Consular Corps College Symposium 2023 Program
November 1-3, 2023 - Little Rock, Arkansas
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Check in at hotel and Pick Up Registration Materials – Lobby of Marriott Hotel
6:45 pm – 9:30 pm: Welcoming Reception, Transfer by bus to Maumelle Event Center – 10910 Maumelle Blvd. North Little Rock, Arkansas 72113
HOST: Ambassador Carlos I. Giralt-Cabrales – Consul General of Mexico in Little Rock, Arkansas
Mariachi Performance
Welcome by the Honorable Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Governor of the State of Arkansas, TBC
9:30 pm: Transfer to Hotel by bus
Thursday, November 2, 2023
6:30 am – 8:45 am: Breakfast – on your own in the hotel
7:00 am – 12:00 pm: Registration – Lobby of the Marriott Hotel
9:00 am – 9:15 am: First Day Welcome
TH Louis J. Vella – Dean, Consular Corps College and Honorary Consul of Malta
TH Asif Chowdury – Hon Consul of Chile in Bangladesh & VP of World Federation Of Consuls - FICAC
9:15 am – 10:15 am: How the World Trade Center & the Small Business Administration Can Assist Consuls in International Trade Development
Denise Thomas – CEO, Arkansas World Trade Center
Richard Duda – Director, U.S. Department of Commerce Service Office Little Rock, Arkansas
Moderator: Edward Haddock – Senior Vice President, Small Business Lending, FNBC Bank
10:15 am -12:00 pm: Networking Break
12:00 noon – 1:00 pm: Lunch
1:00 pm – 2:15 pm: What Consuls Need to Know About Broadband in Their Respective Country
Elizabeth Bowles – CEO and Chair of the Board, Aristotle Unified Communications and Chair of the Broadband Development Advisory Committee of the Federal Communications Commission
Jennifer Peper – Vice President of Operations, Aristotle Unified Communications, Little Rock
Moderator: Katheen McDonald – Compliance Officer, Aristotle Unified Communications
2:15 pm – 3:00 pm: How Consuls Respond to Infectious Disease Crises
Dr. Jonathan Laryea, MD – Professor of Surgery, and Chief of the Division of Colon & Rectal Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Dr. Nick Zaller PhD – Professor for Medical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Moderator: Dr. Alan Storeygard, MD– Professor, Baptist Health Family Medicine Residency Program
3:15 pm – 4:15 pm: Sister Cities International and the Consular Corps College
Brenda Frinks – Past President, Jacksonville Sister Cities and Chair Mandela Bay Sister Cities, South Africa
Prince Kwame Kludjeson – CEO, Africa Global Sister Cities, Accra, Ghana
Mary Zunick – Coordinator, Sister Cities, Hot Springs, Arkansas & Honorary Consul of Japan
Moderator: Chancellor TH Sherman Banks – Honorary Consul of the Republic of Ghana and Chair Emeritus Sister Cities International
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: CCC Members’ Annual Meeting – Marriott Hotel
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Champagne Cocktails – Mezzanine Marriott Hotel
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm: Gala Dinner – Marriott Hotel Ballroom
Traditional African Dancers and Drums
The Honorable Frank Scott – Mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas, TBC
Mary Jean Eisenhower – Founder & CEO MJ & Associates, LLC & President Emeritus People-to-People
Presentation of the CCC “Dag Hammarskjold Award for Extraordinary Service in International Relations” by Chancellor TH Stefano Acunto, former Honorary Consul of Italy, to Steve Menzies – Founder and Chairman of the Steve Menzies Global Foundation, Chair of the St. Francis Day Foundation, and Founder and Chairman of Applied Global and Applied Underwriters
Friday, November 3, 2023
7:00 am – 8:45 am: Breakfast – on your own in the hotel
9:00 am – 9:05 am: Opening Remarks
TH Louis J. Vella – Dean, Consular Corps College and Honorary Consul of Malta
9:05 am – 10: 15 am: Global Technology Expo for Deployment Demonstration (GTED2) Addressing Worldwide Shortages in Energy, Water, Food, Environment and Healthcare/Public Safety
Mark Grobmyer – Chairman, Global Solutions Institute and Managing Director P80 Group Foundation
TH Dr. Teodoro Forcht Dagi – Board of Directors, Harvard Hillel and Honorary Consul of the Republic of Lithuania
10:15 am – 11:15 am: Lessons Learned from Diversity and Immigration
Chancellor TH Scotty Colson III – Honorary Consul of Ukraine
Chancellor TH Stefano Acunto – Honorary Consul of Italy
Moderator: Chancellor TH Cynthia Gutierrez – Honorary Consul of Brazil
11:15 am – 11:30 am: Networking Break and Photo
11:30 am – 1:00 pm: Lunch and Keynote Address
Chinese Dancers, TBC
U. Desmond Alufohai – Director, Protocol & International Affairs Division, Miami-Dade Aviation Department
1:00 pm – 1:30 pm: Awarding of Certificates
TH Louis J. Vella – Dean, Consular Corps College and Honorary Consul of Malta
1:30 pm – 1:45 pm Closing Remarks
Chancellor TH Sherman Banks – Honorary Consul of the Republic of Ghana and Chair Emeritus Sister Cities International
TH Louis J. Vella – Dean, Consular Corps College and Honorary Consul of Malta
1:50 pm: Transfer to Clinton Library by bus
2:00 pm – 4:30 pm: Tour of the Clinton Library
4:30 pm: Transfer to Hotel by bus
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Symposium Closing Toast
Chancellor TH Edward L. Fanucchi – Honorary Vice Consul of Italy Emeritus, Former Dean of the Consular Corps College, CCC Chancellor and longest active CCC member