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.
Emily van Eerten, AWC The Hague
Emily graduated from Rice University with a degree in Philosophy and then went on to earn a law degree from the University of Tulsa, her home town. She practiced law before marrying a Dutch naval officer and beginning life abroad. A member of four FAWCO Clubs and FAUSA since 1995, Emily has attended numerous Annual Meetings and Regionals over the years. Emily has served as FAWCO 1st VP, President 2005-2007 and Parliamentarian, as well as Chair of the Membership, Nominating, Resolutions and Recommendations Committees, Counselors’ Coordinator, Region 4 Coordinator, FAWCO Rep, and Web Woman. Currently serving a second, non-consecutive, term as FAWCO President, this is her third term as President.
“I believe in this organization as an idea and as an ongoing concern. If it did not exist, we would need to invent it. FAWCO is entering a new era. The repercussions of the pandemic of 2020 will have long term effects on our Member Clubs and on FAWCO itself. Our organization has been virtually virtual since its inception, but with travel and gathering restrictions we have re-dedicated ourselves to exploring ways to reach out to our community online in many new and innovative ways. As we move forward we are also mindful of our duty to rededicate our organization as one which embraces diversity and inclusion as an essential part of our ethos. We are stronger together.”
First Vice President
The 1st VP is responsible for communications - the FAWCO website, FAWCO publications, social media, advertising and sponsorship, and public relations.
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. This is her second term.
“I have enjoyed the challenge of the 1st VP position these past two years and feel there is more I can learn and give back to FAWCO. I am proud to be able to represent the organization and its members. I really connect with the FAWCO Mission on all levels. This is even more true today, as I have seen firsthand the committed and passionate women and men that make up FAWCO. I have genuinely enjoyed working with and learning from FAWCO members and volunteers from all over the world. It has been a challenging tenure to say the least, but I am excited to keep going and to try and help FAWCO be the best it can be. I wish to help FAWCO continue to fulfill its mission over the next few years.”
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.
Kanika Holloway, AWC Antwerp
Kanika, who was born and raised in the East Bay area of Northern California, holds a BA in Political Science from UCLA and an MBA in Luxury Brand Management from ESSEC. Her professional background includes experience in banking, operations management, project management and real estate management. Kanika has served as both President and Treasurer of AWC Antwerp, and currently serves as FAWCO Club Presidents’ Coordinator. She also is a member of the FAWCO Diversity & Inclusion Task Force.
“Through the friendship and respect that I have for the dynamic [current 2nd VP] and her predecessor, I have great faith in their legacy, capabilities and strength and so it gives me insight that I can do it too.
Over the past year, I have worked in tandem with the 2nd VP to create an ongoing training series for Reps, RCs and Presidents in the leadership mindset and working together as “co-pilots”.
The world is in a time of transition and evolution, and being part of an organization such as FAWCO can make great change and influence. I am proud of the commitment that FAWCO has set forth as an example to Diversity & Inclusion, and making actionable solutions. There are many layers to that which include not only women of color, but younger people as well. During my term on the board I would like to see more cross-region activities between clubs and encouraging Clubs to share what they do. We have seen this happen during COVID and it has proved a lot of success.”
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 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 Team, and this is her second term.
“It has been a true joy to work with the Global Issues Teams for the past two years. They are some of the wisest, most passionate and most committed women I know. Despite the enormous challenges brought on by the pandemic, we have even been able to come up with new ways to connect with one another, share information and raise awareness of issues that affect women and girls around the world. And even though we can’t meet in person, our virtual global organization has been a great support system for our members – in some ways I feel we have become closer than ever. In fact, through the pandemic, the whole world has become closer together than ever, and the critical issues that affect us all – in environment, education, health and human rights – are all the more tangible. I hope and sincerely believe that FAWCO can continue to build on the strength, knowledge and compassion we have gained during this challenging time and continue to be a force for positive change in the world. I’m looking forward to it.”
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.
Cathy Farnan, AWG Paris
Cathy is a native of Annapolis MD, where she grew up as an avid sailor. She earned a BS in Accounting from the College of William and Mary, and has been a Certified Public Accountant. Cathy has worked professionally as a Comptroller and Senior Auditor. After moving several times around the US and living in Japan, Cathy has been in Paris since 2016 and is a member of AWG Paris, where she has served as VP Finance/Treasurer, VP Activities and currently as President. She served on the most recent FAWCO Target Project Selection Committee, analyzing the financials of project proposals.
“FAWCO plays a critical role in empowering women around the world. I look forward to using my skills to advocate for the improvement in the lives of women and children. As a member of the 2020 Target Project selection committee, I enjoyed working with FAWCO women from many different Clubs all focused on contributing towards a shared goal. Positive change comes from people who come together with energy and inspiring ideas. FAWCO is an amazing vehicle for many women living overseas to become involved.
As 2020 comes to an end, I recognize that we have been blessed with many opportunities and support. Through my involvement with the FAWCO Board I can share those blessings with others and make an impact throughout the world to face the new challenges of 2021.”
Secretary
The Secretary takes minutes at all meetings, keeps the registry of Board members, and organizes all meetings of the Board.
Shweta Gupta, AWC Berlin
Shweta, originally from Pittsburgh PA, holds a BA in Political Science from The George Washington University and a JD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Her professional experience has been primarily in employment law, augmented by a clerkship for a judge for the US District Court for the Western District of PA. Since moving to Berlin, Shweta has been an active member of AWC Berlin: she has served as the Club’s Parliamentarian, and is a two-term Club President.
“As a member of AWC Berlin, I have become increasingly interested in the work in which FAWCO is engaged. I believe in the mission of FAWCO and am inspired by those who work towards fulfilling it. This, in part, is the reason I volunteered to be on the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force. I am now interested in serving on the Board as Secretary to be an active participant, learn more, and do my small part in helping FAWCO fulfill its mission.
In my view, one key future objective is to continue to work on increasing the diversity and inclusiveness of the organization and provide tools to Member Clubs to do the same. Related to this, I also think that FAWCO should continue to focus on actively engaging Member Clubs and their individual members, so that more individuals are inspired to become involved with FAWCO.”
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.
Patti Meek, AWC Dublin (Appointed)
Patti is a member of the American Women’s Club of Dublin and was introduced to FAWCO when she co-chaired the 2012 FAWCO Conference Committee. Patti served as Secretary to the FAWCO Board from 2013-15, was elected as President of The FAWCO Foundation in 2015, and was appointed as Parliamentarian for TFF’s 2017-19 Board. She continues to be actively involved with The Foundation’s Archive Team. A native of California and a graduate of UC Davis, Patti has lived in Dublin with her Irish husband and two sons since 1997.