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Baltimore Sister City Committees Annual Accomplishments Report 2019 This document contains the accomplishments for the Baltimore Sister City program as a whole, and for each of the individual committees. Text in red color is tentative; needs to be finalized. “Total funds raised” number should be confirmed or updated by each committee after Jin issues 2019 financial report through Dec 31.

CONTENTS Baltimore Sister Cities program (consolidated) ...... 5 Changwon Sister City Committee (BCSCC) ...... 11 Gbarnga Sister City Committee (BGSCC) ...... 14 Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC) ...... 16 Luxor & Alexandria Sister City Committee (BLASCC) ...... 21 Piraeus Sister City Committee (BPSCC) ...... 23 Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC) ...... 25 Xiamen Sister City Committee (BXSCC) ...... 30

PROJECT THEMES – COLOR KEY

• Economic development

• Educational

• Cultural

• Health/environmental

• Government

• Organizational operations

• Other

PROJECT TYPES - KEY Event for multiple sister city committees to engage in (BSC-wide): Thick blue border on the right Other type of activity: Thin borders

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Baltimore Sister Cities program (consolidated)

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2019 FEBRUARY 11 & “Sister Cities Animated” film screening — Two screenings of animated & APRIL 5 experimental films from artists local to Baltimore and our sister cities of •• Alexandria, Piraeus, Rotterdam, and Xiamen were shown at the SNF Parkway Theatre and at UMBC. The screenings were coordinated by professor Lynn Tomlinson of Towson University with help from Safiyah Cheatam, UMBC graduate student. MAY 31 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) Celebration — Held joint ••• event with BCSCC, BKSCC, BXSCC, and other Asian and Asian-American organizations in celebrating Asian Pacific American (APA) cultures and the contributions of APAs to Baltimore at Institute College of Art (MICA). BCSCC led the event planning. Over 550 guests attended, including representatives of the Japanese and Chinese embassies and from the local Vietnamese community. Welcome remarks by MICA president Samuel Hoi. Guest speakers included Maryland State Senator Susan C. Lee and Dr. Van- Khue Ton, a UMD Cardiologist. The event consisted of martial arts demonstrations, singing, dance and drum performances, and other cultural activities. SEPTEMBER 21 Charm City Night Market – BKSCC and BXSCC participated in this this annual •• street festival near historic Chinatown celebrating Baltimore’s Asian community and businesses, organized by The Chinatown Collective. OCTOBER Kawasaki delegation to Baltimore — A mayoral-level delegation came from th •• Kawasaki, to celebrate the 40 anniversary of the Baltimore-Kawasaki sister city relationship. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR / ONGOING Sister Cities added/revitalized: •• • The mayor of Changwon, South Korea, came to Baltimore in November 2019 to sign the new sister city agreement with the mayor of Baltimore. The visit included a large government delegation and dance troupe that gave 3 performances. • The fledgling Gbarnga, Liberia committee (BGSCC) was brought under new leadership and reinvigorated. • Met with The Associated: Jewish Community Federation staff to discuss a joint approach to the relationship between Baltimore and Odessa. A new Baltimore-Odessa Sister City Committee is forming under the auspices of

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BSC to broaden the relationship with Odessa.

OTHER ACTIVITIES JANUARY 11 BSC Annual Meeting & Holiday Party • • Approved 2018 Accomplishments & 2019 Plan. • Approved nominations for BSC Directors and Committee Chairs for 2019 • Party: 91 registrants; potluck dinner and entertainment; raffle; presented Mayoral Certificate of Appreciation to Fontaine Bell. JANUARY 30 Board meeting • • Elected Gislin Dagnelie (President) & Fontaine Bell (Secretary) for 1-year terms; Jennifer White (Vice-President) & Jin Park (Treasurer) for 2-year terms. • BSC committee treasurers authorized to make bank deposits, as an amendment to approved deposit request form procedures. MARCH 24 Board meeting & BSC annual strategic planning meeting • • Amy Riolo, BLASCC Chair from 2010 – 2012, was named an Honorary Member of BSC and BLASCC, in recognition of her past contributions (including obtaining a $112,000 Melinda & Bill Gates Foundation grant for a water project in Luxor). MARCH 27 International Advisory Council (IAC) meeting ••• • Sister city committees presented their top goals for 2019 APRIL 8 Hermes International Expo — Manned a BSC table at annual Greek-American • international business networking trade show in Washington, DC. Represented Baltimore and the State of Maryland, promoting tourism, business and economic development. APRIL 24 Board meeting • • In view of the establishment of a Grants subcommittee within the Finance Committee, decision was made that all future BSC internal grant applications be submitted to this subcommittee, and only be submitted to the board for confirmation following positive advice from this subcommittee. MAY 15 BSC fundraising workshop —BSC International Advisory Council Co-Chair • Qaisar Abbas hosted this workshop for BSC’s Sister City Committees. As a direct result, BSC’s future internal grants application form and procedures were developed. MAY 15 Visit Baltimore orientation meeting — BSC is a member of Visit Baltimore. ••• Kathy Shiota, BSC’s liaison to Visit Baltimore, attended this event to discuss how Baltimore can leverage BSC to attract and support tourists from our

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sister cities’ countries, and the fact that BSC committee have local events that could be promoted in calendars/outlets to tourists. MAY 17 Meeting with WTCI leadership — Meeting to discuss possible areas of • collaborations and mutual liaisons, and to get their recommendations for new BSC board officers. JUNE 5 Board meeting • • No major decisions made at this meeting. JUNE 19 International Advisory Council (IAC) meeting ••• • Started developing IAC mission and goals. JULY 17–19 Sister Cities International (SCI) Annual Conference and China-U.S. Mayors’ •••••• Sister Cities Summit in Houston, TX — BXSCC Arts, Culture, Sports, & Tourism Subcommittee Chair Kerry Holahan represented BSC at this conference. China-related ties were established with potential future collaborators at the Summit. At this conference, in collaboration with Visit Baltimore, we explored the potential of having Baltimore host the SCI annual conference in the future. While Baltimore’s potential to host the SCI annual conference became a moot point due to SCI’s change in future conference structure (it will become part of the National League of Cities conference), there is still a potential of holding a regional SCI conference in Baltimore. JULY 21 BSC education focus group discussion – Representatives from various BSC • committees, Maryland Sister States, and Mapworks met to discuss education activities and share knowledge. The primary recommendation of the resulting executive summary was for BSC to establish an organization-wide education committee to coordinate committees’ collective K-12 & higher education initiatives and find person(s) to lead it. JULY 24 Board meeting • • Elected John Charles (Chip) Graber to replace Jennifer White as Vice President; William Nokes Hug Jr. (secretary) to replace Fontaine Bell as Secretary. AUGUST– Attended local Ukrainian festivals & networking events — Karina Mandell SEPTEMBER and BSC executive officers attended several events to garner support and • potential members for re-starting the Baltimore Odessa Sister City Committee, including: Ukrainian Independence Day celebration in Baltimore on Aug 25; Ukrainian Festival in Baltimore on Sept 7 (supported the festival with a BSC information table); Ukrainian Festival in DC; Ukrainian Naval Officers/Sailors graduation in Baltimore.

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AUGUST– Input to BDC’s CEDS — BSC provided input to Baltimore Development SEPTEMBER Corporation (BSC) as it develops a new Comprehensive Economic • Development Strategy (CEDS). SEPTEMBER 11 Board meeting • • Agreed to work towards establishment of a Odessa Sister City Committee and appointed Karina Mandell as a co-opted BSC Board member to foster this process. SEPTEMBER 25 International Advisory Council (IAC) meeting ••• • Discussed how to collaborate with Maryland International Education Consortium (MIEC) and plans to create a BSC-level Education Committee. • Decided to hold a joint business open house with Maryland-DC District Export Council. SEPTEMBER 30 Baltimore Community Toolbank membership — Became a member of this • service that provides things like podiums and chairs for events as well as tools to area nonprofits for low rental fees. OCTOBER BSC Corporate Membership Program – Fulton Bank became the first BSC- • level corporate member. In addition, Fulton Bank generously offered to have Federico Manno assist BSC’s treasurer with his duties and participate in the BSC Finance Committee. OCTOBER 10 Startup Global Baltimore (Baltimore Innovation Week) — BSC manned a •• table at this event again this year in an effort to promote our organizations as a resource for companies looking to expand abroad. Coordinated by Karina Mandell from the fledgling Baltimore-Odessa committee (BOSCC). OCTOBER 12 Breakfast meeting with Kawasaki, Japan delegation – As invited by BKSCC, •• BSC board officers and representatives of several Sister City Committees presented BSC’s programs and accomplishments to the mayoral-level delegation visiting from Kawasaki to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Baltimore-Kawasaki relationship. OCTOBER 16 BSC G Suite workshop — Workshop for Sister City Committee • representatives, hosted by BSC Secretary Will Hug and BSC Director Fontaine Bell, to enable attendees to get familiar with, and further develop, the electronic communications and database procedures. OCTOBER 23 Board meeting • • Appointment of Federico Manno as Assistant Treasurer. • Approved establishment of a BSC Education Committee. • Approved internal grant procedures proposed by the Grants subcommittee of the Finance Committee.

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NOVEMBER 13 World Trade Center (WTCI) State of the Ports / Embassy Wine Tasting / 30th ••• Year Anniversary — Participated in WTCI’s celebration for Baltimore businesses with global trade interests. BSC Director Fontaine Bell, BGSCC Chair Tambi Taylor, and BRSCC Vice Chair Gary Davison also participated with WTCI in a Fox TV spotlight on Nov 11 to promote the Nov 13 celebration. DECEMBER 4 Board meeting • Gislin to add key bullet points here after we get meeting minutes from Will DECEMBER 4 Maryland International Education Consortium (MIEC) — BSC board liaison • Nancy Taylor attended MIEC meeting to discuss how BSC and MIEC can collaborate. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR / ONGOING Discussions about future sister city (SC) relationships: • Discussions with representatives from the following cities and countries in the greater Baltimore area began and continued, to determine whether a friendship city relationship (leading to potential Sister City status) feasible. • Quy Nhon, Vietnam • Kolkatta, India • Handi, Kenya • Kingston, Jamaica • Bizerte, Tunisia These efforts were coordinated with Maryland Sister State and Sister City International organizations. • Financial structure and procedures • Financial procedures for expenditure reimbursements, invoice payment, on-line check deposits, and tracking receipts and expenditures by sister city committees were further refined. • BSC’s Treasurer prepared monthly bank reconciliation reports, profit and loss statements and balance sheets for 2019 and made them available to committee treasurers and board through our new G Suite file organization system. Treasurer filed 2018 tax return (form 990-EZ). • Created a new Finance Committee at the BSC level, with the BSC treasurer as the chair to develop 1) financial/accounting procedures and 2) fundraising procedures & strategy. Members of the committee consist of the treasurers of all sister city committees and the grant subcommittee members. • The grants subcommittee of the Finance Committee developed the BSC Internal Grant procedure and Internal Grant application form.

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• Baltimore City financial support – Provided reports to Baltimore City Mayor's office regarding expenditure of city-provided FY19 funds in May ($5,000, July – December 2018 expenses) and October ($5,000, January – June 2019 expenses); submitted request for continued support for FY20 ($10,000, November 2019). • BSC marketing materials — Developed new color marketing brochure and retractable sign for use at conferences, trade shows, and other events.

BSC, INC. BOARD TOTAL ASSETS AS OF DEC 31, 2019 11 board members as of Dec 2019 BSC, Inc. BCSCC 7 board meetings in 2019 BGSCC 1 joint board / strategic planning meeting BKSCC in 2019 BLASCC 3 International Advisory Council meetings BPSCC in 2019 BRSCC 4 finance committee meetings in 2019 BXSCC TOTAL

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Jin to provide the numbers for this column. This column will contain the amount of money in each President subaccount as of Dec 31. Note it does not equate Gislin Dagnelie Feb 16, 2016 – Dec 31, 2020 to “funds raised” in each of the subcommittee Vice President reports below, because those numbers are only Jennifer White Jan 30 – Jul 24, 2019 income (they do not reflect expenses or the final (stepped down due to health reasons) balance in the committee’s subaccount).

John (Chip) Graber Jul 24, 2019 – Jan 31, 2021 Secretary Fontaine Bell Jan 30 – Jul 24, 2019 Will Hug Jul 24, 2019 – Jan 31, 2021 Treasurer Jin Park Jan 30, 2019 – Jan 31, 2021

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Changwon Sister City Committee (BCSCC) In 2018, Baltimore and Changwon, South Korea decided to become sister cities. In 2019, Changwon sent a mayoral delegation to Baltimore to sign the official sister city agreement.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2019 APRIL 17–18 Changwon City Council delegation visited Baltimore City. •• MARCH 29 – Baltimore business mission to Changwon – BCSCC Co-Chair Matthew Lee led APRIL 3 a delegation of business people and Colin Tarbert from Baltimore Office of •• the Mayor to Changwon, South Korea to explore business opportunities in Changwon and to establish relationships with business and government officials. The delegation from Baltimore met Korean business persons in a variety of sectors including alternative energy technologies, clean energy innovations, hospitality, health care, senior living, information technology, healthcare IT, mobile applications, construction, and more. The delegation attended the Changwon annual Cherry Blossom Festival opening ceremony. The delegation met with government officials, the Changwon Industry Promotion Agency, and business leaders including Mayor Huh, Sung-moo. MAY 31 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) Celebration — Partnered ••• with BXSCC, BKSCC, and other Asian and Asian-American organizations in celebrating APA cultures and the contributions of APAs to Baltimore at Maryland Institute College of Art. BCSCC led the event planning. NOVEMBER 7–9 Changwon mayor delegation – Hosted 22 delegates from Changwon, ••• including Mayor Sungmoo Huh and 18 members of Changwon Municipal Dance Company. The delegates had meetings with Johns Hopkins Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Baltimore Development Corporation. NOVEMBER 7 Changwon delegation reception dinner – Hosted a welcoming reception for ••• the Changwon Delegation at Baltimore Visitor Center in the . Guest speakers included: Al Hutchinson, President and CEO of Visit Baltimore; Dr. Gislin Dagnelie, President of Baltimore Sister Cities Inc.; John C. Wobensmith, Secretary of State of Maryland; Colin Tarbert, President and CEO of Baltimore Development Corp; and Changwon Mayor Sungmoo Huh. Changwon Persimmon Company supplied a tasting of persimmon products. Changwon Municipal Dance Company performed a traditional Korean dance.

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NOVEMBER 8 Sister cities agreement signing ceremony – Baltimore Mayor Jack Young and •• Changwon Mayor Sungmoo Huh signed the official Sister City Agreement that formally establishes a relationship of friendship and collaboration between our cities. The ceremony took place in the Rotunda and Baltimore City Hall with Baltimore City officials, the Changwon delegation, the Korean Consulates of New York, and BCSCC members in attendance. The Changwon Municipal Dance Company performed a traditional Korean dance. NOVEMBER 8 Export-import conference – Organized a business session at City Hall in the •• Curran Room. A MOU with Changwon City Persimmon Company and the Korean Society of Maryland was signed. Changwon City Persimmon Company supplied a tasting of persimmon products. Brown Rice provided lunch for the event. NOVEMBER 8 Changwon Municipal Dance Company performance at MICA – Theresa ••• Bedoya, Vice President of Admission and Financial Aid at MICA, and BCSCC Co-Chair Matthew Lee gave welcoming speeches. The dance troupe, accompanied by director/choreographer Roh Hyun Sik, performed eight traditionally influenced dances using drums and fans. Changwon City Persimmon Company held a tasting event of persimmon products. DECEMBER 3 BCSCC Annual Holiday Dinner – Members celebrated the year’s • accomplishments while having dinner and singing karaoke at Be.Se.To.

OTHER ACTIVITIES JANUARY 11 BSC Annual Membership Meeting & Holiday Party — Joined other BSC ••• committees at the annual meeting and contributed to the holiday festivities and raffle. MAY 15 BSC fundraising workshop — BCSCC reps participated in this workshop • hosted by BSC International Advisory Council Co-Chair Qaisar Abbas. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR / ONGOING Media/Promotions — Kelly Nellenbach created a BCSCC informational • brochure. • Website & social media — Younghoo Kim developed the new BCSCC website.

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COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP 2019 FUNDRAISING GOAL 20 members as of Dec 2019 $5,000 17 Regular | 1 Associate | 2 Corporate TOTAL FUNDS RAISED IN 2019 10 committee meetings in 2019 $7,675

including fundraising, donations, & membership dues

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Gbarnga Sister City Committee (BGSCC) Gbarnga, Liberia was Baltimore’s first sister city (1973). Last year, Baltimore and Gbarnga decided to revive the long-dormant relationship, and Baltimore formed a new sister city committee to manage the relationship.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2019 Q1 – Q2 Committee restructuring – Reorganized the nascent committee and installed • new leadership. Q3 Maryland Sister States education partnership — Created partnership with •• Maryland Sister States in conjuncture with their education linkage program; the first goal will be to set up a high school exchange between Baltimore and Gbarnga. Attended several Sister States meetings during 2019. Q4 Morgan State University (MSU) partnership – BGSCC is working towards •• establishing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with MSU’s new Office of Global Health Initiatives (OGHI). Partnership is spearheaded by Dr. Raymond Terry, the Chair of the Economic and Health Policy Committee, MSU School of Community and Health Policy. Goal is to work together on public health projects with Liberia.

OTHER ACTIVITIES JANUARY 11 BSC Annual Membership Meeting & Holiday Party — Joined other BSC ••• committees at the annual meeting and contributed to the holiday festivities and raffle. Q1 Committee strategy and structure • • Established 2019 goals for sub-committees. • Created roles & responsibilities for officers and committee members. Q2 Committee strategy and structure • • Tambi Taylor was appointed as Chair of the committee. • Updated organizational structure. • Following the guidelines of Maryland Sister States, creating SOP for the committee. MAY 15 BSC fundraising workshop — BGSCC rep participated in this workshop hosted • by BSC International Advisory Council Co-Chair Qaisar Abbas, JUNE Committee elections — Held for Vice- Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. •

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Q3 Committee strategy and structure • • Created logo for the committee. • Committee held its first strategy retreat. SEPTEMBER 28 Meet & Greet networking event at Suya Spot • Q4 Partnership with St. Vincent De Paul of Baltimore — As part of this new •• partnership, BGSCC members created survival kits for Baltimore’s homeless population. BGSCC committee website — Website in the works and is planning to go live • at the beginning of 2020. OCTOBER 16 Breakfast meeting with Kawasaki, Japan delegation – As invited by BKSCC, • BRSCC representative Tambi Taylor met with the mayoral-level delegation th visiting from Kawasaki to celebrate the 40 anniversary of the Baltimore– Kawasaki relationship. NOVEMBER 11 World Trade Center (WTCI) 30th anniversary TV spotlight — Chair Tambi •• Taylor participated with other BSC representatives and WTCI in a Fox TV spotlight on Nov 11 to promote WTCI’s Nov 13 30th anniversary celebration.

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP 2019 FUNDRAISING GOAL 23 members as of Dec 2019 $3,000 22 Regular | 1 Associate TOTAL FUNDS RAISED IN 2019 10 committee meetings in 2019 $280

including fundraising, donations, & membership dues

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Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC) In 2019, Baltimore and Kawasaki celebrated the 40th year anniversary of their sister city relationship. A mayoral-level delegation from Kawasaki visited Baltimore to commemorate the anniversary and renew the sister city agreement.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2019 FEBRUARY 27 Japanese embassy sake promotion event at the – ••• Through a recent Japan Embassy initiative, and with support from BKSCC, Embassy officials hosted an event to promote grass-roots diplomacy. The documentary “Kampai” was shown looking at emerging sake producers in Japan, followed by sake tasting and Wa-shoku foods in the Museum lobby. Over 170 guests along with film celebrities and noted sake sommeliers were in attendance. MARCH 25 Maryland-Japan Memorandum of Economic Cooperation — Maryland •• Governor Hogan and Japan Ambassador Sugiyama signed an official document of mutual diplomacy between Maryland and Japan. The document mentioned a number of BKSCC future endeavors. 6 BKSCC members attended the ceremony. APRIL 4 Documentary film “Never Give Up! Minoru Yasui and the Fight for Justice” •• at Towson University – Holly Yasui, Min Yasui’s daughter, presented her directorial debut about her father’s fight for justice following the Japanese and Japanese-American incarceration in prison camps during WWII. 35 Towson undergraduate students learned about this enduring civil rights struggle. BKSCC worked together with Towson’s Director of the Student Diversity Office and Towson’s Chair of American History. An educational display created by BKSCC members about the incarceration experience was featured at the Towson Library. MAY 31 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) Celebration — Partnered ••• with BCSCC, BXSCC, and other Asian and Asian-American organizations in celebrating APA cultures and the contributions of APAs to Baltimore at Maryland Institute College of Art. BKSCC presented shuji calligraphy, sake tasting, and taiko-master drumming along with sushi from Matsuri Restaurant to over 450 attendees. JUNE 15 35th anniversary commemoration of the Kawasaki Stone Lantern at the ••• Inner Harbor — BKSCC held a commemoration and ceremonial lighting of the Kawasaki Stone Lantern at the Inner Harbor, to remember the meaningful gift

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exchange of public works between Kawasaki and Baltimore. City Officials and current Sister City members, along with artist Mary Ann Mears, spoke about this enduring symbol of international friendship to a public audience of 40 people. The Kawasaki Stone Lantern will relocate to the north side of the Inner Harbor in 2020. This event was the first of “Four for the 40th” anniversary events held to support BKSCC’s 40th anniversary in 2019. JULY 2 – City Hall gallery exhibition “Flightless Cranes” — 7 emerging and established AUGUST 23 artists explored Japanese themes, including 3 associate members of BKSCC •• from the Baltimore area. The exhibit was held in the new “Gallery in Baltimore City Hall” program. On opening night, 40 audience guests met with artists and heard talks on cultural identity and relocation, led by guest curator Liz Faust. During Artscape weekend, New York based Butoh artist, Azumi OE, gave an avant garde live performance in the City Hall Rotunda to an original soundscape score. This event was part of BKSCC’s 40th Anniversary Celebration. JULY 21 – Kawasaki-Baltimore Venture Scout exchange — 18 Kawasaki Venture Scouts AUGUST 4 and leaders travelled from Japan to visit Baltimore Venture Scouts, in this 30- ••• plus year exchange program that BKSCC helps support. This year was one of the largest combined American/Japanese scout groups in recent history. Male and female Kawasaki scouts were hosted in home-stays, camping, and visits to historical sites, with the purpose of making international friendships. AUGUST 1 Kawasaki Venture Scouts on Chesapeake Bay cruise — BKSCC partnered with ••• the Rotary Yacht Squadron of Chesapeake Bay to take the Venture Scouts on a 5-hour yacht tour of the Bay ending with a steamed crab luncheon. 50 scouts, leaders, and captains participated. This event was part of BKSCC’s 40th Anniversary Celebration. OCTOBER 3–5 Baltimore Japan Arts Festival — BKSCC was a major sponsor to Nippon • Motion’s annual Baltimore Japan Arts Festival, a 3-day festival at MICA and Station North locations. This year’s artist was Tokyo based illustrator Utomaru. The festival included an exhibit, artist workshop, panel discussion, and film selection that featured the artist’s character development. Over 150 people attended various events. OCTOBER 15–16 Kawasaki mayoral-level delegation visit to Baltimore — 6 Kawasaki city th • dignitaries came for a 2-day official visit to honor the Sister City 40 Anniversary between Baltimore and Kawasaki. Mayor Fukuda was scheduled to lead the delegation but was unable to due to a hurricane that caused widespread damage in Kawasaki. The delegation schedule included:

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• Meeting at Baltimore Mayor Young’s office to sign a renewal of the Sister City compact. • Anniversary Gala Dinner at the Center Club with Mayor Young in attendance, with the first viewing of BKSCC’s newly created “Legacy Video” that documents and preserves stories of our emeritus members. • Several City Hall morning meetings with overviews of BSC committee exchanges and Baltimore City redevelopment projects along with other business opportunities in Baltimore. • Tours & hospitality: Inner Harbor tour; visit to new exhibit on Kawasaki at the Visitor Center; bus tour of newly developed projects in Baltimore; and some down time with jazz and crab cakes. Over 30 Baltimore city officials were introduced to the delegation, along with many local citizens and community groups. This delegation was part of BKSCC’s 40th Anniversary Celebration.

OTHER ACTIVITIES JANUARY 3 Guided tour of Japanese exhibit at the Walters — Docent-guided tour of • “Japanese Woodblock Prints: The Art of Collaboration” at the . 21 BKSCC members and friends enjoyed the tour along with dinner nearby at the Helmand Restaurant. JANUARY 11 BSC Annual Membership Meeting & Holiday Party — Joined other BSC ••• committees at the annual meeting and contributed to the holiday festivities and raffle. MARCH 7 Japanese calligraphy demonstration & workshop at UMBC — In conjunction •• with OTS Productions and MLLI Japanese Area, BKSCC organized a calligraphy workshop by visiting Japanese artist Shiraishi Setsuhi with music by bamboo flute player Hideo at UMBC’s Library Gallery. Sponsored by UMBC MLLI and Asian Studies departments. MARCH 29–31 Asia North Festival — BKSCC introduced one musical performer and two • visual artists at the inaugural edition of this festival to celebrate Asian arts, food and culture in the Station North district. Works from BKSCC member Mary Champagne and BKSCC friend Sahomi Naka were included in the companion art exhibition. APRIL 14 Hanami Picnic at Middle Branch Park — The second annual Japanese picnic •• under the cherry blossoms attracted 16 participants. The morning started with an exercise in “Forest Bathing” and continued with bento lunches on picnic blankets.

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MAY 15 BSC fundraising workshop — BKSCC reps participated in this workshop • hosted by BSC International Advisory Council Co-Chair Qaisar Abbas. JUNE 8 Book Talk at Matcha Time Café — BKSCC member Yoshiko Hayakawa gave a • talk about her new book “5 Seasons of Money”, describing a seasonal approach, based on Japanese concepts, to financial planning. JULY 27 Outdoor film screening of “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” — As part of • Baltimore Department of Recreation & Parks’ Rhythm and Reels program, and collaborating with Flowering Tree Trails of Baltimore, this Hiromasa Yonebayashi film was shown in Park. SEPTEMBER 21 Charm City Night Market – Engaged with the Baltimore community with a •• booth at this annual street festival near historic Chinatown celebrating Baltimore’s Asian community and businesses. BKSCC sponsored a calligraphy workshop for families and kids featuring visiting Japanese artist Shiraishi Setsuhi. NOVEMBER 9 Flowering tree planting event at — Several BKSCC members • helped to plant trees in Druid Hill Park in this annual event along with our friends from Baltimore Flowering Tree Trails. DECEMBER 7 End-of-year Bonenkai party — 12 BKSCC members joined in the Japanese •• traditional year-end party. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR / ONGOING th • Oral History Project – To commemorate the 40 year of the Baltimore- Kawasaki relationship, we created a “Legacy Video” with stories from our emeritus members about the -Kawasaki Sister Cities. Japanese film program – Ongoing, we continued to screen documentaries • and other films on timely Japanese topics that help present Japanese cultural awareness to Baltimore. ••• Kawasaki Stone Lantern – Several meetings have been held with Waterfront Partnership in anticipation of moving the Stone Lantern to a new Inner Harbor location. • Partnerships – BKSCC continues to create strong partnerships with city organizations/departments, city non-profits, educational institutions, and the Japan Embassy.

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COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP 2019 FUNDRAISING GOAL 42 members as of Dec 2019 $2,000 21 Regular | 21 Associate TOTAL FUNDS RAISED IN 2019 8 committee meetings in 2019 $11,650 officer meetings in 2019 3 including fundraising, donations, & membership dues

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Luxor & Alexandria Sister City Committee (BLASCC)

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2019 FEBRUARY 11 & “Sister Cities Animated” film screening — Helped promote the Baltimore APRIL 5 Sister Cities film screening at SNF Parkway Theatre and UMBC, which •• included several animators from Alexandria. MARCH 17 Film Screening – Screened The Sultan and the Saint at Busboys and Poets •• Takoma Park, MD, as part of “Focus In!” film series. Included discussion and silent auction fundraiser. JULY Hosted Heba El-Rafey, Director of PR at Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) – •• Presentations about BA at Pratt Library, Library of Congress, US Diplomacy Center and George Washington University/Textile Museum. Included social gatherings and initiated or revived collaboration with Library of Congress, American Research Center in Egypt, Pratt Library, and Walters Art Gallery. OCTOBER Bibliotheca Alexandrina annual meeting – Karen Leggett & Tharwat rd •• Abouraya represented BLASCC at the 22 annual meeting of the International Friends of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (IFBA), Egypt. Karen advocated for expansion of student virtual exchanges. NOVEMBER Exchanged organizational membership with American Research Center in • Egypt – This is a new collaboration coming out of the Heba El-Rafey visit. We will share promotion and possible future events. NOVEMBER Visit Baltimore grant application — BLASCC prepared an event proposal and •• submitted it to the Visit Baltimore Education & Training Foundation for their $5000 Diversity & Inclusion Grant. NOVEMBER 13 World Cultures Day at Woodmoor Elementary School —Presentation to 3rd •• grade at this Baltimore County school about Egyptian foods and spices. Presentation to 5th grade about cultural stereotypes and Islamophobia. DECEMBER Middle East American Affairs Commission Appointment – BLASCC Chair •• Tharwat Abouraya was appointed by Governor to the Middle East American Affairs Commission.

OTHER ACTIVITIES JANUARY 11 BSC Annual Membership Meeting & Holiday Party — Joined other BSC ••• committees at the annual meeting and contributed to the holiday festivities and raffle. MAY 15 BSC fundraising workshop — BLASCC rep participated in this workshop

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hosted by BSC International Advisory Council Co-Chair Qaisar Abbas. • JULY 21 BSC education focus group discussion — Contributed input to the meeting • with Baltimore Sister City committees and reps from Mapworks and Maryland Sister States. OCTOBER BLASCC highlights video —Chair Tharwat Abouraya created a 5-minute video • highlighting BLASCC projects and plans, to be shared with the Kawasaki delegation. OCTOBER 16 Breakfast meeting with Kawasaki, Japan delegation – As invited by BKSCC, • BLASCC rep Manuel Knight presented on the BLASCC programs and accomplishments and showed BLASCC’s highlights video, to a mayoral-level delegation visiting from Kawasaki to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Baltimore–Kawasaki relationship. OCTOBER 16 BSC G Suite workshop — BLASCC rep attended this workshop hosted by BSC • Secretary Will Hug and BSC Director Fontaine Bell. DECEMBER Sister City members – Coordinated appointment of new Alexandria Sister City • Committee Board Members for 2020-21. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR / ONGOING American Egyptian Women of Influence – Initiated podcast highlighting •• American Egyptian women who are accomplished in the US or Egypt; promoted on Facebook, YouTube and by email. th th •• Virtual exchange program – 5 & 6 graders collaborated in Egypt and US; 4 schools participated and initiated use of MapWorks Learning/Narrative Atlas Platform. BLASCC is participating member of Virtual Exchange Coalition (VEC).

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP 2019 FUNDRAISING GOAL 21 members as of Dec 2019 $2,000 18 Regular | 1 Honorary TOTAL FUNDS RAISED IN 2019 1 Organization | 1 Corporate 6 committee meetings in 2019 $2,159 including fundraising, donations, &

membership dues

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Piraeus Sister City Committee (BPSCC)

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2019 FEBRUARY 11 & “Sister Cities Animated” film screening — Helped promote the Baltimore APRIL 5 Sister Cities film screening at SNF Parkway Theatre and UMBC, which •• included several animators from Piraeus. MARCH 25–31 Baltimore Greek Week — Supported local businesses by sponsoring •• Baltimore Greek Week, promoting the restaurants and events throughout Baltimore area. Worked with Greek owned restaurants and other businesses in Baltimore and the surrounding area to feature Greek food and specials, local artists and other activities. Promoted knowledge of Greek customs and heritage to patrons of the businesses. MARCH 31 Maryland Greek Independence Day Parade — Participated in the annual •• parade. APRIL 8 Hermes International Expo — Participated in annual Greek-American • international business networking trade show in Washington, DC; BPSCC represented Baltimore and State of Maryland, promoting tourism and business and economic development. Table at trade show was sponsored jointly with Baltimore Sister Cities. OCTOBER 10–14 Greek Food & Cultural Festival — Promoted this annual Baltimore festival •• that celebrates local restaurants and local Greek history.

