Mark J. Ballam

President

Mark J. Ballam serves as managing director for San Diego State University’s Wendy Gillespie Center for Advancing Global Business where he is responsible for the overall strategy and implementation of the program including budget, resources, advocacy, and communications.  He also manages a $1.3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education, awarded to SDSU in October 2022  This program helped launch the undergraduate International Business degree program at SDSU, which is ranked #6 nationally in public universities in U.S. News and World Report’s 2023 America’s Best Colleges publication. Ballam came to SDSU in 2005, after eight years at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  Before Georgia Tech, he had a twelve-year career in the banking industry. Since his arrival at SDSU, he has been instrumental in raising  nearly $10 million in grants and gifts. Read more

Paula C. Herring

Vice President

Paula C. Herring, EdD is Faculty Chair and Professor at DeVry University, where she has taught international business, critical thinking, management and leadership courses for 20 years. She trains, hires and manages a faculty staff, also. Dr. Herring teaches adjunct for California Miramar University on the doctorate level. Her professional background is in education and international business and she serves on the Survivors of Torture, International board and past board service includes the Tariq Khamisa Foundation (TKF) and Parkinsons Disease Association of San Diego.Read more

Rachel Lozano Castro

Vice President

Rachel Lozano Castro immensely enjoys serving as a host, board member, and community educator for the San Diego Diplomacy Council. Her day job has her working creatively and collaboratively on environmental and civic projects at the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center. Formerly, she ran a small business development center and a social innovation program at the University of San Diego. She has degrees from PLNU and SDSU so is pretty much filling out the San Diego bingo card. She teaches entrepreneurship at CETYS Universidad in Tijuana and has given several speeches, including a TedX talk, about living on both sides of our US-Mexico border. She has lived in the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and Mexico and can get around in Spanish and Portuguese. She and her husband Raul love living in Paradise Hills, San Diego. 

Hon. Leslie Bassett

Secretary

Ambassador (ret’d.) Leslie Bassett settled in this area after a 35-year diplomatic career with service in locations from Israel to South Africa, and Mexico City to Seoul, Korea, most recently serving as Ambassador to Paraguay under President Obama. Ambassador Bassett’s experiences highlighted the important role local initiatives play in creating global understanding.  Exchanges, networking, dialogue and outreach are fundamental tools contributing to expanded U.S. influence and engagement in the world.  She is delighted to support the San Diego Diplomacy Council’s work in connecting our community to the world in so many unique and innovative ways.

Sam Caulfield

Treasurer

Sam is the Director of Tax Accounting with Sempra Energy in San Diego.  He has 23+ years’ experience in corporate income tax, accounting, and SEC reporting.  He has held positions with various “Big 4” public accounting firms, as well as in-house positions with U.S.-based multinationals such as GE Capital in Connecticut and Weatherford International in Houston, TX.Read more

Richard Bainter

Ric Bainter is an attorney in San Diego who has practiced internationally for more than 20 years. He has provided legal advice to organizations in Bosnia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland and Vietnam. Ric has taught courses on international law and international organizations at the University of San Diego School of Law, Thomas Jefferson School of Law and the University of California, San Diego. He serves on the Executive Committee of the International Law Section of the California Lawyers Association, the National Governing Board of Common Cause, and City of San Diego’s International Affairs Board.

Joe Passaretti

Joe is retired after more than 40 years serving in a variety of non-profit philanthropy positions. Most recently, he was the Director of Estate and Gift Planning for San Diego Humane Society, averaging annual bequests of more than $8 million. Previously, he directed philanthropy activities for San Diego State’s Fowler College of Business and the University of San Diego’s Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science. Joe began his career working for numerous United Ways across the country, including as Vice President of Resource Development for the United Way of San Diego County. He also served as Assistant Director of the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University where he managed philanthropy educational programs. A native of Catskill, NY, Joe received his undergraduate degree from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY and his Certificate as a Specialist in Planned Giving from CSU Long Beach.   

 

Susan J. Flieder

Susan J. Flieder is an active member of the San Diego nonprofit community. After receiving her JD from DePaul University in Chicago, Susan practiced environmental law for more than 20 years. Upon moving to Southern California she became the first environmental attorney at the Port of San Diego. In 2007, Susan earned a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the University of San Diego. She has served as Board Chair of Wildcoast, an international nonprofit that seeks to conserve coastal and marine ecosystems and wildlife. Read more

 

Mathew Holloway

Mathew B. Holloway is the founder of Conversations by Courage, a consulting practice dedicated to connected ideas, sectors, and communities for collective well-being. With over ten years of experience in developing social change in rural, urban, and international settings, he also holds a M.S. in Conflict Resolution from the University of San Diego. As a restorative scholar-practitioner and skilled storyteller, his focus delves into the realms of social pain, care, and conflict within the landscape of U.S. public affairs. As the nation reaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, his work seeks to re-story the public discourse around these critical issues.

Hemant Phadnis

Hemant Phadnis currently works in the development and execution of projects in energy, electric vehicles and public infrastructure.  He has spent the past 13 years working with national, state, and local government entities and global NGOs to build high-profile public infrastructure and nation-building projects around the world. He has traveled to nearly 70 countries, lived on three continents and is looking forward to bringing his global experience in operations improvement, international development and digital innovation to the Council. 

Image of Randy Reyes

Randy Reyes

Randy serves as Mayor Todd Gloria’s Community Representative for Council Districts 2 and 5. In this role, he oversees community engagement and public relations for his assigned council districts and works closely with City staff to address concerns and issues raised by the public. Previously he worked for San Diego City Councilmember, Jennifer Campbell, as a Community Representative and Digital Communications Manager. Previous to that, Randy worked with the City of San Diego’s Office of Immigrant Affairs as a Communications and Outreach Fellow and before that he was an intern for the Mayor’s Office of Global Affairs. 
 

Randy graduated from the University of San Diego with his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in International Relations, as he was a part of their BA/MA Dual Degree program. Randy concentrated his studies on international security, Latin America, and great power competition. During his graduate studies, he co-authored, co-edited, and published a book offering advice to young professionals seeking internships in the field of international relations. Randy is the son of Mexican immigrants, is fluent in Spanish, and is a proud lifelong San Diego County resident.

Asokan Selvaraj

Asokan Selvaraj has served in various technology leadership and executive management roles over his 25 year professional experience. He currently serves as the Global Enterprise Architect for Callaway Golf.

Previously, Asokan served in the Executive Committee as well as on the Board of Trustees of San Diego Tamil Sangam, a non-profit organization fostering the Tamil culture within the San Diego Community. Asokan has a Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Asokan and his wife have lived and raised two daughters in San Diego over the last 22 years.

ALEXANDRA STAN

Alexandra Stan is an in-house attorney at Resilience and previously worked at Rivian. She focuses on contract negotiations, dispute resolution, and supply chain counseling. Alex obtained her JD at Loyola University Chicago and her Masters in Public Policy from University College London. She is originally from Michigan, where she was a Board Member of our sister organization, Global Ties Detroit. Alex has been involved with the San Diego Diplomacy Council since she moved to California in 2021. She loves traveling internationally, learning about different cultures, and making connections locally and all around the world. Alex joined us on our outbound trips to Colombia and Panama and will see you on the next one!