TV journalists from Brazil and their interpreter enjoy dinner during their visit to Vermont at the home of VCWA members Patrick and Elizabeth Buffet

Students from Thailand interact with students from Colchester High School and Champlain Valley Union High School during their visit October 12-15

 Professor Xu Kezhu, Deputy Director of the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims at the China University of Political Science & Law in Beijing, China, meets with faculty and staff of the Vermont Law School, August 31, 2006

Governor Jim Douglas meets with Russian delegates at the Winooski Riverwalk Celebration, July 2006

Click here to read articles written by 2 of the Russian delegates about their visit to Vermont

 Parliamentary officials from Moldova meet with Lt. Governor Brian Dubie, April 18,2006

President of the Adana Environment Consumer Protection Association of Turkey and his interpreter at Shelburne Farms

Delegations who visited Vermont in 2006

• Brazil (November 23-28): Two television journalists visited Vermont over the Thanksgiving weekend and met with Michael Monte of Burlington’s Community and Economic Development Office, Tim Nulty of Burlington Telecom, and students of Portuguese at Middlebury College.  They also appeared on L.J. Parady’s radio program on WRUV and attended a rehearsal of the Sambatucada Afro-Brazilian percussion band.  During their visit, they enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at the home of Ducky & Frank Donath, as well as dinners at the home of Patrick and Elizabeth Buffet and Tim and Leslie Nulty.

• Russia (November 4-12):  4 school principals and their facilitator from Russia visited Vermont under the auspices of the Open World program to learn about our education system.  While they were here, they met with officials from the Vermont Department of Education, the Vermont Principals’ Association, the Vermont School Boards Association, and the Vermont-National Education Association.  They also visited Browns River Middle School, the Center for Technology in Essex, Champlain Valley Union High School, Montpelier Union Elementary School, Montpelier High School, and Rice Memorial High School.

• Cambodia (November 2-7):  8 Librarians affiliated with the Senate and National Assembly Libraries and Archives of Cambodia visited the Fletcher Free Library, the Bailey-Howe Library at the University of Vermont, the Vermont Historical Society Library, the Vermont State Archivist, the Vermont Legislative Council, and the Vermont State Librarian.

• Japan (October 25-29):  Four Japanese involved in Park Management and Habitat Conservation visited Vermont for meetings at the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation; the Green Mountain Club;  the Park Studies Laboratory and Vermont Tourism Data Center at UVM; Shelburne Farms; and the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.  Members of the Japan-America Society of Vermont joined them for dinner with them while they were here

• Thailand (October 12-15):  Six high school students from Thailand who were the nationwide winners of a Quiz USA contest held in Thailand attended classes and interacted with students at Colchester High School and Champlain Valley Union High School.  They also enjoyed home hospitality in Montpelier with students from Montpelier High School who have visited Thailand.  More photos...  

• Trinidad & Tobago (September 30-October 4):  Mr.  Glenn Khan, Deputy Executive Director of the Regulated Industries Commission of Trinidad & Tobago, toured Burlington's Water Treatment and Wastewater Treatment Plants; visited with Tim Nulty of Burlington Telecom; and met with Christopher Dutton, the President of Green Mountain Power; State Senator Virginia Lyons, Chair of the Vermont Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy; and David O'Brien, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Service.

• South America (September 6-10): 3 delegates from South America and their interpreter visited Vermont on the theme of "Combating International Crime".  The delegation included a lawyer from Argentina, a Federal Police Chief from Brazil, and a penal prosecutor from Paraguay.  During their stay, they met with David Kirby in the U.S. Attorney's Office and Brian Welch with the Drug Enforcement Agency, and visited the U.S./Canada Port of Entry at Highgate Springs, the U.S. Border Patrol Sector Headquarters in Swanton, and the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Burlington

• China (August 30-September 2):  Professor Xu Kezhu, Deputy Director for the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims of the China University of Political Science & Law, and her U.S. Department of State interpreter visited Vermont to explore environmental issues.  During their visit, they met with faculty and students at the Vermont Law School; Jeff Wennberg, Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources; Judge Meredith Wright of the Vermont Environmental Court; Vermont Assistant Attorney General Erick Titrud; and Orin Langelle and Anne Peterson of the Global Justice Ecology Project. They also enjoyed a reception sponsored by VCWA Board Member Peter Regan and his wife Gay, and a dinner at the home of VCWA members Barry Dimson and Pamela Lawrence

