Reves Global Engagement Board Members

Ike Adams '01 (Washington, DC)

Ike Adams is a Partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Sidley Austin LLP.  He represents clients in investigations and enforcement actions by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), state attorneys general, and other law enforcement and regulatory authorities. He helps clients navigate sensitive and complex criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement matters, often involving multiple agencies, and the legal, political, and reputational risks they present. His clients have included public companies and their boards and audit committees, financial institutions, large private companies, and accounting firms. Ike joined Sidley following a clerkship with Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.  He holds a Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and History from William & Mary. 

Kem Alily ’11 (New York, NY)

Kem Alily (he/him) is the Senior Technical Product Manager for Services at PBS KIDS. Kem’s work focuses on managing the core backend infrastructures that act as the key pillar for front-facing PBS KIDS products, including the Games and Video App and the website. He has over a decade of experience in the technology space with stints at Google, Elastic, and Amazon. He grew up in London, Lagos, and the DC Suburbs. Kem holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from William & Mary. 
 
Kem currently resides in New York City with his spouse. He enjoys outdoor activities whether that be hiking, cycling, playing football (soccer), or gardening. He is also an avid reader, who enjoys the works of June Jordan, Yaa Gyasi, Akwaeke Emezi, Stuart Hall, Junjo Ito, and others. 

Julianna Valeska Benedick ’87 (Palm Coast, FL)

Julianna Valeska Benedick is an accomplished global marketing executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience in B2B marketing, communications, public relations, and business management. Most recently, she served as Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Panasonic Corporation of North America. Her career spans privately held startups to Fortune 100 corporations, with a proven track record of driving strategic growth and brand leadership across international markets.

Born in Paris, France, and spending her young childhood years in Germany, Julianna’s early exposure to global cultures and languages laid the foundation for her international career. After graduating from William & Mary, Julianna lived in Europe, working for industrial machinery manufacturers and honing her languages (German, French, Italian). While at Panasonic, she lived briefly in Japan, and led business initiatives throughout Latin America and Asia-Pacific. She was selected three times from a worldwide talent pool to participate in overseas global leadership development programs.

Julianna holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a minor in German from William & Mary, where she also studied abroad in Münster, Germany. She earned her Master’s degree in International Management with a concentration in Marketing from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. She further advanced her executive expertise through leadership programs at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at Michigan State University.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Julianna is deeply committed to community service. She has volunteered with organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago and Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York. She currently serves as Vice President of Flagler Humane Society in Florida, where she founded and leads the Communications & PR Committee. Additionally, she has served for nearly a decade as a Lead Class Ambassador and Greek Ambassador (Chi Omega) for her alma mater.

Susan Corke '97 (Washington, DC)

Susan Corke is a senior international affairs leader, democracy advocate, and former State Department official with a proven record over two decades in policymaking, program management, and diplomacy. Currently, she is the Executive Director of Democracy Defenders Fund and Democracy Defenders Action.  In the past 20+ years she has served in senior pro-democracy leadership roles at the Southern Poverty Law Center, German Marshall Fund of the U.S., Freedom House, Human Rights First and the U.S. Department of State. She has testified and spoken at major international and political forums, including testifying on Capitol Hill several times on human rights and democracy issues, at the United Nations, European Union and other official conferences. She has been a regular commentator in American and European broadcast, print, radio and digital media, a lecturer at leading universities, a co-author of The Democracy Playbook and a Webby-nominated podcaster, writer and an editor for numerous research and policy reports that drove democratic progress.

Susan has an M.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and a B.A. from William & Mary (1997). Her daughter, Ava, is an aspiring William & Mary class of 2037 student and her spouse, Khalil Abdul-Malik, was also a former William & Mary student and wrestler. 

John S. Dennis '78 (Switzerland)

John Dennis is the Founder and CEO of My-Vitality, a start-up company developing algorithms for wearables in sports and wellness. He has been involved in early stage companies since 1999 including as a coach for InnoSuisse, a Fund dedicated to Swiss start-ups. Prior to his start-up and merger and acquisition activities, John held CFO and Group Treasury positions for Landis & Gyr Communications, Geneva, Elf Trading, Geneva and DEMINEX GmbH, Oslo. He also worked nine years for J.P. Morgan Bank in New York and Oslo. He has a master’s Degree from Georgetown University Foreign Service School and bachelor’s Degree from William & Mary. His youngest son is currently at William & Mary.

