Sheldon L. Ray, Jr.
Chairman, The Osgood Board
Senior Vice President, Investments and Portfolio Manager
Raymond James and Associates, Inc.
Sheldon is a Senior Vice President, Investments and Portfolio Manager at Raymond James and Associates,Inc. in Washington, DC. He has managed global equity and fixed income portfolios for individuals and non-profits for over 20 years. Sheldon's analysis focuses on risk management, corporate governance, global macroeconomics, long-term geopolitical outlook, as well as dividend yields, price-to-earnings ratios
and other fundamentals. He also has over three decades of China experience. He conducts his own research and maintains regular contact with senior government officials, economists, diplomats, regulators
and journalists. He also advises non-profits on investment policy statements, long-term financial goals and sustainable giving strategies.
Sheldon has been active in Rotary for over 30 years, having originally joined in Hong Kong in 1988. He is currently a board member of the Foreign Policy Discussion Group, a member of the Board of Advisors of the SEC Historical Society, Finance Committee Chair for Rotary District 7620 and co-chair of Rotarians for Equality for Black People Committee in Washington.
Sheldon has a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Louisiana State University, and his Certified Portfolio Manager designation from Columbia University. He lives in Washington with his wife, Mary Beth, and is an Eagle Scout.
Nicholas M. Bassey
Deputy VP of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
Nicholas M. Bassey is Deputy Vice President for the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Department of Congressional and Public Affairs, where he works to strengthen relationships with Congress, NGOs, businesses, government officials, and the U.S. public. His portfolio includes the planning, implementation, and oversight of domestic and international communications, media relations, events, and digital and outreach strategies, as well as nurturing strategic relationships with key partners.
Mr. Bassey previously served as Division Chief for Private Sector Engagement (PSE) Institutional Capacity in the U.S. Agency for International Development’s PSE Hub. There he fostered strategic alliances to enhance the Agency’s capacity to leverage private sector resources for international development. Nicholas also served as Director of University Programs for the U.S. Peace Corps, establishing and nurturing partnerships with a range of higher education institutions involved in international development. He also served the Peace Corps as Director of Placement, overseeing the selection and assignment of applicants; managing the operations of the Placement Office; assuring placement program planning and evaluation; and establishing and defining the agency’s Volunteer recruitment and placement goals.
Mr. Bassey was also Director of the Institute for International Public Policy, where he administered a fellowship program designed to increase diversity in the international affairs workforce and provide support for international education programs at Minority Serving Institutions. His early career was in the nonprofit sector, where he served as Assistant Vice President for Program Development at the Council for Opportunity in Education, Deputy Director of Freedom Schools at the Children’s Defense Fund, and Assistant Program Manager for the Office of Community Service at Morehouse College.
Mr. Bassey earned a B.S. degree from Morehouse College and an M.A. from George Washington University.
Sofia DeMartino
Black Maternal Health Collective
Sofia DeMartino is a writer, serial entrepreneur and community servant. Originally from Queens, New York, Sofia spent her formative years in Iowa. A University of Iowa graduate, she holds a BA in Political Science and an MBA.
Sofia’s lived experience and love for empowering others have led her to spend over a decade working in social services. Her work in this field has shaped her worldview, fostering a profound interest in the transformative power of human connection and the evolution of identity. She is a founding member of the Black Maternal Health Collective, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of maternal healthcare inequity and saving the lives of Black mothers.
Bart S. Fisher
Partner, Law Office of Bart S. Fisher
Bart S. Fisher is the Managing Partner of the Law Office of Bart S. Fisher in Washington, D.C., and a member of the District of Columbia bar. From 1972 through April, 1994, he practiced law with Patton Boggs LLP in Washington, D.C., where he was a partner as of January 1, 1978. He has also been a partner at Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn (1994-1995), and Of Counsel with Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur (1996-2001), Bryan Cave (2002) and Dorsey & Whitney (2003-2004).
He attended Harvard Law School (J.D. 1972), The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. and Bologna, Italy (M.A. 1967 and Ph.D. 1970), and Washington University (B.A. 1963). He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa at Washington University and awarded The Brookings Institution Fellowship in 1968.
Dr. Fisher is Professorial Lecture in American Foreign Policy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He has also taught international trade and investment at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, George Mason University, and the Elliott School of International Affairs of George Washington University.
He is ex-officio member of the Board of Governors, International Practice Section, Virginia State Bar. He was a participating member of the International Trade Working Group of the President’s Council on Year 2000 Conversion.
