International Young Leaders Conference

Speakers

• Dr. José de Arimatéia da Cruz Research Professor, US Army War College
  

  Dr. José de Arimatéia da Cruz

  Research Professor, US Army War College

  Dr. José de Arimatéia da Cruz is currently a Research Professor at the Center for Strategic Leadership, Homeland Defense and Security Studies and Senior Environmental Security Fellow, Strategic Landpower Futures Group at the US Army War College.

  Dr. da Cruz is the former President of the Savannah Council on World Affairs and is on the Board of Directors of the World Affairs Council of America. Dr. da Cruz is also a CISCO Certified CyberOps Officer, Certified INFOSEC Cybersecurity Administrator, Certified HIPAA Compliance Officer, a certified US Department of Homeland Security Military Resources in Emergency Management, Computer Security Incident Handler, and a Certified Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Cyber Intelligence.

• Dr. Mehdi Noorbaksh Professor at Harrisburg University, WACH Vice President
  

  Dr. Mehdi Noorbaksh

  Professor at Harrisburg University, WACH Vice President

  Expert on the Middle East, Iran, and International Affairs

• Dr. Najiba Benabess Dean of the School of Business at Elizabethtown College
  

  Dr. Najiba Benabess

  Dean of the School of Business at Elizabethtown College

  Dr. Najiba Benabess currently serves as the Dean of the School of Business at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, PA. Dr. Benabess holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a master’s degree in economics from Western Illinois University.

• Hagir Elsheikh Author, Business Executive – My escape from Sudan
  

  Hagir Elsheikh

  Author, Business Executive – My escape from Sudan

  Hagir Elsheikh is an entrepreneur, an electrical engineer, a registered nurse and the owner/CEO of HSE Staffing Agency and Tomorrow’s Smile INC. She is best known for her Human Rights, Women’s Rights activism, domestic violence, and immigration advocacy. Some of her accomplishment: *Founder/CEO – HSE Staffing, LLC.

• John C. Dernbach Emeritus Professor of Law Founding Director, Environmental Law and Sustainability Center
  

  John C. Dernbach

  Emeritus Professor of Law Founding Director, Environmental Law and Sustainability Center

  John Dernbach is a nationally and internationally recognized authority on sustainable development, climate change, and environmental law. Emeritus Professor of Law at Widener University and Founding Director, Environmental Law and Sustainability Center.

  Professor Dernbach writes and lectures widely on climate change, sustainable development, and environmental law. He has written more than 60 articles for law reviews and peer-reviewed journals, and has authored, coauthored, or contributed chapters to more than 30 books. Professor Dernbach significantly impacted environmental law through his contributions to three key judicial decisions. His advocacy helped the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reinvigorate the Environmental Rights Amendment in two landmark cases, recognizing citizens’ rights to a clean environment. He also co-authored an amicus brief in Massachusetts v. EPA, leading to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that established the foundation for federal regulation of greenhouse gases.

• Kathy Anderson-Martin Executive Director, Midwest Food Bank Pennsylvania
  

  Kathy Anderson-Martin

  Executive Director, Midwest Food Bank Pennsylvania

  After graduating from Penn State University with a degree in Marketing, the majority of Kathy’s career experience was in sales and national account management. In August 2000, Kathy’s life and career plans abruptly changed direction. Within a 10-day time period, Kathy was diagnosed with a previously undetected congenital heart defect which would require open heart surgery; she and her husband adopted their daughter, Elizabeth; and then baby Elizabeth was diagnosed with the same heart condition as Kathy – all within ten days.

  These major life changes led to Kathy’s renewed perspectives on life, priorities and to her second career within the non-profit community. Prior to joining Midwest Food Bank Pennsylvania, Kathy served as Director of Resource Development, The Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region.
  With 10 divisions across the country, Midwest Food Bank is the largest faith based independent food bank in the US, distributing almost $500 million of food each year. At Midwest Food Bank Pennsylvania, Kathy and her team are working to rescue and distribute resources for 200 nonprofit partners, assisting 332,000 people in need throughout PA, NY and NJ.

