Bio: Sherry L. Mueller joined the National Council for International Visitors (NCIV) staff as Executive Director in January 1996 and has served as President of NCIV since 2001. NCIV is comprised of individuals, program agencies, and 92 organizations throughout the United States. Each year more than 80,000 volunteers are involved in the activities of this national network. Founded in 1961, NCIV is the private sector partner of the U.S. Department of State in the implementation of the International Visitor Leadership program (IVLP).
Before coming to NCIV, Sherry worked eighteen years at the Institute of International Education in positions of increasing responsibility, the last as Director, Professional Exchange Programs. She has taught as at the School of International Service, American University from 1981-1989, pioneering the first course on U.S. Public Diplomacy. Sherry has served as an Experiment Leader to the former Soviet Union, an English Language Officer for the U.S. Department of State, a lecturer at the University of Rhode Island, and a consultant to a variety of organizations, including the U.S. Department of State, Tufts University, and the National 4-H Foundation. She earned her Ph.D. at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the evaluation of exchange programs.
Sherry is an active volunteer. She is currently a member, Board of Trustees Executive Committee of World Learning. In addition, she serves on the board of Friendship Force International, Business for Diplomatic Action, the J. William and Harriet Fulbright Center, the Public Diplomacy Council, and the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy. Sherry also serves on the SIS Dean’s Advisory Council. For fourteen years she served as an usher captain at Foundry United Methodist Church.
In 2007, American University’s School of International Service presented Sherry with the Alumna of the Year Award at the German Embassy. She received the United States Information Agency's Award for Outstanding Service in 1996. In 1995, she received the Distinguished Alumna Award from the Lake Park High School Educational Foundation. In appreciation for her active role in alumni affairs at American University, Sherry received the Alumni Recognition Award in 1990. She is also listed in Who's Who in America. Sherry lived in Brazil, where she taught English, and has traveled extensively throughout East and West Europe and Southeast Asia. Sherry is often called upon to speak about the evaluation of international exchange programs, international careers, trends in international education and exchange, and building NGO leadership. In May 2001 she served as a speaker for the U.S. Department of State in Saudi Arabia giving lectures and conducting workshops on leadership development for nonprofit organizations.
In addition, Sherry has authored various publications, research reports and op ed pieces. In the January 5, 2009 edition, The Christian Science Monitor published her op ed entitled, “Public diplomacy begins with you.” She coauthored (with Mark Overmann) a book entitled Working World: Careers in International Education, Exchange, and Development published by Georgetown University Press in October 2008. Also in 2008, in the Routledge Handbook of Public Diplomacy, Sherry contributed a chapter entitled, “The Nexus of U.S. Public Diplomacy and Citizen Diplomacy. She wrote a chapter entitled: “Professional Exchanges, Citizen Diplomacy, and Credibility” in the book America’s Dialogue with the World published by the Public Diplomacy Council in 2006. Sherry is a native of northern Illinois.
