Upcoming Programs
If you are interested in meeting one of the following groups or visitors, please contact the office for more information.  Programs are continuously updated on our website.

IVLP Doctors Enjoy Local Hospitality

On October 8, Taslim van Hattum, a social worker and public health professional, and Gia Hamilton, the founder of Gris Gris Lab, hosted a reception for an IVLP delegation of female doctors from Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan.  The visitors exchanged stories and ideas about healthcare in their respective countries with other professionals and formed lasting friendships.  The following day, Shelina Davis Foderingham, Clinical Practice Program Coordinator at the Louisiana Public Health Institute, arranged a tour of the maternity ward at Tulane Lakeside, and Sara Al-Dahir, Clinical Assistant Professor at the College of Pharmacy at Xavier University, accompanied some of the women to Friday's prayer at a local mosque.

Moldovan Law Enforcement Officials Visit U.S. Attorney's Office

A group of Moldovan prosecutors and police visited U.S. Attorney Jim Letten and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sal Perricone at the Hale Boggs Federal Building in New Orleans on October 2.  Mr. Letten, who has 25 years of experience as a federal prosecutor, and Mr. Perricone, who has 25 years experience as a police officer, discussed recent convictions and current methods for prosecuting public corruption. The group discussed some of the issues they currently face in Moldova, including law enforcement professionals' heightened concern for their families' safety during the course of an investigation. Following a photo session, the group presented Mr. Letten and Mr. Perricone with pins from the prosecution office in Moldova.

Dora Barta and Judit Bertalan are executive directors of American Corners in Debrecen and Veszprem, Hungary.  An American Corner is a learning center and library created in partnership with American embassies abroad to serve as a place where a country's citizens can get up-to-date, accurate information about the U.S.  Dora and Judit came to the U.S. as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program in order to experience America first-hand.  In New Orleans, their first cultural activity was attending a full gospel Baptist church.  From there, they saw a Family Ties second line and Mardi Gras World with NOCDC member Peg Culligan.  Besides cultural appointments like meeting with representatives of the African American Museum  and the Cabildo, the two presented to Mr. Parauka's Social Studies class at Ben Franklin High School (later saying, "Hope to keep in touch with the kids!").  Culinary experiences included alligator sausage, beignets, and a taste of home: Hungarian sausage prepared for dinner as part of home hospitality by Capt. Jerry Jeane and his wife, Nicole.

African Women Leaders Volunteer at Second Harvest Food Bank

On September 22, a delegation
of African Women Leaders
volunteered at the local Second Harvest Food Bank as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program. During their shift, the
women packed over 100 cases
of food weighing 2,600 lbs. 
Melanie Stevens, Volunteer Coordinator at Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, said that the women's help with the packaging will provide over 2000 meals throughout the service area!

As part of their program on how universities partner with the local community, six professors from the University of L'Aquila in Italy visited the Louisiana Business & Technology Center on October 2. Located on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, the LBTC helps small businesses gain access to the resources they need to grow and attain long-term success. At the meeting the visitors met Dr. Corrado Di Martino, a former cardiologist turned gelato-maker originally from Rome who was helped by the incubator to create his own ice cream shop. Following the meeting, Dr. Di Martino invited the group to taste his gelato in his store, Latte e Miele, located at 17650 Highland Road in Baton Rouge.

Professional Thank Yous

Thank you to the many professional resources that met with our international guests in August, September, and October of 2009.

America's Wetland Foundation - Mr. Todd Ragusa, Account Supervisor
Amistad Research Center - Mr. Christopher Carter, Director of Reference and Library Services
Anthony Bean Community Theater - Mr. Anthony Bean, Founder and Director

