The Inter-American Foundation is governed by a nine-person Board of Directors appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Six members of the board are drawn from the private sector and three from federal agencies concerned with Inter-American affairs. The Board appoints a president who serves as the Inter-American Foundation's chief executive officer.
John P. Salazar joined the IAF board in 2006 and currently serves as chair. He is an attorney in Albuquerque with Rodey, Dickason, Sloan, Akin & Robb where he specializes in real estate and land use, chairs the business department and is a member of the firm’s executive committee. His community service includes the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, the University of New Mexico Alumni Association, and the boards of the Albuquerque Economic Forum, the Albuquerque Community Foundation and the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce. He has a J.D. from Stanford University and a B.A. from the University of New Mexico.
Thomas J. Dodd serves as the board vice chair. Previously, he was U.S. ambassador to Costa Rica and to Uruguay. He teaches Latin American history and diplomacy at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he previously directed the graduate program in Latin American studies, and has been an adjunct professor at American University and the George Washington University. He has a Ph.D. and an M.A. from George Washington University and a B.S. from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
Kay K. Arnold has served on the IAF board since 1999, including as chair (2000) and vice chair (2001). She is vice president of public affairs for the Entergy Corporation. She was director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, a state cabinet-level position and founding director of the Arkansas Nature Conservancy. She chairs the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Society and the Arkansas Women’s Forum; and serves on the boards of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and St. Vincent Development Foundation and on the President’s Council of the National Wildlife Federation. She has a J.D., M.A and B.A. from the University of Arkansas.
Jack C. Vaughn Jr. served as the board’s vice chair from 2006 to 2009. He has worked in the petroleum industry for 25 years, most recently as managing director of Vaughn Petroleum, and at the U.S. Department of Energy in the Office of International Affairs. He was president of the Dallas Council on World Affairs, chairs the advisory board of the John G. Tower Center for Political Studies at Southern Methodist University, and serves on the boards of the Baylor University Medical Research Foundation, the University of Texas’ Southwestern Medical Foundation and the Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti. He holds an M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University and a B.B.A from University of Texas at Austin.
Roger W. Wallace
has served on the IAF’s board since October 2004, including as chair until 2009. He is vice president for government affairs at Pioneer Natural Resources Company, an independent oil and gas company in Irving, Texas. Past positions include deputy undersecretary for international trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce; minister-counselor for commercial affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City; and protocol officer for the U.S. Department of State. He is co-chair of the advisory board to the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute and serves on the board of the Atlantic Council and on the Council on Foreign Relations. He has an M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a B.A. from Washington and Lee University.