Welcome Pat Watson, Executive Director
Citizens Diplomacy Alliance
This week's speaker will be Pat Watson, Executive Director of the Citizen Diplomacy Alliance. The Citizen Diplomacy Alliance is a nonprofit group that designs and implements professional programs, cultural activities, and home hospitality opportunities for foreign leaders, specialists, and international scholars. The Citizen Diplomacy Alliance for International Visitors serves participants in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program and other exchanges, building person-to-person relationships “one handshake at a time.” Pat began with the international visitor program in Tucson 13 years ago. She has provided the program for hundreds of visitors from around the world. This program is quoted by Ambassadors from around the world as "The best program for diplomacy that the Department of State has going". Prior to moving to Tucson, Pat and her husband designed, built, and operated two hotels in southeastern Iowa. They sold the last one in 2008 and moved to Tucson to be closer to their children.
