SCI: About Sister Cities - Press Releases

MAE FERGUSON ELECTED PRESIDENT OF SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Fort Worth Sister Cities Executive Director Chosen During 50th Anniversary Conference in Washington, D.C.

Media Contact: Amanda Straub, 202.347.8630 ext. 4877, communications@sister-cities.org
Source: Lindsay Wilson, 202.347.8630 ext. 4004, lwilson@sister-cities.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 25, 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Mae Ferguson of Forth Worth, Texas was elected President of the Sister Cities International Board of Directors during the Annual Board Meeting on July 15, 2006. The meeting was part of the Sister Cities International 50th Anniversary Conference held in Washington, D.C.

Ferguson is the twelfth elected President of the Board of Directors and the third woman to hold the position. She was previously first vice president on the Board of Directors. Since 2000, Mae has been the Executive Director of Fort Worth Sister Cities International.

Prior to becoming involved with Sister Cities International, Ferguson was Vice President of the Child Study Center Foundation and Development Director of the American Heart Association, where she received the national Rome Betts Award for Excellence for Development and Community Organization. Currently, Ferguson is a board member for the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Women's Policy Forum, Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and the International Committee of the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show.

"The Sister Cities movement is crucial to creating a global climate for peace. Without cultural understanding and the formation of true international relationships, misunderstanding can rapidly accelerate into hatred and bigotry. The creation of the sister cities program is our best defense for making certain that history does not repeat itself," Ferguson said.

Fort Worth Sister Cities International won the prestigious 50th Anniversary Award this year for demonstrating long-term commitment and sustainability of its sister city programs. Fort Worth is also home to Sister Cities International?s Volunteer of the Year, Elaine Yamagata.

The Fort Worth Sister Cities program has been recognized four times nationally as having the Best Overall Program for a city with population of 500,000 or more. In 2003, it was recognized nationally for three programs - Innovation in Public Health, Youth and Best Overall Program.

"With sister cities programs, you don't just have Americans, you have respectful, culturally aware Americans traveling as citizen diplomats to foreign lands, sharing their culture and enjoying and respecting the culture of another. As more people in foreign countries visibly see and feel the results of citizen diplomacy, the stereotype of the ugly American will begin to dissolve, and the negative view of America will dissolve along with it," Ferguson said.

Fort Worth's seven sister cities are Reggio Emilia, Italy; Trier, Germany; Nagaoka, Japan; Bandung, Indonesia; Budapest, Hungary; Toluca, Mexico; and Mbabane, Swaziland.

Ten other candidates were elected to the Sister Cities International Board of Directors.

About Sister Cities International
Representing more than 2,500 communities in 134 countries, Sister Cities International (www.sister-cities.org) is a citizen diplomacy network creating and strengthening partnerships between the U.S. and communities abroad. Begun in 1956 after a White House summit where U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower called for people-to-people exchanges, sister city partnerships are tailored to local interests and increase global cooperation at the grassroots level. Sister Cities International promotes peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation by focusing on sustainable development, youth and education, arts and culture, humanitarian assistance and economic growth programs.

###