Margaret Clark
Coordinator, Special Projects

Margaret was born and raised in Normal, IL, but soon realized there was more world to explore on the other side of the corn fields. As a freshman in high school she had the opportunity to attend the International School of Kenya, in Nairobi where she first gained her interest in international education. She holds a Bachelor's degree in German Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MA in International Policy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. As an undergraduate, Margaret completed her junior year in Freiburg at the Albert-Ludwigs University. During her master's studies, she completed two internships in Germany; the first at the Economic Policy Division of the U.S. Embassy in Bonn as a part of the US Department of State Student Internship Program and the second at the Bundestag Internship Program. In 1998, she joined the CDS team. In her free time Margaret enjoys reading and cooking.

Jacqueline von Saldern
European Representative

Jacqueline has a German-American background, was born and raised in New York, and dedicated most of her professional career to transatlantic relations. She has senior level experience managing international exchange programs focused on international career training for young professionals. After completing her Masters in Art History and American Studies in Bonn and Munich Jacqueline joined the Robert Bosch Foundation in 1987. Over ten years she managed the Bosch Fellowship Program thus cooperating closely with CDS the program's representative in the USA. In 1998 she became Associate Director of the American Academy in Berlin helping launch this new institution during its founding year. From 2000 on she started her own business as non-profit consultant for international communications. Commissioned by the US Embassy in Berlin she played a major role in establishing the New Traditions Network in its initial phase. As interim manager of the Tönissteiner Kreis, one of the leading German professional exchange networks she oversaw its reorientation and re-design helping develop a new profile and structured program within the international non-profit community. Most recently Jacqueline consulted the Hertie School of Governance, a new professional school for public policy procuring quality internships for graduate students in international organizations.

Based in Berlin as consultant she started working for CDS in 2004 helping identify internships in Germany for the Summer Internship Program (SIP). In September 2005 she was then appointed European Representative. In this function she assists the New York team develop new projects in Europe, coordinate ongoing European programs, expand its partner network and represent CDS at events, conferences, net-work meetings and alumni reunions.

Emily Schmidt
Washington, D.C. Representative
Emily’s experience with international exchange includes a high school year in France, two years of academic study in Germany, and travels in Europe, South America, and the Middle East.  She holds a Bachelor’s degree in French Studies and German Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in International Industrial Management from the University of Esslingen. Emily began her career at CDS International as an Assistant Program Officer for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange and subsequently spent many years in marketing, strategic planning, and human resources roles for companies including Deloitte & Touche and Société Générale. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking and travel.

Peggy Wunderwald-Jensen
Midwest Representative
Peggy was born and raised in Saxony in the Eastern part of a divided Germany. Her childhood dreams to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris were dashed at the wall and so it was only natural that she wanted to "catch up" and see the world when she started college in 1989. She earned her undergraduate degree in Foreign Language Teaching and her graduate degree in European Studies, both at the University of Leipzig. During that time, she studied in France, Italy, Belgium and Canada, and also completed an internship with the DAAD in Bonn and the Representation of Saxony to the European Union in Brussels. It was also in the 90s that she discovered her enthusiasm to teach German as a Foreign Language. This became her primary career path both in Germany where she taught at the Herder Institute in Leipzig and after she moved to the US in 2000. Peggy joined CDS in 2002 as Midwest Representative. Based in Ann Arbor, she is primarily responsible for the partnership program between CDS and the University of Michigan's German Department. She also assists the New York team to spread the word about CDS, develop and expand its partner network with the academic and business community in the Midwest, and represent CDS at conferences, study and work abroad fairs, network meetings and alumni reunions.