Matthew Hughes is president and CEO of the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA), where he leads efforts to support and strengthen a national network of 90 nonpartisan Councils dedicated to enhancing the global awareness of communities across the United States. His work with Council leaders across the country offers a national perspective on how local organizations engage their communities in international affairs and foster public understanding of global issues.
With a background in education, nonprofit leadership, and association management, Matthew has worked across sectors to advance civic learning, global awareness, and international engagement. Before joining WACA in 2023, he served as executive director of the International Relations Council, WACA’s affiliate in Kansas City. There, he broadened public access to international affairs education through expanded programming, strengthened partnerships, and a strategic renewal of the Council’s mission and outreach. Earlier in his career, he fostered global understanding through educational initiatives and citizen diplomacy at People to People International and designed learning opportunities as a K-12 teacher.
In his current role, Matthew represents WACA in national and international settings and engages stakeholders across diplomatic, academic, philanthropic, and policy communities to promote dialogue on global issues. He moderates public forums and contributes to conversations on international affairs, organizational strategy, and the evolving role of membership-based institutions.
Matthew holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Arts degree in Global and International Studies from the University of Kansas, where his graduate research examined opportunities for global-competence education. Fluent in Spanish and conversational in Portuguese, he is a Certified Association Executive and an Association Forum Forty Under 40 recipient.
