Tulsa receives international attention for outstanding sister cities program
TULSA – Tulsa Global Alliance received Sister Cities International’s 2015 Best Overall Program Award Saturday night.
The 2015 Sister Cities International Best Overall Program Award recognizes sister city programs that demonstrate outstanding accomplishments in 2014 in advancing the goals and mission of the sister cities movement.
Eric Kunkel, partner at Tulsa’s CCK Strategies, accepted the award for TGA during a ceremony in Minneapolis.
Kunkel is the secretary-treasurer of the TGA board. This is the second time TGA has received the honor for a city with a population between 300,001 and 500,000 since 2012.
Tulsa has eight International Sister Cities, including San Luis Potosi, Mexico; Amiens, France; Celle, Germany; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Beihai, China; Utsunomiya, Japan; Zelenograd, Russia; and Tiberias, Israel.
In 2014, Tulsa Global Alliance successfully facilitated all sister cities partnerships for the city of Tulsa, and was active in the U.S. State Department’s International Visitors Program in Oklahoma.
Through the program, they have prepared individuals for life in a multicultural world, facilitated and enhanced relationships that promote international trade opportunities, and served as the premier international resource organization utilized by Tulsa-area governments, businesses, organizations, educational institutions and residents.
Tulsa Global Alliance specifically demonstrated its capacity through a variety of programs, including the 12th biennial four-day Kids’ World International Festival, an international breakfast seminar on doing business in Mexico, seven student exchanges, and also hosted the 16th annual videoconference between Tulsa and Tiberias, Israel.
In addition, they’ve awarded educator scholarships for sister city exchanges, hosted 181 visitors from the U.S. State Department and Library of Congress Programs, and more.
Special events conducted over the year included the seventh annual Savoring Sister Cities Celebration, Sister City Photo Contest, Lunar New Year Celebration, monthly “Coffee with the Globals” events, a bi-monthly “Toast the Travelers” reception and the 18th Annual Global Vision Awards Fundraiser.
Award winners were honored at a special ceremony July 18 during Sister Cities International’s 59th Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.