|
 Global Citizen Circle Board Chair Sean O'Kane is a retired executive with 30+ years of experience in customer relations, operations, business development, alliance building, thought leadership, strategic management, and growth in both the private and public sectors, nationally and globally. He has held successful careers in hospitality, government, and technology. Beyond GCC, Sean serves – and has served – on several boards, including NH Public Broadcasting System, Franklin Pierce University (2013-2023), Bellwether Community Credit Union, Sail Portsmouth/Sea Challenge, and Granite United Way, Community Impact Committee. Tell us a bit about your professional background and how it led you to where you are today. I enjoyed a 24-year career in the hospitality industry. Although I never worked for Dunfey International Hotels, I first met Jack (Dunfey) in 1963 when I was 8 years old. It was the influence of the Dunfeys and my deep admiration for the family that led to my own hotel career. In my career, I was recognized as the General Manager of the Year in New Hampshire, General Manager of the Year in the U.S by the American Hotel and Lodging Association, and Travel Person of the Year in New Hampshire. I also served as the chair of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, chair of the NH Lodging and Restaurant Association and as vice chair of the NH Political Library. In 2004, I was appointed, by then-Governor Benson, as Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development. In that time, I led trade missions to 11 countries, promoting New Hampshire-based businesses to overseas opportunities and was awarded the Medal of Peace and Commerce by the U.S. Department of Commerce. In my role, I oversaw the Divisions of Economic Development, Travel and Tourism Development, State Parks and Land and Forests, such a diverse but fascinating mix of competing interests that naturally fostered wide-ranging discussions about how to best achieve smart and sustainable growth in New Hampshire. After my term, I joined the French-based energy efficiency multinational corporation, Schneider Electric. I worked with 12 dedicated countries in promoting energy-efficiency technologies for the 4 and 5-star global hotel market and served on the Advisory Board for the Center of Hospitality Research at Cornell University. I am now retired, serving on several boards, most notably with Global Citizens Circle. When did you first learn about Global Citizens Circle, and how has your engagement grown with GCC over the years? I was first introduced to GCC in 1998, after returning to New Hampshire to run a convention hotel in Manchester. I attended a few Circles at the Parker House and was completely taken in by the level and content of the dialogue they fostered. I took notice of the number of New Hampshire people who attended these Circles and offered to host a couple of Circles at the hotel in Manchester to make it more accessible for these New Hampshire residents. Some years later, I met with Eleanor Dunfey-Freiburger and learned of the efforts to reconstitute GCC in collaboration with Southern New Hampshire University. I subsequently joined as an advisor and then joined the board just a few years ago. What have been some of the most meaningful experiences you've had through GCC? It is impossible not to be in awe of the incredibly successful outreach and influence the Dunfey family has had in global conflicts and social issues. Their partners and advisors consisted of global leaders, social activists, Nobel Prize recipients, elders, and emerging leaders, all focused on open discussion and the sharing of experiences and knowledge to encourage proactive efforts to resolving conflict, to finding peace and to promoting diversity, equality and inclusion. In a world so fragmented by violence and politics, these accomplishments resonated strongly with me. What do you tell others about the benefits of supporting and participating in GCC events and activities? We have made recent efforts to re-engage with business leaders, returning to our founding days, to focus on addressing social, environmental, and conflict issues and challenges that we face today. These leaders are in the position to address issues facing us in our respective communities. While some in the political theatre have attempted to make diversity, equity and inclusion a divisive concept, the reality is businesses face major challenges that a diverse employment base brings as well as in the communities in which they operate. An openness to understanding and working with a diverse employment base and community is critical for success today. And, the fact of the matter is, a diverse community offers new ideas, insight, energy, and engagement that keeps us from becoming stagnant. This is the very definition of the successes that have brought us to where we are today. As Board Chair, what are your goals for GCC? As Board Chair, and in our current fiscal year, my objectives are to provide more board support to the remarkable work GCC Executive Director and President Theo Spanos Dunfey and Assistant Director Phoebe de Larrabeiti accomplish, sharply enhance our fundraising efforts, grow our board membership with an emphasis on targeting key business leaders, and to support our outreach in expanding our Emerging Leaders program and Global Partners. It is impossible not to be in awe of the incredibly successful outreach and influence the Dunfey family has had in global conflicts and social issues.
3 Comments
 Theo Spanos Dunfey, center left, with members of the Sisulu and Dunfey families in 1998 in South Africa, including (l to r) Linda Sisulu, South African activisits Albertina and Walter Sisulu, and Sheila Sisulu.  Global Citizens Circle President and Executive Director with GCC then Board Chair Tito Jackson By Theo Spanos Dunfey Forty years ago, a year after I graduated from college, I met the Dunfeys, a remarkable family that I came to know and love for their generosity, their hospitality, their arms wide open hugs, and their commitment to family in the very broadest sense of the word. While I did join the immediate family by marrying the son of one of the founders, I also joined the Global Citizens Circle (GCC) family, which was as nurturing, as boisterous and as full of opinions as its large Irish-American family founders. Having grown up in New Hampshire in a family with Greek immigrant origins, I was drawn to learning about the world, partly because of my Greek heritage, but also because of the insular environment of the small mill-town that limited my exposure to people different than myself. Studying global affairs was my answer to learning about the world, but becoming a part of the GCC family was the entry to a deeper and more profound understanding of the people of the world and the real challenges propelling them to take action for positive change. The Circle has always had as its mission to bring together diverse, intergenerational, and cross-sectoral groups to discuss the issues of the day openly and honestly with an ultimate goal of finding the common ground that is necessary for making change. The Circle’s past 50 years have been a testament to the kinds of actions for change Circle discussion leaders implored us to take. Peace in Northern Ireland, democracy in South Africa, understanding in the Middle East, and racial justice in the U.S. are some of the areas that GCC brought to the attention of concerned citizens and then connected them to others who could help lead movements for change. Today, there are no fewer problems to address, and, in fact, we still grapple with many of those that served as a catalyst for the founding of the Circle. War still abounds, racial tensions continue to erupt, democracy still demands our attention and listening across differences has become far more challenging. Add to that the growing mental health crisis affecting young people around the globe, a climate on the brink of irreparably changing for the worse, and the unknown impacts of artificial intelligence on every facet of our lives – and we see the absolute need for continued dialogue that brings people together, that challenges all of us to listen to diverse points of view, and that also nurtures a new generation of changemakers. Our new blog – GCC Voices – is another means for opening up conversation and learning from one another. We’ll have regular blog posts from around the world, coming from those who are a part of the GCC family. Our hope is that in sharing stories from thinkers and doers globally, we will better recognize our shared humanity and our need to work together. Join me in celebrating the stories of impact that will populate this new GCC blog. Be sure to check back each Monday, as we share voices from throughout our global community. Theo Spanos Dunfey is president and executive director of Global Citizens Circle. She has over 30 years of global experience in non-profits, higher education, and international affairs. Dunfey is a graduate of the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University, where she earned a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy, concentrating on American diplomatic history, international communication, and international development. It was during her studies at the Fletcher School that she first began volunteering with Global Citizens Circle’s Boston programs. She also earned a bachelor’s in international relations and French at Brown University. With a primary focus on global issues, Dunfey taught international development at the University of New England, led student groups on global citizenship service-learning trips abroad, directed the World Affairs Council of Maine, and produced numerous global editorial conferences for The WorldPaper before taking the helm at Global Citizens Circle. |
GCC Voices
Archives
December 2024
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed