Creating Sustainable Cities

Sister Cities International 57th Annual Conference Pan-Pacific Summit Did you know the 57th Annual Conference features specialized sessions focused on U.S.-Asia partnerships? On Friday, July 12, attendees can participate in a series of sessions aimed at exploring the many opportunities that Asian partnerships have to offer. The sessions are catered to cities with existing sister city relationships in Asia as well as those looking for partners in the region. Experts, diplomats, and fellow sister city volunteers will share insights and best practices to build and grow long-term partnerships. CLICK HEREfor details on each of the Pan-Pacific sessions listed below. Municipal government perspectives on the future of U.S.-Asia sister city partnerships Working collaboratively with local business organizations and cultural societies to strengthen U.S.-Asia sister city partnerships Leading Asia Exchange Funding Recipients — Reflections and Next Steps Roundtable on U.S.-Japan Sister City partnerships Growing and Strengthening U.S.-Southeast Asia Sister City Partnerships PLUS! Featured speakers include: His Excellency Chaiyong Satjipanon, Ambassador of Thailand to the United States His Excellency Hideaki Mizukoshi, Minister and Head of Chancery, Embassy of Japan to the United States Mr. Takaaki Ogata, Executive Director, Japan Local Government Center, New York Mr. Junichiro Chano, Director, Japan Foundation Mr. Xie Yuan, Vice President, Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries The sessions will be followed by a special Pan-Pacific networking reception. Join us! ONLINE REGISTRATION ENDS JULY 1, 2013. For details on the 57th Annual Conference sessions, tours, hotel, and to register, visit www.SisterCitiesConference.org

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Meet and Greet At Gecko's Tuesday June 18, 2013

We return to Gecko's at 1900 Hillview just south of Sarasota Memorial Hospital (between Tamiami Trail & Osprey) for our next Meet & Greet from 5-7pm on Tuesday, June 18. 

Sarasota Sister Cities Meet & Greet At Gecko’s on Hillview Tuesday 5-7 pm – June 18, 2013                “Cheer’s” in Sarasota at 1900 Hillview Street in "Southside Village.”  Gecko's grill & pub is locally owned and operated serving fresh, made-to-order food in a fun and comfortable environment with great prices and greater customer service. Gecko’s is family and community-oriented.  Like SCAS, Gecko’s very foundation was built on friendship, and that remains a central tenet of their business … enjoying longtime friends and making new ones every day.  Going one better than TVs Cheers, Gecko's Ultimate Happy Hour runs all day. every day. 7 days a week. With 2-4-1 well cocktails, margaritas, martinis, frozen drinks, house wines & every day low price on draft beers Family-owned and operated since 1992, Geckos five locations have been consistently awarded and honored with “Best of The Best” awards, including Best Happy Hour, Best Sports Bar, Best Burger, Best Take Away, Coldest Beer, Best Lunch, Taste of Sarasota People’s Choice Awards, Best Entrée, Best Appetizers … and more! Courtesy RSVP by June 16. This will allow Gecko's to ensure they have sufficient bar staff for meet & greet group. Last minute walk-ins are encouraged.   Gayle Maxey, Events Director Sister Cities Association of Sarasota RSVP: 941-416-3565 or gmaxey632@gmail.com

 

You can plan ahead and marked your calendar for the third Tuesday each month. The meet & greet date and time remains the same all year around. Only the location changes.

geckosgrill.com



 

