Mary Gibson, president of the Naperville Park Board and a candidate for Naperville City Council, is headed to North Africa for an international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. State Department.
This week, Gibson will be part of a small bipartisan delegation of U.S. leaders going to Morocco and Tunisia to engage in cultural and political exchange. The program, running from Tuesday though Feb. 2, is organized by the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL).
“Representing Naperville on a global stage is an incredible opportunity,” Gibson said in a news release. “Through this exchange, I hope to deepen my understanding of other cultures while showcasing the vibrant and inclusive community I’m proud to serve.”
Gibson, a longtime Naperville resident, has served as park board president since 2021. She’s also one of one eight hopeful candidates vying for a seat on city council in April’s upcoming municipal election.
Six other local leaders from across the country — as well as an ACYPL alumnus who will act as a delegation escort — will be joining Gibson on the 12-day trip to North Africa. The delegation includes officials from Texas to Oregon, Gibson said in a call.
“I think (ACYPL) intentionally chooses people across the country who have different backgrounds, different political perspectives, different experiences to kind of get that cross-section of American political leaders,” she said.
Since 1966, the organization has run an array of international exchange programs in partnership with the State Department. More than 9,200 leaders from across not only the U.S., but also 137 other countries and territories have participated, according to the organization’s website.
ACYPL organizes both outbound and inbound exchanges, which send both American leaders abroad and bring international leaders to the U.S. Outbound trips are limited to leaders between the ages of 25 to 41. They must be elected or appointed officials, or work in government, public policy or business. Participants are selected by nomination.
Nominees for outbound trips can be submitted by ACYPL American alumni, members of Congress or ACYPL partners.
Gibson was nominated by Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs.
“I’m really honored … and really grateful for his nomination,” Gibson said.
This will be Gibson’s first time going to North Africa, she said. Her trip will start in Washington, D.C. She and her fellow delegates will visit the Moroccan and Tunisian embassies in D.C. before embarking on their trip.
The rest of the expedition will be filled with site visits to Tunis, the capital of Tunisia; Rabat, the capital of Morocco; and Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city. Delegates will be able to explore issues from local governance and economic development to cultural preservation and best practices.
Gibson said she is looking forward to seeing how these other areas “face their struggles and their challenges but also how they capitalize on opportunities.”
“With other communities, even if they might seem really different from us,” she went on, “there’s commonalities everywhere. … You never know when inspiration will strike. Something I might see in North Africa could apply here in Naperville.”
To Morocco and Tunisia, Gibson will also be bringing something a little extra to bolster the exchange.
As part of the program, participants have been encouraged to bring gifts that reflect their hometowns. Gibson chose photographs. Through both specially made stationary and magnets, Gibson is gifting photographs of Naperville’s Knoch Kolls Park. Pictures were supplied by Naperville resident and photographer Linda Reents.
Gibson decided on pictures for her gift because they reflect her role as park district president and strike a chord personally, she said.
“You know, the advice on the gifts was to have something that’s personal and specific to you and your story,” she said. “Knoch Knolls is one of my favorite parks.”
