Fifty-two countries were represented at this year’s Consular Ball, powered by the Houston Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Jaycee Foundation, emceed by Shara Fryer at the Intercontinental Hotel Houston. Mayor Bill White, former Secretary of State Geoff Conner, County Judge Ed Emmett, former U.S. Ambassador to the State of Qatar Chase Untermeyer along with more than 50 consuls from around the world, were treated to Qatari Cultural performances and Middle Eastern Cuisine. Countries and distinguished guests were welcomed by the color and honor guard of the U.S. Marine Corps of Galveston.
Honorary Chairpersons Chase Untermeyer, Diana Untermeyer and Jerry Wolahan, vice president of Middle East development for ExxonMobil, all whom have lived in Qatar, expressed their compassion for the people and the culture they experienced while living abroad. This was echoed by the Honorable Yousif Ali Al-Khater, consul general of the State of Qatar. Al-Khater articulated his interest in creating a strong connection with Houston and announced a new non-stop service to Doha on Qatar Airways beginning next year. This announcement highlighted the opportunities of commerce yet to come for the Houston and Doha markets. A short video was played during dinner which presented the growth of Doha.
The International Service Award is presented every year to the individual who has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to the international community of Houston in the fields of business, education, diplomacy, culture or the arts. This year’s ISA award was accepted by Franciose Andree Liliane Marie Haelters Djerejian, a consultant for Rice University with worldwide honors from the President of the French Republic, and expertise in the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute. Past recipients include the Honorable Charles Foster, George Donnelly, Fentress Bracewell and Ned Holmes.
Entertainment included Qatari performances accenting traditional folkloric dance and song. A group of twenty, sponsored by RasGas Limited, Inc and CEO Hamad Rashid Al-Mohannadi, entertained the crowd with three different cultural shows. The Richard Brown Orchestra played in between speakers.
A silent auction featured round trip airfare on both Emirites and Qatar Airways, mink furs, jewelry, vacations and sports packages. Catch the Moment Photography took pictures of the guests with a variety of Qatari backgrounds.
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