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 Bethesda, MD, with their two daughters.
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.
Lillian Church Johns
Intern
Lillian Church Johns is originally from Des Moines, Iowa, but is undergoing her third year at James Madison University, located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. This fall, she is participating in her university’s Washington Semester program, which allows her to live and work in D.C. full time.
Lillian hopes to learn and engage in new experiences while interning at WITA. Her passion for international relations in an increasingly connected world drew her to this role.
Antonio Mejia Hernandez
Intern
Antonio Mejia Hernandez is a Syracuse University student majoring in International Relations and Political Science focusing on international security, diplomacy, and the Americas. Originally from Mexico, Antonio now focuses on learning contemporary Latin American affairs and what the role of the United States will be in the world in the coming future.
Antonio is a fluent Spanish speaker who hopes to increase his understanding of the trade community and how Washington, D.C. works. During this fall semester, he hopes to build connections and relationships that will allow him to grow further as an individual and one day work on political and government affairs.
Andrew Choi
Intern
Andrew Choi is originally from Los Angeles, California, and is undergoing his fourth year at the University of California, San Diego where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Business. He is participating in the University of California Washington Center program, which allows University of California students to work and live in Washington, D.C. for the fall quarter.
While interning for WITA, Andrew hopes to increase his understanding of international trade and trade policy. Outside of WITA, he is interested in the Los Angeles Dodgers, volleyball, and traveling.