In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower founded Sister Cities International as a network that would promote peace and prosperity by creating bonds between people from different communities around the world. The national membership organization unites tens of thousands of citizen diplomats and volunteers in nearly 500 member communities with over 2,000 partnerships in more than 140 countries. Each year, the organization hosts their Annual Conference and Youth Leadership Summit where members can learn how cities are taking center stage on global issues.
This year, Tuesdaé Knight, VP of Membership and Business Development, had the opportunity to attend the conference and meet up with San Antonio’s 10 official sister cities. The conference began with the Opening Flag Ceremony which included a keynote address from former San Antonio Mayor, Secretary Julian Castro. The ceremony was followed by the induction of San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg as the Chairman of the Board of Sister Cities International. Over the course of three days, Tuesdaé attended a variety of panels that covered topics related to arts & culture, economic development, and city leadership.
In addition to The Chamber and Mayor Nirenberg, the City of San Antonio was represented by Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, Inc.; Musical Bridges Around the World; Asia Getaway; the Alamo Asian American Chamber of Commerce; Texas A&M University - San Antonio, Summer of Service (SOS), and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
