Board of Trustees

Arturo Valenzuela is Professor Emeritus of Government and International Affairs at Georgetown University. He taught political science at Duke University from 1970 until 1987. After retiring from Georgetown in 2014, he became Senior Advisor for Latin America at Covington & Burling, a global law firm headquartered in Washington, D.C., a post he left in March 2020. Dr. Valenzuela is an authority on the origins, consolidation and breakdown of democracy, Latin American politics, and U.S. Latin American relations. President Barack Obama named him Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, a position he held until August 2011, when he returned to Georgetown. During President William Clinton’s second term in office, he served at the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council. In President Clinton’s first term, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State responsible for U.S.-Mexican relations. A member of the American Academy of Diplomacy and the Council of Foreign Relations, he serves on several international non-profit boards, while conducting research on constitutional and political reform in the United States and Latin America. He completed his M.A. and Ph.D. in Public Law and Government at Columbia University and is the recipient of a Doctorate in Humane Letters Honoris Causa from Drew University, where he obtained his B.A. degree.

Peter M. Siavelis is Professor in the Department of Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest University and Director of Chile Study Abroad Programs. He received his PhD from Georgetown University. He has researched and published widely on many aspects of Latin American and Chilean politics including electoral systems, candidate selection, gender quotas, presidencies and informal institutions. He has been a Fulbright Scholar and has held visiting positions at the Catholic University of Chile, University of Concepción, University of Salamanca, and Pampeu Fabra University. He is also on the international advisory board of Centre for Social Conflict and Cohesion Studies (COES–Chile) and the Observatorio Nueva Constitución.

Sylvia Heumann Paz, President of the Board of Trustees, graduated from Santiago College in 1973. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mathematics Education from the Universidad Católica de Chile and Harvard University respectively. Upon completing her Master’s degree, Sylvia worked at Santiago College as a High School Mathematics teacher and at the Universidad Católica de Chile as a Higher Education Professor. After immigrating to the United States and raising two daughters, she returned to school to obtain a Master’s in Biostatistics and Epidemiology, and then a PhD in Public Health from UCLA. She has managed multiple National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded multi-million-dollar grants and has been awarded several NIH grants to study health and access to care of under-served minority populations. In particular, her research focuses on measurement of health disparities among subgroups of the U.S. population. In addition to her research, Sylvia serves on the Boards of Planned Parenthood and Families Forward Learning Center, organizations focused on providing disadvantaged populations with access to healthcare and education. For Families Forward Learning Center, Sylvia has chaired the Nominating and Governance committee, the Programs committee, and has served as Vice president and President of the board. She also spearheads a longitudinal study focused on measuring the organization’s long-term efficacy. Sylvia has been a member of the Santiago College Board of Trustees for nine years and has served as President of the board for the past four years. In her spare time, Sylvia enjoys spending time with her family, which includes two granddaughters, Clementine and Zettie.

Además de dedicarse a la investigación, Sylvia es miembro de los directorios de Planned Parenthood y de Families Forward Learning Center, organizaciones enfocadas en proporcionar acceso a la salud y educación a poblaciones marginadas. En Families Forward Learning Center ha liderado el comité de Nominaciones y Gobernanza, el comité de Programas y ha sido vicepresidenta y presidenta del directorio. También encabeza un estudio longitudinal enfocado en medir la eficacia a largo plazo de la organización.

Sylvia es miembro del Board of Trustees de Santiago College hace nueve años y durante los últimos cuatro ha sido su Presidenta. En su tiempo libre disfruta pasando tiempo con su familia, que incluye a sus dos nietas, Clementine y Zettie.

Anne Mathews-Younes is the Deputy Director of the Federal Center for Mental Health Services and has worked in State and Federal mental health agencies for decades in programs designed to prevent school violence and suicide, promote mental health and prevent mental and behavioral disorders. She is also the President of the E. Stanley Jones Foundation.

She received her doctorate in Counseling and Consulting Psychology from Harvard University and Masters’ and Doctoral Degrees in Theological Studies from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. She has been involved with the Board of Trustees of Santiago College since 1992, most recently serving as Secretary.

Former student of Santiago College Class of 1978 (although she didn´t graduate from SC), she lives in New York with her husband and two daughters. She is Managing Director and Associate General Counsel in the Privacy and Cyber Security area at TIAA, a nonprofit financial institution and the main pension administrator for the education area in the United States.

Previously she practiced commercial law in the law firm of Dorsey & Whitney and in the compliance area of Merrill Lynch. Rosario holds a BA in Theology from Georgetown University, a Master in Theology from the University of Chicago and Juris Doctor (JD) from Columbia University. Her affection for Santiago College comes not only from her own experience during the years she was part of SC and the close friendship with her Class members, but also from her mother´s, Eulalia Donoso, Alumni Class of 1946.

Mabel Correa Reynolds, Santiago College Class of 1965, recipient of The Finer Womanhood Award. Journalism Degree, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile 1970; Master of Science degree in Written Journalism, Boston University, 1971. Reporter and editor at Ercilla and Hoy magazines, 1973-1980. Lives in the USA since 1980. Press Attaché at the Embassy of Chile in Washington DC during the government of President Aylwin (1990-1994). Presently resides in Davis, California. Member of SC´s Board of Trustees for almost 40 years.

