Baltimore Sister Cities

Help support Odesa, our sister city in Ukraine!

Baltimore-Odesa Sister Cities Fundraiser: Help support Baltimore's Sister City in Ukraine in its time of need! (photos of Mt Vernon Square in Baltimore; Odesa National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet)

Donate via credit card or PayPal: Donate here

The Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee will use the full amount of your donation for humanitarian aid to citizens of Odesa, Ukraine and to the Ukrainian community in Baltimore.

If you prefer to pay by check (in US dollars): Make your check out to: BSC. Put “Odesa fundraiser” in the memo line. Mail it to Baltimore Sister Cities, 4701 East Lane, Baltimore MD 21210 USA.

Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. No goods or services are provided to you for this gift. Please consult your tax advisor regarding specific questions about your deductions.

About the Baltimore-Odesa sister city relationship

The Sister Cities International program was established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 to create a force for international cooperation and understanding through community involvement by promoting peace through people-to-people relationships. The Baltimore Sister Cities (BSC) Program was established in the early 1970’s by then-Mayor William Donald Schaefer. Odesa is Baltimore’s second oldest relationship. The Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee was established in 1974. The committee is part of Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc, a non-profit 501c3 corporation.

A Tale of Two Cities: Baltimore and Odesa — The Role of Sister Cities in International Relations

Recording of a 2022 webinar hosted by Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee, where panelists discussed the connection between Baltimore and Odesa in light of current events at the intersection of public, private and government partnerships across the world which help promote international diplomacy.
youtu.be/QxAFORH3MDg

Interview on Baltimore radio

Listen to an interview on Baltimore’s WYPR radio station in 2022 with Karina Mandell, Chair, Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee, talking about Baltimore’s sister city of Odesa, Ukraine:
www.wypr.org/2022-02-25/baltmores-sister-odesa-ukraine

Baltimore Sister Cities is seeking a new treasurer

The Treasurer of Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. (BSC) is stepping down in early 2022 after 3 years of service, so BSC is looking for a new treasurer.

Key responsibilities are: bookkeeping for the accounts of the corporation and its 8 sister city committees; processing payments and deposits for the corporation and its committees; managing the corporation’s checking account at a local bank; preparing and filing state and federal tax returns; working with the corporation’s executive committee to prepare an annual budget; and attending board meetings (approximately every 6 weeks). Some accounting background and experience with QuickBooks, Excel and Google Workplace (formerly called ‘G Suite’) is a plus.

Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. (BSC) is a non-profit 501c3 corporation and all of its members and officers, including the Treasurer, are unpaid volunteers. The position offers great international management experience and personal satisfaction in line with the mission of Sister Cities International: ‘To promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time.’ For more information about BSC, see our home page.

Several other Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. executive officer positions will also be opening up in January 2022.

Persons who are interested in the Treasurer position or other positions at BSC should contact  for more information. Please reply on or before December 31, 2021.

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.

OrganizationRepresentativeTerm
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.

CommitteeChairTerm
Changwon (BCSCC)Michelle LeeUntil 2022-12-31
Gbarnga (BGSCC)Pending
Kawasaki (BKSCC)Jay Gordon2021-2022
Luxor-Alexandria (BLASCC) Karen Leggett Abouraya & Tharwat Abouraya (co-chairs)2022-2023
Odesa (BOSCC)Karina MandellUntil 2022-06-01
Piraeus (BPSCC)Diane Homberg2021-2022
Rotterdam (BRSCC)Rachel Sengers2022-2023
Xiamen (BXSCC)Xin (Cindy) Wang2022-2023

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.

Kawasaki and Baltimore explore steel mill closures and redevelopment

Photo of Kawasaki at sunset with Mount Fuji in background; photo of Baltimore Inner Harbor waterfront at twilight with skyline, water, and boat.

