Press Release
Exchange Program Brings Young, Arab Business Professionals to Des Moines
October 28, 2010
Contact:
Diane Rasmussen
515.868.0420
drasmussen@uscenterforcitizendiplomacy.org
DES MOINES, Iowa (Oct. 26, 2010) – This week, three young Arab Business Fellows will have a busy schedule meeting with various business professionals and companies in the Des Moines area, including MidAmerican Energy Company, Kemin Industries Inc., and Compressor Controls Corporation, as part of the Arab & American Business Fellowship (AABF) program.
"The visits of young Arab business leaders, in recent years, have been enriching for our employees, and it has introduced many of our managers to valuable and varied business perspectives," said Chuck Montgomery, Senior Managing Attorney at MidAmerican Energy Company.
The U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, located in Des Moines, Young Arab Leaders in Dubai, and Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA) in N.Y. have combined efforts again to host the fourth consecutive Arab & American Business Fellowship exchange. This year's program brings seven young, professional female and male Arab leaders to the U.S., three of which are spending the week in Des Moines, and four are visiting Chicago.
"The AABF program is an example of how, by working together, we can develop a deeper understanding of the Islamic business culture and share the best of America with fellow business leaders from the Middle East," said Ann Schodde, President and CEO of the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy.
Before landing in Des Moines, the seven Fellows spent one week in New York City, N.Y. before separating into two groups. After this week, they will reconvene and finish the program with their final week in Washington, D.C.
The AABF program is the only private sector-led exchange that focuses on the business leaders of tomorrow, helping to create relationships that will foster corporate success as well as cross-cultural understanding. It brings high-potential young executives from leading Middle Eastern companies to the U.S. to learn about American business, society and culture, and sends young American executives to the Middle East for the same purpose.
To date, the AABF program has provided transformative experiences to 55 Arab and American Fellows, and has included 23 U.S. and Middle Eastern corporate sponsors and 61 supporting organizations.
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The U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization established in 2006 to promote and expand opportunity for all Americans to be citizen diplomats, and affirm the indispensable value of citizen involvement in foreign relations.
Additional information about the USCCD may be found at: http://www.uscenterforcitizendiplomacy.org/