Scott R. Ebner '96, Chair Emeritus (Boston, MA)

Scott Ebner is a Senior Managing Director of State Street Global Advisors and the Head of Product in the Global Institutional Group. Scott and his team are responsible for developing, launching, and continuously improving SSGA's product ranges across geographic markets, asset classes, and product types. Scott previously ran the Global Product Development & Research group within a centralized SSGA Global Product and Marketing team. He joined SSGA in 2010 as the Global Head of ETF Product Development responsible for our SPDR ETF products worldwide. Prior to joining SSGA, Scott was Senior Vice President and Global Head of Exchange Traded Products at NYSE Euronext, where he was previously in charge of the European ETP business for NYSE Euronext. While working in global leadership roles, Scott has completed long-term expatriate assignments in Paris and London and led international teams. Scott was also Senior Vice President of the ETF Marketplace at the American Stock Exchange. During his ten years at the American Stock Exchange, he also held leadership roles in new product development and index services. Scott has a BA with a dual concentration in economics and international relations from William & Mary.

Denzel Hankinson '94 (Leverett, MA)

Denzel Hankinson is the founder and CEO of DHInfrastructure, a consulting firm focused on improving the availability, quality, reliability and affordability of infrastructure services in developed and emerging markets. Since 2007, the firm has provided infrastructure investors, policymakers and regulators with analysis and advice, rooted in principles of economics and finance. Denzel has directed more than 150 projects in more than 90 countries. While at William & Mary, Denzel was the second Editor-in-Chief of the Monitor (journal of international studies), and studied abroad in Argentina during his Junior year. He has a B.A in International Relations from William & Mary, and an MA in International Economics from Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Bennett Hawley '23 (Washington, DC)

Bennett Hawley graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the International Honors Joint Degree Programme between the University of St Andrews and William & Mary, where he studied international relations and environmental science policy with a focus on Eurasia. His experience spans federal and local government, public-sector consulting, non-profits, and academia. Currently a consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton, Bennett drives innovation across the U.S. federal government. Dedicated to advancing international education, he supports the Reves Center’s mission of building connections between Williamsburg and the world.

Jen Volpe Herink '95, Vice Chair (Bellevue, WA)

Jen Volpe Herink is a Senior Manager at Microsoft and previously spent 13 years living and working in Asia. At the Australian embassy in Myanmar, she led programs to support the country’s democratic reform process. This included initiatives to defend human rights, strengthen the rule of law, develop responsible business practices, and prepare for inclusive elections.

Jen began her career as a management consultant in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ public sector practice and has implemented economic development initiatives for USAID, the World Bank, and international non-profit organizations in Vietnam and Cambodia. She is a Security Fellow at the Truman National Security Project.

Jen grew up in Indiana and the Washington, DC suburbs, and she has spent most of her adult life living in Asia (Japan, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos). She is always excited to travel to new places and is passionate about traditional handicrafts. Jen and her family call the Seattle area home and enjoy exploring the trails of the Pacific Northwest through cycling, running, hiking, and swimming.

Nancy Hill '89 (Yorktown, VA)

Nancy Hill, an employee of Huntington Ingalls - Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) since 1997, Nancy works in the Office of the Chief Engineer in charge of Technical Training, Critical Skills for Engineering and Design, and Special Projects for Aircraft Carrier and Submarine areas.  Her most recent assignment involves the strategy and execution of a training program for the newest class of submarine, SSNX.  Additionally, Nancy has worked with the Australian Naval Shipbuilding College on Engineering and Design classes for their workforce and has provided guidance for SSNA, the collaboration between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States on submarine work.  She has also served in Submarine Electrical Engineering, Planning and Production Control for New Carrier Construction, and Engineering and Design for Aircraft Carrier Engineering. 

Nancy has taught for the Apprentice School and in the Leadership Night School Program at NNS as well as for Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) from 2001 to 2016.  Nominated by TNCC, Nancy was awarded the state of Virginia Chancellor’s Award for Workforce Development in 2011. 

Nancy has served on several local volunteer boards including the Boys and Girls Club of the Virginia Peninsula and BayPort Credit Union, where she has served on the Executive, Budget and Salary, Governmental Affairs, Marketing, and Technology committees.  She has also served on the boards of the Living Interfaith Network (LINK) and Women in Shipbuilding Enterprise (WISE).  Nancy is a lifetime member of the Fulbright Association of the United States, assisting undergraduate and graduate students to study internationally. 

