One of the great strengths of the University of Oklahoma David L. Boren College of International Studies is its Board of Visitors, made up of many national and international foreign policy leaders and experts. The purpose of the Board is to advise and assist the Dean of the College of International Studies with the "internationalization" of the University.
Zach is currently Executive Director in the Social Impact and Education unit at Russell Reynolds Associates, based in Washington, D.C. He served as the 13th President of Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin from 2012-2022, and before that as founding Dean of the David L. Boren College of International Studies at the University of Oklahoma.
Along with his brother, Jalal, Mohammad is a leader in the Iranian community in Oklahoma. In 1994, Mohammad and his brother combined their construction businesses to form Home Creations, one of the fastest growing businesses in the Oklahoma City metro area. He is the Vice President of Home Creations.
Lester Asamoah is an Economic Officer with the Office of Japanese Affairs at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. He previously served at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia covering macroeconomic analysis, the financial sector, and infrastructure coordination, and as a Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. He is an OU College of International Studies alumnus.
A graduate of OU, Max Berry is in private practice in Washington, D.C. specializing in international trade. He served under Presidents Carter and Reagan as Chairman and President of the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation and has been particularly active in the arts, serving as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Smithsonian Institution. Berry and his late wife Heidi created the Max and Heidi Berry Chair.
Stephen M. Chazen is founder and president of the Unus Foundation 1998/2018. Chazen attended OU and is a long-time supporter of the University of Oklahoma. He is an active civic leader in Alabama and Oklahoma.
Rebecca Cooper is a journalist based in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining ABC News in Washington, she worked for CNN and NBC News. She also served as the Chief of Staff to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson and as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator David Boren. A native of Oklahoma City, she is the recipient of several journalism awards, including the Peabody, DuPont, Murrow, Cable Ace and Emmy awards.
A graduate of OU, Steve Dolman works as a Senior Managing Director of Hines and is a member of the Hines Office of Investments, a privately owned real estate firm involved in real estate investment, development and property management worldwide. He worked and lived in São Paulo, Brazil, helping to establish Hines’ South America region and manage the development of offices and industrial projects there. Dolman received the OU Regents' Alumni Award and is currently a member of the Board of Advisors for Price College of Business.
Jalal Farzaneh is president of Home Creations in Oklahoma City. Along with his brother, he began residential building in 1981 after graduating from the University of Oklahoma's School of Architecture. Farzaneh is a leader in Oklahoma’s Iranian community.
Cole Frates is an environmental entrepreneur, business owner and co-founder of Renewable Resources Group & EndOil. He has experience in the sustainable water and clean energy sectors. He serves on the Boards of Oil Change International, the Washington Foundation for European Studies and the Oklahoma Arts Institute.
James H. ("Hart") Holden, a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, College of Law, practiced litigation, antitrust, and international competition law in Washington, DC for thirty years, including in senior positions in both the federal government and private practice. Mr. Holden is currently the founding principal of Holden, LLC, an investment and asset management company located in McLean, Virginia.
Ed Huffine is a graduate of OU and CEO of Huffine Global Solutions, Inc., a global development consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. He has extensive worldwide experience in the biotech industry.
An OU graduate, Rashid Iqbal served as President of the International Advisory Committee as an international student at OU. He has risen through the ranks of several Fortune 500 companies and now serves as a CEO in the telecommunications industry at LCC Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.
A former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma, Ambassador Jones also served as Chairman and CEO of the American Stock Exchange. Ambassador Jones is an attorney at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Washington, D.C.
Lou Kerr is an active supporter of OU, a civic leader and advocate of international education. She serves as resident and Chairman of the Board, Kerr Foundation, and as an advisor on numerous OU boards. She was a recipient of the Regents' Alumni Award in 2005.
An OU alum, Marc Nuttle is an attorney living in Norman, Oklahoma and is managing partner of Oklahoma Sovereign Development, LLC (OSD). He specializes in international trade, international foreign policy and international political affairs. He has been an advisor to U.S. presidents, the leadership of Congress, and foreign nations. He has represented national business trade associations and states on a variety of political and economic issues.
Susan Stuart Peterson is the oldest daughter of Jon and Dee Dee Stuart. She earned both her undergrad and graduate degrees at OU in Norman and was a graduate of the Honors College. She is Vice President of First Stuart Corporation.
Shook (David Shook) is a writer, translator, editor, filmmaker, and cultural organizer based in Northern California. Raised in Latin America, educated at the University of Oklahoma and Oxford, and having worked extensively in regions as diverse as East Central Africa and Iraq, their professional trajectory has focused on forging meaningful connections across languages and cultures. A former Honorary Consul for the Republic of Burundi, Shook today serves on the board of directors of Kazoza Finance, a Burundian community bank that has generated over 300,000 jobs since 2012.
Mary Sherman is a long-time civic leader and former director of the Pioneer Library System. She has served as the President of the Norman Chamber of Commerce, the Norman Rotary Club, and the Women’s Resource Center, as well as District Governor of Rotary International.
Sharen Jester Turney, an alumna of OU, is an operator and advisor to global retail and technology brands and philanthropic organizations. Known for growing world-class brands to record-breaking numbers, she is the former President and CEO of Gloria Jeans Russia, Victoria's Secret, and Neiman Marcus Direct. She is an inductee into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, the highest honor bestowed upon an Oklahoman. Sharen enjoys interacting with people worldwide and discussing what the future holds for current and future generations of curious minds influencing our global community.
A native of Seminole, Oklahoma, and 1977 graduate from the University of Oklahoma, Reggie has been practicing law in Oklahoma City since 1980 and is a Partner in the Whitten Burrage Law Firm. Throughout his diverse philanthropic career, he has worked to educate children about the dangers of substance abuse, provide support for the less fortunate in Africa, and create programs that make science more exciting for young people. Reggie was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2013.
