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Dear SCI Annual Conference Attendees,

Thank you for taking the time to attend our first ever Virtual Annual Conference! Our 2020 Annual Conference, “Reimagining Citizen Diplomacy: New Connections in a Virtual World” was brought to life through the involvement that everyone has had in the new territory of the online conference.

We had over 2,900 unique participants throughout the two-day conference, resulting in amazing questions and comments from viewers to our panelists and speakers!

We would like to extend our appreciation to our panelists, speakers, moderators, performers, and others who were a part of the conference. And of course, a very special thank you goes out to you all – our attendees – for your participation, investment, and donations to Sister Cities International!

If you haven’t had a chance to donate but would still like to, you can still make your greatly appreciated donation.

We’ve prepared a short survey for you all in order to know your thoughts on the conference. We greatly appreciate you supporting us by taking a couple of minutes to complete this survey.

We are extremely grateful to have experienced this virtual annual conference with you all for the first time and hope that we can be just as innovative for our events to come!

Until then,
SCI-Logo-A

AGENDA

July 8th

**Times listed are approximate and may change in real time**

Eastern Daylight Time

Opening Remarks
  • Leroy Allala, President & CEO, Sister Cities International

Welcome Message

  • Ron Nirenberg, Mayor of San Antonio, TX; Chairman of Sister Cities International
  • Alan Webber, Mayor, City of Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • Undersecretary General Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
  • Karen Pence, Second Lady of the United States of America; Honorary Co-Chair, Sister Cities International

Award Presenter

  • Leroy Allala, President & CEO, Sister Cities International

Categories

  • Innovation in Arts and Culture
  • Innovation in Humanitarian Assistance
Moderator
  • Dr. Jane S. Cahaly, State Representative Liaison & South Carolina State Representative, Sister Cites International
Panelists:
  • V.C. Dale Holness, Mayor, Broward County, Florida
  • Dr. Alex Akulli, Director, Center for International Studies, University of South Carolina, Upstate; Vice President, Sister Cities International of Greater Spartanburg, South Carolina
  • Population under 25,000
  • Population 25,001-100,000
  • Population over 100,000

Moderator – Lorna K. Johnson, SCI Board Member, SCI Africa Regional Representative and Principal of Global Linkages, Inc.

  • Global Awareness Team Presentation  – Mary Palko, Chair, Global Awareness Team, Sister Cities International
  • Video from Mexico-U.S. Sister Cities Mayors’ Summit in El Paso and Juarez, introduced by: Peter Svarzbein, Board Member, Sister Cities International; Mayor Pro Tem, City of El Paso, Texas
  • Wunderbar Together:  Building strong U.S.-German Sister Cities Programs
    by:

     

    • Teri Simmons, Director, International & Immigration Practice Group, Arnall Golden Gregory, Atlanta; SCI EU Representative
    • Christina Plewinski, Manager of International Relations, City of Nürnberg, Germany
  • Message from Prince Kwame Kludjeson, President & Chair, Africa Global Sister Cities
  • Meessage from Union of Russian Cities
  • Message from Beijing Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries
  • Excerpt from first SCI Global Conversations with Hon. Geoffrey R. Pyatt, Ambassador of the United States of America to the Hellenic Republic (Greece)
Moderator
  • Sherry Dowlatshahi, Chief Diplomacy & Protocol Officer, City of San Antonio
Panelists:
  • Mark Chandler, Director of Mayor’s Office of Global Engagement, City & County of San Francisco, USA
  • Maria Dolores Hernandez Montoya, Director of International Relations, City of Guadalajara, Mexico
  • Stéphanie Jecrois, International Affairs Advisor, City of Montreal, Canada

Organizer and Moderator

  • Barbara Shepard, State Representative Liaison & North Carolina State Representative, Sister Cities International

July 9th

**Times listed are approximate and may change in real time**

Eastern Daylight Time

Opening Remarks

  • Carol Robertson Lopez, Vice Chair, Board of Directors, Sister Cities International

Keynote Messages:

  • Hon. Clarence Anthony, CEO and Executive Director, National League of Cities
  • H.E. Lin Songtian, President, Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries
  • Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
  • Shin Koyamada SCI Board and Executive Committee Member; Hollywood Actor (“The Last Samurai”), Chairman of Koyamada International Foundation
  • H.E. Shinsuke Sugiyama, Ambassador of Japan to the United States of America
  • Marie Royce, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Award Presenter
  • Leroy Allala, President & CEO, Sister Cities International
Categories
  • Innovation in Youth and Education
  • Youth Leadership Award
  • Volunteer of the Year
  • Population under 25,000
  • Population 25,001-100,000
  • Population over 100,000
  • Announced by Fred Blanton

Moderator

  • Afa Sadykhly Dworkin, President and Artistic Director of Sphinx Music

Panelists:

  • Stuart Ashman, CEO, International Folk Art Market
  • Sunil Iyengar, Research & Analysis Director, National Endowment for the Arts
  • Dr. Aaron Prado | San Antonio, Texas, USA | Composer, Piano
  • Brandon Guerra | San Antonio, Texas, USA | Digital Production, Percussion
  • Anke Schimpf | Darmstadt, Germany | Flute, Saxophone
  • Chen Hsien (Max) Huang | Kaohsiung, Taiwan | Trumpet
  • Shlomi Cohen | Tel Aviv, Israel | Saxophone
  • Prasanna | Chennai, India | Guitar
  • Suzette Eises | Windhoek, Namibia | Saxophone
  • Tomoko Sonoda | Kumamoto, Japan | Piano
  • Vico Diaz | Guadalajara, Mexico | Bass
  • Elemotho Gaalelekwe | Windhoek, Namibia | Voice, Guitar
  • Carlo Capua | Fort Worth, Texas, USA | Electric Guitar
  • Alan Donawa | Georgetown, Guyana | Box Bass

