BSC Secretary, Author at Baltimore Sister Cities

Ballot topics for January 27, 2022 BSC Annual Membership Meeting

In the January 27, 2022 annual membership meeting of Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc., (BSC), the following items (A, B, and C) will be submitted for approval by the BSC membership (voting members of BSC board and the constituent sister city committees). The information has been posted on this webpage so that members have a chance to review it before the meeting.

A. 2021 ACCOMPLISHMENTS REPORT

(for BSC-level activities and activities for the constituent sister city committees)

View proposed 2021 Accomplishments Report (PDF, 5.8mb)

PDF posted on: 2022-01-23 4pm ET

B. 2022 PLAN

(for BSC-level activities and activities for the constituent sister city committees)

View proposed 2022 Plan (PDF, 2mb)

PDF posted on: 2022-01-23 4pm ET

C. Board Elections

Below is the list of board directors that represent sister city committees and other organizations on our board, as defined in our bylaws.

Persons in bold font with an asterisk (*) are nominees, up for election this year. These nominations were made by the sister city committees and other organizations represented on our BSC, Inc. board. Opposing nominations, if desired, can be made at the January 27, 2022 annual meeting.

Persons WITHOUT an asterisk are in the middle of their board term and therefore NOT up for reelection this year.

Organization	Representative	Term
BSC:	Changwon (BCSCC) Representative: Michelle Lee	2021-2022
	Gbarnga (BGSCC) Representative: William Hug *	2022-2023
	Kawasaki (BKSCC) Representative: Jay Gordon	2021-2022
	Luxor-Alexandria (BLASCC) Representative to : Karen Leggett Abouraya	2021-2022
	Odesa (BOSCC) Representative: Karina Mandell *	2022-2023
	Piraeus (BPSCC) Representative: Diane Homberg *	2022-2023
	Rotterdam (BRSCC) Representative: Gary Davison *	2022-2023
	Xiamen (BXSCC) Representative: Kerry Holahan *	2022-2023
BDC:	Baltimore Development Corporation Representative: William Cawthern * (Director of Baltimore Foreign Trade Zone #74)	2022-2023
BOPA:	Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts Representative: Lauren Green (Director of Marketing)	2021-2022
Mayor’s Office:	Baltimore Mayor’s Office Representative: Nina Themelis * (Deputy Director, Mayor’s Office of Government Relations)	2022-2023
MIMA:	Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Representative: Catalina Rodriguez-Lima (Director of MIMA)	2021-2022

Note: Non-voting board members (currently Geri Byrd, Hosea Chew, Teresa Leslie, Nancy Taylor) are not approved at the Annual Membership Meeting but at the 1st regular board meeting of the year following the annual meeting. This year that board meeting is scheduled for February 23, 2022. BSC officers are also elected at the February 23 meeting. The officer positions to be elected this year are: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Assistant Secretary.

D. Sister City Committee Chairs

The following list informational only. The chairs are elected by their committee members. The chairs are not elected in the BSC annual membership meeting.

Committee	Chair	Term
Changwon (BCSCC)	Michelle Lee	Until 2022-12-31
Gbarnga (BGSCC)	Pending
Kawasaki (BKSCC)	Jay Gordon	2021-2022
Luxor-Alexandria (BLASCC)	Karen Leggett Abouraya & Tharwat Abouraya (co-chairs)	2022-2023
Odesa (BOSCC)	Karina Mandell	Until 2022-06-01
Piraeus (BPSCC)	Diane Homberg	2021-2022
Rotterdam (BRSCC)	Rachel Sengers	2022-2023
Xiamen (BXSCC)	Xin (Cindy) Wang	2022-2023

Maryland state representatives visit to the Netherlands

Map showing USA and the Netherlands; logos of MDEM, NWP, and BRSCC. Text: November visit to the Netherlands | Amsterdam Water Week | Climate Resilience | Flood Management

Representatives of Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM, formerly known as MEMA), travel to the Netherlands for a flood-resilience themed trip in early November. JaLeesa Tate, Maryland State Hazard Mitigation Officer; Kyle Overly, Director of the Disaster Risk Reduction Directorate; and Allegra Tartaglia, Non-Governmental Services Branch Manager, will participate in Amsterdam International Water Week and share about resilience efforts in Maryland at this AIWW panel on Nov 1: aiww2021.com/event/risk-and-resilience-in-the-americas

AIWW is a hybrid conference, and the online events are FREE, including the panel in which MDEM is participating. To register: aiww2021.com/register

The MDEM representatives will also visit integrated climate resilience and flood prevention infrastructure sites in Rotterdam and The Hague and hold meetings on the topics of resilience and disaster risk reduction during their visit to Netherlands.