Joe Eldridge served as University Chaplain at American University (AU) for almost 20 years until his retirement in 2017 and continues as an adjunct lecturer in the School of International Service (SIS). While at AU, he created the Alternative Break program in Campus Life and helped to establish the Social Enterprise MA in SIS. Before joining the American University staff, he served as the founding director of the Washington office of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (now Human Rights First). During the mid-1980s, he worked for three years in Honduras consulting on human rights and development issues. In 1974, Eldridge cofounded the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), an organization dedicated to promoting human rights and social justice in the Americas and served as its director for 12 years. Prior to that, he lived for three years in Chile working for an agency of the United Methodist Church doing community development in a marginalized barrio in Santiago. Eldridge has a MA in International Relations from American University, a MDiv from Perkins School of Theology at SMU, and a DMin from Wesley Theological Seminary. He serves on several boards including the United States Institute for Peace, the Arca Foundation, the Center for International Policy and the International Labor Rights Forum. Eldridge is married to Maria Otero and they have three children and a granddaughter.

Katherine Hite joined the Vassar faculty in 1997. She received her BA from Duke University and her masters in International Affairs and PhD in political science from Columbia University. Prior to her arrival at Vassar, she served as the associate director of the Institute of Latin American and Iberian Studies of Columbia, where she also taught courses in Latin American studies and comparative politics. From 2008-12, Hite directed Vassar’s Latin American and Latino/a Studies program.

Dr. Hite’s recent work focuses on the politics of memory, as well as issues in higher education, access and equity. Her research has been supported by the Fulbright Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, and the Ford Foundation.

Dr. Hite’s teaching interests include Latin American politics, social movements, and the legacies of violence for governments and societies in transition around the globe.

Diego Ibarra, Board Treasurer is a Managing Director at the strategy and sustainability consulting firm ENGIE Impact, part of the global energy company ENGIE. Diego has over 16 years of experience in a wide range of strategic and operational issues across multiple industries in the U.S. and Latin America. He has been a speaker in multiple world-renowned conferences and has contributed to the boards and technical committees of several for-profit and non-profit organizations driving sustainability in the built environment. His past positions include Founding Partner at EA Group, Management Consultant at BCG San Francisco and Board Member of IBPSA USA- Boston, IBPSA Chile and Chile GBC. Additionally, he has been recognized by the United States Green Building Council as a LEED Fellow for over 10 years of exceptional contributions to advancing sustainability in the built environment. Diego holds Doctoral and Master’s degrees from Harvard University, is a Fulbright Alumni and Santiago College Alumni, class of 1997.

David W. Valenzuela, former President and CEO of the Inter-American Foundation, Washington, D.C. with a 20-year tenure with the organization. He was Chief of Party for Chemonics International, Inc. over a nine-year period directing major U.S. Government funded economic development projects in Peru and Colombia; and served 10 years with the U.S. Peace Corps as Country Director for El Salvador and Chile. Previously, he was Andean Regional Representative for Church World Service based in Lima, Peru and Program Officer for Latin America for the International Secretariat for Volunteer Service, based in Geneva, Switzerland. He served in 2008 as President Obama’s Transition Team co-leader for the Peace Corps. He has been a member of the Santiago College Board of Trustees since 1996, and past President for two periods. He did his undergraduate and graduate studies at American University in Washington, D.C.

Rev. Dr. Javier A. Viera is President of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, a storied Methodist institution, founded in 1853, with a history of innovation, as well as a commitment to working for social justice. Prior to his appointment to Garrett, Dr. Viera served as Vice Provost of Drew University and Dean of the Drew University Theological School, and for two decades in congregational ministry, leading rural, suburban, and urban congregations, including in Christ Church in New York City, where he served as Executive Minister. He is an ordained elder in the New York Conference of the United Methodist Church. In addition to serving as President of Garrett, Dr. Viera serves on the faculty as Professor of Education and Leadership. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida Southern College, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, a Master of Sacred Theology from Yale University, and a Doctor of Education from Columbia University. He is also completing a Doctor of Philosophy dissertation in Latin American Studies/History from the Universidad Inter-Americana of Puerto Rico. Dr. Viera serves on several boards of directors of Latin educational, cultural and advocacy organizations. He is committed to social justice and has been a strong advocate for the poor, having co-founded two not-for profit organizations that focus on economic empowerment and opportunities for communities of color. Dr. Viera and his wife Laine Rolong have three children, Anabel, Juliet, and Sebastian.

Nora Younes-Ireland has an M.A. degree in Public Communication from American University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Clifford College. She is currently a Senior Public Relations Analyst for Pearson-Online Blended Learning. Previously, she worked as a freelance Social Media and Public Relations Specialist, Senior Integration Manager for Crosby Marketing Communications, and as a Public Relations Specialist for the American Podiatric Medical Association and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Maria Elena Weissman, Alumni of Santiago College, spouse of United States Foreign Service Officer, active in local volunteer activities in Washington DC, including the Smithsonian Institution. Member of the Board of Trustees for over three decades.