19th Annual International State of the State Keynote

Martine Biron holds a master’s degree in political science (Université Laval, 2022) and a bachelor’s degree in the same field from the Université du Québec à Montréal. She worked for 30 years as a journalist and political analyst. In 1993, she joined the Société Radio-Canada, where she distinguished herself as a relevant and credible female figure. She was a national reporter in Western Canada and the United States and has a keen interest in politics. She covered two federal election campaigns and five provincial campaigns and was also assigned several mandates as journalist in Washington. Since 2016, she has best been known as a political analyst in Québec City across Radio-Canada’s platforms. Effective and rigorous, she is eager to serve Québec and contribute to its economic development. It is that desire that inspired her to enter politics in 2022. Currently, she serves as Québec's Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.

Michael Link, born on February 6, 1963, in Heilbronn, serves as the Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation at the Federal Foreign Office since March 2022. He pursued studies in Russian and French at the universities of Augsburg, Lausanne, and Heidelberg following his higher education entrance qualification (Abitur) and military service. From 1995 to 2005, he worked as a parliamentary adviser and assistant in the German Bundestag for the FDP parliamentary group and Dr. Klaus Kinkel. He represented the Heilbronn constituency in the German Bundestag from 2005 to 2013 and again since 2017. Additionally, he served as a member of the Heilbronn City Council from 2009 to 2011 and from 2014 to 2023. From 2012 to 2013, he held the position of Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, with responsibilities including NATO, the OSCE, transatlantic issues, and Franco-German cooperation. From 2014 to 2017, he served as the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw. In 2020, he led the OSCE observer mission during the US general elections. Alongside his current role as Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation, he has been Deputy Chairman of the Free Democratic Party parliamentary group in the German Bundestag since September 2023, where he focuses on international policy matters.

Jeremy Mikolajczak is the Sybil Harrington Director and CEO of Phoenix Art Museum. Since joining the Museum in April 2022, Mikolajczak has amplified the Museum’s role and impact as a vital cultural resource and the largest visual arts institution in the Southwest. In addition to showcasing the work of globally relevant artists, Mikolajczak has prioritized investing in regional artists and audiences, forging new partnerships and connections through exhibitions, educational, and public programming in response to and anticipation of the needs and interests of the Greater Phoenix community. Mikolajczak’s strategic vision includes the development of programming, exhibitions, and acquisition strategies that reflect and engage the Museum’s visitors in step with Phoenix’s continued growth and evolution while raising its national profile. In 2023, Mikolajczak oversaw creation of a new executive leadership team with whom he works closely to set and implement the Museum’s institutional vision and ensure its long-term strategic and fiscal success. Along with fostering an intentional community-centric approach to engaging audiences, he has extended curatorial and grantmaking initiatives that support and elevate Arizona-based artists, invested resources to support the city’s over 40% Latinx population, including the establishment of the first full-time Spanish-language translator and ASU-LACMA fellowship, initiated the first curatorial position dedicated to community engagement, and established excellence funds to support curatorial and educational initiatives directly. Prior to joining Phoenix Art Museum, Mikolajczak served as the Jon and Linda Ender Director and CEO of the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (TMA). During his tenure at TMA, Mikolajczak led the organization through a period of exceptional growth. He oversaw a capital campaign raising more than $7 million that established and renovated the Alice Chaiten Baker Center for Art Education and the Kasser Family Wing of Latin American Art, while further powering other such strategic expansions to the TMA campus that further enabled the institution to better engage its multicultural community. Before his time with TMA, Mikolajczak served as the executive director and chief curator at the Miami Dade College’s Museum and Galleries of Art + Design, where he oversaw a network of six campus galleries and an international sculpture garden; founded the Museum of Art and Design in 2012; established the Cuban Exile Experience located in downtown Miami’s Freedom Tower; and helped to grow the institution’s annual impact to more than 100,000 visitors. Mikolajczak has also served as a scholar and educator at the University of Florida (Gainesville) and the University of Central Missouri. Mikolajczak studied studio art and art history, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from West Virginia University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he was a University Fellow. He lives in the Valley of the Sun with his wife, Ana Tello, and their two children.

