Fred Blanton
Why I Am Running for the Board of Directors
I previously served 2 terms on the SCI Board from 2005-2011, including 3 of those years as SCI Treasurer. When my “class” left the SCI Board, we had 600 Sister City members, and SCI was debt-free. We were also laser-focused on providing services to our members.
While SCI has since endured a worldwide pandemic, and a series of major political shifts in USG administrations, SCI has also added 60+ Country Representatives to our 40+ State Representatives, for a new total of over 100 volunteer Citizen Diplomats in our combined SCI field team, and this gives me hope.
Since my first 2 terms on the SCI Board, I’ve been dedicated to being the best SCI State Representative for Virginia, and more recently West Virginia, with a focus on strengthening existing Sister City relationships, revitalizing dormant ones, and helping to create new partnerships. I’ve visited most of the Sister Cities members in my states, and I have learned that more personal engagement between SCI and our members, with a focus on providing member benefits, can strengthen and grow our membership.
Beginning at our SCI US-Africa Summit in Cape Town, South Africa in 2023, I’ve been presenting workshops on Revitalizing Local Dormant Sister City Partnerships and Programs, including subsequent presentations at our All-Americas Summit in San Antonio in 2024, and at our SCI US-Japan Summit in Izumisano, Japan in 2025. You can also hear my thoughts on initiating local SCI relationships based on curiosity and trust in a recent interview by NPR’s Lynn Borton on “Choose To Be Curious” here: https://lynnborton.com/2026/04/23/sister-cities-pairing-curiosity-trust-with-fred-blanton/
Many of you have also learned over the years that grass roots citizen diplomacy can be hard work when going it alone, and that developing strategic partnerships with other like-minded citizen diplomacy organizations at the local level can produce amazing results. SCI can and should develop these same strategic partnerships at the national level. SCI can also raise funds for member services by seeking more national level program grants, and especially with a focus on youth. SCI fundraising also needs to focus on debt retirement. If you return me to the SCI Board of Directors, these will be my personal goals to serve you.
Bio
Frederick Blanton’s continued lifelong service to Sister Cities International (SCI) began in 1983 as an exchange student-intern between St. Louis Missouri and Baden-Württemberg Germany. After his return from Germany and graduation from Washington University in 1984, Fred was hired by Boeing, and was asked to join the local St. Louis-Stuttgart Sister Cities Committee as its first “young board member.” Fred eventually became more involved with all of St. Louis’ Sister Cities relationships, and helped host a successful SCI Conference in St. Louis in 2003. Fred has attended every SCI Annual Conference since 1998, travelling with SCI’s 400+ member cities across the US and the world.
Fred’s lifelong career as an analyst with Boeing included a move to the DC area in 2005, and the beginning of his service to SCI at the national level:
2005 – SCI’s Annual Conference in Spokane – elected to the SCI Board of Directors for the term 2005 to 2008
2007 – Ft. Lauderdale – elected SCI Treasurer
2008 – Kansas City – re-elected to a 2nd SCI Board term for 2008-2011 & re-elected SCI Treasurer
2009 – Belfast, Northern Ireland – re-elected SCI Treasurer
2011 – SCI’s 55th Anniversary Conference in Arlington, VA – termed off the SCI Board, and appointed to the SCI Honorary Board Alumni (HBA)
2015 – Minneapolis – received the Ruth Hashimoto Award for his distinguished service to SCI.
2016 – SCI 60th Anniversary Conference in DC – elected HBA Chair for the term 2016-2018
2017 – Virginia Beach – appointed SCI State Representative for Virginia
2018 – Aurora CO – reappointed HBA Chair for 2018-2020
2024 – Tacoma, WA – reappointed HBA Chair for the term 2024-26, also currently serves in the HBA ex-officio seat on the SCI Board.
2025 – Ft. Worth – appointed SCI State Representative for West Virginia
As part of SCI’s “state representative field team”, Fred supports current and future VA and WV member cities with their local programming, board planning, and new partnerships. After Fred’s early retirement from Boeing in 2020, he is now a full-time volunteer, has visited almost all of Virginia’s and West Virginia’s sister city members, and hosts annual state-wide meetings. Fred has also visited his hometown Staunton VA’s sister city partner in Romania, and as an active Rotarian, has also linked their two Rotary clubs for joint service projects.
Skills
I was an analyst, and a manager of analysts with the Boeing company for 36 years.
I have repurposed my analytical and managerial skills into a 2nd lifetime of passionate volunteerism, including successful project management and fundraising for a variety of local, state, and national organizations, including:
Sister Cities International – life-long citizen diplomat, local Sister Cities program involvement, SCI State Representative for Virginia and West Virginia, SCI national Board of Directors, SCI Honorary Board Alumni Chair, and Ruth Hashimoto Awardee
- Skyline Rotary Club of the Shenandoah Valley
- Augusta Health Hospital Foundation Board
- Staunton Music Festival Board
Shenandoah Green (focused on local environmental sustainability) – founding Treasurer, Earth Day Staunton, and Staunton Tree Stewards
City of Staunton’s Lewis Creek Watershed Committee – Chair – city-wide street & stream cleanups, riparian buffer restorations, Trout in the Classroom projects, and educational awareness of local stormwater issues
Friends of the Middle River – Lewis Creek Sub-Watershed Representative