In addition, Kyle Overly will be joining a government panel exchanging flood resilience initiatives at the Dubai World Expo Urban and Rural Development Day in the Dutch Biotope Pavilion in the Sustainability District (Dutch Dubai), sharing the milestones and initiatives in cities in the State of Maryland and the city of Baltimore.

We thank Janett Tapia, Arjan Braamskamp, and their colleagues at Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) for their work in planning this trip. The Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC) is honored to help with the planning.

This is part of ongoing collaboration between Maryland and the Netherlands on climate adaption and resilience.

BGE provides Green Grant for Baltimore Sister Cities educational program

Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) has provided a BGE Green Grant of $2,500 to Baltimore Sister Cities for the “Operation Trash” educational exchange project.

In this project — a collaboration between the Baltimore Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC) and Kathie diStefano from Rotterdam-based Avalanche Arts — students from schools in Baltimore and Rotterdam engage in a virtual exchange centered around the topic of trash pollution, and conduct research about the trash in their communities. They study trash reduction and recycling strategies and make presentations to share with their counterparts overseas, and take part in a community cleanup. The program is designed to inspire them to become environment stewards for their communities. The next edition of Operation Trash is planned for spring of 2022 with middle school students.

Baltimore Sister Cities is grateful for the grant provided by BGE, as projects like Operation Trash would not be possible without their generous support.

For more information:

Kawasaki and Baltimore explore steel mill closures and redevelopment

Background

During a delegation visit from Kawasaki to Baltimore in 2019 to celebrate the 40th year anniversary of the sister city relationship, several delegates spoke informally to Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC) about JFE, a Kawasaki corporation and the second largest steel manufacturer in Japan, closing down its steel mill on a reclaimed island in Tokyo Bay, part of Kawasaki. Koji Hirao, the Chairman of the Kawasaki International Association and a member of the 2019 delegation, reached out to BKSCC in 2020, to find out if Baltimore would be interested in providing background information for a Kawasaki municipal project following the removal of the JFE steel mill facility. Kawasaki wanted to talk to groups in Baltimore who had been involved in the Tradepoint Atlantic redevelopment project at the Bethlehem Steel site at Sparrows Point, Baltimore County, for insights into planning and execution.

Meeting in October 2021 about steel mill site redevelopment

In response to Kawasaki’s inquiry, BKSCC is helping to organize a virtual meeting on Tuesday, October 19 with about 20 invited participants. The meeting will include Baltimore county officials and members of TradePoint Atlantic’s development team along with members of Kawasaki City’s coastal area development team. The purpose of the meeting is to share the invaluable experiences by those Baltimore parties who were involved in the redevelopment of the Bethlehem Steel site.

Attendees will include: the members of the City of Kawasaki Coastal Area International Strategy Headquarters; its advisors from the Mitsubishi Research Institute; the Tradepoint Atlantic management team; development officers from Baltimore County; the Baltimore Development Corporation; and the Commerce Department of the State of Maryland; several BKSCC members; and Geri Byrd, president of Baltimore Sister Cities.

Carbon-free power generation

BKSCC is also asking Kawasaki City to provide Baltimore with new research and information about their initiatives on carbon-free power generation. Kawasaki City is a leader in Japan, committing itself to the pursuit of a carbon-free circular economy. One of the city’s initiatives is to generate carbon-free power (ie, hydrogen) by using plastic waste and food waste. This initiative is managed by the City of Kawasaki Coastal Area International Strategy Headquarters. This article is an example of this trend: globetrender.com/2021/06/19/tokyu-hotels-first-hydrogen-hotel-japan

Maryland bluetech | greentech business delegation to Europe

The Maryland Department of Commerce and several Maryland environmental tech and water tech companies are participating in a business delegation to the Netherlands, including Water Tech Europe trade show and other site visits, during the week of September 19 – 24, 2022.

The trip includes:

1. Participation in the Water Tech Europe trade expo and the accompanying Wetsus Congress at European Water Technology Week (EWTW) which brings together sessions and field visits focused on topics like sustainable water supply, wastewater treatment and reuse, circular economy, energy production from water, climate resilience, and new water sources. This is the place for professionals working on solutions for tomorrow’s water issues. EWTW attendees include universities, research institutes, innovative companies and corporate end-users, government representatives, and water clusters from Europe and around the world, including water clusters from the U.S. like the Milwaukee Water Council. European Water Technology Week takes place in Leeuwarden in the northeast region of the Netherlands. The Maryland Department of Commerce has a pavilion at Water Tech Europe for environmental tech businesses from Maryland.

2. Site visits — Maryland has planned networking opportunities and field visits to sites in The Hague / Rotterdam in the western region of the Netherlands for the delegation to learn about innovative technologies and meet potential business partners. The program is tailored to the focus sectors of the participating companies. Maryland Commerce consultants in Europe are providing free networking assistance to participants.

