 President & CEO, The Global Institute For Religious And Cultural Diplomacy President & CEO, Intercultural Dimensions Minister to Internationals Emeritus, Forest Hills Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC
Executive Director, American Chinese Multi-Faith Religious Exchange
Former Advisory Board Member & Chair, Cultural Committee, North Carolina China Center
Davis E. “Dee” Froeber is founder and President & CEO of The Global Institute for Religious and Cultural Diplomacy (GIRCD), Raleigh, NC, USA. He has 30 years experience relating to persons from diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds. From refugees to trans-national business persons to nation-state leaders, he has built bridges spanning the differences encountered in communicating across cultural and ethnic boundaries and trained others to do the same. He has worked and lived for short periods of time in China since 1999 studying its history, language and culture.
His is a recognized leader in the fields of comparative religion, intercultural communication, and mediation and conflict resolution taking part in conversation and exchanges with Asian, North African, and Middle Eastern political and religious leaders. He has engaged in dialogue with state-level political and religious leaders from a dozen different North African and Middle Eastern nations. In 2008 and 2009, he worked with China’s U.S. Embassy and China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs, Beijing, organizing the first bi-lateral exchange of Sino-U.S. multi-faith religious leaders in the two countries’ histories. He serves as Chair of the Cultural Committee and Advisory Board member at the North Carolina China Center. He provides consulting and research for government, education and industry through his firm, Intercultural Dimensions. Prior to founding GIRCD, Mr. Froeber served as Minister to Internationals at Forest Hills Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC where he directed programs and services for up to 1,500 internationals weekly from more than 70 nations over the course of his career. He was awarded the title of Minster to Internationals Emeritus for his 29 years of service to the church’s membership and the area international community. Mr. Froeber founded GIRCD to use multi-faith religious encounters and cultural exchanges to promote harmony, peace and intercultural understanding around the globe. His vision is to empower citizen diplomats to move societies beyond barriers dividing humanity through discussion of faith issues, religion-in-society, religion and state perspectives, and cultural differences. To contact Mr. Froeber, please email him at: Dee@TheGIRCD.org
Jeff Wood - Senior Vice President - Programs and Exchanges Board of Directors - Secretary
Jeff Wood is the Senior Vice President for Programs and Exchanges and also serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors at The Global Institute for Religious and Cultural Diplomacy (GIRCD). Mr. Wood began working in the field of religious and cultural diplomacy three years ago when he became Program Coordinator for the American-Chinese Multi-Faith Religious Exchange (ACMFRE), a project that proceeded GIRCD in 2008. In this capacity, Mr. Wood traveled to China numerous times to execute plans for events as well as to attend conferences on religion in China. The Exchanges brought together Chinese government, academic and religious leaders with their U.S. counterparts for dialogue in both China and the United States. Mr. Wood also recently co-authored an article in Baylor University’s Journal of Church and State entitled, “American-Chinese Multi-Faith Religious Exchanges: Sino-U.S. Multi-Faith Dialogues Build Bridges to Bi-lateral Understanding” that details the 2008 and 2009 Exchanges and analyzes the People's Republic of China’s current religious market economy. Mr. Wood has an MA in History from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), where his studies focused on Sino-U.S. relations. At CUHK, he also conducted research on Sino-Japanese relations and taught for the Department of Japanese Studies. In 2005, Mr. Wood was co-organizer of the international symposium “Globalization, Localization, and Japanese Studies in the Asia-Pacific Region,” sponsored by CUHK and the International Research Center for Japanese Studies. He has also studied at the Beijing Institute of Education, conducted research on Chinese diaspora trends in Malaysia, and volunteered with Iranian and Chinese communities while earning dual undergraduate degrees in International Business and Chinese Studies at the University of North Carolina. Mr. Wood is a recipient of numerous scholarships and awards, including the Freeman Asia Scholarship for Study in China, Freeman Beijing Scholarship, and Kenan-Flagler Business School Scholarship for Asian Studies. Mr. Wood is fluent in Mandarin with a basic command of Cantonese. In the latter half of 2007, he took part in The Asia Pacific Leadership Program orchestrated and run by the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Since March of 2010, Mr. Wood has also served as Executive Director of the North Carolina China Center in Raleigh, NC. To contact Mr. Wood, please email him at: Jeff@TheGIRCD.org J. Micah Pate, III - Board of Directors
Treasurer of the Board