OTHER ACTIVITIES JANUARY 11 BSC Annual Membership Meeting & Holiday Party — Joined other BSC ••• committees at the annual meeting and contributed to the holiday festivities and raffle. MAY 15 BSC fundraising workshop — BPSCC rep participated in the Finance • Committee’s fundraising workshop. OCTOBER 16 BSC G Suite Workshop — BPSCC officer attended this workshop hosted by • BSC Secretary Will Hug and BSC Director Fontaine Bell. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR / ONGOING Coffee Hours to promote BPSCC •• Participated in 5 Coffee Hours to promote BPSCC; this was a joint activity with

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Maryland Greek Independence Day Parade Committee. January 20 — Coffee Hour at St. Theodore Greek Orthodox Church in Lanham, MD. January 27 —Coffee Hour at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Baltimore, MD. February 10 — Coffee Hour at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Baltimore, MD. March 3 — Coffee Hour at Saints Mary Magdalene & Markella Greek Orthodox Church in Darlington, MD. November 17 — Coffee Hour at Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Linthicum, MD

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP 2019 FUNDRAISING GOAL 3 members as of Dec 2019 $1,000 3 Regular TOTAL FUNDS RAISED IN 2019 3 committee meetings in 2019 $1,450

including fundraising, donations, & membership dues

Baltimore Sister Cities • 2019 Accomplishments p. 24

Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC)

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2019 FEBRUARY 11 & “Sister Cities Animated” film screening — Helped promote the Baltimore APRIL 5 Sister Cities film screening at SNF Parkway Theatre and UMBC, which •• included several animators from Rotterdam. MARCH 27-30 Flood resiliency delegation and workshop — A delegation of Dutch flood ••• resilience & smart cities experts came to Baltimore. Netherlands Embassy, BRSCC, and Rotterdam co-organized a Maryland-Netherlands flood resiliency workshop on March 29 on board of a Dutch clipper ship in the Inner Harbor, with workshop tables for Baltimore City, , Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis City / Naval Academy, followed by a reception. With support from Maryland Commerce. BRSCC also initiated other meetings for the delegation (including with Maryland Commerce and BDC) and provided hospitality. Part of a 4-city US East Coast tour by the Dutch ship, with smart city & sustainability-themed business delegations. As a result, Annapolis is now exploring getting Dutch flood resilience expertise. SPRING Architecture student exchange — Morgan State University School of •• Architecture + Planning (MSU SA+P) and Rotterdamse Academie van Bouwkunst (RAvB) did an inaugural exchange, organized by Cristina Murphy and Wouter Veldhuis with logistical support from BRSCC. Graduate architecture students participated in a studio called “JUST City”. Students traveled to each other’s cities, participated in workshops and tours, did site analyses, and concepted structures for Pigtown neighborhood in Baltimore and Hillesluis neighborhood in Rotterdam. BRSCC also held potluck dinner for the Dutch students in Baltimore and provided funds for a meal in Rotterdam. APRIL 18 Architecture symposium — BRSCC assisted with logistics for Cristina •• Murphy’s “Redlining and Gentrification” symposium at MSU that explored how redlining and gentrification shaped neighborhoods in Baltimore. Symposium was part of the MSU-RAvB joint “JUST City” studio. OCTOBER 10 Architecture symposium & companion exhibits — As a follow-on to the April ••• symposium, Cristina Murphy from MSU SA+P and BRSCC co-organized a symposium at 1100 Wicomico called “From Exclusion to Inclusion: Rethinking Infrastructure to Bridge Baltimore’s Divides” that looked at how streetscape infrastructure has reinforced segregation and disparity, with a focus on MLK Blvd. Speakers included a RAvB professor. Companion exhibits included student work from the spring 2019 MSU-RAvB exchange, Undesign the

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Redline, and MSU’s PARK(ing) Day designs. BRSCC raised funds for the event. Event sponsors: South Baltimore Gateway Partnership, Maryland DHCD, Wexford Science + Technology, MUST urbanism, The Greener Kitchen, University of Maryland, Baltimore/BioPark, Hord Coplan Macht, Greene Street Ventures, Toole Design. OCTOBER 23 Maryland-Netherlands MOU renewal — Maryland & province of Zuid •• Holland renewed their MOU for their mutual business soft landing program and they intend to expand it to more sectors beyond cybersecurity, such as life sciences & health (LS&H). BRSCC has helped promote this soft landing program over the years. OCTOBER 29 Circular economy event — BRSCC helped Ecologic Institute organize and • promote a community discussion with speakers from Netherlands, Sweden, and Baltimore at Impact Hub Baltimore about reducing and repurposing waste, and participated in follow-up discussions. This was a POCACITO initiative, funded by the E.U. NOVEMBER Maryland Commerce visit to the Netherlands — Maryland Commerce rep •• traveled to Netherlands to discuss the mutual cybersecurity and LS&H soft landing program with Zuid Holland. In addition, with help from Rotterdam Partners, BRSCC organized meetings for the rep on flood resiliency and circular economy topics in The Hague & Rotterdam. Topics included Annapolis’ intent to obtain Dutch expertise to mitigate flooding.

OTHER ACTIVITIES JANUARY 11 BSC Annual Membership Meeting & Holiday Party — Joined other BSC •• committees at the annual meeting and contributed to the holiday festivities and raffle. SPRING & FALL Operation Trash educational programs — Supported Kathie diStefano, ••• theatre artist and educator from Rotterdam-based Avalanche Arts, in conducting educational programs about trash in Baltimore and set up meetings for her. In addition, Baltimore Department of Public Works engaged diStefano to develop educational materials for Baltimore teachers to use for educating students about trash and recycling. MAY 14–15 Smart Cities NY — As a result of their March delegation to Baltimore, •• Rotterdam invited Baltimore to participate in discussions with their delegation at Smart Cities NY. Baltimore city government’s tech reps were not available at the time, so BRSCC supported a Baltimore smart green cities entrepreneur to go to this event.

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MAY 15 BSC fundraising workshop — BRSCC reps participated in this workshop • hosted by BSC International Advisory Council Co-Chair Qaisar Abbas. JULY Food waste / circular economy — Ava Richardson, Food Matters Technical • Advisor at Office of Sustainability, conducted a fact-finding trip to Netherlands. BRSCC help arrange some meetings. Ava did some follow-up discussions with some of those organizations afterwards. Rotterdam firm wins Middle Branch waterfront design competition — •• West 8, a landscape architecture firm from Rotterdam, was selected by Baltimore to revamp the waterfront. West 8 and BRSCC have a history of interactions dating back to the beginning of the sister city relationship. JULY 21 BSC education focus group discussion — Discussed education initiatives and • shared knowledge with Baltimore Sister City committees and reps from Mapworks and Maryland Sister States. AUGUST 25 Joint happy hour “borrel” in Baltimore with DC Dutch organization. • FALL New architecture exchange with TU Delft — Supported Coleman Jordan at •• MSU SA+P in his proposal for a new student exchange program with TU Delft. MICA/WdKA sister academy relationship — Continued to promote the •• “Unravel the Code” digital fabrication course, co-taught by the art academies in Baltimore (Maryland Institute College of Art, MICA) and Rotterdam (Willem de Kooning Academy, WdKA). OCTOBER 8–9 Downtown Partnership of Baltimore visited Rotterdam. • OCTOBER 16 Breakfast meeting with Kawasaki, Japan delegation – As invited by BKSCC, • BRSCC chair Rachel Sengers presented on the BLASCC programs and accomplishments, with a special focus on the architecture student exchanges, to a mayoral-level delegation visiting from Kawasaki to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Baltimore–Kawasaki relationship. OCTOBER 16 BSC G Suite workshop — BRSCC officers attended this workshop hosted by • BSC Secretary Will Hug and BSC Director Fontaine Bell. NOVEMBER 6 “Seagull Mama” performance at Enoch Pratt Library — Kathie diStefano, •• theatre artist and educator from Rotterdam-based Avalanche Arts provided educational performance about trash and recycling for K – Grade 2 at Enoch Pratt’s central branch. NOVEMBER 13 World Trade Center (WTCI) State of the Ports / Embassy Wine Tasting / 30th

