIU
becomes the clearinghouse for international
resources.
Our special thanks go to Gale Brubaker
and Evelyn Rudich who Co-Chaired the
event, to the Passport Committee, to our
Board of Directors, to our staff and interns
for making the event such a success.
Passport to Prosperity, Something to Celebrate
Be sure to visit www.iciu.org to access the electronic page-turning version of this
printed guide!
ICIU Diplomat W i n t e r 2 0 1 0 I s s u e
929 Third Street, Suite 203
Des Moines, IA 50309
515.282.8269 ph
Executive Director’s Corner
As we reflect back over 2009, there are many
events worthy of noting and of celebrating. It was
the year we produced the first multi-lingual Inter-
national Resource Guide for Iowa. Written in
eight languages (Arabic, Bosnian, Mandarin Chi-
nese, Laotian, Spanish, Swahili, Vietnamese and
English) the Guide was designed, published and
made available online thanks to the generous
partnership with the Business
Record.
It was the year our Interna-
tional Visitors Program Man-
ager was honored as one of the
top three programmers in the
United States; the year in
which we entertained the first delegation of visi-
tors from Iraq; the year in which we held our first
training workshops for our interpreters and trans-
lators and also the first workshop for clients; the
year in which we partnered with Pioneer to offer a
monthly International Dialogue Series; the year in
which we played an important role in the 50-year
anniversary of Khrushchev’s visit to Iowa; the
year in which we launched Iowa Global Connect
toward our goal of becoming an informational
clearinghouse on international issues; the year
Passport to Prosperity had a very inspiring group
of honorees and a record setting fundraising
drive.
It was also a year in which we moved our head-
quarters to the Quality Inn, headquarters that are
2009, A Year Worth Celebrating
By Dr. Judith A. Conlin
2
Pictured: Dennis Dietz, Dr. Sergei Khrushchev and Dr. Judith Conlin.
Pictured: Josie Shaw and the ICIU staff with teddy bears donated for refugees.
Pictured: ICIU staff, volunteers and interns at Passport to Prosperity.
proving to be very nice and pleasant, offices that
are furnished, thanks to Principal Financial, with
desks, chairs and paneling; a year in which we
were able to update our data base with software
donated by Dennis and Sheila Dietz and to update
our computers and software, thanks to Board
Member Phil Krenc and donors.
It was a year to thank our extraordinary vol-
unteers, staff and interns.
Special thanks to Dennis
Dietz for assuming the
Presidency of the Board
and to each of the mem-
bers of the board. Our
thanks to the volunteers
who opened their homes to provide warm and
stimulating hospitality for our international visi-
tors.
Our thanks to the interns who committed
thousands of hours of very hard and very produc-
tive work on projects ranging from helping to
produce Newsletters, updating the website, fol-
lowing up with translation assignments to assist-
ing with the schedules of our international visi-
tors and decorating for Passport.
To Christina Sibouih, Deborah Lake, Cammeo
Medici, Ashlee Stoddard and Stephanie Hingtgen,
the brightest and hardest working staff with
whom I have had the privilege of working, a huge
thanks.
“As we reflect back
over 2009, there are many
events worthy of noting and of
celebrating.”
3
thesis at Harvard on the introduction of hybrid seed corn in the So-
viet Union. She later received a master's in Russian studies and a
doctorate in Russian politics from Oxford University. Liz and Rachel
Garst, granddaughters of Roswell and Elizabeth Garst. Liz was
eight-years-old when Khrushchev visited in 1959. Rachel Garst, the
director of the nonprofit technical assistance organization Creating
Great Places, was the co-chair of the Khrushchev in Iowa 50 year
commemoration. The next speaker was International affairs scholar and Huffing-
ton Post columnist Gordon Goldstein who presented "Cold Warri-
ors: Kennedy and Khrushchev, the Relationship that Defined a Gen-
eration." Goldstein remarked on the two titular personalities who
changed the Cold War, prevented a nuclear war and symbolized
their respective cultures. His presentation coincided with the 50th
anniversary of Nikita Khrushchev's visit to Iowa, and was the third
event of the Pioneer-ICIU series to have ties to the Russian pre-
mier's famous trip.
Goldstein, author of "Lessons of Disaster:
McGeorge Bundy and the Path to War in Viet-
nam," is the International Security Advisor to
the Strategic Planning Unit of the Executive
Office of the United Nations Secretary-General.
He received his bachelor's, master's and doctor-
ate degrees in political science and international
relations from Columbia University. He is a
member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Goldstein's work has
appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek and The Washington
Post.
The sixth Pioneer-ICIU dialogue featured Peiqin Zhou, an associ-
ate professor and deputy chair in the Department of Sociology in the
School of Social and Behavioral Study at Nan-
jing University in the People’s Republic of
China. She was a visiting Fulbright scholar at
Drake University. She received her doctorate
in mass communication from The University
of Alabama and her master’s degree in jour-
nalism and bachelor’s degree in Chinese linguistics and literature
from Nanjing University. Her research specialties are mass media
and society. She has been published in the Journal of Advertising,
Journal of Communication, China Media Research and Film Art. She has
also published several book chapters on social effects of media and
presented many research papers at international conferences.
Zhou spoke about China’s Internet censorship system and the
Continuing in a long tradition of education, open forums and
international understanding, Pioneer Hi-Bred and ICIU hosted a
series of international dialogues focused on Iowa’s personal and
organizational connections abroad. Here is review of the first nine
presenations.
The series kicked off with Charles Montgom-
ery, a Senior Managing Attorney for Mid-
American Energy who serves as Treasurer of the
U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, focusing on
building international relations through person-to
-person relationships.
Mr. Charles Montgomery offered a presentation and discussion
on his experiences during his trip to Baghdad, meeting the Iraqi
President, Deputy Prime Minister, U.S. Major General and the
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq.
Our second speaker was one of our 2009
Passport to Prosperity honorees. Dr. Yogesh
Shah addressed the question “Why Global
Health?” Shah, M.D., is Associate Dean of the
Department of Global Health at Des Moines
University, a position which responds to the
growing interest in international medicine. He
is triple board certified in Family Medicine,
Geriatrics, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He investigated
many challenges of global health, how Iowans are reaching out to
make connections across the world and what Des Moines Univer-
sity is doing to train future health care providers.
The third installment of the monthly presentations was on
theme of “Multiple Russias." Kieran D. Williams discussed the lack
of change in the portrayal of Russia by mainstream media despite
the fact fifty years have passed since Nikita Khrushchev’s famous
visit to Iowa. Williams is a political science
lecturer at Drake University. In discussing
the notion of "Multiple Russias" she investi-
gated the mainstream media perceptions of
Russia and the more subtle internal politics.
Before arriving at Drake, Williams taught at
the School of Slavonic and East European
Studies at University College London, the
largest in the U.K. for the study of central, eastern and southeast-
ern Europe and Russia.
With the focus on Russia continuing, the Dialogue series
hosted a panel to relate personal insights and historical perspec-
tives that illustrated Iowa's proud tradition of internationalism.
The panel discussed Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev's historic
1959 visit to Iowa, and featured:
Harry Bookey, a Des Moines real estate developer and owner of
BH Equities who was present during Khrushchev's visit to the
Bookey meat processing plant. Laura Belin, who wrote her senior
Pioneer-ICIU Int’l Dialogue Series Engages Des Moines Professionals
the uncertainty the future
holds for the country be-
cause of a regime that has
turned to force and crimi-
nality. Bassey earned his
Doctor of Philosophy in
International Relations
and Strategic Studies in 1984. He is cur-
rently a Senior Research Fellow at the
Nigerian Institute of International Affairs
and a Visiting Lecturer at the National
Defense College in Abuja, Nigeria, and
National Institute for Policy and Strategic
Studies, Kuru, Jos. Along with presenting
papers at over 70 conferences, Bassey is
also a noted author. He published three
widely-used text books in his discipline
and edited four other books. Similarly, he
has also authored several dozen journal
articles.
ICIU is looking forward to the restart
of the series with Phil Latessa—an Iowan
who has dedicated much of his life to help-
ing others. In the past three years he has
developed and managed a President's
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
(PEFAR)project on palliative care in Tan-
zania. Latessa will speak February 2, at
noon at the Downtown Library.
International Dialogue Review Continued
4
Green Dam Youth Escort, which is por-
nography-filtering software aimed at
youth and mandated to be installed on all
computers sold in China. It’s a revealing
case of how society is working to change
the government, though the process is
slow and unpredictable.