While at William & Mary, Nancy double majored in International Relations and English.  She earned a MA in International Studies and undertook pre-doctoral work before being granted a Fulbright scholarship.  A native of Virginia, Nancy lives in Yorktown, Virginia, and frequently participates in a variety of W&M events.

Valerie Hopkins '09 (Moscow, Russia)

Valerie Hopkins is the New York Times Moscow Correspondent. From her base in Russia, she covers the countries of the former Soviet Union. She arrived in Russia in 2021 after more than ten years covering the Balkans and Central Europe, most recently for the Financial Times. Valerie is a proud member of W&M’s class of 2009, with a degree in International Relations focused on Russian and post-Soviet studies. She served as Student Body President from 2008-2009 and as Vice-President from 2007-2008. Professors at William & Mary cultivated and nurtured Valerie’s life-long interest in Eastern Europe and Russia. Scholarships provided by the Reves Center Scholarship funded her first trip to the region, including an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow after her sophomore year. Participation in a program now known as the American-Bosnian Collaboration was life-changing. After participating in the program in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina in summer 2008, Valerie received a Reves Center grant in 2009 to return to Sarajevo to ensure the project’s continuance and laying the groundwork for her to return and begin working as a journalist. Valerie also has an M.A. in journalism from Columbia University.

Ducie Le '94 (Arlington, VA)

Ducie Le is a banking attorney working in Washington, DC. Most recently, she served as Assistant Director for the Federal Reserve Board, where she oversaw attorneys, economists and analysts on two enforcement teams, as well as on the mergers & acquisitions team. In addition to her seventeen years with the Federal Reserve Board, Ducie served over six years as an Associate General Counsel for Capital One in McLean, VA. She began her legal career with the US Department of Justice as an Honors Attorney.

As a law student, Ducie spent a summer working in the refugee camps in Hong Kong. She was also a summer associate at the Bangkok office of Baker & McKenzie, an international law firm. As an undergraduate, she interned in Paris during one summer, and lived two years at Reves Hall where she formed close friendships with internationally-minded students. 

Ducie graduated from William & Mary with a BBA. She also has a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center. In her spare time, she teaches karate for the YMCA and the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing. 

Matthew Morrison ‘84 (Vienna, Austria)

Matthew Morrison is a development finance specialist with expertise in mobilizing private sector capital for emerging markets.  After a stint on Wall Street, Matt spent the bulk of his career at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group, where he held various leadership roles in investments and mobilization, including 7 years based in Hong Kong where he managed IFC’s loan syndications program for Asia, and 3 years heading IFC’s investor relationships globally.  Matt has also held other roles in impact investing, loan syndications, and structuring transactions to connect private financing with people who need it most.  His most recent role was at Water.org, a non-profit that helps people in emerging markets get affordable financing to help them obtain clean water and sanitation, where Matt held the position of Director for Latin America. 

During his time at William & Mary, Matt participated in the university's first ever study abroad program in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, where roughly 30 W&M students, accompanied by two W&M professors, spent the summer living with families and studying Spanish and Mexican history at the Universidad Veracruzana.  He lived in the Spanish House for three years, serving as the president his senior year.

Matt has a BA in Economics with a minor in Latin American Studies from William & Mary, and an MBA from Cornell University.  He is currently based in Vienna, Austria, where he is engaged as a consultant in the development and impact finance space. 

Sue Snediker Newman '79, P '12 (Falls Church, VA)

Sue Snediker Newman retired in 2023 after a 38-year career in association management, serving 33 years as Chief Staff Officer/CEO.  Her longest role was as Secretary General of the U.S. Chapter of the International Real Estate Federation.  She was recognized on both the international and national levels for her leadership, as well as her successful volunteer engagement, diplomacy, and community building.   

While at William & Mary, she lived in the French House and spent her Junior Year abroad in Montpellier, France.  With a B.A. in French and Education, Sue began her career teaching French for 6 years on the secondary school level.  During that time, Sue established the local chapter of the American Field Service (AFS), an international student exchange organization.  While in high school, Sue spent a summer in Germany on AFS and she continues to volunteer with AFS. In addition, she has volunteered as a leader of a weekly English Conversation Group at the local library since 2015 and has welcomed attendees from more than 60 countries.        