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

Our Message to the Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities

Map of world showing the locations of Baltimore's sister cities. Text says: In solidarity with AAPI communities

— April 2021 —

Baltimore Sister Cities (BSC) stands united and in solidarity with members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in Baltimore and in all parts of the United States. Especially as home to three Sister City relationships in Asia (Changwon, Korea; Kawasaki, Japan; and Xiamen, China), BSC deplores the events of the past year targeting members of AAPI communities. We are outraged at this senseless violence and abhor the pain and hurt inflicted on our AAPI colleagues and friends.

BSC makes this statement with awareness that anti-Asian violence is woven into the very history of our country. The Chinese massacre of 1871, the attacks on Filipino American farmworkers in the 1930’s, the angry incarceration in prison camps of Japanese Americans during WWII, and the violent arson by the Ku Klux Clan of Vietnamese American fishing boats in the 1970’s, were all emboldened by dehumanizing stereotypes and prejudice perpetuated towards Asians who immigrated into the American landscape. This normalizing of racism has continued in language like “Kung Flu” and “China Plague” in recent months.

BSC is committed to fighting prejudice and to creating dialogues on all forms of discrimination. It leads with a purpose of promoting cultural interchanges that can foster new and more culturally aware engagement. It is not what we say in the short term, but what we remain dedicated to that has lasting effects. BSC has vowed to send a strong message by providing an opportunity for an open dialogue of discussion with a distinguished group of panelists that will shed light on violence against AAPI communities. Within the next few weeks we will be announcing a live event and webinar discussion to educate and create awareness of AAPI issues and their long-term effects.

Zoom backgrounds

These city photos can be used by Baltimore Sister Cities members as backgrounds in meeting platforms such as Zoom.

City photos are listed alphabetically below the instructions.

A. Instructions

Note you will need the latest version of Zoom (client software) installed on your hard drive in order to do this.

To use a photo background in Zoom:

1. See cities further below. Click on link to a city’s photo, to go to its full-size photo. After that, right-click on the city’s full-size photo to get a context menu. Save the image to your hard drive.

2. When you are in a zoom meeting, hover over the bottom of the screen to see bar with video icon, chat icon, etc. Click the arrow icon next to the Video icon:

3. Select “Choose Virtual Background” from the menu:

4. On the Background & Filters screen, Choose the Add button > Add image. Find the city photo on your hard drive and upload it.

Questions? Visit the Zoom help center.

B. City photos

Alexandria, Egypt

Alexandria, Egypt

https://baltimoresistercities.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/AlexandriaLibrary-Background.jpg

Baltimore, USA

https://baltimoresistercities.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Baltimore-Background.jpg

Changwon, South Korea

https://baltimoresistercities.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Changwon-Background.jpg

Gbarnga, Liberia

https://baltimoresistercities.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Gbarnga-Background.jpg

Kawasaki, Japan

https://baltimoresistercities.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Kawasaki-Background.jpg

Luxor, Egypt

Luxor, Egypt

https://baltimoresistercities.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Luxor-Background.jpg

Odessa, Ukraine

Ukrainian Independence Day Celebration in Baltimore (Photo: W. F. Bell)

https://baltimoresistercities.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ukraine-Background.jpg

Piraeus, Greece

Piraeus, Greece

https://baltimoresistercities.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Piraeus-Background.jpg

Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Rotterdam, the Netherlands

https://baltimoresistercities.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Rotterdam-Background.jpg

Xiamen, China

Xiamen, China

https://baltimoresistercities.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Xiamen-Background.jpg

Dec 2 / Maryland State of the Ports

Photos of container ships, containers, plane, and train; photos of the panel speakers

When: Wednesday, December 2, 2020
4pm ET / Breakout sessions
5pm ET / State of the Ports Panel
Format: Virtual conference
Admission: Free; advance registration required
Register here: www.wtci.org/stateoftheports

About

For more than a decade World Trade Center Institute (WTCI), the State of Maryland, and Ports America Chesapeake have hosted the annual Maryland State of the Ports — a forum where senior transportation officials share an update on the latest results, major infrastructure projects, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Attendees learn about the latest developments at these key regional economic drivers and meet the many companies that help keep the people and cargo moving through our ports. In addition to the State of the Ports, this year’s virtual conference will include two breakout sessions – there is no cost to participate.