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Year Anniversary — Supported Netherlands Embassy’s table at WTCI’s ••• celebration for Baltimore businesses with global trade interests. Co-ran the table, with a beer, jenever, and cheese tasting; table focused on Port of Rotterdam and Dutch flood resilience expertise. BRSCC Vice Chair Gary Davison participated with WTCI in a Fox TV spotlight on Nov 11 to promote the event. DECEMBER Committee elections — Committee officer elections (chair, vice chair, • treasurer, secretary, member-at-large, and representative to BSC board) were conducted for terms starting on January 1, 2020. Fundraising for spring 2020 architecture student trip — Started fundraising •• for March 2020 MSU architecture student/faculty trip to Rotterdam DECEMBER 3 E.U. delegation visits Baltimore — A delegation of over 20 ambassadors from ••• E.U. countries came to Maryland to strengthen ties, including the ambassador from Netherlands. BRSCC promoted the events held by the delegation and attended several of them. DECEMBER 19 Netherlands Embassy Holland on the Hill reception — Attended annual ••• reception; discussed our initiatives with select attendees. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR / ONGOING ••• Social Impact by Design — We continued to explore having IMG Rebel coordinate a Social Impact by Design project in Baltimore, similar to a new pilot they launched this year in the BoTu neighborhood of Rotterdam. • Maryland-Netherlands cybersecurity soft landing program — Continued to help Maryland and Netherlands promote the program and encourage companies to apply. Life sciences & health (LS&H) — Facilitated discussions between Maryland, • Amsterdam, and Rotterdam to explore possible areas of collaboration. • Sister city sculpture — Discussions with Baltimore Museum of Industry about installing a Baltimore-Rotterdam sister city sculpture (a sculpture of a seal) there, and having diStefano create companion educational materials. • Photo exhibit — Looking for a venue in Rotterdam to host an exhibit about Bethlehem Steel by Joe Giordano, a Baltimore photographer, currently on display at Baltimore Museum of Industry. DC-area Dutch networking happy hour — BRSCC continued to co-sponsor •• the periodic ongoing business networking “borrel” organized by the

Netherlands Embassy, Netherlands America Chamber of Commerce Washington Metro, and other DC-area Dutch organizations.

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• Expanded membership — Recruited more committee members to broaden talents/strengths of our program and to address the fact that some members moved away or needed to cut back their involvement. • Meetings with Rotterdam-Baltimore sister city group —Multiple BRSCC members visited Rotterdam during 2019 and held meetings with the newly formed Rotterdam-based group. The group is still too small to be effective so we are currently looking for more volunteers to support it. •••• Partnerships — Increased collaborations with: Netherlands Embassy, NACCWM, Rotterdam Partners, Baltimore City Department of Planning and Office of Sustainability, Maryland Commerce, MSU School of Architecture + Planning. New relationships: Rotterdamse Academie van Bouwkunst; Designing the WE; southwest Baltimore organizations (SBGP, SWP, and community groups like ConexUX).

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP 2019 FUNDRAISING GOAL 17 members as of Dec 2019 $2,000 11 Regular | 6 Associate TOTAL FUNDS RAISED IN 2019 10 committee meetings in 2019 $8,597.19

including fundraising, donations, & membership dues

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Xiamen Sister City Committee (BXSCC)

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2019 FEBRUARY 2 Children’s Museum Chinese New Year Celebration — •• Provided special Chinese New Year’s activities for children at Port Discovery, such as learning basic Chinese, the zodiac, and how to use chopsticks. FEBRUARY 11 & “Sister Cities Animated” film screening — Helped promote the Baltimore APRIL 5 Sister Cities film screening at Parkway Theatre and UMBC, which included •• several animators from Xiamen. Professor Lin Lin of Xiamen University (BXSCC’s Xiamen representative for this project) gathered 30 videos created by students in or near Xiamen for this screening. Four of the Xiamen videos were selected to be shown at the screening. The Burning of the King Boat by Xiamen Academy of Arts and Design, Fuzhou University student Kai Gao won the screening’s Student Award. APRIL 11, 12, 15, BXSCC Chair visit to Shanghai & Xiamen — In Shanghai, Chair Xin (Cindy) & 16 Wang met with Maryland Center China, former PR & Promotion Chair Gabriel •••••• Meredith, the Jiading District Foreign Affairs Office, and the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office to discuss potential collaboration. Xiamen meetings involved the Xiamen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, the Xiamen Health Bureau, Xiamen University, the Xiamen University of Technology, the Xiamen Foreign Affairs Office, Shuangshi Middle / High School, the Xiamen Foreign Service Center, and the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Convention & Exhibition Affairs, among others. MAY 21 & 23, Celebration of Chinese-language education at the Baltimore Polytechnic JUNE 6 Institute (BPI) and Bard High School Early College (BHSEC) — In May, •• Education Subcommittee Chair Yu-San (Trista) Lai and Co-Chair Jeannette Felton presented top Chinese language students at BPI and BHSEC with certificates and monetary gifts, spoke about the benefits of studying Chinese, and discussed the history of the Chinese community in Baltimore. In June, Member-at-Large Fontaine Bell joined Trista and Jeannette in organizing and chaperoning a tour of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. by 24 Chinese language students; students were also treated to a traditional Chinese meal in Baltimore’s historic Chinatown. MAY 31 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) Celebration — Partnered •• with BKSCC, BCSCC, and other Asian and Asian-American organizations in celebrating APA cultures and the contributions of APAs to Baltimore at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Representatives of the Chinese Embassy