Tina Waddington is the Executive Director of the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations (PCFR). She has been a PCFR member since 2016. Prior to joining PCFR in a leadership capacity, Tina was the Public Affairs committee co-chair and served on the Board of Directors. Tina started her career as a political intern at the U.S. Embassy in Rome before going into the private sector, where she helped Arizona companies expand across the nation and around the globe. Tina volunteers with multiple organizations with the goal of increasing Arizona’s prominence internationally, including Phoenix Sister Cities Business Relations Committee, USGLC Arizona Advisory Committee and the Diplomatic Corps of Arizona. Through her community engagement, Tina works to advocate for Arizona and increase economic development opportunities through international trade and diplomacy. In 2022, Tina was selected by City of Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego for the Phoenix Sister Cities Global Citizen Award. Tina received her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Italian Studies from the University of Arizona and her master’s degree in Social Justice and Human Rights with a focus on Nonprofit Management from Arizona State University. She was born in Kosovo and immigrated to the United States with her family as war refugees in 1999. Tina is committed to giving back to her country of birth and recently joined Project C.U.R.E. on a volunteer mission to provide medical supplies to hospitals and medical centers in Kosovo.

Luke Wenz serves as Deputy National Outreach Director, Western Region for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), a broad-based bipartisan coalition of over 500 businesses and NGOs that advocates for strong U.S. global leadership through development and diplomacy, alongside defense. In addition to his work with USGLC, Luke is the President of Big Stick Consulting, LLC, an Arizona-based strategic consulting firm, focusing on public relations and government affairs consulting. Luke also serves as the President of the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations and sits on the Advisory Boards of Global Ties Arizona and WorldPix, Inc. He is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Pacific Council on International Policy, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and was previously a fellow at the Shafik Gabr Foundation's "East-West: The Art of Dialogue" initiative and the African Middle Eastern Leadership Project. He also volunteers on numerous other local boards and committees in the nonprofit and business sectors and is a member of the American Enterprise Institute’s 2023 Millennium Leadership Network. Earlier in his career, Luke served on Capitol Hill and later as Deputy District Director and Campaign Manager for U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska. He also spent time living and working in Amman, Jordan and with the Kayany Foundation in Lebanon, working in refugee camps whilst studying the geopolitics of the Levant. A native Phoenician, Luke attended Nebraska Wesleyan University, studying political science and religious philosophy.

Since 2011, Sandra Watson has served as President & CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), a public- private partnership that leads statewide economic development. The unique structure of the ACA brings together leaders from private industry, academia and all three branches of state government. She also oversees the Workforce Arizona Council and Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity, a data-driven team focused on economic and labor market analysis. Watson earned an Honors Bachelor of Commerce Degree, and completed the Global Leadership Certification Program at the Thunderbird School of Management. She is a founding partner serving on the Institute for Automated Mobility Board of Directors, a current member of the National State Science and Technology Institute Board of Trustees, and a member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Arizona Board of Directors.