Moderator

  • Kevin O’Donnell, Young Professional Representative, Board of Directors, Sister Cities International

Panelists:

  • Jessica Coffield, Chair, Saumur, France Committee, Asheville Sister Cities, North Carolina
  • Michael Jose Avila, Youth Ambassador, Southern California Sister Cities International
by Suhail Arastu, Board Member, Sister Cities International; Advancement, Musical Bridges Around the World
  • Chairman Welcome
  • Secretary Report (online election results)
  • Treasurer Remarks
  • Foundation Update
  • President Remarks
  • Chairman Presentation/Remarks
  • Q&A
  • Passing of the Gavel from Chairman to Chair-Elect
  • Acknowledgments
Leroy Allala, President & CEO, Sister Cities International
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

SPEAKERS, PANELISTS AND PERFORMERS

DIONNE WARWICK

Singer, actress and former United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization and United States Ambassador of Health
Speaker and Performer

Karen Pence

Second Lady of the United States of America; Honorary Co-Chair, Sister Cities International

Keynote Address

Kinan Azmeh

Clarinet player and composer of contemporary music
Performer

Marie Royce

Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs
Keynote Speaker

Natalia Kanem

United Nations Under – Secretary General and Executive Director of UNFPA

Speaker

Josephine Beavers


Jazz Vocalist


Performer

Ron Nirenberg

Mayor of San Antonio; Chairman of Sister Cities International
Welcome Remarks

ALAN WEBBER​

Mayor, City of Santa Fe, New Mexico
Guest Speaker

CAROL ROBERTSON LOPEZ

Vice Chair, Board of Directors of Sister Cities International
Master of Ceremonies

Leroy R. Allala

President & CEO, Sister Cities International

Opening and Closing Remarks;
Master of Ceremonies

Shin Koyamada

SCI Board and Executive Committee Member; Hollywood Actor (“The Last Samurai”), Chairman of Koyamada International Foundation

Presenter

Teri A. Simmons

Director, International & Immigration Practice Group, Arnall Golden Gregory, Atlanta; SCI EU Representative
Speaker

Mary Palko

Chair, Global Awareness Team, Sister Cities International
Speaker

Lorna K. Johnson

SCI Board Member, SCI Africa Regional Representative; Principal of Global Linkages, Inc.

Moderator

Geoffrey R. Pyatt

Ambassador of the United States of America to the Hellenic Republic (Greece)
Speaker

H.E. Shinsuke J. Sugiyama

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan

Keynote Speaker

Peter Svarzbein

Board Member, Sister Cities International; Mayor Pro Tem, City of El Paso, Texas
Presenter

Jane S. Cahaly

State Representative Liaison & South Carolina State Representative, Sister Cites International
Moderator

Prince Kwame Kludjeson

President & Chair, Africa Global Sister Cities
Speaker

Dale V.C. Holness

Mayor, Broward County, Florida
Panelist

Alex Akulli

Director, Center for International Studies, University of South Carolina Upstate; Vice President, Sister Cities International, Greater Spartanburg, SC
Panelist

Barbara Shepard

State Representative Liaison & North Carolina State Representative, Sister Cities International

Organizer and Moderator

Shahrzad (Sherry) Dowlatshahi

Chief Diplomacy & Protocol Officer, City of San Antonio
Moderator

Mark J. Chandler

Director of the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of International Trade and Commerce
Panelist

Maria Dolores Hernandez Montoya

Director of International Relations, City of Guadalajara, Mexico
Panelist

Stéphanie Jecrois

International Affairs Advisor, City of Montreal, Canada
Panelist

Afa Sadykhly Dworkin

President and Artistic Director of Sphinx Music

Moderator

Stuart Ashman

Chief Executive Officer of International Folk Art Market
Panelist

Sunil Iyengar

Research and Analysis Director for the National Endowment for the Arts
Panelist

KEVIN O’DONNELL

Young Professional Representative, Board of Directors, Sister Cities International
Moderator

JESSICA COFFIELD

Chair, Saumur, France Committee, Asheville Sister Cities, North Carolina
Panelist

Michael Avila

Youth Ambassador, Sister Cities International Southern California Chapter
Panelist

SUHAIL ARASTU

Board Member, Sister Cites International; Advancement, Musical Bridges Around the World
Yogi & Coordinator

Kevork Mourad

Visual Artist
Performer

Clarence Anthony

CEO & Executive Director, National League of Cities
Remarks

hiromi morris

President, Sister Cities New Zealand
Remarks

Marcus Boshier

Board Member, Sister Cities New Zealand
Remarks

Ray Wallace

Vice President, Sister Cities New Zealand
Remarks

Christina Plewinski​

Manager of International Relations, City of Nürnberg, Germany
Remarks

Sister City Jazz Ensemble

Aaron Prado

Composer, Piano

Brandon Guerra

Digital Production, Percussion

Anke Schimpf

Flute, Saxophone

Shlomi Cohen

Saxophone

Prasanna

Guitar

Suzy Eises

Saxophone

Tomoko Sonoda

Piano

Vico Diaz

Bass

Elemotho Gaalelekwe

Voice, Guitar

Carlo Capua

Electric Guitar

Alan Donawa

Box Bass

Max Huang

Trumpet