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SUMMARY:The Diplomat + Luminary Award 2026
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an unforgettable evening at The Diplomat + Luminary Award\, the World Affairs Council of Connecticut’s signature gathering of diplomats from around the world and Connecticut’s top business\, government\, and community leaders. \nOver 50 nations will be represented as Consuls General\, Ambassadors\, and dignitaries gather in Hartford to offer unparalleled opportunities to connect\, exchange ideas\, and foster international partnerships. \nThis year\, we proudly present the Luminary Award\, honoring a Connecticut leader whose work has made a meaningful impact on the world. \nBe part of an evening where diplomacy meets community\, and where Connecticut shines on the global stage. \n\nThe Details\nWhen: Tuesday\, June 9 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm\nWhere: The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | Hartford\, CT\nTickets: General Admission $125; Member Admission $99; Patron $250 \nTickets \n\n\n *You may call us to RSVP at (860) 241-6118 to pay directly and avoid ticket processing fees. \nUnlock special member pricing for this event by becoming a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut today. \nNot a member? Join here or select the membership add-on during checkout. Reach out to Abby Noyes at noyesa[@]ctwac.org with any questions. \n\nThe 2026 Luminary Award\nKarl J. Krapek\nGlobal Visionary\, Titan of Industry\, Philanthropist \nThe World Affairs Council of Connecticut is thrilled to present the 2026 Luminary Award to Karl J. Krapek\, World Affairs Council Advisor\, for his extraordinary global leadership and lasting impact on industry and community. \nOver a distinguished career\, he has helped guide major global enterprises through growth and innovation\, demonstrating the power of principled and forward-looking leadership. \nJust as important is Karl's deep commitment to the Hartford community and to expanding opportunities for the next generation. \nHis leadership of initiatives like Hartford Youth Scholars has helped open doors for talented young people and invest in our region's future. \nJoin us on June 9 at The Diplomat for an unforgettable evening as we honor a leader who has changed the world for the better. \n\nMission Partners\n \n  \nJoin the Community\nWith continuous breaking global news\, Council membership allows you to understand it all. Members gain lower-cost and exclusive access to discussions with foreign and local leaders\, events with experts and opposing views\, and – most essentially – a community of engaged people like yourself. \nBecome a member or renew today.
URL:https://ctwac.org/event/the-diplomat-luminary-award-2026/
LOCATION:Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art\, 600 Main Street\, Hartford\, CT\, 06103\, United States
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SUMMARY:The U.S. & Cuba: 250 Years of Change – What’s Next?
DESCRIPTION:From the early days of the republic to today’s headlines\, the story of U.S.–Cuba relations offers a compelling window into the evolution of American foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere. This is a story of empire\, revolution\, crisis\, and diplomacy – and it is far from over. \nJoin the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and Pequot Library for a unique opportunity to explore Cuba’s past\, present\, and future with Jack Leslie and Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis\, a central figure in the 2015 restoration of diplomatic relations and the first U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Havana since 1961. \nThe conversation will be moderated by Jack Leslie\, a longtime Fairfield resident and public relations executive\, political consultant\, and international development activist. \nHow has U.S.-Cuba relationship fundamentally changed over 250 years – and where is it headed next? RSVP to find out. \n\n\nDetails\nTuesday\, June 16\, 2026 | 6:00pm – 7:30pm\nPequot Library\, 720 Pequot Ave\, Southport\nTickets: No Charge\, Suggested $20 Donation \nReserve your spot today \n\n\n \n\nWith Special Guest\n \nAmbassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis\nCharge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Havana (2015-2017); Adjunct Professor\, Fordham University; Senior Non-Resident Fellow in International Affairs\, John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding\, Dartmouth College \nDuring his 28-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service\, Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis worked almost exclusively on Western Hemisphere issues and as a multilateral diplomat at the United Nations. He served as the first Charge d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Havana following the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. Prior to taking up his Cuba post in August 2014\, he was the Ambassador for Special Political Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. Previously\, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs\, and as Minister Counselor for Political Affairs and Security Council Coordinator at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. \nAmbassador DeLaurentis began his State Department career in 1991 as a consular officer in Havana and returned to Cuba as Political-Economic Section Chief in 1999-2002. In Washington\, he served