South Carolina International Trade Conference

I want to thank the German Embassy Washington , and German Ambassador Andreas Michaelis, and his 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 Partnership since President Dwight D. Eisenhower founded Sister Cities International (SCI) in 1956 to promote Global Peace & Prosperity through Diplomatic, Educational, Cultural, and Trade 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.

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, South Carolina State Senator Mike Reichenbach , and to the South Carolina Ireland Trade Commission for such an excellent afternoon at the State House. Time well spent!

Representing the Republic of Ireland in formalizing the Trade Commission were Embassy & Consulates of Ireland USA , Atlanta, Consult General Frank Groome, and Vice Consul Nicole Sheils, whom Charleston Sister Cities International looks forward to collaborating with as we continue to deepen our ties between the City of Charleston, SC Government 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 Commission launched! In 2021, Councilman Kevin Shealy - Charleston City Council and I were invited to the Embassy of Ireland, Washington DC Residence, Washington, for coffee with Ambassador Daniel Mulhall and Economic Counselor Harry Lester 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 t.

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.

Time well spent at Charleston Southern University ’s "Germany's Leadership In Sustainability" Forum earlier this week.

South Carolina's commitment to Sustainability is evidenced by our German Manufacturing Partners, companies, and organizations such as BOSCH, Fraunhofer , Kion Group, and Mankiewicz Coatings , and the Branham Group Inc featuring the following as speakers:

Daniel Schlegel Christoph Faerber Fabian Grimm, Cynthia Davis, Markus Groeger, Jarrett Branham, and Dr. Marcel Schaefer.

Thank you to @Stephanie LeVan for including Charleston Sister Cities International , Silvia Judy JAS Worldwide , and Sean Wesley Holleran, First National Bank Small Business Finance as guests of Charleston Southern University at this exceptional event.

We have some exciting news! Sister Cities International is proud to announce 7 for 70, an initiative in partnership with the U.S. Department of State and the White House National Security Council. 7 for 70 commits to creating seven new Sister City relationships in the Pacific Islands by 2026 in celebration of the 70th Anniversary of Sister Cities International!

The 7 for 70 will strengthen ties between the United States and Pacific Islands nations through new partnerships and promoting cultural understanding. Recently, we had the honor of meeting delegations from 18 Pacific Island countries to explore new partnerships.

A special thank you to the Second Gentleman for affirming the significance of this initiative and for your recognition of the importance of citizen diplomacy! The White House’s recent announcements at the U.S. Pacific Islands Forum Summit here. https://www.whitehouse.gov/.../fact-sheet-enhancing-the.../

To learn more about our 7 for 70 Initiative, check out our website and fill out the contact form linked here. https://sistercities.org/7-for-70/