Sue has served on the William & Mary Alumni Association Board, as well as the DC Chapter Board. The 30^th Reunion Class Gift Committee she co-chaired in 1999 achieved what was then an all-time high of 45% class participation.    

She met her husband, Bob ’78, at William & Mary.  Their daughter, Ali ’12, studied abroad in Prague on the William & Mary Summer Program. 

Stafford Nichols MPP & MBA '10, PhD(c) (Porter Ranch, CA)

Stafford Nichols is a Research Director at Beacon Economics, an economic consulting firm in Los Angeles. He leads policy research studies for multinational corporations, state and local governments, and non-profits. He uses empirical analysis to advise client decision-making and provide policy recommendations. 

Prior to joining Beacon Economics, Mr. Nichols was an Associate Principal at Gallup, where he led economic development studies for the United Nations, the World Bank, and other international organizations. He directed research in over 32 countries, including Afghanistan, Nigeria, China, and India – where he lived and conducted field research.

Currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Public Policy at the University of Maastricht, Mr. Nichols holds an M.B.A. and an M.P.P. from William & Mary. Mr. Nichols grew up near Williamsburg, Virginia, and always enjoys an excuse to come back home and see the college.

David Nowland '89 (Richmond, VA)

David Nowland is a marketing communications professional with nearly 30 years’ experience in the industry in countries around the world. Currently Nowland is Marketing Director at La Tienda, the leading US e-commerce business dedicated to authentic and artisanal foods from Spain.  Previously, he was the Global Media Planning & Buying Advisor for ExxonMobil Corporation from 2019-2023, and prior to that he worked at Kimberly-Clark Corporation from 2014-2018 as Head of Media for Latin America and at The Coca-Cola Company from 1999 to 2013, promoted through various advertising and media planning roles around the world culminating in Integrated Marketing Communications Director for the South Latin Business Unit. He served as International Media Manager at McCann-Erickson from 1995 to 1999. Nowland graduated from William & Mary in 1989 with a degree in Economics and Spanish, and he also earned an M.B.A. from IESE Business School – University of Navarra (Barcelona) in 1995. David lives in Richmond, VA with his wife, Cathleen (Cici) and has two grown sons, Henry and Jack. Originally from Wilmington, DE, David also serves on the Board of Trustees of Tower Hill School.

Connie O'Hare '84, P '22, P '24 (Natick, MA)

Connie O’Hare is the owner and Managing Partner of Beacon Advisors, LLC, a Boston-based strategy firm serving top executives and investors across large sectors of the U.S. economy, most recently Fortune 100 firms in healthcare, food and grocery and cable, and also firms in wireless, software and asset management. An influential strategist and management consultant for over 30 years, some of Ms. O’Hare’s work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, MIT Sloan Management Review, The New York Times and Investment News. She was a Managing Director at Mercer Management Consulting, now Oliver Wyman. Ms. O’Hare earned her B.A. with Honors in Philosophy from William & Mary, where she was awarded an academic scholarship to the University of St Andrews and elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her M.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she was selected an Editor of MIT Sloan Management Review and became a long-serving member of the Editorial Board. Ms. O’Hare is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Ireland. She also currently serves as a member of the Board of The Midas Collaborative, an award-winning non-profit focused on closing the wealth gap.

Alexa Poletto '02 (New York, NY)

Alexa Poletto is a Partner in the New York office of Sidley Austin LLP.  She represents individual and corporate clients in connection with internal investigations, regulatory enforcement actions, and prosecutions conducted by various agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Department of Financial Services, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.  Alexa regularly advises senior management and boards of directors regarding sensitive enforcement and investigation-related issues including allegations of financial and ethical misconduct.  Prior to joining Sidley, Alexa served as an attorney adviser for the DOJ through the agency’s Honors Program.  Alexa earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was a notes editor for the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal.  Prior to law school, she received a B.A. in Philosophy and Middle East Studies from William & Mary and was a Fulbright Scholar in Damascus, Syria.  

Ben Pratt '95 (Minato-ku, Japan)

Ben has commercialized and marketed best-in-class medical devices for nearly 25 years and has expertise in strategy development, marketing and operations. His personal mission is creating new businesses in Japan for the betterment of patient care.

Ben co-founded HekaBio K.K., a spin-off from commercial activities started at Vorpal Technologies, K.K., a Tokyo-based clinical research organization. Ben is currently leading the company’s operations for developing cutting edge innovations in oncology, neurology, cardiology, and ophthalmology. He partners with leading Japanese physicians, medical societies, and government agencies to bring the latest in medical technology to Japan’s aging population.