3. Maryland break-out session and networking event — Free, in-person event on September 22, 2022 at 5-8pm CET at Venture Café Rotterdam. An opportunity for Dutch entrepreneurs to meet the Maryland delegation and learn about opportunities to soft land their business in Maryland, your gateway to the U.S.A. Event info page

Delegation goals

Help Maryland firms explore business opportunities abroad
Find international business partners to bring innovative technologies to Maryland
Network with U.S. and European firms, innovation hubs, and research institutes
Raise the international profile of Maryland companies

Focus sectors

The program and topics is tailored to the focus areas of the participating companies, but it includes topics like:

Drinking water and wastewater management
Urban water management and climate resilience
Water in agriculture
Maritime technologies
Aquaculture
Renewable energy
Nature-based solutions for climate adaptation
Circular economy; water conservation and re-use technologies
Pollution; plastic soup
Digitalization

Potential site visits include:

Business networking events in Rotterdam/The Hague region
The Green Village at Delft Technical University (field lab for sustainable innovation)
Port of Rotterdam; Port XL maritime tech accelerator
Envirotech testing facilities
Stormwater water infrastructure; storm surge barriers
Aquaculture sites
In addition, the EWTW Wetsus Congress includes field trips related to resource recovery from wastewater, energy production from water, circular water systems, and horticulture. Tours start from WaterCampus in Leeuwarden.

Eligibility

Eligibility: Participation is open to Maryland firms — firms that have their business operations in Maryland.
Financial assistance: Maryland businesses can apply for the Export MD grant to cover a portion of their trip expenses (up to $5,000 reimbursement). The deadline to apply for this grant has passed.

Participating Maryland companies

Early Charm • Tetrahedron, Inc. • Innovatreat • Blue Sources • GaiaXus

Are you a Dutch company looking to do business in Maryland?

Maryland is the ideal place to expand your business to the USA, and for you to find Maryland partners to assist in addressing the environmental challenges facing us all.

Maryland has developed innovative programs and incentives to help international companies interested in developing a presence in the U.S. market, including the Maryland Global Gateway soft landing program: https://commerce.maryland.gov/softlanding which is available to companies in any sector, not only environmental technology.

The soft landing program is available year-round, but if you apply by Oct 31, 2022, your company may be eligible for additional financial assistance and support (press release about the Oct 31 application deadline)

For more information

Contact the delegation’s leader:
Andrew Kreinik, Regional Manager for Europe and Australia at Maryland Department of Commerce: andrew.kreinik@maryland.gov (or contact Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee for information).

Maryland Commerce’s blog post:
https://open.maryland.gov/blog/maryland-blue-tech-sector-on-full-display-at-european-water-technology-week

Learn more about doing business in Maryland:
https://open.maryland.gov/information-for/international-business

Logos of the Maryland companies in the delegation: Early Charm, Tetrahedron, Innovatreat, Blue Sources, GaiaXus

Sister Cities International Annual Conference

Date: July 15–16, 2021
Format: Virtual
Admission: Free (advance registration required)
More info & to register: www.sci-ac.org

This year’s theme is “Building Stronger Ties for an Interconnected World” and features breakout sessions on economic, education, humanitarian, sports, and other themes.

May 27 | Our Home Too

Photo collage of Asian Americans; Photos of the speakers; event title; partner logos

A Forum in Support of Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities

Date: Thursday, May 27, 2021
Time: 7-8:30pm
Format: Zoom webinar
Admission: Free (advance registration required).
More info & to register: aapi2021.eventbrite.com

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM), a time when we recognize the history and achievements of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Unfortunately, this year’s celebrations are marred by increasing rates of targeted violence against AAPI individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. These actions are rooted in our nation’s history of periodic exclusion, discrimination, racism, and xenophobia which have long been juxtaposed with the vitality, promise, and mutual benefit endowed by our diversity of backgrounds and experiences.

Please join Baltimore Sister Cities and our partners in solidarity, community and celebration as we honor the invaluable contributions of AAPI communities in Baltimore and Maryland. During this panel discussion, we will explore what AAPI heritage means to all of us. How have AAPI communities contributed to Baltimore and American history? What are AAPI communities currently doing to contribute to culture, the arts, activism, and public service in our region? What new directions are they calling for?

Speakers include:

Mayor Brandon M. Scott — Mayor of Baltimore city
Linda Yuriko Kato, RSCJ, Ph.D. — Senior Consultant for Society of the Sacred Heart – U.S. Canada Province
Christina Wong Poy — Administrative Director, Maryland Governor’s Commissions on Asian Pacific American Affairs and South Asian American Affairs
Mark Chang — Delegate for District 32 Anne Arundel County, Maryland State House of Delegates
Dana Petersen Moore — Baltimore City Chief Equity Officer and Director of Baltimore’s Office of Equity and Civil Rights
Nerissa Paglinauan — Program Manager, Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University

Moderator: Teresa Leslie from Baltimore Sister Cities.

