Rome, September 28, 2023
Good evening!
On behalf of my husband John and I, welcome to our home this evening.
It’s always a pleasure to host our fellow Americans who work day in and day out to feed a hungry world, preserve cultural heritage, and promote the rule of law and access to justice around the world.
We last met a year ago in October hosted by our former Ambassador, Cindy McCain.
With the passing of a year, we thought it was time to get together again to reconnect and celebrate the contributions and achievements of Americans working in the UN food & agriculture agencies and other international organizations here in Rome.
Thank you for all that you do.
You are representatives of the best of America, and you are showing the rest of the world who we are and what we represent.
And your success is important to us. Please reach out to us. Tell us about your work and tell us what we can do to help you succeed.
We are here for you, to advocate for you when you seek professional advancement and apply for jobs in international organizations, and to partner with you in the life-saving work you do every day.
We seek to improve upon the support we provide for all American citizens who want to contribute to the great work of the Rome-based UN agencies.
In that vein, we always welcome your insights and reflections about barriers and challenges to entry and promotion that you think Americans face.
Our door is always open to hear from you.
Before I close, I want to take a moment to point out the members of our team at USUN/Rome — can you all raise your hands? These are the people you need to connect with tonight.
If you have not done so already, please introduce yourself and make some new connections.
And with that, I encourage all of you to grab a drink and continue to enjoy yourselves – perhaps over a game of corn hole.
Thank you!