Embracing Our Differences

As the 2013 Embracing Our Differences exhibit prepares to come down in a few days, we thought that you would enjoy this photo taken at the North Port display. The exhibit will officialy close this Sunday at sundown.  Photograph by Jennifer Wood                        ART PANEL RECYCLING As the 2013 Embracing Our Differences comes to a close, we offer to all winning artists, quoters and educators the opportunity to receive their original vinyl art panel which was displayed in the park. After that, the panels are made available to anyone else on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you know of anyone wishing a panel, please have them contact Bernadette Bennett byEMAIL no later than Monday, June 3, 2013 with full contact information as well as the full name of the artist or author of the quotation displayed on the panel. Panels must be picked-up no later than Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at 4:30 pm at the: Curriculum and Instruction Department  (Maroon Awning Building) School Board of Sarasota County 1960 Landings Boulevard Sarasota, Fl 34231 Please remember the size of each panel is very large and not easily displayed - 12.5 feet high by 16 feet wide. The panel has four grommets along each side and weights about 40 pounds.  *   *   *   * STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA EMBRACING DIFFERENCES 2013 ART EXHIBITION An opening reception for the exhibition "SCF Embraces Differences 2013" will be heldFriday, June 7, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota Fine Art Gallery. Light refreshments will be served at the reception, which is co-hosted by the SCF Fine Art Gallery, SCF Diversity/Multicultural Awareness Committee and SCF Collegiate School. The exhibit runs from June 7th thru the 19th. Gallery hours are Monday thru Friday, 10 am to 3 pm. For more information, please CLICK HERE. 2013 SPONSORS

Thanks to Linda Rosenbluth for sharing.

International Board of Directors Election

IMPORTANT: Board of Directors Elections Information Board of Directors Election Ballots Attention members! Next week, the primary contact for each Sister Cities International member organization will be mailed a packet that includes the voting materials for Sister Cities International’s Board of Directors election and bylaw changes. This includes biographies of Board candidates, proposed changes to Sister Cities International’s bylaws, and ballots. Members can either vote by sending in their ballots or designating individuals to vote on site at Sister Cities International’s Annual Meeting at our conference in San Antonio, July 12-13, 2013. Please ensure that the mailing address field for your primary contact in your online profile is completed to guarantee that you receive your ballots. Cities with no designated primary contact will have their ballots mailed to the organizational address on file. Please note that if you choose to mail the votes, ballots must be postmarked by June 21st. If voting in person, communities must certify their voting representatives and alternates prior to the Annual Meeting (July 12-14). Certifications must be received on or before July 5th. Questions? Please contact Carol Robertson Lopez at crobertsonlopez@comcast.net. Board of Directors Election Candidates Forum Webinar Wednesday, June 12, 3:45 - 5:15 p.m. EDT Get to know the Board of Directors election candidates! Join us for the Sister Cities International "Board of Directors Election Candidates Forum" Webinar. The forum is an excellent opportunity to hear from the candidates themselves. Candidates will be asked a series of questions regarding their vision and contribution to the sister cities movement. The audience will also be able to engage the candidates during a Q & A session. Please note that candidate participation is voluntary. To join us for the webinar please click on THIS LINK. Select the "Guest" option, enter your name and email address and simply click on "Join Meeting." (Do not select the "Register" option) To simply listen to the audio-only version of the call, please dial: 1-719-325-2630, access code: 839510. Please note that no registration is required. Simply follow the instructions for joining the webinar at 3:45 p.m. EDT on June 12.

