The World Affairs Council is governed by a 69-person Board of Trustees. Past Chairman who remain in good standing are also members of the Board of Trustees. Trustee Emeritus are long-time members of the Council awarded the title for their service and dedication to the mission of the World Affairs Council. 
 
The Board of Trustees comprises some of Orange County’s top business, academic, government, and social leaders. The Trustees in turn have designated an Executive Board to provide policy and operational direction for the Council’s programs, membership, fundraising and financial affairs, and educational activities. These efforts are supported by four standing committees, drawn from the Trustees and the Council’s members. All Members in good standing are invited to serve on committees. Meeting times are listed on the General Meetings Calendar.

Rick Putnam was nominated by the Board of Trustees and elected by the general members as Chair of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Board of the World Affairs Council of Orange County Chapter for 2024 – 2025.
 

World Affairs Council of Orange County Ambassadors at Large

Amb. George Argyros Amb. John Malott Amb. Robert Tuttle Serge Tomassian, Esq.
Amb. Gaddi Vasquez Amb. Linn Williams    

World Affairs Council of Orange County Past Chairs

Asterisks (*) designate deceased

Fred Ameri                                    American Logistics, Senior Vice President

 Dr. Giles Brown    Harry Bubb  Dr. Jo Ellen Chatham                      Orange County Region, Concordia University
Dr. James Coyle                              Clinical Psychologist, Cigdem Coyle, Psy.D.  Kathryn H. Creagan William Edwards                              CEO, Edwards Global Services, Inc. Judge James Gray (Ret.)
Daniel Green Jeff Hobert                                          Financial Advisor, Hobert Wealth Management Dr. Parmis Khatibi Arthur Kidman                                    Partner, Kidman Law LLP
Joseph Koszarek

Leslie M. McNamara                    Owner, McNamara Fiduciary Group

 Dr. Michael Moodian Thomas “Tommy” Papa                      Cappello Global
Timor Rafiq                                         President, Rafiq & Associates Inc. Admiral Howard Roop Matthew Sant James Schenold
Serge Tomassian                                 Attorney, Tti & G Law Llp Nora Valenzuela                               County of Riverside Richard Wagner                                   President, RKW Development Corp.  Yasith Weerasuriya                              President and CEO, Stanbridge College

World Affairs Council of Orange County Trustees

Asterisks (*) designate Executive Board member

David G. Adishian,                                            CPFA®, CRPC™
Managing Director, Senior Portfolio Manager, Wealth Management Advisor
The Adishian Group
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management

 Cyrus Ameri Gunjan Bagla
Craig Boardman Dr. Lawrence “LB” Brown Peter Bryant
Regina Campbell Marco Carralero Dr. Gabriela Castaneda
Dr. Jeanett Castellanos Candace Chen Annie Chu
Brian Chuan Shawn Collins Ronak Desai
 Jon Gould Sajindra Gunawardane*                                Founder and Managing Attorney, US Business Counsel, A Professional Law Corp Helen Haig*                                                        President and CEO, The Haig Group, HAH Associates Management Consulting
Paul Hamilton Dr. Heidi Hardt*                                      Associate Professor in Political Science, UC Irvine C. Bennett Jackson Jr.
Dr. Mark Chapin Johnson Steven Kechichian Stacey Keeley
Yan Killy*                                                                 WW DraftSight Industry Process Expert Senior Specialist, Dassault Systemes Diane Kim*  Mani Kang
Dr. Mark Kosker John Pierre Lafare Isaiah Leslie
Chris Lynch*                                                            President, International Business Accelerator Denise Mainero* Arif Zaffar Mansuri
Manuel Marquez* Liz Maxson James Mayer
Bobby McDonald Hon. Fred Minagar  Rick Muth
Rima Nashashibi*                                      Founder and President, Global Hope 365 Essraa Nawar Judge Nho Trong Nguyen
Ken Petersen Robert Petrosyan Naseem Qader
 Dave Rice Neal Rickner Shezad Rokerya
Congressman Harley Rouda Beatrice de Salles Arie Shen
David Shilling David Smith Stefanie Sobol
Anita Sokolsky*                                                 CBIZ Hon. Van Tran Rose Tsai*                                                              Attorney, Law Offices of Rose Tsai and Associates
Donna Gilbert Vann Paul Vann* Tony Wang
Tim Welch* Hon. Fred Whitaker  

World Affairs Council of Orange County Trustee Emeriti

Dr. Harry Sahota Mr. Hal Smith Mr. Errol Mathieu Theodore Wallace, Esq.