WIIT Event Summary:
WIIT
Hosts 2008 Annual Dinner and Awards Program
May 29 2008
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WIIT members and friends convened for the 2008 Annual Dinner and Awards event on May 29th at the Madison Hotel. The evening honored several individuals for their contributions to WIIT's mission and international trade as a whole. WIIT 2007-08 President Susan Schmidt welcomed a packed room and incoming 2008-09 President Tonya Kemp, noting the past year's successes like the Winter Gala and Silent Auction hosted by the Embassy of Colombia, various professional development events and a myriad topical programs. |
Women of the Year in International Trade Awards were presented to two outstanding examples of commitment to international trade - Ms. Brigitte Gwyn, who serves as Director for Trade and Fiscal Policy at Business Roundtable, and Ms. Linda Menghetti, Vice President at the Emergency Committee for American Trade (ECAT). Both have served as staunch advocates fro the promotion of international trade through their work on the Hill and in the private sector.
Awards were also presented the same evening to WIIT members who went above and beyond to ensure the association success in 2007-08. A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Julie Hughes, WIIT DC's first President and more recently her work with the WIIT Trust. Committee/Section awards were also presented to the WIIT Customs Committee members Kristin Smith, Marguerite Downey and Heather Pinnock. All three were new to the committee, yet organized a wide range of events that included the now traditional tour of the port of Baltimore as well as cutting edge customs issues. Finally, a Member of the Year award was presented to Ruben Saroukhanian for his work on the Export Controls Committee and other significant contributions.
The program was yet another great success for WIIT due, in no small part, to the generosity of a number of corporate sponsors. These included the Angolan National Investment Agency (ANIP), AdvaMed, Blank Rome, Business Roundtable, GMA, Honda, Manatt Jones Global Strategies, Sandler Travis & Rosenberg, Sidley Austin, Sony, and Toyota. In addition, the Distilled Sprits Council of the United States (DISCUS) generously donated various spirits to raffle winners, the US Russia Business Council also sponsored the reception and last, but not least, the Embassy of Colombia provided Colombian coffee for attendees to enjoy.
Preceding the dinner, WIIT held its Annual Business Meeting at which officers presented the state of the association, including an update on programs, financials and the way forward. Together with the Dinner and Awards ceremony, the Business Meeting illustrated the great and growing interest in the work to which WIIT is committed and points to many more successful years to come.
More Photos of the Annual Dinner.
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