The Cleveland Council on World Affairs Announces Marti Flacks as its New Chief Executive Officer

The Cleveland Council on World Affairs’ (CCWA) Board of Directors has named Marti Flacks as the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer. She will assume her position full-time on September 2, 2025.

A Cleveland native, Marti has worked both inside and outside government during her 25-year foreign policy career. She most recently served as the first Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Supply Chain Center in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, where she oversaw the design and launch of first-of-their-kind supply chain assessment tools that reshaped how the U.S. government quantifies and analyzes economic security risks.

“We are very pleased to announce Marti Flacks as the new CEO, and are excited about the energy, and experience she brings to CCWA. With a deep background in foreign policy and economic security, Marti brings a strategic vision that is both globally informed and rooted in our community. We look forward to her engagement with CCWA staff and Board, our members, and the broader community,” says Paul Clark, Chair of the CCWA Board of Directors.

Marti comes to CCWA with a wealth of experience in foreign policy. Earlier in her career, Marti worked as Director of African Affairs at the U.S. National Security Council, covering East and Southern Africa and continent-wide security and economic issues. She also served in senior positions in the State Department’s Energy Resources and Africa Bureaus, including four years working on Sudan and South Sudan for the U.S. Special Envoy. Outside of government, Marti served as Khosravi Chair in Principled Internationalism and Director of the Human Rights Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a leading foreign policy think tank, and as Deputy Director of the Business & Human Rights Resource Center, an NGO that promotes responsible business conduct by companies around the world. She received her B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, her M.A. in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and her JD from Columbia Law School.

“I’m honored to join CCWA, an organization whose mission aligns so closely with my own lifelong commitment to global engagement. At a time when geopolitics are rapidly shifting, and global debates on trade, technology, migration and climate change are increasingly shaping lives and livelihoods right here in Ohio, CCWA’s work has never been more vital. It is essential for CCWA to foster global learning, build meaningful connections across borders, and ensure the perspectives of Clevelanders are heard in the foreign policy debates of our time. This is how Cleveland will stay competitive, connected, and resilient, and I am inspired to join the CCWA team in this mission,” reflects Marti.

Marti, a native of Cleveland, is excited to return to her hometown: “CCWA has been the premier destination for Clevelanders interested in better understanding and engaging on global issues for over a century. It is exciting to return to my native Northeast Ohio where there is such a strong community of civic and business leaders, academics, students, families and globally-minded individuals who are passionate about this topic. I look forward to working with CCWA’s incredible team and robust community to help build a more informed, inclusive, and globally connected future for our region.”

On September 11, 2025, CCWA will host a welcome reception for Marti. Friends and members of CCWA are invited to join the celebration. To register, click here.

Marti fills a position that was vacated by Carina Van Vliet, who stepped down from the role earlier this summer to take care of her family in France.

The mission of the Cleveland Council on World Affairs is to inspire engagement in international affairs and world cultures through education, citizen diplomacy, and public dialogue to create a region of globally-minded citizens. For more information, visit www.ccwa.org.

For inquiries: Jenni Carney, Chief Operating Officer | (216) 255-9005 or jcarney@ccwa.org