World Affairs Councils of America
[3] In mid-February 2011, Chairman of the Board Ambassador Marc Grossman stepped down to become the United States Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, replacing Richard Holbrooke.Previous International Service Award honorees include Ambassador Thomas Pickering, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, former Secretary of State James Baker, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.In order to compete at the Carlos and Malú Alvarez National Academic WorldQuest competition, teams must first win at their regional council level (usually held from November to March).A leadership mission consists of an overseas fact-finding visit to a city, country, or organization by a delegation of the World Affairs Council.Councils are funded through membership dues, corporate sponsorships, grants, in-kind donations, fundraising events, and fee-for-service activities.