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We're Going Greek!
2007 Holiday Gathering |
Great food and service with Mary Pappas at Athens Market Taverna in downtown, with very talented singer Jonathan Kurrant, with our visitors from Pakistan, India, and Nepal, with members, board members and guests, and with gift exchanges all around. All the ingredients of a fun time, nourishing the holiday spirt! |
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Member Liz Gary, English Language Officer Margot Fox, staff Courtney and Mel, Board
Member Ileana Ovalle. |
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Visitors and staff gather for a goodbye photo.
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Visitor from India was THRILLED with the party and with the gift she received from our gift exchange! |
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The grin says it all. Mickey is a hit anywhere. |
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Visitors always bring us gifts. Enrique sets a new style trend with his Nepalese hat. |
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Anne Porter, Margot Fox and Scott Doyle know how to have fun! |
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San Diego's 3-day Breast Cancer Walk Welcomes Delegation from the Middle East |
Laura Bush welcomed this Breast Cancer Awareness delegation to the White House!
We welcomed them to San Diego!
From 10 countries in the Middle East they came.
They are doctors, heads of colleges, television producers, heads of clinics, etc.
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Here we are at the Susan K. Komen 3-day walk camp having dinner with the walkers.
When our delegation was announced to the group, 4000+ women stood up and cheered and whistled on and on.
It was a profound moment of international connection.
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Enrique Meza, the delegation’s CDCSD program designer while they were with us, and Cath DeStefano, CDCSD Executive Director, in one of those ‘when in Rome’ moments…. NOT a big fashion statement, but we had fun, and that is what matters after all. |
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Farewell Azeris and Russians! |
After 4 straight weeks of visitors requiring home stays, a big THANKS goes out to all our amazing home hosts who housed our very fun guests from Azerbaijan and Russia! It hasn't even been a month since their departure and we miss them already! |
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Program Coordinator, Enrique Meza spends time with our Community Connections visitors from Azerbaijan at the Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala. CDCSD was thrilled to host 11 Azeri visitors for three weeks while they studied Youth and Sports Based Interest Groups in San Diego. |
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Board President, Ed Meara, CDCSD Board Members and home hosts welcomed 10 Open World Leadership delegates from Russia at the home of CDCSD members Rolf Haas and Carol Costarakis. Our Russian guests spent one week in San Diego studying Economic Development. |
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Wow there has been a lot of transitioning going on here at CDCSD!
We've had to say "farewell" to some familiar faces (Tanya and Billy) and "hello" to some new ones (Mel and Courtney).
To get them all aquatinted we took an afternoon and rented Go-Cars and went sight seeing in San Diego! |
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Billy and Tanya get their helmets on before Billy gets behind the wheel of the Go-Car! |
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Cath, Mel, Courtney and Enrique rev up their engines to race to the next stop sign. |
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Programmers Enrique and Courtney give us the thumbs up! |
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The ladies of CDCSD show off their helmet hair. |
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It’s national conference time! Much was accomplished in DC:
- Sharing best practices with other councils
- Having Breakfast on The Hill with members of congress, specifically Senator Arlen Specter and staff
- Listening to ideas that link business with diplomacy
- Being welcomed into the State Department
- Networking with our collaborators at the major national programming agencies
...there was also fun in the freezing outdoors of Washington DC!
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Billy, Director of Programming . Tanya, Director of Operations . Enrique, Program Associate |
| Refreshed, renewed and ready for another year of serving our visitors and our members who help us with this most important work we do. |
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Reception for
Ms. Ma. Isabelle Garcia Climaco,
Vice-Mayor of Zamboanga City
President of the Rotary Club of Zamboanga City |
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CDCSD visitors include:
▲ Ms. Jennifer Malinao (left) who, when asked what she most learned from being in the U.S. spoke of the power and prevalence of NGOs. In her homeland, the central government is much stronger and not open so much to the influence of NGOs.
Office of the City Mayor of Koronadal City
▲ Ms. Ma. Isabelle Garcia Climaco, told a beautiful story of coming to the U.S. on a previous trip, and ‘finding her voice’. She returned to her homeland and was elected to office. She continues moving up in that capacity and credits her U.S. travels for being of great help in her development.
Vice-Mayor of Zamboanga City
President of the Rotary Club of Zamboanga City
▲ Mr. Ishak Veloso Mastura spoke of the conflict in Mindanao between Muslims and Christians and how this is affecting his ability to draw trade to this area because investors hear of these conflicts and shy away. One of the members of the audience promoted the idea of American Philippines being asked to invest back into their homeland country. Ishak seemed pleased and willing to pursue this idea.
Regional Cabinet Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry |
MANY thanks to our CDCSD member Joseph Roley-Arzaga for arranging a special reception between our visitors from the Mindanao region of the Philippines and leaders and groups within the San Diego Philippine Filipino-American community. Those wishing to view photos of this event can to go to http://snoopydude.com/sdg/photos/Mindanao/index.html It was a heartwarming gathering and more evidence of the importance of our work in the world. |
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A visit with Justice Feng
from The Peoples Republic of China |
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The Court of Appeal for the 4th District and the Gaglione Law Group helped welcome Justice Feng to San Diego. Ivy Lachowitz, who works with me, had attended the same University as Justice Feng. Small world!
We followed the meetings with lunch at the University Club and toasted the friendship between our two nations. -Ed Meara, CDCSD Board President
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Steve Kelley (Center), and Kevin Lang officials who administer the COA |
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From left to right--Robert Wities, Robert Gaglione, Justice Feng, Ed Meara and Ivy Lachowitz |
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2006 Annual Meeting Celebration! |
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Over 100 internationally-minded San Diegans along with visitors from Latin America helped us celebrate our annual meeting. |
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Azim Khamisa spoke to us about forgiveness which he learned firsthand following the death of his son. |
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This event could not be possible without the hardwork and dedication of our wonderful leader, Cath Kachur (who was the MC of the night)! -Tanya, Director of Operations |
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All our silent auction items sold and made our budget happier! |
