 Since
1985, the Center for Cultural Interchange (CCI) has
been dedicated to the promotion of cultural understanding,
academic development, environmental consciousness,
and world peace. Through our many years of experience,
we have found that the experiential learning involved
in student exchange helps people appreciate other
ways of life and consequently improves their own.
Over the years, we have worked with thousands of students
and seen their lives transformed and enriched as a
result of their experiences abroad.
Based in Chicago, Illinois, CCI organizes academic
year, short term homestay, internship, work &
travel, language study, environmental and volunteer
programs in the United States and in over thirty different
countries around the world. CCI is a non-profit organization,
recognized by the United States Department of State
as an official exchange visitor program. CCI is granted
full listing by the
Council on Standards for International Educational
Travel (CSIET). CCI is also a full member
of the
Federation of International Youth Travel Organizations
(FIYTO).
 A
philosophy which supports the preservation of, and
respect for the environment is integrated into all
facets of our business. Through our work with the
Greenheart initiative -- a global movement that represents
the evolution of a natural, human and ecological consciousness
–- projects and activities such as world-wide
student exchanges, the study group Ibiza Ecologic,
the model ecological center at Casita Verde in Ibiza,
the Greenheart Music company, the Greenheart Guide
to Ibiza and Formentera and the Permaculture movement
in Ibiza are carried out. We continually strive to
encourage all of our program participants to become
involved in some type of environmentally-related volunteer
project or simply to raise their awareness about the
state of our global environment.
Large enough to implement new ideas and be recognized
as a strong, mid-size leader in the exchange industry,
CCI is still small enough to maintain the individual
attention to participants, families and schools that we
feel is so important to successful cultural exchange.
Our highly experienced national and regional office
staff support a network of area representatives and employers throughout
the United States.
| CCI
Founders |
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Emanuel Kuntzelman, President
Having grown
up with exchange students in his home and having
studied abroad, Emanuel Kuntzelman knew well the
tremendous value of student exchange. Thus, he
founded CCI in 1985 in cooperation with his parents.
The program grew from 7 students that first year
to receiving several thousand participants annually
as of 2005. Emanuel remains actively involved
in the organization while also continuing to do
public speaking and writing, and work on the Greenheart
environmental project. |
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Laura Rose, Chief Executive
Officer
Laura joined CCI in 1991, where she worked with Emanuel to build the organization's international presence and broaden its program offerings. In 2007 she was named CEO by CCI’s Board of Directors, while remaining Vice President of the board. Her duties include overseeing and supporting CCI’s staff and establishing company policy. Additionally, Laura dedicates time to spearheading new ecological projects for the Greenheart Initiative and serves on the board of the Alliance for International Educational & Cultural Exchange. In her free time, Laura enjoys theatre, snow skiing and speaking French and Spanish. |
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| CCI Board of Directors |
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Roy Curran
Roy Curran has been a member of the Board of Directors since October 2006 and previously served as advisor to the board.
Roy juggles duties as Executive Vice President, member of the Board of Directors of Oak Bank and its holding company in Chicago, Illinois as well as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of DuPage National Bank and its holding company in West Chicago. While serving as President of DuPage National Bank from 1990 to 2002, Roy served as a member of the Board of Directors of District 33 Foundation for Educational Excellence in West Chicago. |
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Peter Lueck, Ed. D
Dr. Peter Lueck has been a member of the Board of Directors since 1992. Pete currently serves as Superintendent of Schools in Lisle, Illinois and has more than 30 years of teaching and administrative experience encompassing every level of education from Kindergarten through college. He has been an active leader in the development of state level training workshops for principals and also serves as a presenter for the Illinois Administrators’ Academy. Since 2002, Pete has also been a consultant for School Exec Connect assisting school districts throughout the Midwest in their executive searches. |
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Declan Millar
Declan has been a member of the Board of Directors since October 2006. He is Managing Director of High Schools International (HSI), a Dublin, Ireland-based organization which he founded in 2003. HSI provides high school programs in Ireland, the UK, Australia and (in partnership) in Canada and the US (private schools). He is also a board member for several organizations: Pamplona Learning, a state-sponsored Spanish language school in Pamplona; Dublin International Foundation College – a university Foundation Program operating in Ireland on behalf of the University of Manchester in the UK; and ISES Inc – a private high school and university placement service based in Pennsylvania. In 1988 Declan started the first high school program for international students in Ireland – ETE. He ran this successfully until 1998 when ETE was acquired by Study Group International. From 1998 to 2003, he served as a director of the World High Schools division of Study Group International. |
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Leslie Ward Jones (Secretary)
Leslie has been a member of the Board of Directors since October 2003 and serves as Secretary. She is Manager of Executive Assistants for the San Francisco office of McKinsey &Company, the global consulting firm. Prior to her current appointment, Leslie was Research Manager of Secura Burnett LLC, an international search firm, and Director of Human Resources for Intermediary Insurance Services, Inc. After earning a Ph.D. at Cambridge, Leslie began her career as Senior Lecturer of History at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and subsequently served as Assistant Professor of History at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. More recently, Leslie served as the Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Cheryl Andersen-Sorensen Center, an early childhood cooperative and daycare center. |
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Richard Zacaroli (Treasurer)
Rich has been a member of the Board of Directors since November 2005, and serves as Treasurer. He is Vice President, Corporate Services, and Corporate Secretary for Recon/Optical, Inc., in Barrington, Illinois. Prior to his current appointment, Rich was the company’s Director of Business Development for Europe and the Middle East, based in Rome, Italy. While living in Rome, Rich sat on the Board of Directors of the American Overseas School of Rome for seven years, and served as its Chairman for four years. He served as President of the Parish Council for St. Susanna Parish in Rome for seven years. Currently, Rich also sits on the Board of Directors of the Barrington Area Community Foundation, and the Board of Directors of the CAI Employees Credit Union, and serves as its Treasurer. |
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Greenheart Programs
