Kristin Allen

Kristin has led Global Ties Arizona since February 2021, and has worked across international spaces for more than 17 years. Her experience spans language teaching abroad, international real estate development, cross-border business and foundation relations, and international higher education.

Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kristin embarked on her global journey in 2007, living and working first in Nicaragua and then Spain for nearly six years. Kristin is bilingual in Spanish, and holds Bachelor’s (Westminster College, PA) and Master’s (New York University) degrees in Spanish & Latin American Languages & Cultural Studies. In 2013, Kristin returned to the States from Spain, spending a year in Washington D.C. with an international business consulting firm, before relocating to Phoenix, Arizona in 2014 - when she fell in love with the southwest United States.

Immediately prior to joining Global Ties Arizona, Kristin served as Program Manager for Strategic Global Initiatives at Northern Arizona University. In this role, Kristin directed partnerships with Mexico and Latin America, hosting visiting delegations and groups in Arizona, developing relationships with universities, governments, industry and other organizations abroad, and leading student recruitment and developing new programs. Kristin served on the Global Ties Arizona Board of Directors from 2015 to 2018.