The Board of Directors: President, the three Vice Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer are elected at the Biennial Conference and normally serve for a two-year period, as does the appointed Parliamentarian. There is a limit on the number of terms a board member may serve.
President
The FAWCO President is responsible for FAWCO's strategic development in consultation with the Board based on the FAWCO Mission Statement, the approved Resolutions & Recommendations as well as current Board goals. In addition, the President coordinates the work of Officers, US Liaison and UN Liaison.
Ann Marie Morrow, AWC Finland
Ann Marie, a native of upstate New York, holds a BSc in Management and an MBA in Business Management from Clarkson University. Her extensive professional experience is largely in coaching and training.
Ann Marie joined AWC Finland in 1998 and has held several positions in her club, including President, Treasurer and FAWCO Rep. In 2015 she joined the FAWCO delegation to CSW59 and as Regional Coordinator for Region 2, she co-chaired the Region 2 meeting in April 2017. She served two terms as FAWCO VP Communications before being elected FAWCO President in 2023.
Ann Marie says, “FAWCO is a great organization that I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with over the years. The past three terms on the Board have given me a depth of experience and knowledge that I hope will help me effectively serve the members for another term as President. I have knowledge of project management, event management, finance, communications, IT and working with teams. I have had positive experiences working with boards from around the world and strive to bring a positive, supportive atmosphere to all the work I do. I wish to help FAWCO continue to fulfill its mission over the next few years. When I ask members what FAWCO means to them the most common answers are community, caring, support, and positive actions. My goals are to uphold this vision and to expand FAWCO’s positive impact worldwide.”
First Vice President — Communications
The 1st VP is responsible for communications - the FAWCO website, FAWCO publications, social media, advertising and sponsorship, and public relations.
Mary Dobrian, AIWC Cologne
Mary grew up in Iowa City, IA and earned a BA in Theater from Yale University. After acting professionally in New York, she moved to Germany in 1995. She now works as a freelance translator of primarily non-fiction texts from German to English for books, films, academic publications, websites, advertising and marketing, as well as using her theater training to provide voiceovers and dubbing for film, video and audio books. In her many years as a member of the AIWC Cologne, Mary has served as FAWCO Rep, among other positions. She chaired the FAWCO R&Rs Committee in 2018-2019, is a member of the Human Rights and Environment Teams, served as FAWCO VP for Global Issues for two terms, and currently serves as VP Communications.
Mary says, “I have learned a lot in my two years as VP Communications and would like to continue using those skills and expanding upon them. My experience on the FAWCO Board over the past six years has been very positive. It has been wonderful to work as a team with highly intelligent, talented and passionate women. I’ve learned enormously from all of them as well as learning up close how FAWCO works and having a chance to play a part in its good work. I hope there is even more that I can contribute in the next two years.
We are once again at a critical juncture in the history of both the United States and the world. Bigotry, divisiveness and hatred are on the rise. Democracy, women’s rights and human rights are in danger in many places. We must do everything we can everywhere we can to work for peace and for kindness, for justice and for the rights of all people. FAWCO is a vehicle to help us do that. When people join together with the aim of doing good and fighting for what is right, they can do much more than any one person alone.”
Second Vice President — Member Clubs
The 2nd VP is responsible for Member Clubs relationship management: she liaises with Club Presidents, Club FAWCO Reps and Regional Coordinators. She manages service offerings for our Member Clubs, publishes the monthly FAWCO e-newsletter "News-in-Brief", and attends Regional Meetings.
Belen Monasterio, AWC Madrid
A New York native with a global outlook, Belen holds a BA in Political Science and Spanish from SUNY Albany and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business. After working in import-export for the Asian and South American markets in both Japan and the US, she spent many years in financial services at Citigroup’s Consumer Banking division in the US and Europe, where she gained diverse experience across marketing, new product development, operations, and portfolio sales.
Belen joined AWC Madrid in 2004 and has served as the club’s FAWCO Rep since 2021. She has also held VP positions in Toastmasters Bilbao. As FAWCO Rep, Belen started a local team focused on FAWCO initiatives which increased member involvement and created opportunities to connect with FAWCO’s mission, initiatives, and goals.
Belen says, “Looking ahead, I see several key objectives for FAWCO: continuing and perhaps expanding its flagship and newer programs such as Target and Literacy is Our Legacy; raising awareness of FAWCO’s benefits and volunteer opportunities to reach more members; expanding its global reach; increasing the visibility of the work of its specialized teams, such as United Nations, US, and Global Issues; strengthening its club partnerships, support, and institutional knowledge; and revising public relations strategies to amplify FAWCO’s influence and attract broader support.
As the nominee for VP Member Clubs, I am excited to build on all the successes and momentum achieved so far and work with the Member Clubs team to help FAWCO continue to grow, inspire, and empower women worldwide. I’ve definitely got the Fever!”
Third Vice President — Global Issues
The 3rd VP is responsible for the Target Program, the FAWCO Youth Program, FAWCO's Global Issues Teams and the Administrative Committees.