He is Chairman of the Give Life Foundation, on the Board of Directors of The Marrow Foundation, and Vice-Chairman of The Institute at Biltmore. He has served as President of the Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation, which he founded in 1983.
Eleanor L. Gill
International Program Analyst (OSHA, Office of International Affairs)
As an International Program Analyst at the U.S. Department of Labor with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), she serves as the technical advisor for cooperative safety and health activities. She has extensive experience in organizing and coordinating the United States and Europe biennial conferences and maintaining an ongoing collaboration between work groups and stakeholders. In addition, she coordinates OSHA’s participation in the Departmental Visitors’ Program.
She has accrued 30+ years of Federal service in two Federal agencies, including 25+ years of service with the U.S. Department of Labor and five years of service with the U.S. Peace Corps. While at the Peace Corps, she worked in the Office of Medical Services and provided assistance to Peace Corps volunteers and staff serving in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Inter-America regions.
She is deeply involved in community service activities Some of the organizations she has worked and volunteer with include the Rotary Club of Washington, DC and the Metro Bethesda Rotary Club, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Theta Omega Omega Chapter (Ivy Vine Charities, Inc. Vice President of Programs), the National Congress of Black Women, the Bethune and DuBois Institute Program and College for Kids at Howard University, and the History Makers, Mid Atlantic/DC region. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Coaniquem Burned Children Foundation in Santiago, Chile, as a Washington, DC Alternate Director.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Howard University. She enjoys her family, missionary work and helping others.
Jennifer Hara
Vice President, Clean Energy & Infrastructure,
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)
Jennifer has over twenty years of experience in the private sector, with a varied career spanning credit analysis, training, public relations, and event planning. Jennifer has an intimate knowledge of innovative financing programs of the US federal government, and of political decision making, international project finance, economic and strategic planning. She has served as President of the prestigious Washington, DC Rotary Club. She has a Master of Arts in International Economics from the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and International Politics from Seattle University. Jennifer is also fluent in Spanish.
Dr. Derick Hulme
Professor of Political Science at Alma College
Dr. Derick L. Hulme, Jr., Arthur L. Russell professor of political science at Alma College, is the author of The Domestic Politics of Terrorism: Lessons from the Clinton Administration (2019), The Israeli-Palestinian Road Map for Peace: A Critical Analysis (2009), Palestinian Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy 1969-1977 (2004), and The Political Olympics: Moscow, Afghanistan, and the 1980 US Boycott (1990). He is a nationally recognized leader in experiential education and at Alma College is the director of the award-winning Model United Nations team and the nationally competitive scholarship program. He received his Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.
Charles E. Morrison
President, East-West Center
Charles E. Morrison is an adjunct senior fellow with the East-West Center, having previously served as president from 1998 through 2016. A former U.S. Senate legislative assistant, he has had extensive involvement in the conceptualization, organization and funding of policy-oriented educational and policy-oriented research and dialogue projects involving U.S.-Asia-Pacific relations. He has served as chair of the U.S. National Consortium of APEC Study Centers, and from 2005 to 2012, was the international chair of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC). He is also a past chair of the U.S. National Consortium of APEC Study Centers. He is a former U.S. Senate legislative assistant and was as a research adviser to two binational Japan-U.S. commissions. He currently serves on the boards of the Japan Center for International Exchange – USA and the Pacific Century Institute. Among other projects, he is the chair of the steering committee of the North Pacific Arctic Conference and the co-leader of a project focused on maintaining open economies in a time of increased protectionism.
Morrison holds a Ph.D. in international relations from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where he also taught Southeast Asian politics and international relations for several year. He has an honorary degree from the University of the Ryukyus. For ten years he edited an annual Asia-Pacific Security Outlook. Recent publications have been on Asian international relations, ASEAN, and APEC.
Haleh Vaziri
Founder, Vaziri Research Management Consultancy
Haleh Vaziri is the founder of VRMC (Vaziri Research Management Consultancy), established in 2010. Her motto is “Asking the right questions, offering you insights for action.” She advises a diverse clientele on issues of democratization, human rights, media markets and public diplomacy vis-a-vis the research management process and proposal preparation, survey questionnaire design, analytic writing, presentations, conference planning and curriculum development. Her clients have included Edison Research, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Women’s Learning Partnership for Rights, Development and Peace.
