World Affairs Councils of America Welcomes Matthew Hughes as New President & CEO!

Matthew Hughes assumed his role as President and CEO of WACA on January 17, 2023. “We are thrilled to welcome Matthew Hughes, an accomplished nonprofit leader with an exciting vision for WACA’s future and the credentials to achieve it. Matthew’s proven record of building organizational capacity, creating innovative programs and partnerships, and delivering results is exactly what WACA needs in our next chapter.

His experience leading a WACA Council for the past six and a half years and his previous work managing global education programs for People to People International have prepared Matthew well for this role,” stated WACA Board Chairman Glenn Creamer.

Since 2016, Hughes has served as Executive Director of the International Relations Council (IRC) in Kansas City, where he built a robust offering of programs and events to increase awareness of global affairs. Among the many highlights of his tenure at the IRC, Hughes oversaw the organization’s expansion, introduced innovative offerings, broadened membership and collaborative partnerships, and diversified its funding sources. Hughes said he is eager to take on the new challenges and opportunities of leading WACA. “More than ever, the educational mission of World Affairs Councils is critical for community cohesion, an informed national electorate, and global cooperation. I look forward to partnering with and supporting the more than 90 World Affairs Councils across the country to achieve our shared vision and mission,” Hughes stated.

Kim McCleary Blue, President & CEO of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall and a WACA Board member, led the Board’s CEO search committee in collaboration with the executive search firm LeaderFit. “It was a privilege to lead the WACA search committee. In our extensive national search, we spoke with many outstanding individuals, both from within the WACA Council network and from outside. We are confident that we have made an excellent choice in Matthew as our next CEO. He is a collaborative and inclusive leader with exceptional communication and project management skills. He is deeply mission-driven, strategic, and results-oriented. We look forward to supporting Matthew in this role.”