The October dialogue featured Darcie
Vandegrift who had recently returned
from a Fulbright Fellow year in Vene-
zuela. In Venezuela she completed a re-
search project to examine how young
adults view politics and society in their
country. Through interviews across the
social stratum, observations in traditional
and populist universities, and media analy-
sis, she investigated the
diverse citizen views to-
wards the current gov-
ernment. Vandegrift is
currently working on
two book projects, one
comparing young adults'
global perspectives in
three countries and an-
other comparing world views of pro- and
anti-Chavez Venezuelans. She is an Asso-
ciate Professor of Sociology in the Depart-
ment for the Study of Culture and Society
at Drake University.
The eighth installment featured Drake
University Professor Mark Kende who
discussed South Africa’s Constitutional
Rights in Post-Apartheid South Africa.
Kende served as visiting professor of law
at the University
of Stellenbosch in
South Africa.
Through a Ful-
bright grant
Kende researched the constitutional courts
application of the new bill of rights. He
was not only able to observe the social
change of the new constitution, but also
interacted with lawyers, judges and activ-
ists to obtain their thoughts and ideas of
the changes.
In the last Pioneer-ICIU dialogue of
the year, Professor Celestine Bassey,
spoke about the instability of Nigeria and
Upcoming Events
New ICIU website
to launch in February 2009
Pioneer-ICIU International
Dialogue Series
Noon on the first Tuesday of every month
ICIU is the Outstanding Non-Profit Organiza-
tion of 2009 awarded by the Iowa Chinese
Achievement Awards Ceremony
February 13, 2010
Iowa Student Global Leadership Conference
February 2010
The ICIU Staff
Dr. Judith Conlin Executive Director
Christina M. Sibouih Senior Program Manager: Finance, Grants & Marketing
Stephanie Hingtgen International Language & Intern Manager
Ashlee Stoddard International Programs Manager & Volunteer Coordinator
Volunteers Office
Sheila Dietz
Iowa Student Global Lead-
ership Conference
Bill Friedow
Curtis Stutzman
Kelly Chamberlain
Dennis Trollope
Michael Blair
Verla Pecha
Carol Brown
Richard Murphy
Public Relations
Asian alliance table
International Visitors
Geraldine Fridlington
Mr. Kevin Stiles Gary Guthrie
The following individuals and organizations made financial or in-kind contributions to ICIU in 2009.
Donors & Contributors
Teresa Opheim
Hannah Lewis
Greg Hauenstein
Eric Johansen
Diane Hicks
Dr. Vicky Poole
Dhrooti Vyas
Harold and Carol Hill
Jack Beeson
Chris Mudge
Eric Woolson
Elizabeth Williams
Mike Newell
Gordon Wassenaar
Chris Hartline
Stephanie Hingtgen
Lincolnway Energy, LLC
Marty Schwager
Dave Miller
Pete McRoberts Erin Lane
Preston Daniels
Susan Judkins Josten
Bob Josten
Dave Klinkenborg
Angela Connolly
Sue Chapman
Kathy Leggett
John Hall
Secretary of Agriculture Bill
Northey
Deputy Secretary of Agricul-
ture Karey Claghorn
John Wilken
Bob Mulqueen
Bruce Greiner
Greg Watkins
Mayor Gene Beach
Ken Anderson
Cindy Kendall
Michelle Spohnheimer Dr. Marvin Wade,
Superintendent of Schools
Ken Black
Roger Nowadzky
Gary Oldenburger
Dr. Jeffrey Wolt
Dr. Gary Munkvold
Ms. Adelaida Harries
Ellen Brooks
Steve Brody
Mark Hersh
Dean Riis
Jon Doidge
Renee Bell
Jule Reynolds
Amy Desenberg-Wines
John TenPas
Sylvia Piper
Mary Doidge
Bob Jeppesen
Frank Strong
Dee Howard
Kenda Jochimsen
Ambassador
Business Record
Pioneer Hi-Bred
John Deere Credit
John Deere Des Moines Operations
Bankers Trust
National Council for Int’l Visitors
World Learning
Attaché
Community CPA & Associates
Compressor Controls
Davis Brown Law Firm
E. Charles Brice
Elizabeth Garst
Eurofins
Fred & Charlotte Hubbell Foundation
Greater Des Moines Community Foundation
Conlin Trust Foundation
Hy-Line International
Jim Mackay
John & Patsy Shors
Judy Winkelpleck
Kemin Industries
Lori T. & John T. Chesser
Lynn Walz
Michael & Evie Barnes/CeCe & Tori/
TransIowa
NCMIC Group
Prairie Meadows
Principal International
Real Optics Vogue Vision
Roxanne Conlin
Steve Saxton
Stine Family Foundation
Ted Townsend Vision
Tefford A. Lodden & Judith L. Lodden
West Bancorporation
West Bank
Diplomat
Barry & Michele Griswell
Bernard Leman, M.D.
