46th Annual Meridian Ball

On Friday, October 17, 2014, more than 800 Ambassadors, Members of Congress, senior U.S. and foreign government officials, business leaders, media stars and celebrities gathered to celebrate global leadership at the 46th Annual Meridian Ball. As the highpoint on the social calendars of leaders in the nation's capital, the Meridian Ball provided a lucrative opportunity for cultural exchange and relationship-building for the diplomatic, public, corporate, and social sectors. In addition, many ball attendees enjoyed conversation and networking during the pre-ball dinners which were hosted by 26 embassies throughout Washington, D.C., including the Embassies of Argentina, Brazil, France, Grenada, Italy, Peru, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand and Qatar.

This year, the Meridian Ball maintained its high standing on Washington's social landscape with an extensive list of notable attendees, including Members of Congress Rick Larsen, Mark Meadows and James Moran; Senator Rand Paul; Ambassador of Argentina, Her Excellency Cecilia Nahón and Ambassador of Egypt, His Excellency Mohamed M. Tawfik; DC Councilmembers Jack Evans and Vincent Orange; House of Cards celebrities Jayne Atkinson and Michel Gill; media stars CNN's Michelle Kosinski and Jake Tapper, MSNBC's Jonathan Capehart, ABC's Gloria Riviera, CBS' Nancy Cordes, and Capitol File's Elizabeth Thorp.

The 46th Annual Ball was presided over by Honorary Chair Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States; Honorary Sponsor Ambassador Peter A. Selfridge, Chief of Protocol of the United States; Congressional Co-Chairs Congressman Steven Horsford and Dr. Sonya Horsford and Congressman Ed Royce and Mrs. Marie Thérèse Royce; Ball Chairs Governor James J. Blanchard and Mrs. Janet Blanchard; White-Meyer Chairs Mr. Maxmillian Angerholzer III and Mrs. Lindsay Angerholzer; and Young Professional Chair Ariana Austin.

As Meridian's primary annual fundraiser, the proceeds from the Meridian Ball support the organization's work in preparing U.S. and international leaders to meet shared global challenges. According to Meridian's President and CEO Ambassador Stuart W. Holliday - "At Meridian, we believe that when leaders come together and engage in greater cooperation and sharing, there is greater peace, prosperity, and security around the world. For almost a half-century, the Meridian Ball has provided the forum for global leaders to dialogue and build relationships. We are proud that we are able to play this important role, and we very grateful to our sponsors and all the individuals, organizations, and corporations who support our mission."

The 46th Annual Meridian Ball was made possible through the generous support of Presenting Sponsor Enbridge; Lead Sponsors Chevron, Coca-Cola, Gallup, DLA Piper and Hess; and numerous other corporate sponsors and individual contributors.

                  For more information on the 46th Annual Meridian Ball, please visit meridian.org/ball.

Meridian International Center is a premier global leadership organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. Building on over 50 years of experience, Meridian provides the programs, approach, and environment for leaders to understand global issues and cultures, exchange ideas, collaborate on solutions, and build valuable relationships.

Photography by Christine Shepherd
Info from Meridian.Org

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