Born and raised right here in the Grand Canyon State, Governor Katie Hobbs has dedicated her life to listening to her community and helping solve difficult challenges for the people of Arizona. A fearless advocate for Arizona, Governor Hobbs will bring transparency and accountability to the governor’s office and deliver real results for all of us. She learned the value of service from her parents and from her faith. Starting as a kid who volunteered at church, she has spent her entire life serving – and has never stopped. She put herself through college at Northern Arizona University and graduate school at Arizona State University with a combination of work study and scholarships, and then immediately started as a social worker helping everyday Arizonans. Her first job out of college was working with youth experiencing homelessness Phoenix, and then she helped run one of the largest domestic abuse shelters in the country. In her time as a social worker and running a domestic violence shelter, Governor Hobbs saw firsthand the price Arizonans pay when their elected leaders fail to address the problems people are facing day in and day out. Frustrated with the lack of leadership, Governor Hobbs decided to run for office herself, and she used her experience as a social worker to take on Arizona’s toughest challenges. In the legislature, she worked with both parties to expand health care to over 500,000 Arizonans. She worked across the aisle to find new ways to tackle the growing opioid epidemic here in Arizona. And she worked with a Republican governor to clear the state’s rape kit backlog and put sexual assault offenders in jail. When Governor Hobbs became Secretary of State in 2018, she had more tough challenges to tackle. She promised to bring trust and accountability to the office – and she did. Governor Hobbs modernized the office, fixed broken systems, battled misinformation, and navigated the pandemic. Governor Hobbs has never backed down from a tough fight, and she is a battle-tested leader with the strength and experience to get the job done. Now Governor Hobbs is ready to deliver real results for everyday Arizonans and finally bring the leadership required to solve the most urgent issues Arizona faces today. Governor Hobbs knows firsthand that government only works well if it’s led well. For her, that means transparency and accountability. It means focusing on our common needs, not the small differences that divide us. It means bringing people together to serve our state, not tearing us apart for political gain. And it means creating opportunity for all – regardless of zip code, gender, race, or ability.

Born and raised right here in the Grand Canyon State, Governor Katie Hobbs has dedicated her life to listening to her community and helping solve difficult challenges for the people of Arizona. A fearless advocate for Arizona, Governor Hobbs will bring transparency and accountability to the governor’s office and deliver real results for all of us. She learned the value of service from her parents and from her faith. Starting as a kid who volunteered at church, she has spent her entire life serving – and has never stopped. She put herself through college at Northern Arizona University and graduate school at Arizona State University with a combination of work study and scholarships, and then immediately started as a social worker helping everyday Arizonans. Her first job out of college was working with youth experiencing homelessness Phoenix, and then she helped run one of the largest domestic abuse shelters in the country. In her time as a social worker and running a domestic violence shelter, Governor Hobbs saw firsthand the price Arizonans pay when their elected leaders fail to address the problems people are facing day in and day out. Frustrated with the lack of leadership, Governor Hobbs decided to run for office herself, and she used her experience as a social worker to take on Arizona’s toughest challenges. In the legislature, she worked with both parties to expand health care to over 500,000 Arizonans. She worked across the aisle to find new ways to tackle the growing opioid epidemic here in Arizona. And she worked with a Republican governor to clear the state’s rape kit backlog and put sexual assault offenders in jail. When Governor Hobbs became Secretary of State in 2018, she had more tough challenges to tackle. She promised to bring trust and accountability to the office – and she did. Governor Hobbs modernized the office, fixed broken systems, battled misinformation, and navigated the pandemic. Governor Hobbs has never backed down from a tough fight, and she is a battle-tested leader with the strength and experience to get the job done. Now Governor Hobbs is ready to deliver real results for everyday Arizonans and finally bring the leadership required to solve the most urgent issues Arizona faces today. Governor Hobbs knows firsthand that government only works well if it’s led well. For her, that means transparency and accountability. It means focusing on our common needs, not the small differences that divide us. It means bringing people together to serve our state, not tearing us apart for political gain. And it means creating opportunity for all – regardless of zip code, gender, race, or ability.

