Deena Mansour- UM

Deena Mansour, executive director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at University of Montana.

Perceptions of people around the world of U.S. society, culture, values and institutions impact our national security. Cultural, educational and people-to-people exchanges that create networks and influence these perceptions are central to ensuring the long-term stability of our nation and our place in the international community.

Deena Mansour, executive director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at the University of Montana, will discuss the importance of public diplomacy programs in advancing these interests and articulating America’s vision to overseas audiences, with a focus on the role of Montanans as citizen diplomats. Given the Mansfield Center’s focus on Asia, Mansour also will compare U.S. government efforts with those of the governments of Japan and China.

Mansour has been part of the leadership team at the Mansfield Center since 2009. She has raised more than $22 million in grants to support public diplomacy efforts between Montana and the world. She is experienced in diversity and inclusion, including work with Native American tribal communities and women’s leadership initiatives.

She earned her master’s in public administration at UM and a bachelor’s in international relations and economics at American University in Washington, D.C.