Bill & Susan Knapp
Dennis & Sheila Dietz
Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical
Center
Diocese of Des Moines
Greater Des Moines Partnership
Mercy Medical Center Faculty
Meredith Corporation
RBC Wealth Management
Ralf and Daniela Fassbender
Steve & Kathy Zumbach
Tero International
Wells Fargo
World Food Prize
Delegate
QCI
Barb and G. David Hurd
Catholic Charities
Chinese Association of Iowa
David Skidmore
Don Lambert
Judith Conlin
Michael Rice
Robert & Eleanor Zeff
State Savings Bank
Tim Worlf
Veronica Stalker
Professionals
Alec & Rebecca Zama
Alfonso Diaz & Maria Lazzarino
Ann Schodde
Carol Brown
Chester Guinn
Chris A. Smith
Christine Mary & Charles H Korte
Cyndi Chen
Larry & Cynthia Eisenhauer
Dean & Susie Moews
Dennis Kelly
Doug and Jan Smith
Dr. Eden Murad
Dr. Pramd Mahajan
Dr. Saima Zafar
Dr. Teresa Aoki
Drs. Andrea and Daniel McGuire
Emiliano Lerda
Eric Idehen
Fred Lorber
Greg Johansen
John & Roberta Wattleworth
Laurence and Karen Hutzell
Lloyd and Carmen Le Page
Magdy and Nagwa Salama
Maria S Varisco-Santini
Monte Thompson,Thompson Productions
Nancy Hewitt
Norman & Doris Knight
Ou Meksay
Penny Furgerson
Philip & Lanora Krenc
Primary Health Care
R. Loren Ptsai
Raccoon Valley Bank
Rachel Garst
Rajendra & Kay Sinha
Rich Eychaner
Richard and Sachiko Murphy
Rita C & Chandramohan P Batra
Roy May
Sheldon and Roselind Rabinowitz
Sol Varisco-Santini
Sondra Holmstrom
Stephanie Hingtgen
Tom & Deborah Davidson
Vladimir and Nancy Sambaiew
Yogesh & Deval Shah
Winifred M. Kelley
5
6
A Farwell to Cammeo Medici
The reception room overflowed with in-
terpreters, translators and colleagues with
whom Cammeo Medici had worked as the
Manager of the International Language
Programs. In saying goodbye to Cammeo
and thanking her for her outstanding
work with the interpretation and transla-
tion services of ICIU, one after another
praised her outstanding work.
Cammeo is responding to a calling to
go into service as a volunteer through the
United Methodist Church Global Minis-
tries Individual Volunteer Program. Ea-
ger to be of service in health related areas
and to brush up on her Spanish skills,
Cammeo is in Peru and will be helping in
that country through next July. In re-
sponse to the question, “Why would you
decide on a volunteer position when you
have a paid position with benefits and the
economy is so bad?” Cammeo shared:
“What better time in my life to seize this
opportunity. I don’t have a car payment
or a mortgage, a husband or children.
When else can I do this?” We wish the
adventurous and magnanimous spirit of
this uncommonly bright and wonderful
young woman the best.
In her short tenure of just 15 months
with ICIU Cammeo accomplished an ex-
traordinary amount. She managed to in-
crease ICIU’s number of languages from
approximately 35 to 49. She increased the
customer base by promoting ICIU’s value
added services, ultimately increasing fee
for service receivables by 40%. She coor-
dinated ICIU’s first ever Interpreter and
Translator training workshops. During
the summer and fall of 2008 over 30 of our
primary interpreters were trained in one
of the two-day training workshops. In the
Spring of 2009 she coordinated the first
ever Client Education Workshop, with
over 30 clients from our local courts, hos-
pitals, schools and businesses receiving
education on the best practices for work-
ing with interpreters and translators.
Also in the Spring of 2009 Cammeo coor-
dinated with the Greater Des Moines
Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to host
the first ever Bilingual Tour Guide Train-
ing Workshop where 15 interpreters with
10 different languages were trained on
how to be a tour guide for the city of Des
Moines.
The training workshops have elevated
the professional status of ICIU’s interpret-
ers and translators. As one of the transla-
tors commented, “You can tell an ICIU
interpreter: they are more professional.”
Each interpreter has his/her business
cards and name tag. The courts, hospitals,
health clinics, social service agencies and
businesses have come to see ICIU as a
highly professional, highly reliable service.