Mary Manning, Heidelberg IWC
Mary Manning was born in Ohio and grew up on a beautiful farm with 9 siblings before attending Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, getting both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in business. After working as a software consultant she transitioned into a career as a translator after her children were born. After spending nearly 18 years in Italy, she moved to Germany where she is self-employed. Mary has served as treasurer for her club, the Heidelberg International Women’s Club. She got involved in FAWCO through the Human Rights Team, where she served as Co-Chair. She was on the planning team for the Human Rights in Focus event held virtually in November 2021.
Mary notes, “I have served on the FAWCO Board in the role of 3rd VP - Global Issues since March 2023. I was co-Convenor of the Human Rights for Women working group for the Beijing+30 review conducted by NGO CSW in Geneva. Previously, I was co-chair of the FAWCO Human Rights Team. I find my work with FAWCO to be very fulfilling and have enjoyed serving on the Board. One of the things we have been talking about is the future sustainability of FAWCO and I would like to see more of a focus on that in my next terms. In addition, I would like to consider how the Global Issues Teams can engage more with club members. I would like to increase the awareness of what we do and help members become more involved with their areas of interest.”
Treasurer
The Treasurer performs all of FAWCO's financial duties which include collection of fees and other income-related items, disbursements for expenses, management of the budget, and monitoring and reporting of financial status to the Board and to all Member Clubs at FAWCO's Annual General Meeting.
Kathy DeBest, AWC The Hague/FAUSA
A Michigan native, Kathy holds a BS in Business Administration – Accounting from Central Michigan University. During her professional career she worked in public accounting as a CPA and managed the accounting department of a billion-dollar company. In 2003 Kathy moved with her husband and three young daughters to Warwickshire, England, where she encountered her first FAWCO Club, the North American Connection (NAC). There she was elected to the NAC Board as Secretary. More recently, she lived in The Hague, Netherlands where she was a member of the AWC and served on the Board as Treasurer. In 2016 Kathy performed the financial reviews of the 18 FAWCO Target Project applicants. She went on to serve as FAWCO Foundation Treasurer for four years, and now is FAUSA Parliamentarian as well as Assistant Treasurer of the Foundation. Kathy currently divides her time between Ann Arbor MI and Naples FL.
Kathy says, “I feel very comfortably qualified to take on the role of Treasurer for FAWCO. My education, professional background, and volunteer experiences have all been accounting and finance focused, including Treasurer roles in a FAWCO Club and The FAWCO Foundation. I look forward to expanding my experience within the world of FAWCO and adding a new chapter to my FAWCO story. First and foremost, I am committed to maintaining the financial sustainability of FAWCO. In addition, I look forward to being a part of the leadership team and participating in the guidance and direction of our organization.”
Secretary
The Secretary takes minutes at all meetings, keeps the registry of Board members, and organizes all meetings of the Board.
Sheila Doucet, AAWE Paris
Sheila grew up in Alameda in the Bay Area of California. She earned a BA in International Relations from Stanford University, and then received an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In her life abroad, Sheila has lived in India, France and Germany, and she has been a member of AAWE Paris for many years. Sheila served on the Target Project 5 Selection Committee and has been Co-Chair of the FAWCO Environment Team since 2022. In addition, she was a Board member of ScholarMatch, where she founded and chaired the Governance and Nominations Committees.
Sheila notes, “It has been an honor to be associated with FAWCO’s delegations to COP27 (Egypt), COP28 (Dubai) and COP29 (Azerbaijan). This is only one example of the wealth of opportunities FAWCO provides its members. It should be noted that each and every one of these possibilities — support of US citizen issues, awareness of global issues, participation in UN-related forums such as CSW and COP, financial support for the Target Projects, personal development through the development and education grants — is due to the vision and foresight of earlier leaders because our current successes are built upon the shoulders of those who came before. It is with this perspective that I approach these responsibilities: solidifying the current structure while preparing the path for future endeavors.”
Parliamentarian
The Parliamentarian is an appointed, non-voting position on the Board. She advises the Board, maintains the Administrative Guidelines and Bylaws, and can be consulted during conferences and meetings on administrative procedures.
Tricia R Saur, AIWC Cologne (Appointed)
Tricia grew up on the east end of Long Island, NY and moved to Baltimore, MD, to study at Loyola College (now University) where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. She went on to earn a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. She began her social work career in child welfare, then moved into the medical field of renal transplant and later dialysis. Outside of work, Tricia could be found on the dance floor and kept busy by bringing Cajun and Zydeco music to the mid-Atlantic region. She met Joachim in 2004. A year later, they boarded a plane together for Cologne, Germany, where they live today with their two teenage children.
Tricia has been active in her local club, AIWC Cologne, serving as president, VP, FAWCO Rep, and parliamentarian over the past 18 years. Her major contributions include facilitating the name change to include ‘international’ in 2009 and the adoption of a new club constitution in 2024.
Tricia attended her first FAWCO conference in 2009 in Vilnius, Lithuania, as club president. She has held several positions within FAWCO, beginning in 2013 as a committee member reviewing the first Target Program. Over the years, she has had extensive involvement with the Target Program culminating as Target Program Chair for Education (2016-2019). In addition, Tricia chaired the R&R Committee for the 2015-2017 R&Rs; served on the FAWCO board from 2019-2021 as Parliamentarian; and was awarded FAWO's Caroline Curtis Brown Award in 2021.