Don was among 44 "emerging American leaders" selected from 225 applicants to receive the award. Award recipients this year include leaders in business, communications, politics, nonprofit groups, education and the military. Fellows for 2011 include a journalist, a senior vice president for Bank of America, the legislative counsel for the U.S. Coast Guard, the commissioner for the Port of Seattle and the chief legal counsel for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Award recipients will receive a 24-day trip to Europe. On that visit, participants will meet with counterparts in five cities and discuss a range of issues from politics to the environment with diverse groups of people from school students to ministers of foreign affairs.
The fellowship is sponsored by the German Marshall Fund of the United States. According the a spokesperson for the fund, six other Alaskans previously have been selected as fellows. They include state politicians Scott Kawasaki, Lesil McGuire, Ethan Berkowitz and -- in a different year -- Berkowitz's wife, Mara Kimmel.
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