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attended. JUNE 24 – JULY 4 Xiamen & Beijing “Youth Ambassadors” Summer Camp — Vice Chair Danny AND VARIOUS Evans spearheaded the planning of and led this visit of 16 Baltimore and •••• Maryland high school-aged students and 2 other chaperones to Xiamen and Beijing. Organizational & business in-kind sponsors included Chick-Fil-A, Starbucks, Shake Shack, Blaze Pizza, Papa John’s, and the Shuangshi school. Q to BXSCC: Did the sponsors also include MECU Foundation? Summer trip activities included: In Xiamen, students took classes in airplane modeling, tai chi, calligraphy, folk music & music appreciation, Minnan-style Mid-Autumn Festival culture, literature, martial arts, polymer clay, and more at Xiamen Shuangshi Middle / High School. Participants visited Xiamen Airlines, the Xiamen International Convention and Exhibition Center / BRICS Xiamen Summit venue, Xiamen University, Nanputuo Temple, Gulangyu Island, and engaged with the Xiamen Office of Foreign Affairs. In Beijing, the students visited Peking University, Tian’anmen Square, the Palace Museum, the Beijing American Center (U.S. Embassy in Beijing), the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall, and Beijing Olympic Park. Associated events included: two kick-off briefings (on December 7, 2018 and January 18, 2019), three participant and parents meetings (on March 29, May 3, & June 14), a visit to the State Department and USAID in Washington, D.C. (on June 21), a Small Business Administration presentation (on July 24), a debriefing with Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young (on July 29), and a Senate Foreign Relations Panel discussion in Washington, D.C. (on August 29). At an August 2 closing reception & awards ceremony, three Youth Ambassadors were presented with certificates and gift cards for their excellent participation in the summer camp. SEPTEMBER 21 Charm City Night Market – Engaged with the Baltimore community with a •• booth at this annual street festival near historic Chinatown celebrating Baltimore’s Asian community and businesses. Conducted a calligraphy activity. NOVEMBER 13 World Cultures Day at Woodmoor Elementary School — BXSCC Secretary •• Regan Lerner and Arts, Culture, Sports, & Tourism Subcommittee Chair Kerry Holahan shared Chinese art, music, and other cultural elements with students at this Baltimore County school. NOVEMBER 18 13th Annual CHINA Town Hall — Courtesy of the National Committee on U.S. •• – China Relations (NCUSCR), the Office of the Mayor, and the Office of the City Council President, this event featured as national panelists Steve Orlins, Melanie Hart, Yasheng Huang, and Ely Ratner in a discussion on current issues Baltimore Sister Cities • 2019 Accomplishments p. 31

in U.S.–China relations moderated by George Stephanopoulos, Chief Anchor at ABC News. The local discussion was moderated by Nat Ahrens, Executive Director and Founder of the American Mandarin Society. Notable attendees included representatives of the Governor’s Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, the Maryland Department of Commerce, the Maryland Secretary of State’s Office, the Office of the Mayor, and BSC. BPI’s Chinese- language teacher and several of her students also attended. The event had 44 attendees.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

JANUARY 11 BSC Annual Membership Meeting & Holiday Party — Joined other BSC •• committees at the annual meeting and contributed to the holiday festivities and raffle. MAY 11 Cecil County Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) Celebration – • Joined other Maryland APA organizations in tabling at this event at Mt. Aviat Academy spearheaded by BXSCC member Mie Mie Joe Strickler. MAY 15 BSC fundraising workshop — BRSCC reps participated in this workshop • hosted by BSC International Advisory Council Co-Chair Qaisar Abbas. MAY 24 Xiamen International Bank Delegation — Officers met with human resources •• representatives of Xiamen International Bank at the State of Maryland Department of Commerce offices, as liaised by BXSCC member and Commerce’s Regional Manager for East Asia Felicia Pullam. JULY 17 – 19 Sister Cities International (SCI) Annual Conference and China-U.S. Mayors’ ••••• Sister Cities Summit in Houston, TX: BXSCC Arts, Culture, Sports, & Tourism Subcommittee Chair Kerry Holahan represented BSC at this conference. China-related ties were established with potential future collaborators at the Summit. JULY 21 BSC education focus group discussion — Discussed education initiatives and • shared knowledge with Baltimore Sister City committees and reps from Mapworks and Maryland Sister States. OCTOBER 10 Startup Global Baltimore (Baltimore Innovation Week) — Supported BSC’s •• participation in this event and helped man the BSC table in an effort to promote our organizations as a resource for companies looking to expand abroad. OCTOBER 16 Breakfast meeting with Kawasaki, Japan delegation – As invited by the BKSCC, BXSCC Chair Xin (Cindy) Wang presented on the BXSCC’s programs Baltimore Sister Cities • 2019 Accomplishments p. 32

and accomplishments, with a special focus on the Youth Ambassadors • program, to the mayoral-level delegation visiting from Kawasaki to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Baltimore–Kawasaki relationship. OCTOBER 16 BSC G Suite workshop — BXSCC rep attended this workshop hosted by BSC • Secretary Will Hug and BSC Director Fontaine Bell. NOVEMBER 13 World Trade Center (WTCI) State of the Ports / Embassy Wine Tasting / 30th •• Year Anniversary — Supported the joint BSC presence at this celebration for Baltimore businesses with global trade interests. OCTOBER 10 – Committee elections — Committee officer elections (chair, vice chair, NOVEMBER 14 treasurer, secretary, member-at-large, and representative to BSC board) • were conducted for terms starting on January 1, 2020. Elected officers appointed sub-committee chairs and other officers by December 15, 2019. DECEMBER 15 BXSCC Holiday party — Celebrated the successes of 2019 with members, • family, and friends. The BXSCC underwrote a portion of the party expenses. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR / ONGOING Membership & management — Continued to promote individual • memberships and to expand the Corporate Member / Sponsor Program. •••••• Partnerships — Established or strengthened ties with Baltimore City Public Schools, the Baltimore Council of Foreign Affairs, Baltimore International Academy, BPI, BHSEC, the Beijing American Center, The Chinatown Collective, the Columbia-Liyang Sister City Committee, the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, the Jewish Museum of Maryland, the Jiading District of Shanghai, students at , Mapworks Learning, the Maryland – Anhui Sister State Committee, the Maryland Department of Commerce, the Maryland Governor’s Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, MIMA, Morgan State University, the New Century School, Peking University, the Baltimore Sunset Rotary Club, SCI, Towson University, USAID, the U.S. China Association of Commerce, the U.S. Department of State, USEAC Baltimore, the University of Maryland – Baltimore County, Woodmore Elementary School, the World Trade Center Institute, Xiamen Airlines, the Xiamen Foreign Affairs Office, the Xiamen Foreign Service Center, the Xiamen Health Bureau, Xiamen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Convention & Exhibition Affairs, Xiamen Shuangshi Middle / High School, Xiamen University, the Xiamen University of Technology, and other organizations through joint programs and site visits, etc. Renewed event sponsors / corporate members include BRIC, LLC,

Baltimore Sister Cities • 2019 Accomplishments p. 33

Exelon’s Asian American Resource Group, and the University of Maryland – Office of China Affairs.

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP 2019 FUNDRAISING GOAL 26 members as of Dec 2019 $110,700 16 Regular | 7 Associate | 3 Corporate TOTAL FUNDS RAISED IN 2019 11 committee meetings in 2019 $49,794 officer meetings in 2019 2 including fundraising, donations, & membership dues

Baltimore Sister Cities • 2019 Accomplishments p. 34