An Ambassadorial Affair: Meridian’s Welcome to Washington

Meridian CEO Ambassador Stuart Holliday and Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Elizabeth Allen welcomed six newly arrived ambassadors to the nation’s capital in Meridian International Center’s historic Linden Grove on September 13, 2023.

Held twice annually, Meridian’s Welcome to Washington receptions are a valuable opportunity for newly arrived Chiefs of Mission to meet and engage with a plethora of government, business, philanthropic and policy leaders.

This fall’s reception honored the ambassadors from Angola, Brazil, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Mozambique, and Zambia.

Those in attendance also included The Honorable Marie Royce, Carol Spahn, Director of the Peace Corps, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Derek Luyten, Executive Director, House Democracy Partnership, Ryan Berney, National Security Council, Ambassador Walter Cutler, and Ambassador Kathleen Doherty among others.

Ambassador Stuart Holliday, CEO, Meridian emphasized the importance of bringing together the diplomatic community, along with public and private sector partners to strengthen diplomatic relations and democracy at home and abroad.

The Honorable Elizabeth Allen, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State provided keynote remarks welcoming the new ambassadors to the United States to Washington, DC.

Beverages were generously provided by The Brown-Forman Corporation.

Under Secretary Elizabeth Allen, Bureau of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State exchanges greetings with H.E. Catalina Crespo Sancho, Ambassador of Costa Rica at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

H.E. Chibamba Kanyama, Ambassador of Zambia welcomed to Meridian House on 9/13 by Ambassador Stuart Holliday, CEO, Meridian. Photo by Jess Latos.

(left to right): H.E. Alfredo Fabaio Nuvunga, Ambassador of Mozambique; H.E. Nazri Aziz, Ambassador of Malaysia; H.E. Catalina Crespo Sancho, Ambassador of Costa Rica; Ambassador Stuart Holliday, CEO of Meridian; Under Secretary Elizabeth Allen, Bureau of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State; H.E. Agostinho Van-Dunem, Amassador of Angola; H.E. Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Ambassador of Brazil; H.E. Chibamba Kanyama, Ambassador of Zambia. Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos..

Carol Spahn, Director, Peace Corps speaks with Wida Amir, Global Kids DC, and Ambassador Stuart Holliday, at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

Ambassador Stuart Holliday, CEO, Meridian introudces Under Secretary Elizabeth Allen, Bureau of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

Ambassador Kathleen Doherty greets H.E. Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Ambassador of Brazil at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

Honored ambassadors, U.S. government officials, corporate and philanthropic leaders gather at Meridian House on 9/13 to celebrate the arrival of new ambassadors in Washington, DC. Photo by Jess Latos.

H.E. Alfredo Fabaio Nuvunga, Ambassador of Mozambique greets fellow ambassador H.E. Catalina Crespo Sancho, Ambassador of Costa Rica at Meridan House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

(left to right): H.E. Alfredo Fabaio Nuvunga, Ambassador of Mozambique; H.E. Nazri Aziz, Ambassador of Malaysia; H.E. Catalina Crespo Sancho, Ambassador of Costa Rica; Ambassador Stuart Holliday, CEO of Meridian; Under Secretary Elizabeth Allen, Bureau of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State; H.E. Agostinho Van-Dunem, Amassador of Angola; H.E. Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Ambassador of Brazil; H.E. Chibamba Kanyama, Ambassador of Zambia. Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

Keynote remarks by Under Secretary Elizabeth Allen, Bureau of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

H.E. Alfredo Fabaio Nuvunga, Ambassador of Mozambique chats with Cassandra Kendall and Mauri Earl, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in discussion at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

Greta Lundeberg, The Boeing Company and H.E. Agostinho Van-Dunem, Ambassador of Angola in discussion at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

Guests gather to honor newly-arrived Ambassadors iN Washington, DC at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

Meridian CEO, Ambassador Stuart Holliday, welcomes guests and honors newly-arrived ambassadors to Washington, DC on September 13. Photo by Jess Latos.

Under Secretary Elizabeth Allen, Bureau of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State greets H.E. Nazri Aziz, Ambassador of Malaysia at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

Ana Sanders and Ei Thant Sin in conversation at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

(left to right) Ambassador Stuart Holliday, Meridian, H.E. Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Ambassador of Brazil, Ambassador Walter and Didi Cutler, Meridian Council at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

Kyrstle Norman, U.S. Department of State. Under Secretary Elizabeth Allen, Bureau of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State, and T.H. Marie Royce at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

H.E. Catalina Crespo Sancho, Ambassador of Costa Rica, Carmina Hernandez, Meridian’s Corporate Diplomacy Global Leadership participant, and Steve Petric, Princeton University conversing at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

H.E. Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Ambassador of Brazil in conversation with Chaitan Jain, United Airlines, and Sahra English, Citi at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

Under Secretary Elizabeth Allen, Bureau of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State and Steve Morrissey, United Airlines, in discussion at Meridian House on 9/13. Photo by Jess Latos.

About Welcome to Washington

Welcome to Washington honors newly arrived Chiefs of Mission and provides them with an opportunity to meet and engage with a cross-section of Washington  leaders  from the government, business and policy communities.  Building peer-to-peer relationships in Washington is crucial for diplomats to exchange information and facilitate bilateral cooperation on a wide variety of global issues.