• Linda Beck Co-founder of Ambassadors Program, Braver Angels
  

  Linda Beck

  Co-founder of Ambassadors Program, Braver Angels

  Linda Brain Beck has a varied career history that allows her to easily move between the academic and corporate worlds. Linda holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications from Millersville University and a master’s degree in Psychoeducational Processes from Temple University.
  After a successful career in the corporate training world, she has served as an adjunct faculty member at several central Pennsylvania colleges. She specializes in communications classes, including public speaking, business writing and small group communication at the associates, bachelor’s, and master’s levels. Linda has won several awards for her excellence in teaching.
  In addition to teaching, Linda consults with area businesses on leadership and communication skills training. She is also a certified Dale Carnegie instructor.
  Linda’s current interests lie in social media fact-checking, civility, and depolarization. As a result, she has spoken on that topic at numerous conferences as well as TEDx Harrisburg. She volunteers with Braver Angels, an organization dedicated to depolarization. In that capacity, co-founded the Ambassadors Program and has contributed her expertise to various national projects.

• Mary Speck Senior Expert, Latin America Program - US Institute of Peace
  

  Mary Speck

  Senior Expert, Latin America Program - US Institute of Peace

  Dr. Mary Speck joined USIP after serving as executive director of the Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission, an independent, bipartisan entity created by Congress to evaluate counternarcotics policies in the Americas and provide practical recommendations on how to both reduce the availability of illicit drugs and minimize the damage associated with drug trafficking. She was a senior associate (non-resident) with the Center for Strategic and International Studies and directed the International Crisis Group’s Mexico and Central America Project, conducting research into organized crime, corruption and security sector reform.

  Before joining Crisis Group, she worked as a journalist covering the Andean region as a correspondent for the Miami Herald and reporting freelance from Central and South America. Her commentaries have been published by The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Miami Herald, among others. Dr. Speck holds a doctorate in history from Stanford University and a bachelor’s from Bryn Mawr College.

  Her research interests include police and justice sector reform, violence prevention, organized crime and corruption.

• Sally Taha Community Relations Sr. Specialist, Church World Services
  

  Sally Taha

  Community Relations Sr. Specialist, Church World Services

  Sally Taha serves as the Community Engagement Supervisor at Church World Service (CWS) Harrisburg and as the Economic Empowerment Coach for the Pennsylvania Immigrants and Refugees Women’s Network (PAIRWN). In these roles, Sally has dedicated herself to fostering a welcoming and supportive environment for new arrivals and immigrant communities.

  Prior to her current positions, Sally was a life coach at PAIRWN, where she assisted women from immigrant backgrounds in settling into their new lives in the United States. Her work has always been centered around building bridges between new arrivals and the broader community, raising awareness about the challenges refugees face, and advocating for their needs.

• Sanjay Paul, PhD Professor, Elizabethtown College
  

  Sanjay Paul, PhD

  Professor, Elizabethtown College

  Dr. Paul joined Elizabethtown College in 2002. He teaches courses in mathematical economics, data visualization, international economics and a first-year seminar on globalization. He has developed an International Organizations Seminar in which he leads a study tour to Switzerland and Germany, which involves collaboration with Konstanz University in Germany. In the past he has led study tours to Brussels, Dhaka, and the United Nations, New York.
  His research interests include globalization, economic development and trade policy. Dr. Paul has written on economic issues for the Patriot News.
  He has a Ph.D. in economics from the State University of New York, Buffalo, and Bachelor’s of Technology in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

• Sarah Neibler Professor, Dickinson College
  

  Sarah Neibler

  Professor, Dickinson College

  Professor Niebler’s research and teaching interests are in the area of American politics, specifically campaigns and elections, political behavior, and public opinion. She teaches courses on those topics as well as Mass Media and American Politics, Polarization and American Politics, and Research Methods. Her scholarly work has been published in the American Journal of Political Science, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Political Communication, the Journal of Public Economics, the Journal of Elections, Public Opinion & Parties, American Politics Research, and the Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy. Additionally, her research and analysis has been featured on NPR’s “Hidden Brain”, and in The Hill and Roll Call, among others. Currently, Professor Niebler is working on a project examining the nationalization of American political campaigns, asking how much coordination and incidental compatibility is taking place between campaigns at the presidential, congressional, and state legislative levels in 2020.

• Sheryl Meck Supervisor for the Civil Rights Outreach Coordinators Division within the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
  

  Sheryl Meck

  Supervisor for the Civil Rights Outreach Coordinators Division within the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission

  Sheryl Meck serves as Supervisor for the Civil Rights Outreach Coordinators Division within the
  Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Prior to this role, Sheryl served a combined 10 years in the Adult Probation and Parole field. Sheryl is a founder and co-chair of Diversity Respect Inclusivity Vales Equity (D.R.I.V.E.) Committee of the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas. This committee was created as a result of heightened racial tension in the year of 2020. This committee is dedicated to community outreach, internal training, and continued efforts toward fostering a positive relationship between entities of the Court system and the people within the community.