Board of Directors
Sister Cities International is governed by a 24-member Board of Directors, overseen by the Chairman. 21 members are drawn from the membership and the greater diplomatic and business community, with three additional members designated to represent state coordinators, youth and young professionals. Sister Cities International Board members are elected by the membership at the Annual Meeting, which takes place at the Annual Conference each year.
Board members serve three-year terms, and state coordinator, youth, and Ambassador Association representatives serve two-year terms. Board of Directors terms are staggered, and seven board seats are up for election each year. Board members are elected by the membership at the Annual Business Meeting during the Annual Conference in July.
The Board elects the secretary and treasurer of the Board, who each serve one-year terms and the vice-chair, who serves a two-year term.
Mary D. Kane
President and CEO
Sister Cities International
Mary D. Kane was recently appointed to the position of President and CEO of Sister Cities International in October 2011. Kane will lead the membership, youth and education, development, and advocacy programs to strengthen the sister city network around the world.
Prior to joining Sister Cities International, Kane was Executive Director with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where she was responsible for identifying and building business partnerships and strategic alliances for the Chamber. Kane conducted fact-finding visits to determine the special concerns of domestic and global corporations, explained what the Chamber was doing for them in Washington, D.C., and around the world, and secured their participation in the Chamber’s leadership program.
Kane was also a senior advisor to the Business Civic Leadership Center, a nonprofit affiliate of the Chamber dedicated to improving business and society relations. During her tenure, Kane established the U.S. Chamber’s military and veterans’ initiative and was the spokesperson for the Campaign for Free Enterprise.
During the 2010 election cycle, Kane joined Maryland former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich’s campaign as the candidate for Lieutenant Governor.
Before joining the Chamber, Kane was the secretary of state in Maryland and a former assistant state’s attorney. As secretary of state, she was a member of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich’s Executive Council, where she was responsible for his Sub-Cabinet for International Affairs, the entity that coordinates and represents Maryland state and business initiatives around the world. Kane also directed the Maryland Sister States program, the Maryland Charity campaign and was instrumental in passing legislation to establish the Maryland “Safe at Home” program for victims of domestic violence.
Earlier in her career, Kane worked in the government affairs office of the American Trucking Associations and in the office of then-Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware.
Kane serves on several boards, including Suburban Hospital – a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine, Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School, and the Catholic Charities Foundation of Washington, DC. She is a former board member of the National Association of Secretaries of State and is currently a member emeritus.
Kane is a graduate of the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C., where she was the commencement speaker for her class. She earned a B.S. in business and finance at Mt. St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where she has received the President’s Medal. She resides in Potomac, Maryland, with her husband, John, and their three children.
Thomas A. Lisk
Chairman
Sister Cities International
Tom Lisk is a partner in the Richmond, Virginia office of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC where he practices in the areas of corporate law, administrative law and legislative affairs, with special emphasis on the hospitality industry and the regulation of alcoholic beverages. Over the past 26 years, Lisk has served as a lobbyist before the Virginia General Assembly, representing a wide variety of regulated businesses, including DIAGEO North America, GTECH Corporation, McLane Company, Kaiser Permanente, and Wal-Mart Stores. In addition, Lisk serves as legal and legislative counsel to the Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association, representing the Commonwealth’s restaurant, lodging and travel attraction industries.
Lisk is a member of the ABA’s Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice Section Committee on Beverage Alcohol Practice, as well as a member of the National Association of Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Attorneys, the National Association of Licensing & Compliance Professionals, and the Alliance of Alcohol Industry Attorneys and Consultants. Lisk has been recognized by Virginia Business magazine as a member of its "Legal Elite" for Lobbying/Regulatory, by Best Lawyers in America for Administrative/Regulatory Law, Gaming Law, and Government Relations Practice, and by Virginia Super Lawyers for Administrative Law.
Lisk is a graduate of Washington & Lee University where he was awarded a B.A., cum laude, in Politics in 1980 and a J.D. in 1985. He is also active in community affairs having formerly served as Chair of the Richmond Sister Cities Commission, Richmond Business Council, and HandWorkshop Art Center.
Current Board of Directors
| Name | Title | City |
|---|---|---|
|
Thomas A. Lisk (2014)
|
Chairman |
Richmond, Virginia |
|
Bill Boerum (2014)
|
Vice Chairman |
Sonoma, California |
|
Carol Robertson Lopez (2015)
|
Secretary |
Santa Fe, New Mexico |
|
Norris Hermsmeyer (2013)
|
Treasurer |
Boulder, Colorado |
|
Carlos Reyes (2013)
|
Executive Committee, Young Professional Representative |
Phoenix, Arizona |
|
Tim Quigley (2014)
|
Executive Committee |
San Jose, California |
|
Leroy Allala (2014)
|
Chicago, Illinois |
|
|
Carolyn Bishop (2013)
|
Atlanta, Georgia |
|
|
Neal Burnham (2014)
|
Austin, Texas |
|
|
Chris Dufour (2013)
|
Arlington, Virginia |
|
|
Gilbert "Gil" Garcia (2015)
|
Santa Barbara, California |
|
|
Angie Gomez (2015)
|
Pasadena, California |
|
|
Jeanne Goodvin (2014)
|
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
Ronald Gossett (2015)
|
Muskegon, Michigan |
|
|
Nicolas Jaber (2013)
|
Youth Representative |
Newport Beach, California |
|
Tom LaBonge (2013)
|
Los Angeles, California |
|
|
William Wesley Lites (2013)
|
Louisville, Kentucky |
|
|
Frances Lorenz (2013)
|
Tacoma, Washington |
|
|
David J. Miller (2015)
|
Buffalo, New York |
|
|
Louise Simon Schoene (2013)
|
State Coordinator Representative |
Buffalo, New York |
|
Darrel Smith (2015)
|
Los Angeles, California |
|
|
Carla Walker (2014)
|
Cincinnati, Ohio |
|
|
Paula West (2013)
|
Phoenix, Arizona |
|
|
Brad Cole (2014)
|
Ex-officio |
Carbondale, Illinois |
(x) - year term expires
Past Presidents
| Name | City |
|---|---|
| Brad Cole | Carbondale, Illinois |
| Michael Hyatt | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Mae Ferguson | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Sherman Banks | Little Rock, Arkansas |
| Glenn Gray | Juneau, Alaska |
| Nancy Huppert | Rochester, New York |
| Charles Stokke | Menomonie, Wisconsin |
| James Amato | Lexington, Kentucky |
| Richard Neuheisel | Tempe, Arizona |
| Rodger Randle | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
Questions? Please contact Mary Kane at 202.347.8630 or info@sister-cities.org.
