Staff

Shawn’s career and lived experience makes her an ideal leader for Global Santa Fe. She is a two-time exchange student and has dedicated her more than 25-year career to the non-profit sector. She says that “her greatest joy is to engage across cultures and build meaningful relationships.” Not only does she have the passion for the mission of Global Santa Fe, but she also has the experience necessary to help the organization reach the next level. Working for international organizations, Shawn has traveled extensively and built a global network. As a resident of Lamy, she has many local relationships fostered during her prior tenure as Executive Director for the International Folk Art Market. McQueen is a passionate seeker of global understanding and a lifelong learner. In 2019, Shawn attended Oxford University’s Säid Business School earning her MBA. e: shawn@globalsantafe.org

Susan Jay joined the Santa Fe Council on International Relations team in 2008, serving as Office Manager, while also coordinating the promotion and presentation of CIR’s many educational programs.  She has coordinated membership activities and offers support to the Board of Directors and the IVLP as needed. Susan’s background is in education, publishing, and the arts. Before joining the CIR team, Susan worked with the New Mexico Rural Revitalization Initiative, traveling around the state of New Mexico to help facilitate focus groups with at-risk rural school districts and accompanying rural superintendents on a tour of South Australia’s community schools. Susan has served as Administrative Director for Hands On Community Art, Golden Hummingbird, Inc., and the Terma Company where she also contributed her design, teaching and editorial skills. As an artist and expressive arts facilitator, she has participated in many Santa Fe arts programs including Girls Inc., Artworks, and the Georgia O’Keeffe Art and Leadership for Girls. Since 1990, Susan has exhibited her work in a variety of Southwest galleries. Before moving to Santa Fe, Susan lived in Northern California where she served as Financial Manager of Crown Point Press, a fine art publisher. She received her BA in Fine Arts with a specialization in Graphic Design and French from UCLA; and continued studies in Art History and Expressive Arts at UC Berkeley and JFK University in Orinda, CA.

Christian Finke joined Global Santa Fe as a Program Officer in July 2022. Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Christian graduated summa cum laude from the University of New Mexico with a double major in International Studies and Political Science. Christian lived abroad as an exchange student in Estonia and Spain and as a Fulbright Scholar in Malaysian Borneo. He worked in Washington, D.C. as an intern for U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich and for the State Department’s Bureau of Human Rights. In Washington, Christian also worked as a Program Associate for the global nonprofit the International Research and Exchange Board (IREX). In his free time, Christian enjoys fly fishing near Questa, New Mexico, learning new languages, and making new friends and connections from around the world.

James Escobedo is currently a student at University of New Mexico studying Political Science, Economics, and Arabic. He is passionate about global development, and hopes to help create and implement evidence-based practical solutions to help end issues such as poverty and bigotry. A lifelong New Mexican, he is eager to help foster international relations right here in Santa Fe.

Molly has three decades of experience in non-profit programming, management, and development. She has implemented intergenerational literacy programs for underserved children, youth, and families in New Orleans, San Diego, and South Africa. Molly is a certified personal and career coach who is passionate about cultivating community, encouraging intercultural understanding and personal growth, and advancing a more peaceful world.

Jim retired in March 2021 as president of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, a position he held for two decades; he is now its president emeritus. He served as Interim Executive Director of the Santa Fe Council on International Relations for seven months ending in March 2022 and is currently a member of the Board and chair of programs. Jim’s interest in travel and global affairs grew from his years spent in Tunisia where he attended a French lycée. He is a graduate of Washington and Lee University and earned his MA in Foreign Affairs at the University of Virginia with a focus on international law and Middle East politics. Jim co-hosts McCuistion/Perspectives, a public affairs program, on KERA-Dallas. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Honorary Consul for the Kingdom of Morocco.

Tessa Davis joined Global Santa Fe as a Program Consultant in April 2023. She is a senior level international community development professional bringing to the table over 15 years of progressive leadership experience in youth centered, sustainable program design alongside organizations operating in under-served contexts in the global south and the United States. Tessa is an educator, world traveler, certified project management professional and Returned Peace Corps volunteer (Uganda) with a Bachelors in Education, K-8 and a Masters Degree in Education, Health Promotion and International Development from University College London. Throughout her career, Tessa has had the joy of witnessing firsthand time and again, the immeasurable value and ripple effect that comes when young people have access to high-quality learning experiences in a supportive and empowering environment where invested adults serve as protectors and advocates. She carries these countless stories of victory with her, and they continually light a fire within her to keep at this important work. e: tessa@globalsantafe.org