We wish this remarkable young
woman all of the best in her quest to be of
help to people all over the world.
You CAN make a difference in international understanding!
Our work truly depends on the contributions of individuals like you. Become a part of ICIU and help us to foster the connections that change lives!
Educational Programs Interpretation Services International Visitors Iowa Global Connect
I would like to contribute $____________ to support the Iowa Council for International Understanding NOW.
TTHANKSHANKS FORFOR YOURYOUR GIFTGIFT!!
Detach this slip with your check payable to: Iowa Council for International Understanding
929 Third Street, Suite 203 Des Moines, Iowa 50309
OR visit our Web site: www.iciu.org
I would like to think about helping the Iowa Council for International Understanding in the FUTURE:
I have already put the Iowa Council for International Understanding in my will.
I would like more information about putting the Iowa Council for International Understanding in my will.
Become a Friend of ICIU!
Want to learn more about or become involved with ICIU?
Would you like to keep up on ICIU programs and activities? ICIU offers many different ways for Iowans to get involved and ICIU needs you!
7
Special Events/Public Relations
Promotion/Outreach/Media
Event planning
Developing marketing materials
Taking international visitors to social and/or community events
Driving international visitors to/from professional appointments Cultural
Hosting international visitors in your home overnight
Hosting international visitors in your home for a meal
Education
Working with youth High School programs
Serving as a speaker or facilitator
Administrative/Services
Word processing
Scheduling appointments
Interpreting for emergency situations Professional Exchanges
Offer an internship in my place of business
Meet with international visitors to share professional knowledge/expertise
Don’t forget to sign-up on our email list to receive regular updates! For more information visit www.iciu.org.
ICIU Welcomes Stephanie Hingtgen
We welcome Stephanie Hingtgen as the
International Language Programs and Intern
Manager, succeeding Cammeo Medici.
Stephanie is a graduate of the University of
Iowa, with a BA in Spanish. She holds a cer-
tificate in International Business, also from the
University of Iowa. She studied abroad as an
international student exchange program in
Cordoba, Argentina and with the Iowa Re-
gents Hispanic Institute in Valladolid, Spain.
Stephanie spent six years with Principal Fi-
nancial Group. She spent almost two full
weeks training with Cammeo and officially
began her position with ICIU on November
30, 2009.
Stephanie stepped directly into managing
the third two-day training workshop for our
interpreters and translators, held on Friday
and Saturday, December 4 and 5. It was
again a well-attended and exceedingly helpful
training. The evaluations were excellent.
We appreciate Stephanie’s commitment to
ICIU and her willingness to put in the long
hours it takes to manage a growing interpre-
tation and translation service.
International Visitors Program In 2009, the ICIU hosted 95 visitors from approximately 35 countries. Here are some highlights.
Veterinarians from Tajikistan visiting through the ICIU’s Community Connec-tions program.
EU Foreign Policy visitors who were participating in the International Leader-ship program.
2010 Board of Directors
8
PRESIDENT
Dennis Dietz Retired Attorney
E. Charles Brice Senior Vice President Kemin Industries
Jim Mackay Director of Investment Banking De Waay Capital Management
VICE PRESIDENT
Lloyd Le Page
Manager,
Sustainable Agriculture &
Development
Pioneer Hi-Bred International
Lori Chesser
Attorney
Davis Brown Law Firm
Pete McRoberts Deputy Press Secretary Office of Governor Chet Culver
TREASURER
Lynn Walz
Retired CPA
Ralf Fassbender Vice President of Finance EuroFins
Surasee Rodari Vice President Bankers Trust
VICE PRESIDENT AT LARGE
Ambassador Mary
Kramer
President
Kramer & Associates
Valentina Fominykh Community Volunteer
Steven L. Saxton President JMS KYOSHIN
VICE PRESIDENT AT LARGE Phil Krenc Vice President, Information Technology MidAmerican Energy, Co.
Eric Idehen
Vice President, Diversity Consultant Wells Fargo International
David Skidmore Professor/Center Director Drake University/ Center for Global Citizenship
PAST PRESIDENT
Judy Winkelpleck, Ph.D.
Susan Judkins Josten Intergovernmental Affairs Director Rebuild Iowa Office
Veronica Waterman Stalker Retired Superintendent Waukee Schools
Senator Daryl Beall State Senator District 25
Don Lambert President MENA Consulting, LLC.
Michael L. Tramontina