Leroy R. Allala is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Sister Cities International.  Founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, Sister Cities International serves as the national organization overseeing sister city partnerships in over 1,800 communities in 138 countries.  Sister Cities International’s mission is to promote peace and understanding through programs and projects focusing on arts and culture, youth and education, economic and sustainable development, and humanitarian assistance.

Mr. Allala is a globally recognized civic, business and community leader with a depth of executive leadership and expertise in corporate, international and governmental relations, board development and program management.

Prior to joining Sister Cities International, Mr. Allala served as Executive Vice President of World Business Chicago, the economic development engine for the city of Chicago.  In addition, he served as Executive Director of Chicago Sister Cities International, where he was a member of the city of Chicago’s global strategy team.  Mr. Allala worked under three Chicago mayors where he helped build the nation’s largest sister city program with 29 sister city partnerships and over 600 Mayoral appointed volunteers.

From 1994 to 2008, Mr. Allala served as Executive Director of the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Mid-America Chapter, a bi-national business association with offices in 19 cities whose mission is to promote trade and investment in both the United States and Mexico.

Mr. Allala previously served as a senior consultant to The Mid-America Committee for International Business and Government Cooperation, Inc., a Chicago-based international organization whose membership comprises the CEO’s of leading multinational corporations.

Mr. Allala earned his B.A. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He is a fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago and the BMW Foundation.