Fabienne Perlov
Executive Director
Fabienne has devoted her career to international affairs, public diplomacy and humanitarian assistance because of a deep passion for empowering leaders and communities around the world to bridge their differences and create a more sustainable, peaceful and just world. Before joining the San Diego Diplomacy Council in 2015, Fabienne worked at the United Nations, French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons, the Jewish Family and Child Services and non-governmental organizations in Canada, the West Bank, Israel, France, Azerbaijan, Russian Federation, and the Caribbean area. Fabienne serves as Vice-Chair of the City of San Diego International Affairs Board. She earned her Master of Arts in International Development Studies at the Aix-en-Provence Faculty of Law and Political Sciences and Bachelor of Arts in Russian Literature and Civilization at the University of Rennes, France. She speaks English, French, Russian, Hebrew, and Spanish.
Jim Davis
Operations Director
Jim has been working in the nonprofit industry since 1988. He has lived in San Diego 11 years, where he was the Vice President of Operations at Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Executive Director for Kids Turn and the Regional Director for the Ignatian Volunteer Corps. With 28 years in the sector, Jim has experience in all aspects of non-profit management.
Heidi Knuff
Custom Programs & Services Director
Heidi Knuff is the director of custom programs and services at SDDC. Heidi has traveled independently in over 30 countries and sailed on Semester at Sea. Those experiences solidified her belief in the importance and power of intercultural and international exchange to positively impact our world. Heidi went on to work at an international children’s camp in England, and later at Pacific Intercultural Exchange in San Diego overseeing the placement and counseling of high school foreign exchange students throughout the U.S. She then moved to academia, working at MIT’s Center for International Studies and most recently at the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC) as International Conference Coordinator and Program Manager before joining the San Diego Diplomacy Council.
Jessica Frank
IVLP Program Manager
Jessica is an experienced grant and project manager who has a passion for international politics, travel, and fostering personal connections that transcend borders. She spent eight years at CRDF Global, administering US Government grants awarded to international scientists in order to promote international scientific collaboration, institution building, and nonproliferation. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and a Master’s Degree in Political Science with a specialization in International Relations from San Diego State University.
Dominique De Leon
Custom Programs and Services Associate
Dominique De Leon is the program associate for our custom programs and services at SDDC. Prior to joining SDDC, Dominique was based in Washington D.C. implementing programs for the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF). As part of the IWMF’s reporting fellowship initiative in Africa’s Great Lakes region, she co-led a total of six group reporting trips to the region including the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Uganda. Dominique also worked at the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders where she focused on women, peace and security issues in South Sudan. She graduated Cum Laude from Alliant International University with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations.
Jane Le
IVLP Program Associate
Jane Le is the program associate for our International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) who is passionate about culture, history, and travel. She often engages in community events to encourage participation and dialogues. Before moving to San Diego, Jane was based in Orange County acting as a liaison between the Vietnamese Americans Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) and the Vietnamese community. As part of VAALA’s administrative team, she handled the organization’s daily operations and directed volunteers in logistical tasks of VAALA’s annual Viet Film Festival. Jane holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in History. She is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Public Administration at Cal-State Northridge.