Sister Cities International Newsletter 05.01.2013

				E-Newsletter 05.01.2013
	IN THIS ISSUE   Have You Reviewed the 2013 Membership Directory? 2013 Annual Conference: Early Bird Registration Rate Extended! Host an International Exchange Student! Accepting Applications for Open Positions on the Board of Directors May 2, 2013 Fort Worth Sister Cities International: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo Toluca Style May 3, 2013 Sister Cities International of Oklahoma City: Cinco de Mayo May 4, 2013 Sister Cities Yorktown: French Market		Have You Reviewed the 2013 Membership Directory?   Attention members! Sister Cities International is currently developing its 2013 Membership Directory and we would like your input to ensure that this year’s directory is as accurate as possible. Please CLICK HERE to download a spreadsheet listing current members and their partnerships that as of now will appear in the 2013 Membership Directory. Please review this to ensure that your city and all of its partners are listed correctly. If your city is not listed, is missing partnerships, has partnerships listed which you are not certain should be, or if there are any spelling errors, please email Adam Kaplan, Membership Director, at akaplan@sister-cities.org. Please note, comments and corrections received in the past two weeks have been incorporated in the above spreadsheet. In addition to listing their U.S. partners, all Global Members may have their international sister cities listed in the directory. If you are a Global Member please send us your sister cities lists as soon as possible to ensure they are included. For more information on becoming a Global Member visit our website here. The comment period for the directory will be open until Friday, May 10th at 5:00 p.m. EDT. This directory is distributed to all members, in addition to members of the diplomatic community and hundreds of organizations worldwide so don’t miss out on having your international partnerships known throughout the world!   Early Bird Registration Rate Extended! $375 FULL CONFERENCE DISCOUNT REGISTRATION RATE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO MAY 31! REGISTER TODAY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS DISCOUNT RATE! www.SisterCitiesConference.org An exciting line-up of expert sessions, off-site visits, receptions, and speakers awaits you in San Antonio, Texas at the 2013 Sister Cities International Annual Conference, July 12-13, 2013.  Keynote Speakers include: The Honorable Tara Sonenshine, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy (Invited) The Honorable Julian Castro, Mayor of San Antonio Carola McGiffert, Director of the “100,000 Strong” Initiative The Honorable Henry Cisneros, Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development & Former Mayor of San Antonio The Honorable Richard Daley, Former Mayor of Chicago (Invited) The Honorable Seishi Kohyama, Mayor of Kumamoto, Japan (Invited) The Honorable Kang Un-Tae, Mayor of Gwangju, South Korea The Honorable Margarita Arellanes, Mayor of Monterrey, Mexico (Invited) Amy Fraenkel, Director of the United Nations Environment Programme Here's a quick peek at the sister city info-sessions in the agenda! Fundraising  Economic Development Communications Exchanges and Partnerships For the detailed agenda, CLICK HERE. PLUS! The 2013 Conference features concurrent specialized tracks! URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL ACCORDS (UEA) SUMMIT:                                 The 2013 San Antonio UEA Summit, in conjunction with the City of San Antonio and Sister Cities International, and in collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Programme, will provide opportunities to show the progress for the last 2 years, best practices of a sustainable city to 148 member cities from 52 countries as well as participating international organizations in the environmental field. (You must be a UEA delegate to attend the specialized UEA sessions.) Click here for the UEA Summit Agenda. Click here for the UEA Summit Save the Date. PAN-PACIFIC SUMMIT (July 12):  Focusing on building stronger, sustainable pan-pacific ties. Click here to view the Pan-Pacific Summit flyer! YOUTH LEADERSHIP SUMMIT (July 11-13):  Providing youth (14-18 years) with the tools to lead, network, and become informed global citizens! Click here to find out more! Special youth registration rate of $450 includes room and board during the entire Youth Leadership Summit.  A DAY FOR MEXICAN DELEGATES (July 11):  Commemorating sixty years of San Antonio-Monterrey, Mexico sister city exchanges. Honorary chair of the event is the Honorable Margarita Arellanes, Mayor of Monterrey.  This track includes a tour of Port San Antonio, a master-planned, 1900 acre aerospace, industrial complex and international logistics platform, centrally located in San Antonio. Created from the former Kelly Air Force Base, Port San Antonio is approximately equidistant from the East and the West coast of the United States and at the center of the NAFTA corridor between Mexico and Canada. After the tour, the attendees will be treated to a Texas barbecue, hosted by Port San Antonio, with a wonderful opportunity to network with other attendees from Mexico and Texas. Please note, all the presentations by a variety of speakers including the Mayor of Monterrey, will be entirely in Spanish.  Click here for the agenda in English. Click here for the agenda in Spanish. What's more? We're introducing optional tours so attendees can enjoy the sights and sounds of the city! Sister City International Gifts and Commissions Tour Toyota Factory Tour Downtown Historical Welcome Tour Build San Antonio Green “Green Tour of Homes” ​Click here for more details on these tours. Register today for the Annual Conference at www.SisterCitiesConference.org. We hope to see you in San Antonio for an exciting conference!   Host an International Exchange Student! The U.S. Department of State invites you to make a difference by hosting an international high school exchange student in your home starting this fall. Approximately 2,000 Department of State-sponsored exchange students from over 50 countries, all of whom have undergone a competitive, merit-based selection process, will spend the 2013-14 academic year in communities across the United States. These exchange students live with American families, attend American high schools, and participate in American culture, leadership activities, and community service. Exchange students can help bring the world into your home and community. They seek host families from all over the United States. Learn more or submit an interest form at hosting.state.gov and please share this announcement with others. You can also email them at youthprograms@state.gov.   Accepting Applications for Open Positions on the Board of Directors Sister Cities International welcomes all qualified applicants to run for open positions on the Board of Directors. Elections to the Board of Directors are held each year during the Annual Conference. If you plan to run for a position at the 2013 Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX July 12-13, 2013, please carefully review all information on the elections process to ensure your eligibility. Eleven (11) Board positions will be open during the Annual Business Meeting at the Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas on July 12, 2013. This includes: 7 Board of Director positions (three-year terms, 2013-2016) 1 Board of Director position (two-year term, 2013-2015) 1 Board of Director position (one-year term, 2013-2014) 1 Young Professional Representative to the Board of Directors (two-year term, 2013-2015, must be between 21-34 years of age) 1 Youth Representative to the Board of Directors (two-year term, 2013-2015, must be 21 years of age or under) It is the policy of Sister Cities International Board of Directors that each candidate applying for the above positions, including current directors who are running for the board and wish to have their names placed on the ballot, complete the following form and electronically submit the form and all supplemental information to the Sister Cities International office by 5:00 p.m. EDT on May 15, 2013 to mkane@sister-cities.org. Materials received after this date will not be considered. Please take note of all word count requests throughout the application. If an applicant exceeds the desired word count, Sister Cities International will edit your application to meet the requirements. Please email completed applications to Mary Kane, President & CEO, at mkane@sister-cities.org. Application Packet must include:  2013 Board Application (click to download) Electronic Photograph or Headshot (300 dpi or higher) Official letter from a representative of a dues paying Sister Cities International member organization or an elected official, endorsing candidacy For more information on the 2013 Elections process, please CLICK HERE.

