French Consul Meets With Macon Mayor, Consular Corps

Left to right: Christopher Smith, Philippe Ardanaz and Bruce Allen.

Mr. Ardanaz’s visit celebrated longstanding ties between Macon and France.  Bruce Allen, honorary consul for Liechtenstein, and Christopher Smith, honorary consul for Denmark, hosted Mr. Ardanaz, Deputy Trade Commissioner Michele Besson and Press Attache Claire Collobert.

Mr. Ardanaz participated in a ceremony of friendship with the two honorary consuls at a monument to Marquis de Lafayette, where the consul general recognized the two honorary consuls for their role in Macon’s international development.

The French delegation also attended luncheons, toured the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and made a few appearances on local television.  They were received by various educational institutions and made a trip to the aviation museum in Warner Robins. 

The visit followed the consul general’s other recent trips around the Southeast.  Mr. Ardanaz gave a lecture at Armstrong University in Savannah April 4 and accompanied French Ambassador Pierre Vimont to Charlotte, N.C., April 21-22.

Georgia Hispanic Chamber Announces New Board of Directors

The Hispanic chamber has more than 1,400 members in the state and is managed by a board of seven officers and 11 directors.

This year’s chair is Gabriel Vaca, senior international account manager for the Southeast at Atlanta-based United Parcel Service Inc.

Leticia Maspons Willis, president of Willis Mechanical in Norcross, was elected vice chair and Frank Ros, assistant vice president for Latin Affairs at Coca-Cola Co., elected treasurer.

Del Clark, community development project manager at Georgia Power, is now the board’s secretary and Keegan Federal, managing partner at Atlanta-based mediation and arbitration law firm Federal & Hasson LLP is parliamentarian.

Monica Maldonado, president of Decatur-based Interprint Communications, is the board’s chair elect, and Al Moreno, group vice president at SunTrust Banks Inc., is to remain on the board as a past chair.

The directors are Miguel Candelaria, president and CEO of temporary staffing agency MA&O Inc.; Brenda Cornelius, president and CEO of Cornelius Group Inc. consultant agency; Felipe De Stefani, vice president for marketing at Cartoon Network Latin America, a division of Turner Broadcasting System Inc.; Jose Espinel, marketing director, Hispanic division of San Antonio, Texas-based AT&T Inc.; Cristina Franco, president and CEO of consulting firm International Communications Resources; Harold Jackson, CEO of Decatur-based Jackson Health Group Inc.; Tulu Kaifee, multicultural market specialist in the Atlanta office of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based financial holding company BB&T Corp.; Carlos Lopez, managing director of Royster Group Inc. consulting; Alex Mejia, executive director of CIFAL Atlanta and Gary Sanchez, director for key accounts at Atlanta Gas Light Co.

For more information, visit www.ghcc.org.

U.N. Secretary-General to Focus on Global Health in Atlanta

Ban Ki-moon

Mr. Ban will convene a meeting with at the Carter Center with former heads of state, U.N. officials, philanthropists, educators, heads of non-governmental organizations and other leaders to discuss global health priorities.

He will also tour the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and meet with CIFAL Atlanta, a U.N.-affiliated organization that provides training and research on economic and social issues for leaders throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Mr. Ban’s visit to Atlanta is part of an ongoing tour of U.S. cities that started after he took office in January 2007. 

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue will host Mr. Ban for a luncheon at the Governor’s Mansion on May 8.