Program

4 pm ET / Breakout sessions

  • E-commerce & the Port Economy
  • The Future of Travel

5pm ET / 2020 State of the Ports Address

A panel of leaders at Maryland’s ports will highlight the latest developments and give an inside view of what the future holds. Featuring:

  • Greg Slater — Secretary, Maryland Department of Transportation
  • Bayard Hogans — Vice President, Ports America Chesapeake
  • Ricky Smith — CEO, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
  • Bill Doyle — Executive Director, Port of Baltimore

Attend this event to get the latest developments at Maryland’s ports.

Baltimore Sister Cities encourages people engaged in international commerce to attend this event and learn more about the current conditions and trends at the Port of Baltimore and Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Baltimore Sister Cities is proud to be a co-op partner with WTCI for this event which boasts the region’s largest gathering of port industry representatives.

For more information and to register: www.wtci.org/stateoftheports

Baltimore Sister Cities is a member of WTCI.

Nov 10-18 / Annual CHINA Town Hall

Join us for the 14th annual CHINA Town Hall, hosted nationwide by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) and in Baltimore by the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee.

In light of the growing downturn in U.S.-China relations over the past year, CHINA Town Hall has expanded from a single night into a multi-night series of programming to address the range of issues confronting the relationship. The series will kick off at 7:00PM on Tuesday, November 10th, starting with a keynote event with renowned investor Ray Dalio, followed by events on three subsequent evenings, each focused on a specific issue area: economics and trade, climate and health, and society and culture. In addition, a fifth Mandarin-language event will be held for Chinese-speaking audiences in the United States, China, and around the world. Due to public health concerns, Baltimore’s 2020 edition of this event will be all-virtual. To allow a wider audience to participate, this year’s event is free to attend.

Program

  • Keynote | Tuesday, November 10, 7:00 p.m. EST | Ray Dalio
  • Society & Culture | Thursday, November 12, 7:00 p.m. EST | Raymond Chang, Lucas Sin, and Janet Yang
  • U.S. Perspectives in Chinese | Monday, November 16, 8:00 a.m. EST | Robert Daly, June Mei, and Matt Sheehan
  • Economics & Trade | Tuesday, November 17, 7:00 p.m. EST | Amy Celico, Huang Yiping, and Andy Rothman
  • Health & Climate | Wednesday, November 18, 7:00 p.m. EST | Margaret Hamburg, Ryan Hass, and Angel Hsu

For more information and to register: Eventbrite page

Baltimore Sister Cities featured at BWI Airport

Photo of Baltimore Sister Cities' poster on a pillar at BWI Airport International Terminal. Poster features a map of the world with Baltimore's sister cities and info about Baltimore Sister Cities.

International travel has slowed down these days due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Baltimore Sister Cities (BSC) is still busy building Baltimore’s global neighborhood!

Look for our new poster at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) in the International Terminal (Concourse E) through February 2021. BWI’s Community Partners Program is featuring the posters of BSC and several other Maryland nonprofits throughout the airport.

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Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. No goods or services were provided for this gift. Please consult your tax advisor regarding specific questions about your deductions.

 

Web site copyright © 2026 Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc.

logo-baltimoreBaltimore sister city committees operate under the auspices of the City of Baltimore’s Office of Mayor Brandon M. Scott.

Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. is a 501c3 organization incorporated in the State of Maryland.
Member of  Sister Cities International, Maryland Nonprofits, World Trade Center Institute, Visit Baltimore, & affiliate of Maryland International Education Consortium.

Previous mayor’s Dec 2015 press release about Baltimore Sister Cities becoming a 501(c)(3).