Meet the Staff

The success of our programs is dependent upon the talent and creativity of our team members who dedicate themselves to the planning and operation of each program. Our team members have a wide range of backgrounds and expertise.

Heather McDougall,Ph.D., Executive Director
Heather McDougall is the Founder and Director of the Global Institute for Leadership and Civic Development. A former resident of London and Prague, she created the program in order to provide students with the opportunity to gain new knowledge and international experiences. As an educator and political theorist, Heather seeks to merge knowledge with action. Her research interests include democratic theory, civic development, leadership studies, and gender. Heather is the director and founder of the Institute and serves an instructor for both the Prague and Colorado programs.

Marketa Vavreckova, MA, Coordinator/Instructor Prague Program
Marketa Vavreckova joined GILCD as a participant in the Cuba program. She returned the following year as the Co-Coordinator for the Prague Program. This year she begins her new role as Coordinator and Instructor. Born in Prague, Marketa received her MA in Social Policy from Charles University. She is currently in Boston at Northeastern University working on her Ph.D. in Political Science.

Daniel Epstein, Co-Director Colorado Institute
Daniel Epstein was born in Vancuver, Canada. Since then Daniel has lived in Seattle, Chicago, and currently attends the University of Colorado at Boulder where he is studying Business, Philosophy, and Leadership. After participating in the program as a student in the summer of 2005 and Co-Coordinating the Prague 2006 Program, Daniel, along with his collegue Michael Forte, is developing and will run the first ever Global Institute in America. Daniel has worked with international nonprofit organizations in the past, is on staff for The President's Leadership Class at the University of Colorado, has been awarded numerous honors and recognition in the fields of leadership, merit, and civic engagement, and enjoys nothing more than traveling, teaching, and working with students and peoples from around the world.

Michael Forte, Co-Director Colorado Institute
Mike Forte' was born and raised in Palisade, Colorado and started attending CU Boulder in 2003. Since then he has attended the Global Leadership Program in Prague twice, once as a participant and once as a Student Coordinator. He is now working with Daniel Epstein to direct the new Global Leadership Program at CU. He studies Evolutionary Biology and Political Science, and is applying for medical school next year.

Chelsea Komlo, Assistant Director Colorado Institute
Chelsea Komlo is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is a President’s Leadership Class Scholar, and a representative for the organization, Youth For Understanding. Chelsea spent the past year studying in Brussels where she lived, traveled, and immersed herself in new cultures and languages. Now, back in the United States Chelsea has taken her international passion and directed it to her studies at University where she is pursuing a double degree in Spanish and Business Marketing. Chelsea is now is working with Daniel Epstein and Michael Forté in an effort to create and run the most effective Global Leadership Institute, Boulder in the summer of 2008.

Scott Sherman, Ph. D. Instructor Colorado Institute
Scott Sherman is the Co-Founder and current Executive Director of the Transformative Action Institute. Sherman's work on nonviolent social change projects has been praised by such Nobel Peace Prize Laureates as the Dalai Lama and the late Mother Teresa. He is also a nationally recognized speaker on environmental regeneration and transformative action. He has won the outstanding teaching award from the University of California at Berkeley. In 2004, he was nominated for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars' Faculty of the Year award for the entire U.S. Besides his work as a grassroots community organizer, lecturer, and author, Sherman has worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Law Foundation. He will be a professor for, and an integral addition to the Global Leadership Institute, Boulder.


Sabina Sabados, M.A., Argentina Program Director
Sabina Sabados immigrated to the United States from Slovakia in the 1980s. She received her B.A. in Political Science from Drew University and an MADIR in International Relations and Diplomacy from the John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University. During her college career, Sabina specialized in International relations and European studies, attending various conferences including international Seminars in Paris and Iceland. She also spent a semester at the UN, taking a class taught by Jean Gazarian, a member of the Secretariat since the UN's conception. As a graduate student, Sabina's primary research interest has been in the field of International Organizations and the European Union. Sabina's studies have been complemented by various international programs focused on the institutions of the European Union hosted in Luxembourg and Cyprus. The Global Leadership Program has been instrumental in Sabina's education and leadership development. She started as a participant, returned as a Student Coordinator, and is currently working a Switzerland program.

Past Staff

Guillermo Alejandro Cogorno, Coordinator/Instructor Argentina Program
Guillermo was born in Cordoba, Argentina and studied Business Administration at Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. He taught Economic Policy of Argentina at Faculty of Economics in Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Guillermo's vast experience with leadership programs includes serving as a founding member of ILA (International Leadership Association), former President of the local Chapter of AIESEC Cordoba (97/98) and National President of AIESEC Argentina (98/99) (International Association for Students Exchanges), and Facilitator at Leadershape Institute, in Champaine, Illinois, USA. Aside from joining our team in 2005, Guillermo is a business owner in Cordoba.

Petra Hejnova, MA, MPHIL, Coordinator/Instructor Prague Program
Petra Hejnova is the former Director of the Gender Studies Center in Prague, Czech Republic. She joined our organization in 2001, soon becoming an invaluable asset. Her work towards systemic change includes speeches at the United Nations and Czech governmental offices. Her research interests include social policy and dissident movements. Petra is currently on leave while she completes her Ph.D. at Syracuse University.

