Charleston Sister Cities International

2.12.2025, Charleston, Francis Marion Hotel - My Time Was Very Well Spent at the German-American Business Summit hosted by the College of Charleston School of Business & School of Languages, Cultures and World Affairs. Again, Morgan Koerner did an outstanding job. Two Excellent Panel Discussions moderated by Nathan King, King Strategic Consulting, and L. Elizabeth Gibbes, Honorary Consul Germany, and featuring Fabian Grimm, Lee Murray Stephanie Rhodes, MBA, CMA, Megan Anderson, Mitch Belsley, Daniel Schlegel, and Samuel Schwarzer. Johannes Kellermann Mercedes-Benz USA BMW Group BMW of North America Ingenics Corporation USA P3 IFA #Mankiewicz Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP Andrew Hsu, Nathan Botha, #AimeeArias Stefan Wiedmann Anna B?nfer Suzanne Dickerson Melissa Stowasser Sean Holleran Preston Bankson Dirk Hoppmann

2.13.2025, Charleston- Time well spent earlier this week at the South Carolina-Canada Energy RoundTable that focused on Emerging Energy Technologies sponsored by the South Carolina Department of Commerce in Partnership with the Consulate General of Canada in Atlanta | Consulat général du Canada aux états-Unis à Atlanta. I throughly enjoyed the highly informative panel discussions, moderated by Ash Miller, Erveina Gosalci, and Cristina Paredes, CEcD. Clarke Thompson, Neita A. Wiese and Consul General Rosaline Kwan and SC Secretary of Commerce Harry Lightsey. South Carolina State Senator Tom Davis Andrea Novellino Sarah Halim Former Congressman Jeff Duncan Molly Hall #EdWannemacher Michael Finissi Santee Cooper, Marty Baltzegar, PE, LEED AP, Duke Energy Corporation Kallie M. Westinghouse Electric Company Brian Meadors EXCEL Services Corporation #JohnathanStephens BWX Technologies, Inc. Jon Baggett, CEcD. Angelyn T. Smith Nanette E. Burr & Forman

I want to thank the Embassy of Germany in Washington, D.C., and German Ambassador Andreas Michaelis, and his lovely wife Heike for hosting the Sister Cities International 2025 Presidential Inaugural Gala held at the German Ambassador's Residence, D.C., that I attended representing Charleston Sister Cities International, along with my guest, Robert Broadbent, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP As we enter 2025, we celebrate the history of strong bilateral US-German Relations via Sister City Partnerships since President Dwight D. Eisenhower founded Sister Cities International (SCI) in 1956 to promote Global Peace & Prosperity through Diplomatic, Educational, Cultural, and Trade /Commerce Exchanges and Initiatives. Since it's founding, SCI has been uniquely tied to the Presidency, with many U.S. Presidents serving as SCI's Honorary Chairman. With honored guests spanning the globe, that included the Washington D.C., Ambassadorial, Diplomatic, Business and Community Leaders, the evening reflected the spirit of international friendship and citizen diplomacy.

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I was honored by the invitation to attend the ceremonial bill signing and formalization by Governor Henry McMaster of the South Carolina Ireland Trade Commission last Wednesday, which seeks to advance bilateral trade and investment opportunities between South Carolina and the Republic of Ireland. Thank you, Lt. Governor Pamela Evette, Samuel Smith, and South Carolina State Senator Mike Reichenbach, and to the South Carolina Ireland Trade Committee with such an excellent afternoon at the State House. Time well spent! Representing the Republic of Ireland in formalizing the Trade Commission were Consulate General of Ireland, Atlanta, Frank Groome, and Vice Consulate General of Ireland, Atlanta Nicole Sheils, whom Charleston Sister Cities International looks forward to collaborating with as we continue to deepen our ties between the Charleston Region and the Republic of Ireland. Clearly, Charleston Sister Cities International and our Partners are so excited and pleased to see the South Carolina Ireland Trade Commisson launched! In 2021, City of Charleston Councilman Kevin Shealy and I were invited to the Embassy of Ireland, USA Residence, Washington, for coffee with Ambassador Daniel Mulhall, and Economic Counselor Harry Lester at the Residence to discuss establishing a Port Sister City partnership, and to hand deliver an invitation to Ambassador and Mrs. Mulhall, by our Republic of Ireland-Charleston Sister Cities International Committee to Charleston for a November 2021 Reception in their honor welcoming and introducing them to Charleston, hosted by The Hotel Bennett. Additionally, we hand delivered an invitation by the SCbio Committee to Ambassador Mulhall to speak at the 2022 SCbio Annual Conference resulting in the IDA Ireland attending and exhibiting. Harry Lightsey, Clarke Thomson, Jon Baggett, CEcD. Glenn Bourke, Mark Duffy, Micah Caskey, Brian Dalton, Brian Duffy, Peter Lehman, Irvin Condon, Mike Bennett, James Chappell, Carla Whitlock, Enda Trautt, Lou Kennedy, Dublin City Council, Erin Ford, Science Foundation Ireland, Sean Davis, Enterprise Ireland, Boeing, Lindsay Leonard,Tommy & Victoria Baker School of Business

Excellent news, Carlo. Another example of the benefits of City to City global relationships resulting in Trade & Economic Development, Tourism, Innovation & Technology,and Educational successes via Sister Cities International Partnerships.

Join us this evening as we livestream a Commemoration in Honor of The 80th Anniversary of D-Day, Normandy, France at 5:30 pm. https://lnkd.in/eAa-3xvT

As President & CEO of Charleston Sister Cities International (CSCI)/Neita A. Wiese, I was recently invited to attend Air Canada's Charleston-Toronto Inaugural non-stop Flight Reception on March 19th. It was such a pleasure to meet Graziella Cabrera, Senior Manager Air Canada and her colleagues. Congratulations to Elliott Summey, Executive Director/CEO, Charleston International Airport and Aviation Authority, and Helen Turner Hill, Chief Executive Officer, Explore Charleston and Chairman of the Charleston International Airport and Aviation Authority for this timely achievement. And today, I had the pleasure of meeting Consulate General of Canada in Atlanta | Consulat général du Canada aux états-Unis à Atlanta Rosaline Kwan, Featured Speaker, at the World Affairs Council of Charleston's International Business Luncheon and her Team Members Ash Miller and Darren Croswell. Time Well Spent! Charleston Sister Cities International/Neita A. Wiese is excited to collaborate with the Consulate General of Canada as we continue to deepen our bilateral ties and plan next steps as we explore establishing a strategic CSCI Sister City Partnership with Canada.