More info & to register: aapi2021.eventbrite.com

Event partners

Baltimore Sister Cities (BSC)
This webinar is organized by Baltimore Sister Cities in honor of its Asian sister city committees (Changwon, South Korea; Kawasaki, Japan; Xiamen, China).

Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA)

Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University (AA&CC)

Food Resilience in Maryland

Empty plate with fork and knife. Event title, date, and logos of the participating organizations.

Did you miss our recent webinar about Food Resilience in Maryland? Watch the recording here: youtu.be/_-WyWs2O6Dk

Featuring these speakers:

Holly Freishtat – Food Policy Director, Baltimore Office of Sustainability
Meg Kimmel – Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer, Maryland Food Bank
Eric Jackson – Founder and Servant-Director, Black Yield Institute

About this event

Food insecurity is rampant in Baltimore, with nearly a quarter of the city’s residents struggling to acquire healthy, affordable food. While local urban farmers, religious leaders, and advocates are fighting for food justice in the city, accessibility and availability to food remains a concern to many residents. The COVID-19 pandemic has only served to exacerbate the problem by increasing the number of people in need.

In this webinar the problem of food insecurity is discussed. What is food insecurity/resilience? Whom does food insecurity primarily impact in Baltimore? What is Baltimore currently doing to move from food insecurity to food resilience? How has COVID-19 impacted food insecurity/resilience? How do we build resilient food systems in Baltimore?

And we encourage you to support the great work these organizations are doing to bring healthy food to our community:
Donate to Maryland Food Bank
Donate to Black Yield Institute

May 6 | Food Resilience in Maryland

Why are people hungry?

In this webinar the problem of food insecurity will be discussed. What is food insecurity/resilience? Whom does food insecurity primarily impact in Baltimore? What is Baltimore currently doing to move from food insecurity to food resilience? How has COVID-19 impacted food insecurity/resilience? How do we build resilient food systems in Baltimore?

Speakers

Holly Freishtat – Food Policy Director, Baltimore Office of Sustainability
Meg Kimmel – Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer, Maryland Food Bank
Eric Jackson – Founder and Servant-Director, Black Yield Institute

More information

Video recording of the event: youtu.be/_-WyWs2O6Dk

Event page: foodresilience.eventbrite.com

And we encourage you to support the great work these organizations are doing to bring healthy food to our community:
Donate to Maryland Food Bank
Donate to Black Yield Institute

May 6 & 22 | Baltimore Sister Cities at Enoch Pratt Free Library

Photo collage with child in Korean Hanbok outfit, Dutch tile with windmill image, and a red Chinese paper fan

Baltimore’s public library hosts Imagination Celebration (formerly known as the Fairy Tale festival) throughout the month of May. This signature event celebrates creativity and honors diverse voices and experiences within children’s literature and our communities.

Baltimore Sister Cities offers fun activities for kids from some of the countries around the world where we have sister cities! Admission is free.

May 6 at 11am: Pratt Virtual Storytime Live! — Changwon, South Korea

Join us for a special storytime with the Changwon City Committee of Baltimore Sister Cities! Together, we’ll read a story and learn about traditional Korean dances and clothing.

Time: 11am
Location: This event takes place online. Dial-in information: Event page on the library website

May 22: Dutch Tile Painting — Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Join the Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister Cities Committee and learn how to decorate typical Dutch blue-and-white Delftware tiles. Delftware is a famous painting style from the Netherlands that became well-known around the world in the 17th century. Channel your creativity in this workshop and give these characteristic tiles a unique, personal touch.

Time: 2 timeslots: 1pm and 2pm
Location: Outdoors at Washington Village (Pigtown) branch of the library, at 856 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21230.

This program is limited to 10 participants per timeslot and pre-registration is required. To register, call the Washington Village Branch at (410) 396-1099 or email wsh@prattlibrary.org

Event page on the library website (1pm slot)
Event page on the library website (2pm slot)

May 22: Chinese Fan: Take & Make Kit — Xiamen, China

Celebrate Chinese culture with the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee. Pick up a kit to make your own traditional Chinese folded fan. This take & make kit will be available at the Washington Village Branch on May 22 from 1pm to 4pm on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.

Time: Available for pickup between 1pm-4pm
Location: Washington Village (Pigtown) branch of the library, at 856 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21230.

Event page on the library website

Organized by Baltimore-Changwon Sister City Committee (BCSCC), Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC), and Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee (BXSCC), in conjunction with Enoch Free Pratt Library.

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