Audubon Sugar Institute (ASI) - Dr. Donal Day, Professor
Benjamin Franklin High School - Dr. Timothy Rusnak, Principal and Mr. John Parauka, Social Studies Teacher
Broadmoor Improvement Association - Ms. LaToya Cantrell, President
Bunche Accelerated Academy - Ms. Jan Somoza, Principal
Café Reconcile - Mr. Craig Cuccia, Founder
Carapace Coaching -  Ms. Constance Morris Hope
Center for African and African American Studies at Southern University at New Orleans - Dr. Romanus Ejiaga, Director and Ms. Linda Hill, Curator and Archivist
Century Exploration Co. - Mr. Michael Willis, Chief Operating Officer and Mr. Tom Bergeon, Geologist
Coast Guard Air Station - Commander William Irwin, Assistant Operations Officer
Common Ground Collective - Mr. Thom Pepper, Operations Officer
Common Ground Health Clinic - Dr. Anor Ndep, Executive Director and Ms. Anne Mulle, Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Manager
Communities in School of New Orleans - Ms. Sara Massey, Executive Director
Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao
Daughters of Charity Services - Ms. Rosa Bustamante-Forest, Mom and Baby Mobile Unit
Destrehan High School - Ms. Shannon Diodene, Staff Development Coordinator; Mr. Eric Zuniga, World Geography Teacher; and Ms. Connie Cheramie, World Geography Teacher
Drug Enforcement Administration - Mr. Jimmy Fox III, Special Agent in Charge
Each One Save One - Mr. Lavonzell Nicholson, Executive Director and Ms. Cathy Harris, Co-Founder
Earth Search Incorporated - Dr. Aubra "Butch" Lee, Vice President / Senior Project Manager
Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle Orleans- Ms. Pauline Dides, Maternelle Pedagogical Director
Edible School Yard at Samuel J. Green Charter School - Ms. Kelly Regan, Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator
EngageNola - Mr. Michael Grodsky and the Steering Committee
Entergy - Ms. Kathryn Washington, Attorney and Mr. George Bartlett, Director, Transmission Operations
Era Helicopters - Mr. Neill Osborne, President
Evacuteer.org - Mr. Robert Fogarty, Director

Global Green's Holy Cross Project - Ms. Heidi Jensen, Office Manager and Assistant to Director

Habitat for Humanity's Musicians' Village - Ms. Gina Stilp, Development Coordinator
Hip Hop for Hope - Mr. Ben Brubaker, Founder and Director
Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) - Williams Research Center - Ms. Joan Lennox, Tour Guide;

Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies (IWES) - Dr. Denese Shervington, Co-Founder and President
International School of Louisiana (ISL) - Ms. Alba Bowen, Admissions Coordinator and Ms Pamela Stewart, Director of Institutional Advancement
Jefferson Parish - Public Information Office - Ms. Patricia Borne, Public Information Officer
Jefferson Parish Registrar of Voters - Mr. Dennis Dimarco, Registrar and Ms. Shelley Bouvier, Confidential Assistant
John Deere - Mr. Luis Rodriguez, Territory Manager
Laura Plantation Company - Mr. Norman Marmillion, President and Founder
Levees.org - Ms. Sandy Rosenthal
Louisiana Artworks - Ms. Joy Glidden, Director
Louisiana State University - Louisiana Business and Technology Center (LBTC) - Dr. Eli Jones, Dean,  LSU EJ OURSO College of Business and Mr. Charles D'Agostino, Executive Director, LBTC
Louisiana State University - Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI) - Mr. Tom Anderson, Interim Director and Ms. Jennifer Butler, Associate Director
Louisiana Children's Museum - Ms. Julia Bland, Executive Director and Ms. Julia Widmann, Marketing and Events Coordinator
Louisiana Division of Archaeology - Dr. Chip McGimsey, Director
Louisiana State Museum - Dr. Charles Chamberlain, Museum Historian
Loyola School of Mass Communications - Mr. Michael Perlstein, Visiting Assistant Professor
Loyola University's Center for International Education - Ms. Debbie Danna, Director
Loyola University College of Business - Dr. William Locander, Dean; Dr. Michelle Johnston, Director, Executive Mentor Program; and Dr. Kate Lawrence, Associate Professor of Marketing
Mayor's Office of Environmental Affairs - Ms. Wynecta Fisher, Director
Mayor's Office of Health Policy (OHP) and Aids Funding - Ms. Fran Lawless, Director
Metropolitan Center for Women and Children (Battered Women's Clinic) - Mr. Wayne Barnes, Vice President
Metropolitan Crime Commission - Mr. Anthony Radosti, Vice President
Minerals Management Service (MMS) - Mr.  Mike Prendergast, Chief of Staff and Mr. John Rodi, Deputy Regional Director
Moving Forward Gulf Coast - Mr. Trupania Bonner, Executive Director

New Orleans African American Museum of Art, Culture, and History - Mr. John Hankins, Executive Director and Ms. Bridget Johnson, Business Manager
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) - Mr. Brian Hammell, Director of Communications
New Orleans City Hall - Councilmember Cynthia Willard-Lewis; Mr. Eric Granderson, Chief of Staff for Councilmember Arnie Fielkow; Mr. Mithun Kamath, Legislative Director; Mr. Jason Abate, Chief of Staff for Councilmember Stacy Head; and Ms. Lena Stewart, Chief of Staff for Councilmember Cynthia Hedge-Morrell