• Belgium (August 19-23):  Mr. Bart Martens, a Member of Parliament from Belgium, and his U.S. Department of State escort visited Vermont to explore environmental issues.  During their visit, they met with National Park Service representatives at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park;  Marshall Webb of Shelburne Farms; State Senator Ginny Lyons who chairs the Vermont Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy; Judge Meredith Wright of the Vermont Environmental Court; Canute Dalmasse, Acting Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources; Anthony Iarrapino and Tim Burke of the Vermont Conservation Law Foundation; Gwendolyn Hallsmith, Executive Director of Global Community Initiatives; Elizabeth Courtney of the Vermont Natural Resources Council; and Orin Langelle and Anne Peterson of the Global Justice Ecology Project.  They also enjoyed an informal lunch with VCWA Executive Director, Karen Glitman who attended schools in Belgium; VCWA Board member Dana vanderHeyden; and Saint Michael’s College President Marc vanderHeyden who is from Belgium.

• Sri Lanka (August 17-22):  7 members of various political organizations in Sri Lanka, inlcuding a Member of Parliament, and their U.S. Department of State escort visited Vermont on the theme of “Democracy and Grassroots Political Participation.”  During their visit, they met with Dr. Glenn McCrae of The Snelling Center for Government;  Neal Rodar, the Director of the Dispute Resolution Center at Woodbury College; a representative of the Vermont Progressive Party; Peter Clavelle and Ian Deshmukh of ARD; Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss; and Colchester Town Manager and VCWA Board Member Al Voegele.  They also enjoyed an informal dinner with VCWA Board Member Marilyn Cormier who was born in Sri Lanka; a reception sponsored by Democracy for America; and visits to the Islamic Society of Vermont, Shelburne Farms and Shelburne Museum.

• Uzbekistan (August 16-18):  5 business people from Uzbekistan and their 2 interpreters visited Vermont on the theme of   “Small Business Development.”  During their stay, they met with Derek Cohen of the Vermont Small Business Development Center; Ed Antczak, an Economic Development Specialist with Burlington’s Community & Economic Development Office;  Janice St. Onge, the Director of the Vermont Business Center at the University of Vermont; Bob Desautels of NPC Processing; and Ben Bergstein and April Werner of the Volga River Trading Company.

• France (August 12-16):  2 representatives of agricultural interests from France and their interpreter visited Vermont on the topic of “U.S. Agricultural Policy.”  During their visit, they stayed at the Parent Farmhouse in Georgia and met with Leon Berthiume and Tom Gates of the Saint Albans Co-operative Creamery; State Senator Sara Brannon Kittell, chair of the Vermont Senate Committee on Agriculture; Nicole Dehne of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont; Jacklyn Folsom, President of the Vermont Farm Bureau; State Representative David Zuckerman, chair of the Vermont House Committee on Agriculture; and Dr. Monserrat Alementa-Aliste of the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese.  They also visited the Boyden Winery in Jeffersonville, farms in Franklin County, and had a tour of the Intervale conducted by Diane Fuchs.

• Russia (July 8-16):  3 environmental officials and their escort visited Vermont as part of the Open World Program of the Library of Congress and enjoyed staying at the homes of VCWA Board members Susan & Peter Alden and with Peter Carlough and Clara Bond while they were here.  Their schedule included guided tours of the Materials Recovery Center of the Chittenden Solid Waste District; Burlington’s Water Treatment Plant; Burlington’s Wastewater Treatment Plant; and NRG Systems in Hinesburg.  They also met with Wayne Gross, the Director of Burlington’s Department of Parks & Recreation; Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss and volunteers involved in Burlington’s Sister-City programs; Elizabeth Lord of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources; Justin Johnson and Gary Gulka of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation; Daniel Hecht of the Vermont Environmental Consortium; Noelle McKay of the Vermont Forum on Sprawl; staff of Efficiency Vermont; and Steve Goodkind, Director of Public Works for the City of Burlington.   Their leisure time activities include a tour of the Stowe/Mount Mansfield area with stops at the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, Cabot Cheese and Lake Champlain Chocolates, the Cold Hollow Cider Mill, the Trapp Family Lodge, and the Moscow General Store; a sunset dinner cruise on The Spirit of Ethan Allen II with delegates participating in the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society’s biennial meeting; the ECHO Center; dinner with faculty and students of the Russian School of Middlebury College where they also made a presentation about their environmental initiatives in Russia;  Shelburne Farms; the Shelburne Museum;  the Middlebury Farmers’ Market;  and Branbury State Park with time for a swim in Lake Dunmore.  They also enjoyed a welcoming dinner at the home of VCWA member Leta Finch together with the Russian Community Connections delegation, and lunch at the home of VCWA Board Member Peter Langrock and his wife Joann.

