The International Cultural-Educational Association (ICEA) invited a group of Ukrainian municipal workers and business owners from the city of Melitopol, near Zaporishzha, to participate in a program that was conducted in Elizabeth, New Jersey and Washington D.C., during November 29-December 6, 2011.
Members of Ukrainian delegation are Mayor of Melitopol – Sergiy Valter, Deputy Mayor of Melitopol – Valeriy Govorkov, Chief of International Business Development, Melitopol City Council – Iuliia Lysenko. They were interested in learning more about the American municipal system and the Sister Cities International program. Melitopol is looking at Elizabeth as a potential sister city.
The program provided presentations and meetings hosted by collaborating local Ukrainian organizations and the Mayor’s office of Elizabeth, which provided opportunities to network and develop new business relationships.
We are very grateful to the Elizabeth community leaders for meeting with the delegation from the Melitopol, Ukraine and arranging presentations and tours.
Our thanks to: Christian Bollwage – Mayor of Elizabeth; William Reyes- Director, Department of Planning and Community Development; Phyllis Reich – Public Participation Specialist, Department of Planning and Community Development; Bridget S. Zellner – Business Administrator; Carlos Carvalho – Superintendent of Public Works Department, Gordon F. Haas – Chief Executive Officer, Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce.
Ukrainian delegates had important meetings in Washington D.C. with Olexander Motsyk – Ambassador of Ukraine in the United States of America, Yuriy Romanchuk – First Secretary of Ukrainian Embassy; with Nadia K. McConnell – President US-Ukraine Foundation, Markian Bilynskyj – Vice President, Director of Kyiv Office Operations. This is the third ICEA Program in partnership with the Association of Ukrainian Cities (www.auc.org.ua ) during 2011.
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