PRESIDENT – MY-LINH KUNST
My-Linh Kunst is a university lecturer, photographer, and activist for human rights for women. A native of Vietnam, My-Linh emigrated to the US at the end of the Vietnam War. She received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Wharton School. She spent nearly two decades in management consulting, with her last post as Managing Director of a German consulting firm. She then worked in non-profits, culminating in her two-term Presidency of FAWCO, a United Nations accredited NGO with ECOSOC consultative status. She now teaches at the University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule für Wirtschaft, Technik und Kultur) in Berlin. Parallel to her business career, My-Linh is a published and exhibited portrait photographer since 2006. Her books: Beyond Borders featured inspiring American women living overseas and Hope is a Thing of Feathers portrays human trafficking survivors and change makers. Married to her German husband Matthias, My-Linh has been in Berlin since 2008 and has two sons at the JFK School.
FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT – Lissa Rosenbloom
Lissa Rosenbloom is a long time resident of Berlin, having moved here From Oakland, California in 1999. She is active in many capacities at the Berlin International school, is a volunteer for refugee services, and an English teacher. In her previous life she worked in the non-profit world in California, consulting with many organization such as the San Francisco AIds Foundation, Human Rights Watch, Environmental Defense Fund, and political campaigns. She is also an visual artist, with a BFA from the University or North Carolina.
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT – ALLISON SIEGERT
Allison “Ali” Siegert moved to Berlin in June 2016 when her husband accepted a job as a computer software engineer with a German company. Ali grew up in suburban Chicago and has lived in Colorado for the last fifteen years. Ali was a high school counselor in a suburb of Denver and is currently staying home to care for her three sons, ages 10, 7, and 4. Her eldest two sons attend the John-F.-Kennedy School and her youngest son attends a bilingual Kita.
TREASURER – HOLLIS VAUGHEN
Hollis Vaughen is a recovering engineer, fan of math and science, and eager world traveler. She holds degrees from Virginia Tech and Pepperdine and is currently enrolled in an intensive German language course and loving every minute of it. She enjoys reading, conversation, yoga, and learning about other cultures. Her paid work and volunteer positions have all had similar descriptions: keep financial numbers straight and communicate information effectively. Over the last two years, she’s been honing her social media marketing skills and consulting in that area for a variety of businesses, schools and non-profits. Originally from Kentucky, she has also lived in Virginia, North Carolina, Japan, California, and Germany before settling in her spiritual home of Seattle for 13 years. She moved to Berlin in August 2017. She met her husband Lowell at Pepperdine, and spent 15 months in three different German cities, studying and working, before returning to the US. They have three sons ages 12, 9, and 7 who attend Berlin Cosmopolitan School. Hollis is so excited to be back in Germany, this time with her kids, to expand their worldview and experience life in a vibrant European capital.
SECRETARY – JANEL SCHERMERHORN
Janel Schermerhorn moved to Berlin from Seattle, WA, along with her husband and daughter. Currently, she is an active volunteer at the Berlin International School, and is taking advantage of the next two years to learn about Germany’s culture and history. For the past seven years, she has worked as an independent consultant and policy developer for a financial services company, drawing on her professional experience in the fields of Human Factors Research, Strategic Human Resources Management, Operations Management, and Risk Management. In recent years, she has nurtured her personal side through creative writing, as well as live storytelling on The Moth stage in Seattle. She has performed for audiences of up to 800 people and is a two-time Story Slam winner.