Rachel is currently in her senior year at Thunderbird School of Global Management, completing a Bachelor’s of Global Management with a Certificate in International Studies. She was raised in Hickory, North Carolina, but upon moving to the Phoenix metro area to continue her education, realized how much she loved the valley. Rachel previously worked with Phoenix Sister Cities as an intern, where she cultivated a strong passion for community building and international relations. Additionally, her previous internship at a government affairs firm provided her with a comprehensive understanding of local, state, and federal government operations and their impact on business decisions. Rachel has an interest in cross-cultural communication, international historical perspectives, land conservation, and public policy.
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Sally Chen
Sally Chen currently serves as vice president at PWE Group, an engineering consulting and construction management company. She is also an attorney practicing immigration law at S L Chen & Associates PLC, serving as a consultant to entrepreneurs and businesses abroad who wish to establish or expand their business in the U.S. She has served as the managing attorney at a recognized business immigration law firm in Denver, Colorado and later headed the immigration law practice of a business law firm in Southern California. In addition, she has extensive experiences in nonimmigrant and immigrant visa processing with a focus on temporary work visas, extraordinary ability foreign nationals, executive and manager transferees and investor visas. She has successfully represented a wide range of business clients in various fields including Hi‐Tech, Engineering, Consulting, Accounting, Finance, Banking, Insurance, Medical, Biotechnology, Legal, Architecture, Construction, Entertainment, Import and Export,
and Higher Education Institutions.
Sally received a Master of Law degree in transnational business practice from McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific, and a Bachelor of Law degree from the National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan. Prior to establishing her practice in the U.S., she has worked as a trial attorney in Taiwan in a wide variety of areas such as civil, real estate, intellectual property, employment, criminal, and labor law matters.
Sally has been serving on the Board of Chinese Linguistic School of Phoenix since 2014 as Bylaw Director, Chairwoman, and Advisor. She is an attorney licensed in both the U.S. and Taiwan, and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She has been living with her family in the Phoenix area since 2006.
Sandy Casement
Sandy Pho Casement is a Government Relations Advisor at Freeport-McMoRan where she manages Freeport’s geopolitical risk management function. She also provides analysis on federal and international policies impacting the mining industry. Prior to joining Freeport, Sandy spent 8 years as a senior policy analyst focused on China and US policy in Asia. Her research and analysis has been featured in NPR, CNN, The National Interest, and Real Clear World. Following her time in DC, Sandy rode out the pandemic at the Salt Lake City Mayor’s office as a Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff. She ended her time in SLC as a Senior Innovation Consultant responsible for developing and executing strategies that foster innovation and service process improvements. Sandy is a proud product of Arizona’s public school system and currently lives in Phoenix where she was born and raised.
Jessica Moran
Jessica Moran is a skilled public relations leader and corporate communications specialist whose mission is to influence hearts and minds for positive change.
For close to two decades as in-house public relations or external agency counsel, Jessica has worked with a range of clients/customers in the health, healthcare and medical industries to tell their stories in top-tier and trade media, manage reputational issues, and increase executive visibility and thought leadership.
Currently, Jessica is a senior external affairs communicator (VP) for W. L. Gore & Associates, a global materials science company commonly known for its popular GORE-TEX waterproof fabrics. She leads issue/crisis communications and media relations for the company’s medical manufacturing operations.
Jessica joined Gore four years ago from Edelman, the top public relations agency, where she served as a senior health media strategist in the agency’s healthcare practice. She specialized in pharma, medical technology, life sciences and consumer/lifestyle health with clients such as Medtronic, McKinsey Health, Astellas Pharma, Alzheimer’s Association, and the American Heart Association.
As in-house PR counsel, Jessica spent seven years with YMCA of the USA as a public relations manager/specialist, where she led national media outreach for health and wellness, nutrition and education initiatives, as well as executive visibility. She also managed an anti-hunger initiative with the Walmart Foundation for five consecutive years, generating national media to lift local recruitment of participants.
Early in her career, Jessica, a Chicago native, worked as a reporter and editor for the Chicago Crusader and as a freelance journalist for the Chicago Defender.
Passionate about community and industry engagement, Jessica is a member of industry organizations including the Public Relations Society of America and ColorComm.
Jessica holds an M.A. in Journalism from Columbia College Chicago and a B.A. in English from Chicago State University. She lives in Phoenix with her husband Ramon and their sons.
