Audrey Sorenmann

Audrey talks about her experience with Youth Exchange and traveling to India for 275 days.

Damon Jenkins

Damon Jenkins serves as senior vice president and Twin Cities regional market president for First Independence Bank (FIB), Minnesota’s first Black-owned Minority Deposit Institution and full-service commercial bank. He has fiscal and operational responsibility for all Twin Cities retail branch offices.

In this role, Jenkins oversees sales and service initiatives for the region and ensures each branch meets and exceeds financial performance and customer service goals, as well as corporate and social responsibility objectives. He works closely with executive leadership and branch managers to develop and execute strategic plans and he develops and supervises teams of banking professionals to ensure the consistent fulfillment of customer, employee and community needs.

Jenkins has worked in the banking industry for more than 16 years. He has served in various banking roles, including vice president/district manager positions at Wells Fargo and US Bank in Minneapolis. He is an experienced financial services professional with specific expertise in banking, commercial and consumer lending, customer service, sales, branch management, strategic planning, team building and leadership.

Jenkins is active in the community and is a leader in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). His board service includes the Minneapolis Black Chamber of Commerce and as an Executive Board Member of the African Development Center, which helps African immigrants and refugees overcome barriers to financial security and success, and volunteers and supports other Twin Cities nonprofit organizations.

Patricia Shafer

Executive Director, NewGen Peacebuilders

Patricia is Senior Fellow for Peace Education at the Alliance for Peacebuilding, a Rotary Peace Fellow, Rotary Positive Peace Activator, and Global Peace Ambassador for Rotary strategic partner Institute for Economics & Peace.

In addition to her official peacebuilding work, Patricia is Chief Catalyst and Executive Director of international nonprofit Mothering Across Continents through which education projects are managed in several countries in East Africa. Previously, Patricia held senior positions in change management, communications and corporate affairs in two global Fortune 100 companies. She holds an MSc in Consulting and Coaching for Change – a joint-venture of Oxford University, UK, and HEC France; an MBA, Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management; and MA, Journalism from The Ohio State University.