Trina Y. Vargo

Trina Y. Vargo is the founder and President of the US-Ireland Alliance, a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating Americans about Ireland and to strengthening the relationship for future generation. Ms. Vargo created the Alliance in 1998. In that capacity, she created the George J. Mitchell Scholarships, which is recognized as one of the most prestigious scholarships for study abroad for young Americans, as well as the Oscar Wilde Awards that honor the Irish in entertainment. From 1987 until May 1998, Ms. Vargo served as Foreign Policy Adviser to Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) in Washington D.C. Working directly with political leaders in Northern Ireland, the Clinton Administration, and the Irish Government, she served as a key behind-the-scenes player in the Northern Ireland peace process. She was instrumental in negotiating a visa for Gerry Adams to visit the United States. That visit led to the historic IRA cease-fire declaration in August 1994. Ms. Vargo has also served as Irish issues advisers to the campaigns for every Democratic nominee for President since the 1988.