Godelieve QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL
MEP, 1989-2019
Professor Dr. Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl is a distinguished academic and former legislator whose career spans over five decades, encompassing groundbreaking research, public service, and international policymaking.
She began her academic journey studying Physical Chemistry at Leuven, Belgium (1967-1972), before conducting research at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen under the mentorship of Nobel Prize Laureate Prof. Dr. Manfred Eigen. In 1973, she earned her doctorate in Natural Sciences (Dr. phil. nat.) and subsequently worked as a research assistant at the Medical University of Hannover (MHH) from 1973 to 1978. She continued her academic career as an Academic Council Member at the University of Hildesheim Foundation from 1979 to 1989.
In 1989, she was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), where she served for three decades, making significant contributions to European policy. As a member of the Committee on Energy, Research and Industrial Policy, she held key leadership roles, including EPP Coordinator from 1994 to 1999 and Rapporteur for the Fifth Framework Research Programme. In her role on the Committee on International Trade, she served as EPP Coordinator (2016-2019) and contributed as Rapporteur for critical topics such as transatlantic relations, Brexit, and economic relations with Russia. She also participated as a substitute member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs.
From 1999 to 2007, Professor Quisthoudt-Rowohl served as a Quaestor on the Bureau of the European Parliament, further demonstrating her commitment to efficient governance. Additionally, she played an active role in international relations through delegations to Canada, the USA, and Eurolat.
Beyond her parliamentary career, Professor Quisthoudt-Rowohl has remained dedicated to academia, holding an honorary professorship at the University of Hildesheim since 2009, where she continues to contribute to research and teaching.
Her accomplishments have been recognized through numerous accolades, including the Federal Cross of Merit on the Band in 2005. Fluent in German, English, Dutch, and French, Professor Quisthoudt-Rowohl has been an active participant in fostering international dialogue and cooperation.
Widowed, she is the proud mother of four children and grandmother to thirteen grandchildren.
ANA GOMES
MEP, 2004-2019
Ana Gomes served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2004 to 2019, representing the Portuguese Socialist Party within the S&D Group. Prior to her political career, she was a diplomat, serving in the Portuguese Foreign Service from 1980. Notably, she played a key role in Timor Leste’s independence and the reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Indonesia while serving as Head of the Portuguese Interests Section and later Ambassador in Jakarta.
As an MEP, Ana Gomes championed human rights, transparency, and anti-corruption efforts. She served on committees for Foreign Affairs, Civil Liberties, Security and Defence, and Human Rights, and led EP Electoral Observation Missions to countries like Ethiopia and Myanmar. She contributed to investigations into CIA flights, tax scandals (LuxLeaks and Panama Papers), and terrorism, and was instrumental in advancing the EU Magnitsky Act.
A law graduate, Ana Gomes remains active in human rights advocacy and public commentary. In 2021, she ran for the Portuguese Presidency, becoming the most voted woman in the election’s history. She is a commentator on SIC Notícias.
Widowed, she is the proud mother of one daughter and three stepchildren, and grandmother to seven grandchildren.
Kathy MANNING
D-NC, 2021-2025
Congresswoman Kathy Manning represented North Carolina’s Sixth Congressional District, which includes Guilford and Rockingham Counties and parts of Forsyth and Caswell Counties — an area known as the Triad.
Before her election to Congress, Congresswoman Manning worked to expand access to early childhood education, college scholarships, workforce development, and assistance to those in need through nonprofit organizations including the United Way, the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, the National Conference for Community and Justice, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Bennett College. She has also worked tirelessly on major projects to revitalize downtown Greensboro and spur economic development. She was the first woman to chair the Board of the Jewish Federations of North America, one of the largest charitable, faith-based organizations in the world, which provides assistance to communities in need around the world.
As a member of the Education and Labor Committee, Congresswoman Manning was a strong advocate for early childhood education and investments in school infrastructure and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She worked to increase access to vocational and technical education and apprenticeship opportunities while making higher education more affordable. As Vice Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and a member of the Middle East, North Africa, and Global Counterterrorism Subcommittee, Congresswoman Manning was a vocal advocate for democracy and maintaining strong relationships with United States’ allies, including Israel. In addition to her leadership on the Education and Labor and Foreign Affairs Committees, she was the Co-Chair of the House Bipartisan Taskforce for Combatting Antisemitism and a member of the New Democrat Coalition. Congresswoman Manning was also recognized for her leadership to lower the cost of health care.
Congresswoman Manning graduated from Harvard University and the University of Michigan Law School before moving to Greensboro, NC in 1987, where she and her husband raised their three children. After serving as a partner at a major law firm for 15 years, she left to start her own law firm.
Dennis ROSS
R-FL, 2011-2019
Congressman Dennis Ross represented Florida’s 15th Congressional District for eight years.
Before his election to Congress, Congressman Ross initially practiced law at Holland & Knight in Lakeland, Florida for two years. He was then employed as an attorney at Walt Disney World before starting his own law firm, which grew to 27 employees. In 2000, Congressman Ross was elected to the Florida House of Representatives where he served for eight years, before being term limited. In the Florida House he served on various Committees and Chaired the House Committee on Insurance following the devastation of 4 successive hurricanes crossing the state of Florida in 2004.
While in Congress, Congressman Ross continued his work in the Financial Services arena where he served for 6 years on the House Financial Services Committee, as well as two terms on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, serving two years as the Chair of The Federal Work Force and United States Postal Service Subcommittee.
After retiring from Congress in 2019, he joined Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida as a Distinguished Professor and as the Director of the American Center for Public Leadership (ACPL). The ACPL is dedicated to the mission of advocating for increased civic engagement through the development of researched based curriculum which teaches civil discourse and promotes citizen participation. Author of “Reaching Across the Aisles” Reflections on My Experiences in Politics.
Congressman Ross is a native of Lakeland, Florida. He graduated from Auburn University in 1981 and then attended the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. In 1987 he graduated and became a Member of the Florida Bar. Congressman Ross is also a Member of the Washington DC Bar Association. He is married to Cindy Hartley Ross and they have two sons, Shane and Travis, and two grandchildren, Emmett and Charlotte.