John George Jack Thompson, Husband of Member Suzi Antine Norbeck

John "Jack" George Thompson, age 81, of Osprey, FL, husband of Suzi Anstine Norbeck, passed away on May 27, 2013. He was born in Sault Ste. Marie, MI on June 18, 1931. Jack was President of Muskegon Community College for 10 years before retiring. He and Suzi were avid travelers and visited all seven continents. Jack was involved with the Rotary Club,  Sierra Club, Hiking Clubs, and Ski and Tennis Clubs. After retiring, he became a professional photographer, and many of his photographs were displayed in the Muskegon art gallery where he was a member of the camera club and art club. Jack and Suzi proudly established the Dr. John G. Thompson Fund which strives to ensure all segments, classes, races and religions of the community are involved in every aspect of Muskegon Community College. The fund has enabled TOPS (Tackling Obstacles Possessing Success) program to take off at MCC. He is survived by his wife, Suzi Antine Norbeck of Osprey; brother Don Thompson of Clare, MI; daughter Suzan Hull of Mesa, AZ; step son Carl Norbeck of Wallingford, CT; step daughters Kim Keating of Hanover, NH and Karen Borgerink of Estero, FL; 7 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren. Visitation will be from 3:30 - 4:00 pm Sat.., June 1, 2013, at Farley Funeral Home, Venice Chapel followed by a funeral service. Memorial donations may be made to the Dr. John G. Thompson Muskegon Community College Fund 221 S Quarterline Rd, Muskegon, Michigan 49442 Farley Funeral Home is charge of local arrangements.