83rd Annual Meeting and William J. Clothier II Award

The Pan American Association of Philadelphia is excited to announce that it will hold its 83rd Annual Meeting and William J. Clothier II Memorial Award  on October 18, 2023 at the Union League of Philadelphia.

We are pleased to announce Ambassador Patrick Duddy, a distinguished American career diplomat and former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela under Presidents Bush and Obama, will be our Keynote Speaker.

September 11, 2023, marks the 50th anniversary of the Pinochet coup d’etat in Chile. Ambassador Duddy, who has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere and in a variety of senior positions around the hemisphere, also served in the American Embassy in Santiago during the latter years of the Pinochet dictatorship. He currently is a consultant to the U.S. State Department and is the former director of Duke University’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Ambassador Duddy will share with us his unique perspective on the current situation in Chile.

Since its founding in 1940, the Association has been dedicated to promoting cultural, educational and economic activities to increase understanding and cooperation among the peoples of the Americas. The Association is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to advancing Pan-Americanism in the Greater Philadelphia region. Today, the region is home to more than 500,000 residents who trace their roots to Latin America, and the need for greater cultural understanding expressed by our founders has become even more relevant.

We expect an audience of more than 200 policymakers and leaders from business, cultural and academic institutions in the Greater Philadelphia region with an interest in Pan-Americanism. The event will begin at 11:30 AM with a networking reception followed by lunch at 12:00 PM.

Watch the Program

Keynote Speaker

Ambassador Patrick Duddy
Former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela
Former Director, Duke University’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Ambassador Patrick Duddy is the director of Duke University’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. He teaches in both Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and the Sanford School of Public Policy. From 2007 to 2010 he served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for both President Bush and President Obama. In 2011 he retired from the U.S. Department of State after nearly three decades in the Foreign Service.

Prior to his assignment to Venezuela, Ambassador Duddy served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (DAS) for the Western Hemisphere. In that capacity he was directly responsible for the Office of Economic Policy and Summit Coordination, which included the hemispheric energy portfolio, as well for the Offices of Brazil/ Southern Cone Affairs and of Caribbean Affairs.

From 2002 until 2005, Duddy served as Consul General in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the largest U.S. consulate general in the Western Hemisphere. Before his assignment in Brazil, Duddy held a variety of senior positions around the hemisphere including as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia and as Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Panama. Earlier in his career he served in U.S. embassies in Paraguay, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Chile. In addition to his overseas postings, he also served as U.S. head of delegation to international conferences on energy, counter-narcotics, and assistance for Haiti.

Ambassador Duddy has spoken to a wide range of private sector groups, world affairs councils, NGOs and universities both in the United States and in Latin America. He has also taught at the National War College in Washington, D.C. and lectured at the Foreign Service Institute of the Department State. He has published op-ed columns on U.S. foreign and trade policy in English, Spanish and Portuguese and been interviewed by NPR, the Voice of America, C-SPAN, CTV Canada, the BBC among others.   

William J. Clothier II Award Recipient

Carolina C. DiGiorgio
Chief Legal Counsel, PA Department of Environmental Protection
Former President and CEO of Congreso

Carolina was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and is a graduate of Rutgers University – Honors College where she majored in Political Science and minored in Psychology and Spanish. She pursued her law degree at Rutgers University School of Law – Camden. 

Previously Carolina served as the President & Chief Executive Officer of Congreso, one of the Philadelphia region’s Top Workplaces. In this capacity, she oversaw the functions of a multi-service social service agency with $25M dollar operating budget. Ms. DiGiorgio previously served as Montgomery County’s Director of Commerce under then Chair of Commissioners, Josh Shapiro, where she was responsible for managing all County economic development and workforce development initiatives. For a decade, Ms. DiGiorgio practiced law at the law firm of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP.

Carolina has been recognized regionally as a strong advocate and leader. In 2021 she was recognized with an Energage Women Led Culture Award, highlighting female led businesses in the region. In 2019, she was recognized as one of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs, an honor given to only 25 chief executive officers in the region. In addition, she also was recognized as one of the 2019 Girls Scouts Take the Lead Award Honorees given to only four women in the Southeast region demonstrating the traits of courage, confidence and character. She has previously been recognized as a Philadelphia Business Journal’s Women of Distinction, a 2018 Commonwealth’s Top 100 Latino Influencers and by City, State PA as one of Pennsylvania’s Top 40 Under 40.

Carolina is a proud wife and mother to two young boys, and three wonderful step-children. She is actively involved in her home community as a volunteer
and a member of the St Norbert Parish and School.

Presenting Sponsors

Gold Sponsors
 

Leo Niessen, Jr. Charitable Trust

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Sponsorship Levels

Gold Sponsor
$6,000
Reserved luncheon table (10 seats) and prominent mention in all advertising of the event, including the Luncheon Program. Poster with logo to be displayed at the podium. Logo to be included in the invitation to the event if received before deadline. Logo to be posted on Pan American website advertising the event.

Silver Sponsor
$3,500
Reserved luncheon table (10 seats) and mention in all advertising of the event including the Luncheon Program. Logo to be included in the invitation to the event if received before deadline. Logo to be posted on Pan American website advertising the event. 

Bronze Sponsor
$1,750
Reserved luncheon table (10 seats) and mention in all advertising of the event including the Luncheon Program. Logo to be included in the invitation to the event if received before deadline. Logo to be posted on Pan American website advertising the event. 

Table Sponsor
$ 800
Reserved luncheon table for 10 and mention in the luncheon program

Sponsors are requested to consider seating a student honoree and a faculty mentor at their tables.