.jpg "Courtney Nelson, MA photo")
Senior Director, Program And Strategic Development
Cultural Vistas
Courtney Nelson serves as Senior Director for Program and Strategic Development at Cultural Vistas, an international professional exchange non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C.
Courtney joined Cultural Vistas in 2014, previously serving as a Program Officer for the Train USA J-1 Visa Exchange Program and as Senior Program Officer for the Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program, facilitating professional internships for Fulbright Students during their time in the U.S.
As Senior Director, Courtney designs and implements innovative international exchange programs. This includes grant writing and proposal development, as well as working with partners and program stakeholders to advance cross-cultural engagement. She also leads the organization's Impact Working Group, coordinating impact evaluations across Cultural Vistas programs. Additionally, Courtney manages Cultural Vistas programming in the Indo-Pacific Region, overseeing programs for the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), Young Pacific Leaders Initiative (YPL), and Professional Fellows Program (PFP).
Before coming to Cultural Vistas, Courtney worked as a Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State for the Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State for Civil Society and Emerging Democracies, promoting civil society engagement and public diplomacy. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Conflict Resolution from American University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Texas A&M University.