Student Coordinators

Each summer, two new students from past programs are selected to become Student Coordinators. These interns are instrumental to the planning and operating of our programs. We are proud to announce this year's Student Coordinators.

Prague 2008 Program

Prague 2007 Program

Catalina Carmona, Colombia Email: catacarmona@hotmail.com Hey everyone! My name is Catalina Carmona, I'm 22 and from Colombia. I'm currently finishing my law studies and later I want to pursue a masters in International Law. I participated in GLP 2006 in Prague and I still can't believe I'm going back next summer. I had the most amazing time and learned a lot from the program and from the people I met. I'm really looking forward to GLP 2007 and I can assure you that it's gonna be simply great. See you there!

Dartel McRae, United States Email: drm22@pitt.edu What's good everyone? My name is Dartel McRae I will be graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in April with a double degree in Political Science and Philosophy. After this I plan on attending law school in the city that never sleeps...New York. I participated in the 2006 Global Leadership Program in Prague I can't begin to explain how incredibly enlightening the experience was. The 2007 program promises to be just as great if not better. I am truly looking forward to seeing everyone who participates in the program this year. But until then...dequi baby...dequi! = peace Dartel

Prague 2006 Coordinators

Ambika Muttoo, India Email: ambika.muttoo@gmail.com Hi! My name is Ambika Muttoo and I'm 22 years old from New Delhi, India. I graduated from Lady Shri Ram College earlier in 2005 with a degree in English Literature. I've worked with a Travel Magazine, but ran off to participate in the GLP 2005 program in Prague, which was the best decision I've ever made. I'm currently working as a journalist for a daily newspaper called "Today", part of a countrywide Media group called "India Today". When I'm not running around like crazy (which is pretty much all the time), I just try to catch up on precious sleep! I'm so excited to be a part of GLP 2006, and I promise you it will be an experience you will never forget.

Britta Schreiber, USA/Germany Email: bschreib@indiana.edu Hey everyone, I'm Britta and I'm from Germany, but have lived in Indiana for the last 11 years. I'm 21, so I'll be graduating this May from Indiana University with two Bachelor degrees, one in marketing and international business, and one in French. After this year, I am planning on going on to architecture school to get my Master's in architecture. I participated in the GLP Prague 2003 program. In my spare time, outside of school, I spend time with my Little Sister from Big Brother Big Sister, I work at the Indiana University Auditorium, or I find new and exciting things to do :).

Argentina Program

Stephanie Wall, Canada Email: smwall784@yahoo.com Stephanie participated in the 2005 Argentina program. She states, "I am so excited to hear that I was chosen to be Student Coordinator. The whole experience as a participant was amazing and, as a Student Coordinator, hope I make it memorable for future participants!" Olga Fernandes de Moura Leite, Brazil Email: olga_fml@yahoo.com.br Hello Everybody! I cannot wait for next year's Global Leadership Program in Argentina and I hope you are also very excited! First, I would like to tell you something about myself. At the moment I am attending my fourth semester at law school. Thanks to my academic record I was ensured a merit scholarship and was elected class representative, where I act as an intermediary between classmates and the faculty's administration. This semester I became the school's student ambassador, responsible for participating in conferences and seminaries. Besides studying I work in the city's law court and participate in a non-paid legal counseling service for low income people. Committed to working to effect social change, I believe that my legal studies are important steps to achieving my long-term career goal to work in an international non-governmental organization, such as the United Nations. In my spare time I enjoy reading, socializing and meeting people from different cultural backgrounds. You must realize by now how the Global Leadership Program was so important to my life discussing important issues, learning from different cultures, reflecting about world problems were some of the things we did. I absolutely recommend this program, simply because it has been the most amazing experience of my life. There is no way to explain it in words, you have to live it to understand. In other words, do not hesitate and apply now!

2005 Global Leadership Program, Prague Kait Martel, USA Matt Murphy, Australia 2005 Global Education Program, Thailand Co-Directors Luis Lopez, Mexico Vladimir Mladjenovic, Serbia Coordinator: Laurie Gashinski, Canada 2005 Global Leadership Program, Cordoba Cora Licht, Romania Jessica Scholl, USA 2004 Global Education Program, Cuba Co-Directors Luis Lopez, Mexico Vladimir Mladjenovic, Serbia 2004 Global Civic Development Program, Bologna Cora Licht, Romania Kristen Weaver, Colorado 2004 Global Leadership Program, Prague Phil Hughes, New Mexico Sabina Sabados, Slovak Republic/New Jersey 2003 Global Leadership Program, Prague Filip Hayek, Czech Republic Luis Lopez, Mexico 2002 Global Leadership Program, Prague Meena Krishnamoorthy, Australia Mariyana Radeva, Bulgaria 2001 Global Leadership Program, Prague Stacy Dinse, New York Maggie Miller, Wisconsin