Heidi Knuff
Executive Director
Heidi Knuff has over 20 years of experience working in international exchange and diplomacy. Prior to serving as Executive Director of SDDC, she served as SDDC’s Director of Custom Programs and Services. She has also held positions at American Councils for International Education, the University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, the MIT Center for International Studies, and Pacific Intercultural Exchange. Heidi is a native of San Diego and has a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of San Diego. She lives in Kensington with her husband, Ryan, and her children, Luca and Pearl.
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.
Lulu Bonning
Program & Communications Manager
Lulu’s passion for the diplomatic abilities of community empowerment lends itself to her role as Program & Communications Manager. Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, she is an avid traveler who appreciates the richness that cultural experience offer to personal and professional growth. Lulu has held several roles with the San Diego Diplomacy Council, starting as a program intern, before joining staff as a program associate, and program officer. In her current role, Lulu enjoys assisting with San Diego Diplomacy Council’s strategic partnerships, overseeing communications, and managing various IVLP and custom programs. Lulu graduated with a degree in International Studies from RMIT University in 2019. In 2021, Lulu completed her Honors thesis, exploring how Smart City strategies can foster empowerment-based approaches within San Diego.
Julia Masias
Youth Program Associate
Julia has a passion for international affairs and youth development which has led her to her role as Youth Program Associate. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from San Diego State University where she played on the Division I Women’s Lacrosse Team, and a Master’s Degree in Political Science with a focus in Security and Diplomacy from Tel Aviv University. Julia was a former San Diego Diplomacy Council intern and is part of the Executive Board for the Women’s Box Lacrosse Association and has spent nine years as a youth lacrosse coach in the South Bay, where she is focusing her efforts on advocating for the expansion and accessibility of lacrosse in San Diego.
Adrianna Borja
Program Associate
Adrianna is our newest Program Associate. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Global Studies from California State University Channel Islands where she was the president of the Triathlon Team and studied European Politics and Studio Art in Florence, Italy for a year. Adrianna holds a Master’s degree focusing in International Relations and Cultural Diplomacy which she earned in Berlin, Germany. Adrianna recently completed her thesis, exploring new domestic policies to tackle human rights abuses by multinational corporations with case studies on water privatization and chemical spills; and how this can improve the quality of life for people in the Global South.
