By Carl Lankowski, former Aachen Committee President
Malcolm “Misha” Phillips found his way to ASCA accidentally in 2009 while serving on the staff of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association at its headquarters in Ballston. He bumped into an Aachen committee member who had organized a meeting in NRECA’s conference room. A brief conversation revealed that a new sister city relationship with the Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk was forming. That was all Misha needed to know. He quickly joined the effort and participated in the first student exchanges. He befriended many other ASCA activists, was elected to the ASCA board that same year and was thrust into the chairmanship in 2013, a post he held for five years.
Misha’s leadership was profound, ubiquitous, and almost invisible. ASCA board meetings were well attended in part because it was fun to join Misha in tackling the issues animating a relentless agenda. He was part of everything, a facilitator in chief. His joy in the act of making things happen was infectious. It helped that he frequently showed up at board meetings with several pizzas. Sharing a meal was central to his understanding of society—an act of equal fellowship in pursuit of a common cause. Always done with no fanfare. He evoked the best in us.
Misha was happiest interacting with our partners in Arlington and in our sister cities. That was particularly true of the Ivano-Frankivsk relationship, where he had pre-existing deep and enduring connections. But it extended seamlessly to all ASCA cities: to be with and for the people was the essence of his personality. He often felt most at home in listening mode or in informal conversation with exchange students.
In his person Misha exemplified the international, transcultural sharing that defines the sister city idea. With rare selflessness, he eschewed attention, deflecting it instead to other ASCA or county board leaders, whether it was at an ASCA anniversary celebration featuring a mariachi band at the art center, or a reception bringing together Aachen’s Oberbürgermeister with County officials on the top floor of a Rosslyn office tower.
We will miss Misha, but he will always be present in our work.
You can find Misha’s obituary here, and learn more about his legacy and service.
