Geri Critchley

Geri Critchley's life goal has always been to create a more peaceful world through cross cultural understanding which began as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, W Africa. Geri founded the Rochester International Center (Mayo Clinic) where 10,000 citizens participated in 12 programs in the first year to utilize the untapped int'l resources in the community for cross cultural understanding. As a cross cultural specialist at the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture,  Geri organized the first cross cultural trainers conference in Canada. In addition, she escorted international visitors for the US State Dept. and was Program Director at Crossroads Int’l Student Center, University of Chicago.

Engagement with the world and local communities has been high priority evidenced by the many NGOs Geri works with including Operation Respect, Nat'l Peace Corps Assn, Special Olympics, SIETAR, Atlas Corps, Irish American Partnership, Niall Mellon Fd, Project Children, Africa Peace Service Corps, Nyumbani/Kenya, Global Camps Africa, CorpsAfrica, Black Hills S Dakota Initiative, Women’s Earth Alliance, Swim for Life,  Harris Wofford documentary, Teilhard de Chardin Project and WL/EIL among others.

Geri's interest in developing human capacity resulted in creating International Career Roundtables at TranCentury - mentoring students on careers/internships and later connecting individuals with int'l development positions as Director of Recruitment at MSI

Ireland has held a special place for Geri who directed the Irish American Partnership in Dublin and carried JFK's eternal flame back to his family homestead in Ireland. She was her children's first study abroad leader on the Dingle Peninsula and participated in Project Children in N Ireland. She studied James Joyce at University College Dublin, reads Ulysses on Bloomsday, and recently organized a family genealogy journey in Ireland. Exploring the world has also been a life-long interest, and she has led art tours and student groups abroad.

Geri's affiliation and positions with EIL/WL extend over decades including Editorial Advisory Board of EIL founder Donald Watt’s book, Letters to the Founder, Director EIL/DC, Director EIL/Canada, EIL Quebec Rep, EIL Leader Mexico, EIL Parent Ecuador & France, SIT Parent Samoa, host of many DC/EIL Ambassador receptions, organizer of a Peace Corps/EIL event with Sargent Shriver as "MC" with 1,000 attendees on the DC Mall to celebrate the 1960s pioneering collaboration, committee member of WL Global Citizen Award events among many others.