Meridian Honors Newly Confirmed Ambassadors

On April 18, 2018, Meridian hosted a reception to honor and welcome newly arrived foreign ambassadors to Washington, D.C. Ambassadors play an important role in bringing together cultures and strengthening relationships across sectors and industries between the U.S. and their home countries. As a part of Meridian’s diplomatic engagement initiative, we design opportunities like the New Ambassadors Reception to recognize all the work that Ambassadors do to build relationships among a diverse range of constituents including the foreign diplomatic community, business representatives, members of the U.S. government, and the American public.

The evening brought together nine new Ambassadors representing the Bahamas, Croatia, Estonia, Korea, Libya, Nigeria, the Philippines, Saint Lucia and Uzbekistan. A number of high-profile officials were present including members of the Meridian Board of Trustees: Ms. Megan Beyer, Ms. Janet Blanchard, Mr. John Dashwood, The Honorable Laurie Fulton, The Honorable Carlos Gutierrez, Ms. Michele Manatt, and The Honorable Ann Stock.

Other notable guests also included Congressman Mark Meadows, MPAA Chair and CEO Charlie Rivkin, Adrienne Arsht, former Senator John Breaux, Governor Jim Blanchard, Michelle Kosinski from CNN, Ambassador Jennifer Zimdahl Galt, Rear Admiral Susan Blumenthal, Assistant Secretary of State Kevin Moley, Ambassador Walt and Didi Cutler, Capricia Marshall, Lee Satterfield and Patrick Steel, Ambassador Tom Korologos, John Danielson, Michelle Cross Fenty, and Pilar O’Leary.

Meridian President and CEO Ambassador Stuart Holliday opened the program with welcoming remarks pinpointing international dialogue, collaboration, and cultural exchange as the keys to solving the world’s most pressing problems. Highlighting the important role that Ambassadors play to promote and maintain relations between cultures and nation states, Holliday expressed Meridian’s commitment to the newly credentialed ambassadors. Marie Royce, the Assistant Secretary of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, followed with remarks that emphasized the State Department’s collaboration with Meridian to provide important exchange opportunities – in which over 20 foreign Ambassadors currently posted in Washington have participated. Assistant Secretary Royce also acknowledged the bipartisan support of the U.S. Congress for educational, professional and cultural exchanges that the State Department and Meridian offer, underscoring the power of public diplomacy to foster cross-cultural engagement and collaboration among global leaders.

Newly Confirmed Ambassadors

• His Excellency Sidney Stanley Collie, Ambassador of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas
• His Excellency Pjer Šimunović, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia
• His Excellency Lauri Lepik, Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia
• His Excellency Yoon Je Cho, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea
• Her Excellency Wafa Bugaighis, Ambassador of Libya
• His Excellency Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor, Ambassador of Nigeria
• His Excellency Jose Manuel del Gallego Romualdez, Ambassador of the Philippines
• His Excellency Anton Edsel Edmunds, Ambassador of Saint Lucia
• His Excellency Javlon Vakhabov, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan