Mona Diamond Sunshine

Mona Diamond Sunshine is a distinguished civic leader, philanthropist, and longtime advocate for U.S.–Türkiye relations. She served with distinction for two decades as Honorary Consul of the Republic of Türkiye for the State of Georgia. A dual citizen of the United States and Türkiye, she has been widely recognized for advancing diplomatic, cultural, educational, and economic ties between the two nations.

Ms. Sunshine is the Founder and Chairman of the American Turkish Friendship Council (ATFC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering mutual understanding and collaboration between Turkish and American communities. Under her leadership, ATFC has grown into a respected platform convening leaders from government, academia, business, medicine, and the arts to strengthen bilateral engagement and promote meaningful people-to-people diplomacy.

A passionate supporter of education and cultural exchange, Ms. Sunshine has been instrumental in initiatives such as an endowed Turkish Lecture Series at Emory University. She has also worked extensively with leading Turkish and American business organizations and chambers of commerce to promote trade and economic cooperation. In 2012, she led Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and current Governor Brian Kemp and fifty others on a trade mission to Türkiye.

Ms. Sunshine is widely recognized for her philanthropic leadership in healthcare and medical education. She is the Founder of the Mona & Philip Sunshine Symposium, an annual academic and medical exchange that brings together leading physicians and researchers from Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute and Koç University Hospital in Istanbul. In honor of her late husband, she helped establish the Mona & Philip Sunshine Symposium Endowment Fund at Emory University, ensuring the long-term sustainability and global impact of this important collaboration.

Her broader contributions include service on advisory boards and leadership forums, as well as support for major healthcare initiatives in Türkiye. She is presently planning a Breast Cancer Awareness program in Istanbul to take place in October, the international Breast Cancer Awareness month. Mona continues to serve as Chairman of the American Turkish Friendship Council, the organization she founded over twenty years ago.