|
|
CLAI
Staff
Dr. James Ferrer Jr. is
the director and founder of the Center for Latin American Issues (CLAI)
and of the Institute of Brazilian Issues (IBI). Jim has a distinguished
academic career. He received a BA in History from Alliance College in his
home state of Pennsylvania. Dr. Ferrer then went on to receive an MA in
Latin American Studies and a PhD in Latin American History at the University
of California at Berkeley and a MPA in economics from Harvard University.
He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Before creating CLAI, he worked
for the Department of State for 30 years, holding such posts as Deputy
US Ambassador and Acting Ambassador in Brazil; Alternate US Representative
to the United Nations Economic and Social Council; and the Director of
Economic Affairs at the US Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal.
Kevin
Kellbach has been the Administrative
Director at CLAI since 1994. Before that, he was a Portuguese language
instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Kevin develops and
administers CLAI programs and manages the Center’s finances.
He also served for seven years as the Managing Editor of Brazil File,
CLAI’s monthly publication about economic and political developments
in Brazil. Kevin was graduated Phi Beta Kappa with his BA from the
University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he majored in Political Science,
Latin American Studies, and Spanish. He also earned a Master’s
degree in Luso-Brazilian Studies at UW-Madison. During his years of
college, Kevin studied at the Universidade de Coimbra in Portugal and
at the Universidad de Guanajuato in Mexico. He is fluent in Spanish
and Portuguese.
A
Washington Metropolitan native,
Maria Charlene Arrillaga has
been with CAI since 2009. Charlene develops and administers CLAI’s
training programs, conferences, and events. Charlene also develops
and maintains
CLAI’s
website and databases, develops CLAI’s marketing materials
and manages CLAI’s
staff of interns. Prior to working for CLAI, Charlene spent 15 years in
the Market Research Industry where she directed data centers and
research facilities focused on collecting research in the health and safety,
telecommunications, and hospitality industries. In
2005 Charlene moved to
Antigua,
Guatemala. There her interests in the hospitality industry
became more focused. Charlene resided in Antigua for four years, where
she managed boutique hotels and guest houses and began her event planning
career. Charlene earned a BS in Psychology and a BA in Anthropology from
George Mason University and is currently enrolled in the Masters of Tourism
Administration here at The George Washington University where she is specializing
in Event and Meeting Management.
|