Josie Ha
Josie is a sophomore at Thunderbird School of Global Management, pursuing a major in International Trade. She is passionate about learning about different cultures and working with people from diverse backgrounds. So, she gets involved in many international clubs and volunteering activities. In her free time, Josie enjoys practicing yoga, going hiking, and watching movies. She is very excited about the opportunity to learn more about international relations and various aspects from different Sister Cities!
Aastha Patel
Aastha is a senior at Arizona State University, pursuing a major in Economics with a pre-law focus. She has previously interned at the Maricopa County Superior Court, where she supported the Commissioner and judicial staff on various court-related functions.
On campus, she serves as a research fellow at the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict, reflecting her interest in the intersection of religion and politics, and is a member of the Student Economics Association. Aastha is particularly drawn to this role as it offers an opportunity to deepen her understanding of foreign relations and apply this knowledge within the City of Phoenix. In her free time, she enjoys practicing calligraphy, watching Bollywood movies, and spending time with her friends.
Cindy Braun
Cindy Braun was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived in Los Angeles before recently relocating to the metro area. Cindy’s primary emphasis has been in the Arts, Entertainment and Non-Profit sector, specializing in development, events, operations, community relations and strategic partnerships. She recently joined Phoenix Sister Cities as Events and Membership Coordinator, where she will focus on increasing membership as well as organizing events specifically geared towards our sister cities.
Before moving to Arizona, Cindy was Administrative Director for Everybody Dance LA! Prior to that, Cindy was Director, Membership, Operations and External Relations for the Paley Center for Media, where she launched a variety of membership initiatives and strategic community partnerships resulting in a 62% increase in revenue; drove rental sales which resulted in a 32% rise in new clients and 44% in profits.
Prior to joining the Paley Center, Cindy was AVP, Membership Group where she was responsible for creating appropriate strategies, incentives and programs for recruiting and retaining members. She organized and executed programs and special events for the Board of Directors and top-earning members. She supervised a department of six, as well as overseeing the Group staff of 45. Additionally, Cindy recruited student interns for five national Membership offices, acting as mentor to aide and foster career development. Cindy began her career in advertising and promotions working for the largest promoter in Southern California.
Cindy received her Associate of Arts degree from SD Mesa College. Her passions include music, travel, reading and gardening.
Chenchen Zhang
Chenchen Zhang, originally from China, recently earned a master’s degree in public administration from Arizona State University. Currently, she works part-time as a Mandarin teacher at a public school in Phoenix. With a background in marketing from China, she has a passion for traveling, having lived in three countries and over seven cities in the past decade.
In addition to her diverse experiences, Chenchen has recently published a white paper on housing policy and zoning regulations for neurodivergent individuals, a project she undertook as a fellow with a non-profit organization. Her extensive volunteering with NGOs and animal shelters has deepened her commitment to public service. Looking ahead, she is eager to further contribute to non-profit organizations and actively engage with the community.
Janella San Juan
Janella San Juan is a Junior at Arizona State University, pursuing a degree in Human Systems Engineering. She is passionate about fostering cultural understanding and bringing people together. As an active member of Sigma Kappa, Janella contributes to event planning, raises funds for various philanthropies, and volunteers extensively, with a notable focus on supporting the Alzheimer’s Foundation. She is also excited to expand her knowledge in international relations and connect with new people. Outside of her academic and philanthropic commitments, she manages her small jewelry business, runs long-distance, and enjoys visiting coffee shops with friends.
Yana Karapetyan
Yana is a senior at Arizona State University, pursuing concurrent degrees in Political Science and Psychology. Yana is passionate about public service, civic engagement, and international relations. She has previously interned with the U.S. Congress, the International Rescue Committee, a wealth management firm, and government affairs firms. In her role with the International Rescue Committee, Yana developed and oversaw a youth coalition group in which she worked with youth from all parts of the world and focused on successfully connecting and building communities. Through her work with the International Rescue Committee, she gained experience in organizing local relief efforts for international conflicts and disasters, humanitarian work, and in writing grant proposals. On campus, Yana has worked as a student-athlete tutor, working directly with student-athletes for over two years and providing tutoring for Economics, Computer Science, Psychology, and English courses. In her free time, Yana enjoys volunteering at non-profits and is passionate about preserving our national parks.