Sophie Hottat is a Belgian diplomat, currently serving as Consul general of Belgium in Los Angeles with jurisdiction over 13 States covering the whole West of the United States including Alaska and Hawaii. She previously served as Minister counsellor heading the Economic section and Deputy Head of Mission at the Belgian Embassy in Beijing, China, from 2020 unit 2023. She gained experience in Trade policy and economic affairs, including World Trade Organization and representing Belgium at the Trade Committee of the OCDE, while at the Headquarter in Belgium, and serving as Deputy head of mission and head of the Economic section at the Belgian Embassy in Brasilia. She also served at the Belgian Embassies in Lisbon and in Canberra. Prior to joining the diplomatic service, Ms. Hottat worked as a scientific expert at the Royal military museum in Brussels, where she curated various exhibitions on NATO, the Belgian Navy during the First World War and several sections of the permanent exhibition on contemporary conflicts, among other things. She holds a master degree in History from the University of Brussels (ULB) and a bachelor degree in History of Arts (VUB) as well as a Complementary Degree in Management (Solvay School – VUB). She is fluent in French, Dutch, English and Portuguese, is married and has two sons.

Zaib Shaikh began his mandate as Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles in December 2018. He is the Government of Canada’s senior representative in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. He comes to the posting after an extensive career in the media and entertainment industries, having worked as an actor and producer in theatre, film and television. His work includes acting roles in Deepa Mehta’s film Midnight’s Children, as well as starring in the CBC comedy series Little Mosque on the Prairie, which has been seen in more than 80 countries. Mr. Shaikh co‐produced the special Long Story Short: CBC Turns 75 and co‐wrote, directed and co‐produced the film Othello: The Tragedy of the Moor. He also co-founded and served as an artistic producer of the Whistler Theatre Project in British Columbia. From 2014 until his appointment in 2018, Mr. Shaikh was the Film Commissioner and Director of Entertainment Industries for the City of Toronto. In that role, he oversaw and grew the city’s screen, music, live festival, sporting event and tourism sectors, helping to double the value of film production in Canada’s largest city, which surpassed $2 billion in 2016. Mr. Shaikh has served as a board member for the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion and, most recently on the board of AFC (formerly the Actors Fund of Canada). He has served on juries and committees for the Gemini Awards, ACTRA Awards, Ontario Arts Council, and Theatre Ontario Youth Program as well as an ambassador for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and for Amnesty International Canada. Mr. Shaikh is married to Ms. Kirstine Stewart. They have two children.

Consul General Kenko Sone, the newly appointed Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles, brings a rich tapestry of experience and a profound dedication to fostering Japan-U.S. relations. Having embarked on his journey in the United States in 1990 through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs study and training program, with subsequent postings in Washington, D.C., SONE Kenko has now returned to Southern California, a region he holds dear, with a mission to strengthen economic ties and cultural exchanges. With a career spanning diverse roles, including economic counselor and ambassador, he is poised to leverage Japan's strengths in technology and culture to forge deeper connections. Committed to collaboration and community engagement, he envisions a future where the longstanding bonds between Japan, Southern California, and Arizona flourish, underpinning a legacy of friendship and cooperation.

Luke Wenz serves as Deputy National Outreach Director, Western Region for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), a broad-based bipartisan coalition of over 500 businesses and NGOs that advocates for strong U.S. global leadership through development and diplomacy, alongside defense. In addition to his work with USGLC, Luke is the President of Big Stick Consulting, LLC, an Arizona-based strategic consulting firm, focusing on public relations and government affairs consulting. Luke also serves as the President of the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations and sits on the Advisory Boards of Global Ties Arizona and WorldPix, Inc. He is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Pacific Council on International Policy, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and was previously a fellow at the Shafik Gabr Foundation's "East-West: The Art of Dialogue" initiative and the African Middle Eastern Leadership Project. He also volunteers on numerous other local boards and committees in the nonprofit and business sectors and is a member of the American Enterprise Institute’s 2023 Millennium Leadership Network. Earlier in his career, Luke served on Capitol Hill and later as Deputy District Director and Campaign Manager for U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska. He also spent time living and working in Amman, Jordan and with the Kayany Foundation in Lebanon, working in refugee camps whilst studying the geopolitics of the Levant. A native Phoenician, Luke attended Nebraska Wesleyan University, studying political science and religious philosophy.