as the Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs\, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs\, and Director of Inter-American Affairs at the National Security Council. His last assignment in the Foreign Service was at the Harvard Kennedy School as a Senior Diplomatic Fellow with the Belfer Center Future of Diplomacy Project. \nSubsequently\, Ambassador DeLaurentis was appointed a Centennial Fellow at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service\, Distinguished Resident Fellow in Latin American and Multilateral Diplomacy Studies at the Georgetown University Institute for the Study of Diplomacy\, George S. McGovern Visiting Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University\, Resident Fellow at the Harvard University David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies’ Cuba Studies Program\, and a Senior Advisor with the Albright Stonebridge Group.   He was also a member of the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition Team and called back to government service in January 2021 as the Senior Advisor for Security Council Affairs and Acting Deputy Permanent Representative at the U.S. Mission to the UN\, a position he held until September 2023. He then began a two-year appointment at Simmons University as the Joan M. Warburg Professor of International Relations. At the same time DeLaurentis also served as a diplomatic advisor on the U.S. interagency task force on Haiti and represented the U.S. on the advisory board of the UN Trust Fund in Support of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) to Haiti\, until December 2024. He was subsequently appointed the Magro Family Distinguished Fellow in International Affairs at the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College for the 2025 Fall Term. \nDeLaurentis is a graduate of the Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service and Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. A recipient of multiple State Department awards\, he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations\, the American Academy of Diplomacy and the Cuba Study Group. He recently joined the Stimson Center as a Distinguished Fellow and is a member of Stimson’s Latin American Program Advisory Council\, and continues as an associate with the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard. \n\nModerated By\nJack Leslie\nPublic Relations Executive and former Chair\, U.S. African Development Foundation \nJack Leslie is the former Chairman of Weber Shandwick\, one of the world’s leading public relations and public affairs firm. He was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the US Senate to Chair the Board of Directors of the US African Development Foundation (USADF)\, an independent federal agency. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and is a former Chair of the Ron Brown Scholar Program. \nJack is a veteran communications strategist\, having advised corporations and governments on high-profile campaigns over the past three decades. Jack served as a senior aide to Senator Edward Kennedy in the late 1970s\, and later became President of Sawyer Miller Group\, a pioneer in the political media consulting business. \nIn the 1980s\, he served as political consultant and media advisor to dozens of candidates for U.S. Senate and Governor\, and to presidential candidates in the U.S.\, Latin America\, Africa\, and Asia. Political and business leaders alike have sought his counsel during significant crises\, including American Airlines following the attacks of September 11th. \nJack is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations\, former Chairman of the U.S. Agency for International Development Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid\, former Chairman of USA for UNHCR and is currently a Distinguished Professor at Georgetown University and a Visiting Fellow at the Duke Global Health Institute. He is a member of the board of directors of Water.org\, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the NIH Clinical Center. Jack is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. \n\n \n\nJoin the Community\nWith continuous breaking global news\, Council membership allows you to understand it all. Members gain lower-cost and exclusive access to discussions with foreign and local leaders\, events with experts and opposing views\, and – most essentially – a community of engaged people like yourself. \nBecome a member or renew today. \n\nMission Partners\n \nSupport global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities. Learn more on our website about available opportunities. \n\n\n\nThe World Affairs Council of Connecticut provides a platform for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas on global issues. The views expressed by speakers and contributors to this organization’s public programs—in person\, online\, and through affiliated social media sites— are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of CTWAC\, its individual staff\, board members\, members\, or sponsors. As a nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization\, CTWAC’s purpose is to foster informed discussion and greater understanding of the world\, without endorsing any particular viewpoint.
URL:https://ctwac.org/event/us-cuba-250-years-of-change/
LOCATION:Pequot Library\, 720 Pequot Ave\, Fairfield\, CT\, 06890\, United States
CATEGORIES:Fairfield County
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