Kenneth I. Levinson
Chief Executive Officer
Ken Levinson serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Washington International Trade Association (WITA) and Washington International Trade Foundation.
WITA is the world’s largest non-profit, non-partisan membership organization dedicated to providing a neutral forum for the open and robust discussion of international trade policy and economic issues. WITA and its affiliated groups have over 10,000 members, and more than 160 corporate sponsors and group memberships.
Ken has over 30 years of experience working with companies, associations, NGOs and governments, advocating innovative solutions to complex public policy challenges. Over the years, Ken has worked with clients in the technology, telecommunications, biopharmaceuticals, agriculture and food, financial services, retail, apparel, energy, and consumer products sectors.
Previously, Ken served as Senior Director for Global Government Affairs for AstraZeneca. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, Ken served as Senior Vice President and COO at the Washington, DC consulting firm of Fontheim International. Ken joined Fontheim after spending six years on the staff of U.S. Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV. Ken advised the Senator on foreign policy and national security matters, and served as the Senator’s chief advisor on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, dealing with issues related to international trade and tax policy.
Ken received his Master’s Degree from New York University after doing his undergraduate work at the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst. Ken also spent a year studying at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Ken and his wife, The Reverend Donna Marsh, live in River Forest, IL.
202-312-1600 (Office)
Diego Añez
Diego AñezWITA Academy Executive Director
WITA Managing Director
Diego Añez is the Managing Director of the Washington International Trade Association (WITA) and the Executive Director of the WITA Academy. He is responsible for management of operations, policy programs, strategic engagements and member services for the organization’s 5000+ members and corporate sponsors across all 50 states and over 100 countries worldwide. He provides direction, with the WITA CEO and Board of Directors, to WITA’s portfolio of programming and capstone events, such as the Washington International Trade Conference and Annual Dinner.
Diego also spearheads the organization’s WITA Academy – a program of the Washington International Trade Foundation which strives to make trade education and career opportunities in international trade accessible to communities in the United States and around the world. The mission of the WITA Academy is to make the trade community itself more diverse and inclusive.
Diego is originally from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia and was raised in Mobile, Alabama. Diego graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs with concentrations in International Political Economy and Comparative Politics.
202-312-1600 (Office)
Maya Ghazi
Program Manager
Maya Ghazi is the Program Manager at the Washington International Trade Association (WITA). She joined WITA in October 2022 as the WITA Academy Fellow. Her enthusiasm and positive outlook will continue to foster a collaborative and supportive environment reflective of WITA’s mission.
She has experience in the field of Arabic-English translation. She has also taught in the fields of English, Math and Science at Al-Wataniah Syrian National School in Damascus, Syria.
Maya is fluent in both Arabic and English; and has professional working proficiency in French. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Damascus University. She grew up spending time between both Damascus, Syria and Dassel, Minnesota.
Rafael Augusto Centeno
WITA Academy Fellow
Rafael Augusto is the 2024-25 WITA Academy Fellow. He is a graduate from Florida International University – Honors College, where he obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business. His main interests include gaining practical experience and insights into the role of international trade in the U.S. economy and economic development in Latin America.
During his studies at the College of the Florida Keys and Florida International University, Rafael focused his studies in the topics such as international business management, international trade, and small business development.
Raised in Venezuela and a former Rotary International exchange student in Germany, he is fluent in Spanish and has advanced knowledge of German. In the future, Rafael hopes to improve his intercultural literacy skills and contribute to the improvement of our evolving globalized world.
Matthew Murphy
WITA Intern
Matthew Murphy is a Spring 2025 intern with the Washington International Trade Association. He is a recent graduate from Oklahoma State University, where he majored in International Business and Marketing with a minor in Geography. During his time in college, he had the opportunity to participate in short term study abroad programs in Prague and Lisbon. These experiences helped grow his love for traveling and develop an interest in working on an international scale.
Matthew is excited to have the opportunity to learn about international trade policy in Washington DC and join a team built on facilitating discussions around trade. He is excited for the new experiences he will gain during the internship program.
Saba Wali
WITA Intern
Saba Wali is a Spring 2025 intern with the Washington International Trade Association. Originally from San Diego, California, she is a third year undergraduate student at the California State University – San Marcos where she is majoring in Political Science with a Global Concentration and Computer Science. Being born abroad in Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, she has experienced international relations first-hand and it has broadened her interest in working on an international scale.
Saba is excited to learn about and experience the international trade sphere straight in D.C., and she looks forward to supporting WITA’s mission on providing education for the public on international trade policy.
Emely Alonso
WITA Intern
Emely Alonso is a junior at Florida International University (FIU), majoring in International Relations with a minor in Professional Sales. This spring, she is interning with the Washington International Trade Association (WITA), where she is exploring the complexities of global trade and policy. A dedicated advocate for women’s empowerment, Emely is actively involved in Empowering Women in Law at her university, pursuing her ambition to create meaningful change in both international relations and the legal profession.
Her interest in the filed rose from a very early age after migration with her family from Cuba to the Canary Islands in Spain, and eventually settling in Miami.
Rider Sulikowski
WITA Intern
Rider Sulikowski is a Spring 2025 Intern at the Washington International Trade Association. Born and raised in Redondo Beach, California, he currently attends Syracuse University in New York pursuing a degree in economics. Growing up halfway between the Port and City of Los Angeles, he was always fascinated by the combination of rich cultural diversity and socioeconomic stratification; a combination facilitated by global trade. His interest is furthered through classes at Syracuse University, particularly in economic development and sustainability, and how trade policy facilitates these processes.
Outside of working for Starbucks, a company that relies on the international trade of coffee, he is eager to learn more about international trade policy and procedure through his time at WITA, and looks forward to both furthering WITA’s mission and forging meaningful professional connections.