Prior to striking out on her own, Haleh worked for over a decade at the InterMedia Survey Institute as the Regional Research Manager for the Middle East and North Africa, implementing audience and public opinion studies for clients seeking to reach media consumers in the MENA. She has supervised and trained qualitative and quantitative research teams in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. She was additionally responsible for studies conducted in Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, adapting market research methodologies to the needs of difficult-to-access populations.
Haleh holds a PhD in international relations from Georgetown University and was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies. She has authored numerous articles and conference papers, concentrating in large part on Iranian politics. She has co-authored four human rights education guide books, among them, Victories over Violence: Ensuring Safety for Women and Girls, A Practitioner’s Manual (2012). A strong believer in volunteerism, Haleh is a member of the Washington, DC Rotary Club and has served as its Secretary and Ombudswoman.
Gregory M. Williams
Sidley Austin, LLP
Co-Leader, Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy
GREGORY WILLIAMS, a co-leader of the firm’s Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy practice and a member of the Litigation group, was named “International Arbitration Litigator of the Year” in 2023 by Benchmark Litigation. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and arbitration and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). His diverse experience includes serving as lead counsel in high-stakes litigation and arbitration matters involving a wide range of claims cutting across several industries.
Greg’s matters are frequently multifaceted, with parallel or related proceedings in multiple fora. For example, Greg represents a global defense contractor in a dispute with the South Korean government relating to an upgrade of Korea’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets. He obtained summary judgment in a U.S. suit declaring that Korea’s claims impermissibly undermined U.S. national security interests. In so doing, he obtained the first-ever foreign anti-suit injunction against a foreign sovereign in the history of U.S. jurisprudence. Further, he convinced the Fourth Circuit to affirm the district court’s decision, despite an amicus brief by the Executive Branch challenging a global defense contractor’s national security arguments. Greg advised the contractor with respect to the parallel Korean suit. The Korean Supreme Court recently affirmed the global defense contractor’s victory in that action as well.
Greg successfully represented a publicly traded, clean energy company in a wide-ranging dispute with an international energy company concerning exclusive rights and over US$1 billion in claims and counterclaims. The dispute featured parallel arbitrations seated in London and Singapore, three arbitrations seated in Korea, a books-and-records demand in Delaware Chancery Court, and a securities claim in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. After a bench trial, he obtained a landmark decision for a publicly traded fuel cell company in the Delaware action. Since then, the parties have entered into a settlement agreement, including a multi-million dollar order for its modules, confirming the fuel cell company’s exclusive rights to market its technology in Asia. All claims against the fuel cell company were dismissed with prejudice and without compensation.
Greg’s FCPA experience runs the gamut, from managing world-wide internal investigations; to conducting due diligence on international agents, joint venture partners, and other third parties; to designing corporate anti-corruption compliance and training programs.
Robert D. Eldridge, Ph.D.
Senior Consultant
Robert D. Eldridge, Ph.D., is an award-winning author, scholar, and former public official who currently serves as an advisor or director at numerous regional and domestic organizations, including the Global Risk Mitigation Foundation and the International Security Industry Council of Japan, and as a visiting researcher at several universities and institutes. He was a tenured professor at the Graduate School of International Public Policy, Osaka University, Japan, prior to serving as the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, Government and External Affairs, Marine Corps Forces Japan. During his time with the Marine Corps, he helped plan and lead Operation Tomodachi, the U.S. response to the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in March 2011, serving as the political advisor to the Forward Command Element in Sendai, and later launched the Disaster Cooperation Program to build cooperative relations between local communities and the U.S. Marine Corps in preparation for the next major disaster. He regularly speaks at international academic conferences and Track II meetings, as well as a guest commentator on television and radio, and has won several awards for his public service and writings, including the prestigious Suntory Academic Award and Prime Minister Nakasone Yasuhiro Award. He is the author, contributor, editor, and translator of 150 books about U.S.-Japan relations, regional security, and disaster preparedness whose titles include The Origins of the Bilateral Okinawa Problem, Japanese Public Opinion and the War on Terrorism, The Diplomatic History of Postwar Japan, An Inoffensive Rearmament, The Origins of U.S. Policy in the East China Sea Islands Dispute, Megaquake: How Japan and the World Should Respond, The Prime Ministers of Postwar Japan, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, Changing Security Policies in Postwar Japan, The Japanese Self-Defense Forces Law. A 34-year resident of Japan, he currently resides in Taiwan as a visiting scholar at Tamkang University.