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Board of Directors

Honorary Chairs
Mayor Eric Garcetti
City of Los Angeles
 
Hilda L. Solis
L.A. County Board of Supervisors

Chairman
David Stepp
Bryan Cave LLP

President
Matthew Olsen
Boston Private Bank & Trust Company

Vice Presidents
Michele A. Franchett
Stone Grzegorek & Gonzalez LLP
 
Michael McDowell
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

Secretary
Ahmad Iqbal
BPM Advisors, LLC

Lynnette Amerian
City of Los Angeles 
Office of the Mayor
 
Haifa Azawi
New Women Medical Care
 
Rae Linda Brown
 

Associate Provost, Undergraduate Education Professor of Music Loyola Marymount University

 
Mathias Fobi
Bariatec Corporation
 
Wafa J. Hoballah
WJH Law Offices
 
Steve Jones
Los Angeles World Airports
 
Yuko Kaifu
MUFG Union Bank
 
Jonathan Kaji
Kaji & Associates

Alexander Kramer
Millennium Capital
 
 
Deanne Neiman
Honorary Consul of Botswana
 
Stephen Ozoigbo    

International Advisor

Relativity Education

   
Lourdes Saab
L.A. County Office of Protocol
 
William Silva
South California Edison

Yael Swerdlow
Women's Empowerment Foundation
 
Rinaldo Veseliza
Alisto Engineering Group

Tracy Young
Former CNN Anchor 

Executive Director
Janet Elliott
Corporate Diplomats

AMD Logo


Sponsors

LA Tourism & Convention Board




February 2016


In this month's issue you will find:

Quote of the Month

You Can Still Register to Join IVCLA on a Trip to Kyrgyzstan!

Young Professionals Volunteer with Visitors

Welcome New Intern!

Board Member Encourages Active Citizenship in Op-Ed

International Opportunities

Upcoming International Visitors in February

I hope you enjoy hearing about the recent goings-on at IVCLA. Please feel free to share your comments with me by sending an email to dkreculj@ivcla.org
Quote of the Month 
Q: What did you learn about American Culture during your visit that you didn't know before?

A: Community service is very important, no matter the race, religion, whether you're rich or poor; we are all equal in society. I really liked the volunteering on the MLK Day of Service. In my country we do celebrate these special days, but not as it is done in here. It was a wonderful experience.

-- Maria VENTURA GOMEZ, Reporter, Daily La Tribuna, Honduras
You Can Still Register to Join IVCLA on a trip to Kyrgyzstan! 
Explore the vast array of music, architecture, and art of Kyrgyzstan, interact with the local people, taste authentic food, and gain unique memories you will never forget when you visit this country less traveled!

Highlights for the Trip Include: 
  • Greetings at the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek
  • Meetings and group dinners with IVCLA alumni
  • Trip to Avrora Resort at Beautiful Lak Issyk Kul, or 'hot lake.' Rich in history, the lake was a resting point along the Silk Road in the 14th Century
  • Enjoy a cultural performance at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre 
  • Private tours with IVCLA Alumni at the Issyk-Kul State Historical and Cultural Memorial Estate of Cholpon-Ata; the State Historical Museum of the Kyrgyz Republic; Kyrgyz National Muesum of Fine Arts

 Spaces are still available! Register Now! 

 

Young Professionals Volunteer with Visitors 
IVCLA members, Young Professionals, and International Visitors regroup after a day of volunteering

On Monday, January 18, 2015, more than 1500 community and corporate volunteers made Martin Luther King Jr. Day a "Day On, Not a Day Off" and honored Dr. King's legacy with a day of community service.

IVCLA members, Young Professionals and International Visitors joined fellow volunteers
as they revitalized the campus of Woodcrest Elementary School in South Los Angeles. At this Title I school, 96% of the 900 students are eligible to receive free lunch and come from families that are low-income.


Because research has shown that children learn better in an environment in which they feel proud and comfortable, volunteers replaced dated and peeling murals, painted hallways and exterior school buildings, and rehabilitated the landscaping and gardens. Students from Woodcrest Elementary and the local high school were involved in the planning and leadership for this event. By including their voice in the planning process, the space is designed in such a way that they will be excited about what has been accomplished, and will want to continue to keep their learning environment beautiful.

The International Visitors, IVCLA members and Young Professionals were excited to make a meaningful impact in not only the children's lives, but their own. Volunteerism is a crucial part of American culture which the visitors were happy to experience first-hand. 
Welcome New Intern! 


Grace Anderson is a sophomore studying International Relations at the University of Southern California (USC) with a minor in French. She hopes to pursue a career in the United States Department of State or the Central Intelligence Agency following her graduation in 2018 and obtainment of a Master's degree soon after. Her education in international relations is concentrated in security studies and foreign policy analysis. In her free time, she figure skates for the USC Ice Girls, helps program activities and enforce policy as a Resident Assistant for freshman students, enjoys playing music and exploring Los Angeles.

At IVCLA, Grace is a program assistant intern where she conducts topical research on the various interests of visitors in order to prepare and implement project proposals. She will also work as the communications intern where she will be involved with the development of  marketing materials and social media outreach. She hopes to gain insight on citizen diplomacy and the value of international cooperation while strengthening her research and professional skills. She is very interested to see how cross-cultural experiences impact global issues and relate to developing international research
Board Member Encourages Active Citizenship in Op-Ed

Jerry Silva, IVCLA Board Member, landed an article about the White House Fellows Program in the Press Enterprise! Mr. Silva is the Los Angeles regional judge for the President's Commission on White House Fellows Program. He calls on us to   "Get involved in your community, don't be a bystander during these presidential elections and learn more about your United States of America and values of this program".

To learn more about this program, visit www.whitehouse.gov/participate/fellows 
International Opportunities








 
imagine1day is holding a round robin tennis tournament to raise funds for a primary school in Ethiopia on March 5th 2016 at the Riviera Country Club. The event,  hosted by IVCLA member Mary Anna Noveck, will include a silent auction, a raffle, prizes, refreshments and an Ethiopian coffee ceremony.

All net proceeds will directly fund the building of a school in a rural community to provide quality education to children and adults. They are working to make a huge impact providing access to education for children in Ethiopia.

____________________________________________________________
The USC Center on Public Diplomacy (CPD) will offer the eleventh annual session of our Summer Institute in Public Diplomacy from July 10 - July 22, 2016 at the University of Southern California.

This highly intensive and interactive program provides participants with a framework to explore challenges facing contemporary public diplomacy. All information regarding this summer's program and CPD can be found at: www.USCpublicdiplomacy.org.

The application deadline is April 1, 2016   

Upcoming International Visitors
The following are among the arriving guests of the
U.S. government whose professional appointments in
Los Angeles will be arranged by the
International Visitors Council of Los Angeles.
 
February 2016
 
Albania
Austria
Denmark
Germany
Republic of Kosovo
Macedonia
Netherlands
Norway
Slovenia
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Countering Violent Extremism
Feb 10 - 16   
Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Denmark
Italy
Serbia
Slovakia
Turkey
The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Restructuring Economies
 
Feb 11 - 17   
Macedonia 
Advancing Youth Engagement and Leadership
Feb 12 - 17   
West Bank
 
International Peace and Security
Feb 13 - 18   
Japan
International Parental Child Abduction
Feb 23 - 27   
Italy
Immigration Integration
Feb 24 - 27   
 
Albania
Azerbaijan
Czech Republic
Estonia
Georgia
Lithuania
Macedonia
Moldova
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Transparency and Accountability in Government 
Feb 27 - March 2   


Editor: Danica Kreculj
Projects Coordinator
(213) 388-1428