New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) - Ms. Lisa Rotondo-McCord, Assistant Director for Art / Curator of Asian Art and Ms. Lynn Harrington Richards, Consulting Conservator 
New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation (NOPJF) - Ms. Elodia Blanco, Vice President of Programs and Special Projects 
New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) - Public Integrity Bureau - Lt. Denise Miles
NO/AIDS Task Force - Mr. Enrique Moresco, Director of Operations
The Ogden Museum of Art - Mr. Rick Gruber, Director
Orleans Parish Registrar of Voters - Dr. Sandra Wilson, Registrar
PHI, Inc. - Mr. Carlin Craig, Director of Operations
Planned Parenthood - Dr. Swati Shah, Associate Medical Director and Ms. Bryanne Babbitt Wainford, MPH Health Center Manager

Port of New Orleans - Mr. Chris Bonura, Communications Manager
Preservation Resource Center - Ms. Patricia Gay, Executive Director
Project Lazarus -  Ms. Jen Latimer, Volunteer Coordinator and Mr. Steve Rivera, Director of Fund Development
Save Our Cemeteries (SOC) - Ms. Rachel Witwer, Director, and Ms. Lora Williams, Tour Guide
Shell Robert Training and Conference Center - Mr. Steve Summers, Aviation Advisor for Shell Exploration and Production Logistics Department; Mr. Tom Broom, Learning and Development Manager; and Carmen Berry, Facility Operations Coordinator

Southeast Louisiana Red Cross - Ms. Kay Wilkins, Chief Executive Officer
Southern Repertory Theater (SRT) - Ms. Aimee Hayes, Artistic Director
Squandered Heritage - Ms. Karen Gadbois, Blogger
St. Anna's Medical Mission - Ms. Diana Meyers, Medical Mission and Disaster Relief Coordinator
St. John #5 Faith Church -  Ms. Tamachia Davenport
Sugarcane Research Unit of the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Dr. Edward Richard, Location Coordinator and Research Leader; Dr. Anna Hale, Research Geneticist; and Dr. Thomas Tew, Research Geneticist

The Times Picayune - Mr. Gordon Russell, City Editor and Mr. Jim Amoss, Editor
Tipitina's Music Co-Op - Mr. Todd Souvignier, Co-Op Director
Tulane University Center for International Students and Scholars - Dr. Bruce Raeburn, Curator of Hogan Jazz Archives
Tulane University Center for Public Service - Ms. Amanda Buberger, Service Program Coordinator
Tulane University College Democrats - Mr. Sam Richard, President
Tulane University College Republicans - Mr. Mac Weatherbee, President
Tulane University - Hogan Jazz Archive - Mr. Bruce Raeburn, Curator
Tulane University School of Architecture - Dr. Eugene Cizek, Professor of Architecture
Tulane University School of Continuing Studies - Captain Keith Amacker, Director Homeland Security Studies
Tulane University - Scott S. Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives - Ms. Amy Mahfouz, Communications and Development Manager
U.S Attorney Office Eastern District LA - Mr. Jim Letten, U.S. Attorney; Mr. Mark Miller, Assistant U.S. Attorney; and Mr. Sal Perricone, Assistant U.S. Attorney
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Mr. Pon Dixson, Deputy Leader
University of New Orleans - Dr. Connie Atkinson, Associate Professor; Dr. Michael Mizell-Nelson, Assistant Professor; Dr. James Mokhiber, Asssistant Professor; Dr. Ed Chervenak, Professor of American Politics; Dr. Jane Brooks, Professor and Chair - Department of Planning and Urban Studies; and Dr. Raphael Cassimere, Professor Emeritus 
Valero's St. Charles Refinery - Ms. Taryn Miller, Community Relations Analyst
Verenium Biofuels, LLC - Mr. Charlie Butler, Human Relations Manager
Vieux Carré Commission - Mr. Lary Hesdorffer, Director  
Workforce Development Program - Ms. Maria Gonzalez, Program Instructor and Case Manager
WWNO - Mr. Paul Maassen, General Manager
Xavier University Preparatory School - Ms. Carolyn Oubre, Principal and Mr. Jacob Owens, Assistant Principal
Young Leadership Council - Ms. Vera Lester, Development Director
Youth Rescue Initiative - Mr. James Bernazzani, President and Founder

Home Hospitality

Thank you to all who welcomed visitors with home hospitality in August, September, and October of 2009.

Seeking Professional Resources

The New Orleans Citizen Diplomacy Council is looking for professional resources in the field of adult education.  If you are (or know) an expert in any of this topic and are willing to meet with a group of international visitors from Latin America to share your best practices, please contact Kathryn Dickerson at (504) 529-1509 or programofficer@nocdc.com.

August, September, and October 2009 Statistics

Total Number of International Visitors: 155
Total Number of Interpreters: 44
Total Hotel Room Nights: 798

59 Countries Represented:

Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Iraq, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Libya, Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nambia, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Slovak Repbulic, Sudan, Suriname, Togo, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan

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