Inaugural Portuguese-American National Conference

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2018 (Newswire.com) - PALCUS plans Inaugural National Conference with the Embassy of Portugal to discuss the Portuguese-American national agenda to take place on Saturday, June 23, 2018 in Washington, D.C.

The Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States (PALCUS) in collaboration with the Embassy of Portugal announces that it is organizing its Inaugural Portuguese-American National Conference as part of the “Month of Portugal” celebration. The conference will take place in Washington, D.C. with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal and the Luso-American Development Foundation.

The purpose of the conference is to create an opportunity for education, business, civic leaders and elected officials to come together to discuss ways in which to build the community’s social capital and to advance the Portuguese-American agenda. The conference will feature:

Plenary Session:

Angela Simões, Chair, PALCUS

Dr. Vasco Rato, President, Luso-American Development Foundation

H.E. Domingos Fezas Vital, Ambassador of Portugal to the United States

Opening Remarks: H.E. Augusto Santos Silva, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal

Panel: “Integration of Portuguese-Americans in Public Office”

Moderator: Dulce Soares Scott, Ph.D., Anderson University, Anderson, Indiana

Panelists:

Congressman Jim Costa, (D, CA-16), Co-chair, Portuguese-American Congressional Caucus

Congressman Devin Nunes (R, CA-22), Chairman, House Intelligence Committee

Hon. Phillip Rapoza, Chief Justice, MA Appeals Court (Ret.)

Rep. Rosa Rebimbas (R), CT House of Representatives

Maria Z. Carvalho, President, Board of Education, Elizabeth (NJ) Public Schools

Panel: “Building Social Capital Through Portuguese-American Organizations"

Moderator: Silvia Oliveira, Ph.D., Rhode Island College, Providence, Rhode Island   

Panelists:

Isabelle Coelho-Marques, President, New York Portuguese-American Leadership Conference (NYPALC)

Silvia Curado, President, Portuguese-American Post-graduate Society (PAPS)

Anthony Pio, Manager of Financial Services, Luso-American Financial

Diniz Borges, President, California Portuguese-American Coalition (CPAC)

Keynote Address: H. E. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

Panel: “Portuguese Language Education: Challenges and Solutions”

Moderator: Onésimo Almeida, Ph.D., Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

Panelists:

João Caixinha, Coordinator for the Portuguese Language Programs and Education Affairs in the United States of America, Instituto

Camões Silvia Oliveira, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Portuguese, Director of Institute for Portuguese and Lusophone World Studies, Rhode Island College

Albert Carvalho, Superintendent, Miami-Dade County Schools, Florida

Jamie Leite, Portuguese Director, Utah Dual Language Immersion Program, Utah

The conference will conclude with the session “Establishing a Plan of Action” which will outline recommendations and action items. A full report of the proceedings of the conference will be developed and published at a later date.

Location: Washington Marriott at Metro Center, 775 12^th St., NW, Washington, D.C.

Date: Saturday, June 23, 2018

Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

After the conference, a dinner reception and concert will be hosted by H.E. Dominos Fezas Vital, Ambassador of Portugal at the Ambassador’s residence, 2125 Kalorama Rd., NW, Washington, D.C. 20008.

The conference is free and open to the public but registration is required. For information and registration visit: http://www.palcus.org/inaugural-national-conference.

Hotel Information

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center.

Rooms may be booked directly with the hotel by phone referencing "PALCUS" for the group rate.

1-800-393-2510 OR use this link https://book.passkey.com/e/49624984

About PALCUS

PALCUS is a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia. It was founded in 1991 by a group of successful, forward-thinking Portuguese-Americans with the purpose of providing a singular national voice that would advocate for the interests of Portuguese-Americans in the United States. Now in its 26th year and guided by a dedicated all-volunteer board of directors representing Portuguese-American communities throughout the United States, PALCUS has worked consistently to address the community's needs in the strategic areas of government affairs, international affairs, educational opportunities, Portuguese language and culture, community outreach and recognition of our community's success. To learn more about PALCUS, visit www.palcus.org.

Contact Information:

Gracielle Camilo, Executive Assistant

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.palcus.org
Phone: 202-466-4664
9255 Center St., Suite 404
Manassas, VA 20110

Source: PALCUS