I would be delighted to serve another two-year term as President. Along with GAHF’s Executive Director and Board, we have accomplished much over the past two years:  launched a national website (www.germanconnections.org), established a dynamic relationship with the Austrian Embassy, started a scholarship program, engaged in a strategic planning process, increased our social media presence, and more.

As 1st Vice President, my biggest goal will be continuing to re-imagine our internal processes, programming, and fundraising through our strategic planning process. Building on my successful participation in the Membership, Nominating, and Scholarship Committees over the past four years, the Strategic Planning Committee since early 2025, and the combined efforts of our Board, I will engage us all to ensure a more solid financial base, increased programming diversity, and an increase in active younger members. 

By joining the leadership of the GAHF, my goal is to firmly establish us as the premier resource for German culture in the U.S., highlighting and fostering awareness of German influence and contributions to American society, while ensuring a sustainable financial future. Through broader outreach and partnership with a robust network of German-oriented organizations across the U.S., my vision is to bring German Americans together to celebrate our shared heritage – and “the German” in each of us! 

I am a founding member of GAHF (and current Secretary) and pledge to further two of our current goals: to increase our individual membership and to make all Americans aware of the wonderful contributions German Americans have made to society. I look forward to the various activities and events leading up to our 50th anniversary. I will also work towards having all officers and directors cooperate fully with each other together with our staff and volunteers.

As a former Honorary Consul of Germany in North Carolina, retired in 2022, I have dedicated my career to strengthening the cultural, educational, and economic ties between Germany and the southeastern United States. In 2014, I founded the N.C. Zeitgeist Foundation, which promotes dialogue and cooperation through its Grand Speakers Series, civic forums, and cultural programming. 

I hope to bring my deep passion for education and cultural exchange to the GAHF and even more so, my understanding of advocacy work that I have established through advocating for the Fulbright program throughout the spring and summer of 2025. As the spouse of a nonprofit fundraiser, I have gleaned ideas through my conversations with him, particularly regarding small to medium-sized donors. 

As a new board member at GAHF, one of my goals will be supporting the growth, programming, and fundraising of the organization. I also hope to bring my perspective from the Midwest to help advise the board and executive director on recruiting wider audiences, including from younger demographics, and contributing to innovative programs where possible. With over eight years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including at a leading regional German American center, I look forward to bringing my expertise in nonprofit management to support the board’s financial stewardship and strategic planning. 

I have been a GAHF member since 2015, and have held various board roles. My primary motivation for supporting the German American Heritage Foundation is to raise awareness about the massive contribution that Americans of German-speaking ancestry, from Muhlenberg to Koenigsmann, have made toward the spectacular cultural, military, scientific, and economic successes of the United States.

I am a new history teacher and retired U.S. diplomat and lawyer with think tank and Capitol Hill experience whose State Department career included serving as the U.S. Embassy Berlin’s spokesperson in 2017-2018. I would like to contribute to GAHF becoming a dynamic, program-rich, well-resourced national organization that highlights the historic and ongoing contributions of German Americans by strengthening the network in Washington, D.C. and the outreach across the country.

I was born in Freiburg im Breisgau and raised near Karlsruhe. I studied business economics in Saarbrücken, and worked in the metal commodity industry for a number of years before moving to the Sacramento, Calif. area. My dedication and passion for German American friendship is demonstrated by the cross-cultural organizations I have founded and directed in Northern California since my immigration in 1998, allowing me to gain strong non-profit organizational leadership experience. 

I have long been passionate about German culture and the enormous impacts German Americans have made toward the development of America. I have studied and lived in Vienna, Austria and have travelled extensively to Germany and Austria over the last 30 years, on official Congressional delegation trips with my husband, as well as educational enrichment trips for my triplets, Annika, Christian and Tristen. My husband and I are in the process of relocating to Cleveland, Ohio where we are interested in participating in the rich German cultural heritage. I am excited to contribute to the work of the Foundation in any way I can.

I have previously served as a board member of GAHF, and twice as president. We are one year out from the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. I believe that this momentous event will inspire every American to consider the blessings of liberty their families have enjoyed in this country, and to reflect on how their families arrived here.  GAHF will serve them as a valuable resource.