John Dickson - Biography
John’s career combines extensive experience in international and intercultural program development, interpersonal communication and organizational vision. His areas of expertise include: Building Strategic Partnerships; Marketing; International Business; and Non-Profit Consulting.
Since 1997, John has devoted much of his energies to the work of the World Trade Centers Association. In that year he initiated and secured a license for the World Trade Center in Okinawa, where he served as the Executive Director and Director of Operations. In that capacity he recruited and trained the staff, organized programs, and negotiated working relationships with local governments and trade organizations. He was instrumental in developing an innovative and highly successful ceramic tile ‘buying-syndicate’ in the Okinawa Free Trade Zone and negotiated agreements with manufacturers in Italy and Spain.
After September 11, 2001, John envisioned and co-founded the World Trade Center in Kabul, Afghanistan. He is actively working to establish World Trade Centers in Kurdistan, Iraq; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Tulsa, Oklahoma (for Native American Indians); and in Shenyang, China where he is working with investors to develop a $500 million World Trade Center complex.
John currently serves as the Chairman of the World Trade Centers Association’s Committee on Peace and Stability Through Trade, and is deeply committed to finding ways of helping developing countries around the world through the vehicles of business and education.
John also serves as a Member of the WTCA’s Committee on Tourism and Cultural Exchange. With Chairman Nelson Pilosof, John initiated the Committee’s ‘Forum on Globalization and Cultural Identity’ in 1999. This Forum became a series held in many countries throughout the world.
Prior to his work at the WTCA, John taught and served as the Vice President of the American University Extension, Okinawa. During his tenure he reorganized the Extension replacing staff, writing new policy, creating a distance-learning system and many international student programs. He also negotiated several ‘sister-institution’ agreements between U.S. and Japanese universities
John has been active in a broad range of not-for-profit business and civic organizations. The following is a partial list:
- Chairman, China Society
- Founding council member, Native American Leadership Alliance for Reconciliation and Peace
- Vice President, Afghan Development and Reconstruction Group
- Director, Afghan Institute for Peace
- Program Director. Oregon Multicultural Education Association
- Chairman, Committee on Education for the Refugee and Immigrant Consortium of Oregon
- Chairman, Salem, Oregon Bicentennial Commission to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution
John and his wife Louise live in Annapolis, MD. They have five children. John has a Bachelor Degree in Architecture and a graduate degree in Human Relations. He holds a second degree Black belt in martial arts.