Prior to HekaBio, Ben was General Manager for commercial ventures at Vorpal Technologies since 2014. There he consulted for numerous medical device innovators entering the Japan market as well as started and led Vorpal Women’s Health, a company focused on providing therapies conducive to improved reproductive health for women.

Before Vorpal Technologies K.K., Ben was with Edwards Lifesciences for 13 years where he held various leadership roles encompassing strategic planning, marketing, clinical education, post market clinical evidence development, cross-functional process integration and operations. The breadth of his experience at Edwards includes leading processes for establishing new business operations in Japan, introducing new technologies to existing businesses, and maintaining market leadership for devices with top market share. 

Ben graduated from William & Mary in 1995 with a B.A. in International Relations - East Asian Studies. His undergraduate experience also included a year at International Christian University, Tokyo focusing on Japan Studies. Ben achieved his M.B.A. in 2002 at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, concentrating in Marketing and Entrepreneurship.

Scott Rhodes ’89 (Winston-Salem, NC)

Dr. Scott D. Rhodes is chair of the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Scott earned a BA in Government from William & Mary, an MPH in health administration, and a PhD in Health Behavior. HIs research explores health promotion/disease prevention, disparities, and health equity in the United States, including Puerto Rico, and Guatemala with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ populations. He is an expert in community-based participatory research (CBPR) and multilevel intervention development, implementation, and evaluation. He and his community partners have developed and tested more than 20 interventions to promote sexual health; increase the use of PrEP, HIV testing, STI screening, and cervical cancer screening; enhance engagement in HIV care; support COVID-19 testing and vaccination; reduce smoking; improve access to essential healthcare; and address social determinants of health—including education, social support, discrimination, immigration, and employment—among minoritized populations, including racial/ethnic, sexual, and gender minorities. He also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Huehuetenango, Guatemala (1991-1994).

Susan Rutherford '89, Chair (Delray Beach, FL)

Susan Spagnola Rutherford is a development consultant who has helped educational institutions, human services organizations, international NGOs, and other nonprofit organizations achieve success in fundraising. She is passionate about connecting people to other people, projects and organizations so they can make a difference in the world. Susan spent six years in Latin America, escaping to the jungle of Costa Rica to learn Spanish, exploring South America during a family sabbatical year, and then living a more traditional life in Santiago, Chile. Her two sons attended United World College – one in Changshu, China and the other near Pune, India – for high school. She and her husband have served as a host family through AFS and Up with People. Susan earned a BS in mathematics and economics from William & Mary, an MS in nonprofit management, and another MS in operations research (engineering). She has served on the Board of Directors for the Fund for William & Mary as a Co-Chair/Lead Class Ambassador for multiple reunion giving efforts. A native of the Washington, DC area, Susan lives in South Florida with her husband Doug.

Maya Sapiurka '10 (Arlington, VA)

Maya Sapiurka ’10 is a Scientific and Technical Writer at the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) where she serves as the writer for USP’s Biologics Expert Committees in addition to other editorial work. At William & Mary, Maya was a Monroe Scholar who majored in Neuroscience with a minor in Hispanic Studies, studying abroad and completing research projects in Spain and Peru. After W&M, she received her PhD in Neuroscience from UCSD, where she studied the brain structures involved in spatial and non-spatial working memory in the labs of Drs. Robert E. Clark and Larry Squire. Before joining USP, Maya worked at the Society for Neuroscience, Georgetown University, and Rose Li & Associates.

Jon Stauff '86 (Brookings, SD)

Dr. Jon W. Stauff is an international education professional and a professor of Modern European History.  He has held senior international officer positions at several public and private universities, including South Dakota State University, Monmouth University, The College of New Jersey and Radford University.  He also served as Professor of History and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at St. Ambrose University.   His most recent publication, a collection of essays co-edited with Jill E. Blondin, focuses on the development of intercultural agility in the first-year university student through global learning experiences.

A former Fulbright scholar to Germany, Stauff has been active professionally in such organizations as NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the Association of International Education Administrators as well as the state humanities councils in Iowa and New Jersey. Stauff earned a bachelor’s degree in history from William & Mary, a master’s degree in history and a doctorate in modern European history from the State University of New York at Buffalo.