 He also serves as vice chairman on the Advisory Board of The Salvation Army of Wake County and treasurer and Troop Committee member for Boy Scout Troop 207. He is a member of the Staff-Parish Relations Committee of Highland United Methodist Church. Mike received a BS degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an MBA degree from East Carolina University, and a Masters of Taxation degree from Georgia State University. Mike provides financial and tax advice to The GIRCD and gives direction to our long-term financial health. Rev. J Cletus Kiley - Board of Advisors  Rev. Clete Kiley is a priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. In his 36 years as a priest he has served in many capacities including work as a pastor of a large immigrant parish in Chicago, and as a staff member at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. On July 1, 2010 he assumed responsibility as the Director for Immigration Policy for UNITE HERE. In this capacity he will work on immigration reform strategies with the union’s national leadership and its local members throughout the U.S. He will work with a variety of allies of the union in this role. Fr. Kiley is no stranger to UNITE HERE. He worked on O’Hare Airport and College and University Food Service organizing campaigns for a number of years in the late 1990’s. Fr. Kiley comes to UNITE HERE from The Faith & Politics Institute where he served as President and CEO for the past four years. He was chosen by The Faith & Politics Institute's board as the Institute's president in June 2006. While at the Institute, Fr. Kiley worked closely with members of Congress from both political parties. Of particular note was his work with Congressman John Lewis bringing members of Congress to Alabama to reflect on the values and lessons of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement for our contemporary national life. He hosted an annual program for members of Congress and members of the Labor and Business communities to reflect on the lives and issues of importance to America’s working people. He oversaw the development of a dialogue group for over 35 Senate chiefs of staff and conducted weekly reflection groups for members of Congress. Prior to joining the Institute, Rev. Kiley was Executive Director, Secretariat for Priestly Life and Ministry for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. While there, Rev. Kiley was also a member of the crisis management team assisting in the church's response to the sexual abuse crisis. He participated in the formulation of a national policy, helped to create the National Review Board and Office for Child and Youth protection, and served as consultant to the board. He also developed and coordinated training workshops for the bishops and key staff in the implementation of the policy. Before joining the Conference of Bishops, Rev. Kiley was pastor of St. Agnes of Bohemia parish in Chicago and president of St. Joseph College Seminary. St. Agnes was one of the the largest parishes in Chicago serving over 5,000 immigrant families. At St. Joseph, he developed and implemented a new strategic plan that led to the relocation of the school on to the main campus of Loyola University. Prior assignments included service as a member of Cardinal Bernardin’s cabinet and Director for Personnel Services for the Archdiocese of Chicago. He also served as a member of the College of Consultors for the Archdiocese. Rev. Kiley has also served on the board of directors for a number of non-profit organizations including the S.O.S Children's Villages in Chicago, the Center for the Protection of Workers' Rights of the Building and Construction Trades of the AFL-CIO, the National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, and as a member of the Board of Visitors for the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. Fr. Kiley is a past-president of the National Association of Church Personnel Administrators, and a past member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of College Seminaries. He currently serves on the Advisory Council of the St. John Vianney Center as well as on the Board for the Centre for Contemplative Dialogue. A native Chicago Southsider and White Sox fan, Rev. Kiley graduated from Loyola University/Chicago in 1970 and received a Bachelor in Sacred Theology and a Master in Divinity degree from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in 1974, a Masters degree in Applied Spirituality ( Ignatian) from the University of San Francisco in 1980, and a doctorate in ministry from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in 1980. He is fluent in Spanish and Italian. Duane Long - Board of Advisors  Duane also serves as Chairman of World Trade Properties, a real estate company developing the World Trade Park near Research Triangle Park and the Raleigh-Durham airport. He is co-founder and Chairman of the North Carolina China Center, (NCCC) a non-profit organization promoting business, academic and cultural exchange between North Carolina and China. Over his career, he has started more than twenty successful companies and is viewed as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in North Carolina. In 2010, Duane was appointed by North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue to the N.C. Department of Commerce China Advisory Council, a group of North Carolina leaders who provide guidance on how the state can best build productive relationships with Chinese government officials as well as Chinese business and industry. As chairman of Longistics, Duane partnered with SeAll, the Chinese government’s IFTZ operator and the entity responsible for logistics within the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), to establish the SIP International Commodities Exhibition Center. The Center provides a showcase for U.S. companies to display their products and services to the Chinese market in a safe, secure environment. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the American Trucking Associations and is a past Chairman of the Board of the North Carolina Trucking Association. He also serves on the advisory board of the UNC Center for International Understanding and UNC Global Research Institute. He was a member of the North Carolina Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on urban transportation, on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina State University Economic Development Coalition and past Chairman of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. |
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