“Never underestimate the impact of grassroots, citizen-driven diplomacy. The intentional engagement of citizen diplomats across borders and cultures is a powerful approach to generating economic stability, growing understanding, and cultivating peace. The 'one handshake at a time' method used in public diplomacy reliably forges durable, multi-generational relationships, often yielding outsized returns on investment.”

Bethany Bennick

Bethany Bennick is a proud first-generation Arizonan. Born and raised in Cave Creek, Bethany also studied, lived, and worked in Switzerland, France, and California.

She returned to Arizona because of the untapped opportunity to introduce the world to Arizona and vice versa.

For the next 5 years, Bethany oversaw public diplomacy programs at both Phoenix Sister Cities and Global Ties Arizona, curating the total exchange of 469 citizen diplomats from over 70 countries, including 35 delegations with the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program. For many, it was their first encounter with Arizona.

Bethany is now the Senior Manager of Domestic & International Engagement with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council where she actively supports the region's international trade promotion and FDI strategy.