Join the sister cities of Washington and Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib at the State Capitol Building as they celebrate Washington State Sister Cities Day by the official proclamation of Governor Jay Inslee.

This statewide conference in the State Capitol’s Columbia Room is sponsored by the Washington chapter of Sister Cities International and will present a full day of distinguished speakers, panel presentations, and discussions for the furtherment and enrichment of citizen diplomacy around the world.

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Conference program:

9:00: Registration, continental breakfast, and best practices meet-and-mingle

10:00: Welcome and Opening Remarks, Lori Ann Reinhall, Washington State Sister Cities Representative, with a special message from Roger-Mark De Souza, President & CEO, Sister Cities International

10:10: Opening plenary session “Making Your Relationship with Your Mayor Work for You,” Marilyn Strickland, former Mayor of Tacoma and President & CEO, Seattle Chamber of Commerce

11:00: Diplomatic Panel “Partnering for Peace”: Yoichiro Yamada, Consul General of Japan; Roberto Dondisch, Consul of Mexico; and Paul W. Neville, Director, Office of Economic Affairs, U.S. Embassy in Honduras, and former City of Seattle International Affairs Director

12:00: Lunch and Panel Discussion “Power Programs: Award-Winning & Innovative Ideas”: Angelo Rondello, Seattle Music Exchange Project; Melanie Cunningham, Greater Tacoma Peace Prize; and Rosanne Royer, Ethnic Heritage Council 

13:00: Presentation “Youth and Education: Working with Your Schools,” Carla Santorno, Superintendent of Tacoma School District

13:30: “Making Use of Membership Benefits,” Clare Petrich, Sister Cities International Board Secretary and Tacoma Port Commissioner

14:00: Japanese Tea Service

14:15: Concluding Remarks by Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib

15:00: Optional docent-led tour of the State Capitol Buidling

16:00: Conference end

Internationally-themed gourmet box lunch will be served by Occasions Catering of Olympia, with vegetarian and gluten-free selections.

Free parking available near the Capitol Building.

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Pre-conference networking:

For those arriving on Friday evening, we recommend a stay at the following hotels: Governor Hotel, the Red Lion, and Town Place Suites by Marriott.

Special savings: Register and book your hotel reservation at www.hotelengine.com/join/sistercitiesinternational and receive up to a 26% discount and send a 1% rebate back to Sister Cities International.

Friday evening activites include the Olympia Art Walk and a no-host dinner with live music at Traditions Café and World Folk Art at 7 p.m. All conference participants will receive a 10% discount at Tradtions on Friday and Saturday.

The conference is open to all Sister Cities International members and the general public at large – welcome!