• Czech Republic (June 28-July 2): Ms Jana Borzova of the Czech Republic’s Ministry of the Environment and her U.S. Department of State escort visited Vermont to explore environmental issues.  During their visit, they met with National Park Service staff at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Park in Woodstock and enjoyed outings to Shelburne Farms, Shelburne Museum, the ECHO Center, and the Stowe/Mount Mansfield Ski Area.  VCWA Members Barry Dimson and Pamela Lawrence hosted them for dinner in their home.

• Russia (June 20-July 11):  10 journalists and election officials from the Sverdlosk region of Russia visited Vermont as part of the Community Connections program of USAID.  During their visit, they enjoyed homestays with welcoming Vermonters, an outing to Old Orchard Beach in Maine, the 4th of July parade in Colchester, and the 4th of July celebration in Burlington Waterfront Park.  Their professional meetings included appointments with former Vermont Governor and U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland, Madeleine M. Kunin; Vermont Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz; Dr. Garrison Nelson, Professor of Political Science at the University of Vermont;  VCWA Chair, Bonnie Tangalos; VCWA Board Member and Colchester Town Manager, Al Voegele; VCWA Executive Director, Karen Glitman;  Project Harmony Executive Director, Ann Martin; Kathleen DeWolfe, Director of Elections in the Office of the Vermont Secretary of State;  Ross Sneyd of the Associated Press and  free lance journalist Jon Margolis, formerly of The Chicago Tribune;  Deb Beckett, the Town Clerk of Williston; Williston Town Manager Rick McGuire; Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss; Jo LaMarche, Director of Elections for Burlington; members of the Vermont Progressive Party; a pot luck dinner with Chittenden County Town Clerks; Stewart Ledbetter of WPTZ; Marselis Parsons of WCAX; Lauren-Glenn Davitian of Chittenden Community Television; Mark Johnson of WDEV; Chuck Ross of Senator Patrick Leahy’s office; Tom Hughes, Executive Director of Democracy for America; Cathy Resmer of Seven Days; Jon Copans, Executive Director of the Vermont Democratic Party; Alden Guptil, Executive Director of the Vermont Republican Party.  They also met with various candidates and campaign staff for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and other offices, and attended campaign events to learn about grassroots politics in Vermont.

• Russia (June 18-21):  8 business people from Russia and their 3 interpreters visited Vermont on the theme of “Balancing Business and Government.”  During their stay, they met with Dana Eidsness, Director of the Vermont Global Trade Partnership;  Vermont Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz concerning licensing of business entities; Clare Buckley of Kimbell, Sherman & Ellis who explained how businesses lobby the state legislature; Allen Matthews of the Center for Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Vermont; Tom Myers, the International Business Program Director at Champlain College; Dawn Francis and Mary Sprayregan, co-directors of Government Affairs for the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce; and Alan Schillhammer of Queen City Printers.  They also enjoyed visits to Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, Shelburne Farms, the ECHO Center, and a sunset dinner cruise aboard The Spirit of Ethan Allen II.

• Montenegro (June 10-13): Mr. Miomir Vojinovic, a Member of Parliament from Montenegro, and his U.S. Department of State interpreter, visited Vermont to meet with Peter Clavelle of ARD; Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss; Lt. Governor Brian Dubie; General Drew, the Deputy Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard; Colchester Town Manager and VCWA Board Member, Al Voegele;  John Copans, the Executive Director of the Vermont Democratic Party; and Tom Hughes, Executive Director of Democracy for America.

• Serbia and Montenegro (June 6-9): Two Serbians and 1 Montenegrin and their 2 interpreters visited Vermont on the theme of "Environmental Protection and Standards in the U.S".   During their stay, they met with Hugo Martinez Cazon of the Department of Environmental Conservation who guided them on a tour of brownfield sites in the Burlington area; Tony Barbagallo of the Chittenden Solid Waste District who guided them on a tour of the Materials Recovery Facility; Dr. Mary Watzin, Director of the Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory; and Brian Pine of Burlington's Community & Economic Development Office. They also enjoyed the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, a visit to the ECHO Center, and a sunset cruise on Lake Champlain. Mike Goldstein, a VCWA volunteer greeted them at the airport with Carol Casey.

• Ukraine (June 4-7):  Seven Ukrainian authors and their 2 interpreters visited Vermont on the theme of “American Democracy.”  During their stay in Vermont, they met with Gerry Myers, the City Manager of Winooski; Geoffrey Gevalt of The Burlington Free Press to learn about the young writers project; Jan Albers, Vermont author and Executive Director of the Henry Sheldon Museum; and had lunch at the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs with Charlotte Tate, Ray & Shirley Benson, and Middlebury College professors.  They also enjoyed the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, a tour of the Middlebury College Museum of Art, and a scenic drive to view the Breadloaf School and Robert Frost Interpretative Trail on Route 125.

• Europe (May 21-24): 16 European Trade Officials (from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden and Turkey) and their 2 interpreters visited Vermont  to explore the theme of  "Trade and Economic Development".   They met with Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss; Michael Monte, Bruce Seifer and Ed Atnczak of Burlington's Community and Economic Development Office; Tom Myers of Champlain College's Center for Global Business and Technology; Claudia Lovell, International Sales Manager of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters;  Dana Eidsness, Director of International Trade for the Vermont Global Trade Partnership; Susan Murray, Director of the Montpelier Export Assistance Center of the U.S. Department of Commerce; Governor Jim Douglas; and Steve Kerry, Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.   They also enjoyed a visit to Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory and a sunset dinner cruise on Lake Champlain.

• Middle East (May 16-20):  5 delegates from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Tunisia visited Vermont for meetings on sustainable development issues at the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, Lewis Creek Farm in Starksboro, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, the Vermont Natural Resources Council, and Global Community Initiatives.  During their stay, they also enjoyed visits to the ECHO Center, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory, Shelburne Farms and the Shelburne Museum.

• Turkey (May 10-12):  The President of the Adana Environment and Consumer Protection Association of Turkey and his interpreter explored the theme of “Environmental Protection” in meetings at Shelburne Farms, the Environmental Law Center at Vermont Law School with the Co-Directors of the Global Justice Ecology Project, and with the Chief of Conservation Education & Information at the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.

• Moldova (April 16-19):  4 Parliamentary officials and their 2 interpreters visited Vermont to learn about U.S. Legislative Development and Society.  During their visit, they met with Gerald Myers, City Manager of Winooski and Al Voegele, Town Manager of Colchester.  They spent a day in Montpelier meeting with Michael Chernick, Vermont Legislative Council; Lt. Governor Brian Dubie; the Secretary of the Senate; the Assistant Clerk of the House; and Karen Horn, Director of Public Policy & Advocacy Services of the Vermont League of Cities & Towns.  While in the State House, they were introduced to Speaker of the House Gaye Symington, and were given a guided tour by State Curator David Schutz

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• Turkey (February 13-16): 7 Mayors and District Governors from Turkey, accompanied by 2 interpreters, explored the theme of local, state, and federal government responsibilities and relationships.  During their visit, they met with Roger Allbee, Executive Director of the Vermont Farm Service Agency; Clement Bissonette, Mayor of Winooski and Gerald Myers, Winooski City Manager; Peter Clavelle, the Mayor of Burlington; Rick McGuire, the Town Manager of Williston; Al Voegele, the Town Manager of Colchester, Michael McShane of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office; and Lt. Governor Brian Dubie.  In addition, they attended the Local Government Day in the Legislature sponsored by the Vermont League of Cities & Towns and the Vermont Municipal Clerks’ & Treasurers’ Association.